(All right, one thing before we start. The story isn't just about to end.
There's going to be a twist, everything has one nowadays don't they?)
CHAPTER TEN: THE RUINS OF A ONCE GRAND PALACE
"How many more miles are do we have to go?" Atsuko asked for the third time as Hotsuma, Ryo, and herself walked along the steep cliffs.
"Not many more," Hotsuma answered.
Ryo sighed. "Well, let's hope Namiko and that girl are okay."
Namiko and Yasuko ran along a deep valley. "What happened to this place? All of these pieces, are like broken mirror parts," Yasuko stated.
Namiko glimpsed behind her. "This temple, it was destroyed. And these are its many pieces, as if it were a shattered mirror."
The two reached a deep ridge. "How do we get up there?" Yasuko asked. Namiko winced. "I believe we have to climb."
The two began to climb the incline.
"I see you two came. Came to the ruins of the Glass Palace."
Namiko and Yasuko climbed up to see Hitoshi standing in the middle of a ravaged palace.
"Do you two understand what happened here? This "glass palace" once honored a great emperor. But then, a war ravaged the palace, turning it into, this," Hitoshi explained.
Namiko unsheathed Akujki. "Does it matter? I've had enough of this, and I'm going to end it!"
Namiko rushed to Hitoshi and slashed. However, a ninja appeared and took the blow.
Hitoshi smiled. "Do you see? The powers of Yin and Yang are strongest here. You see many people with good intentions died here, while many people with horrible ideals were murdered here."
Hitoshi took a few steps backwards. "There are enough souls here for Akujki to be fed for more than a month. Yet, sadness is what truly fills this place. However, it is unfortunate," Hitoshi stopped and grinned, "that you will be forced to remain here forever!"
An overwhelming number of ninjas appeared around them.
"Are you such a coward to not face me yourself?!" Namiko yelled out.
Hitoshi laughed. "Call me what you want, but why should I stain my sword with your blood? All I need is Akujki."
The ninjas attacked. Hitoshi rubbed his nose. "Of course, I'll be happy to kill the one of you two who happen to survive."
Yasuko stabbed one ninja. "And what if we both survive?"
Hitoshi smiled. "Same thing."
The ninjas were much faster than normal, causing Namiko and Yasuko to stay on their feet at all times.
Namiko was mainly concentrating on charging Akujki, while Yasuko was running out of shurikens.
Namiko kicked a ninja to the ground. "Howany are there?!" Namiko yelled out.
Hitoshi folded his arms. "Quite enough."
Akujki turned a reddish color. Namiko noticed this and started slashing quicker. Waves of the ninjas started disappearing under Akujki's power.
After a few minutes, no ninjas were left standing.
Hitoshi smiled. "Isn't Akujki beautiful? That power... it is enriching!" Hitoshi exclaimed.
Namiko winced. "No, no it's not. It absorbs the souls of innocent people. How can something that evil be beautiful?" Namiko replied.
"It is flow of nature, that is what is beautiful," Hitoshi answered.
Yasuko turned. "You have no idea what beautiful truly is!" she cried out.
Yasuko dashed at Hitoshi and started slashing her daggers. Hitoshi took out his sword and started blocking. "You both have no idea what this is do you? You both have no idea." Hitoshi quickly kicked Yasuko to the ground.
"What do you mean by that?" Namiko asked.
Hitoshi smiled once more. "Akujki is much more powerful than you think little girl. It is because of this, that you are not its true master."
Namiko gritted her teeth. "What makes you think I wanted to be!"
She ran at full- force towards Hitoshi. She began slashing rapidly, however, Hitoshi dodged easily. He quickly grabbed her hand.
"You are too slow little girl."
He pushed her to the ground. "Now, give me Akujki." Namiko got up. "I'll never give it to you," she said.
"So sorry you feel that way," Hitoshi answered.
Twenty ninjas appeared around Namiko and Yasuko.
"Damnmit!" Namiko thought.
Suddenly, three of the ninjas fell apart. Namiko and Yasuko turned to see Hotsuma standing there.
A few more ninjas disappeared as Ryo slashed them down.
Hotsuma and Ryo took care of the other ninjas.
"Namiko!" Namiko turned to see Atsuko run up to her. "We're so glad you're okay! We thought she killed you!" Atsuko exclaimed pointing at Yasuko.
"Name's Yasuko," she replied.
"Whatever," Atsuko answered. Yasuko rolled her eyes at this reply.
"These sentimental reunion things disgust me," Hitoshi thought.
"Wait, we have more important matters to deal with," Hotsuma said.
They all turned to see Hitoshi standing there. "Yes, I believe we're not done yet," Hitoshi said. However, another voice filled the air. "Stop Hitoshi, I will finish these fools."
A strange gate appeared behind Hitoshi. It opened to reveal a bright light coming from the entrance.
Then, a figure stepped out of the gate and onto the ground.
"Allow me to introduce myself. "My name is Yasutoki, leader of the Black Dragon."
Yasutoki threw off the straw hat to the ground. He wore a traditional black Japanese kimono. He had billowing white hair go down his back. He had wooden sandals.
Yasuko stood up. "Yasutoki! We end this now!" she shouted.
Yasutoki smiled. "Yasuko, you will have your chance to kill me. But, if all of you want to end this, then come to the true Glass Palace. We will finish our battle there."
The gate opened again, and Yasutoki walked through it.
Hitoshi was about to walk through it, but stopped and turned.
"We'll be leaving the gate open. Well, I guess I'll see you people later."
With that he walked through the gate.
Namiko began walking towards the gate. "I don't know about you, but I have something I have to do."
Atsuko walked up. "Those Black Dragon scum killed my family and friends. I'm going."
Yasuko looked up. "I have my own affairs with them."
Hotsuma sheathed his sword away. "I have to do something first." He dashed away.
Namiko looked at Ryo. "So, what're you going to do?" she asked.
Ryo sighed. "What do you think I'm going to do?"
He walked with them through the gate.
Kagari stood at the train station in Shinjuku. She sighed as she glimpsed at her ticket.
"Kagari."
She turned to see Hotsuma standing there. "Hotsuma? What are you doing here?"
Hotsuma took a few steps forward. "I have to say goodbye. This will most likely be the last time you see me."
Kagari nodded. "I have a feeling I will see you again."
She walked away to board her train, while Hotsuma left back to face whatever his fate may be.
(Sorry if the chapter felt rushed. Its main purpose was to act as an interlude to the next chapter.)
CHAPTER TEN: THE RUINS OF A ONCE GRAND PALACE
"How many more miles are do we have to go?" Atsuko asked for the third time as Hotsuma, Ryo, and herself walked along the steep cliffs.
"Not many more," Hotsuma answered.
Ryo sighed. "Well, let's hope Namiko and that girl are okay."
Namiko and Yasuko ran along a deep valley. "What happened to this place? All of these pieces, are like broken mirror parts," Yasuko stated.
Namiko glimpsed behind her. "This temple, it was destroyed. And these are its many pieces, as if it were a shattered mirror."
The two reached a deep ridge. "How do we get up there?" Yasuko asked. Namiko winced. "I believe we have to climb."
The two began to climb the incline.
"I see you two came. Came to the ruins of the Glass Palace."
Namiko and Yasuko climbed up to see Hitoshi standing in the middle of a ravaged palace.
"Do you two understand what happened here? This "glass palace" once honored a great emperor. But then, a war ravaged the palace, turning it into, this," Hitoshi explained.
Namiko unsheathed Akujki. "Does it matter? I've had enough of this, and I'm going to end it!"
Namiko rushed to Hitoshi and slashed. However, a ninja appeared and took the blow.
Hitoshi smiled. "Do you see? The powers of Yin and Yang are strongest here. You see many people with good intentions died here, while many people with horrible ideals were murdered here."
Hitoshi took a few steps backwards. "There are enough souls here for Akujki to be fed for more than a month. Yet, sadness is what truly fills this place. However, it is unfortunate," Hitoshi stopped and grinned, "that you will be forced to remain here forever!"
An overwhelming number of ninjas appeared around them.
"Are you such a coward to not face me yourself?!" Namiko yelled out.
Hitoshi laughed. "Call me what you want, but why should I stain my sword with your blood? All I need is Akujki."
The ninjas attacked. Hitoshi rubbed his nose. "Of course, I'll be happy to kill the one of you two who happen to survive."
Yasuko stabbed one ninja. "And what if we both survive?"
Hitoshi smiled. "Same thing."
The ninjas were much faster than normal, causing Namiko and Yasuko to stay on their feet at all times.
Namiko was mainly concentrating on charging Akujki, while Yasuko was running out of shurikens.
Namiko kicked a ninja to the ground. "Howany are there?!" Namiko yelled out.
Hitoshi folded his arms. "Quite enough."
Akujki turned a reddish color. Namiko noticed this and started slashing quicker. Waves of the ninjas started disappearing under Akujki's power.
After a few minutes, no ninjas were left standing.
Hitoshi smiled. "Isn't Akujki beautiful? That power... it is enriching!" Hitoshi exclaimed.
Namiko winced. "No, no it's not. It absorbs the souls of innocent people. How can something that evil be beautiful?" Namiko replied.
"It is flow of nature, that is what is beautiful," Hitoshi answered.
Yasuko turned. "You have no idea what beautiful truly is!" she cried out.
Yasuko dashed at Hitoshi and started slashing her daggers. Hitoshi took out his sword and started blocking. "You both have no idea what this is do you? You both have no idea." Hitoshi quickly kicked Yasuko to the ground.
"What do you mean by that?" Namiko asked.
Hitoshi smiled once more. "Akujki is much more powerful than you think little girl. It is because of this, that you are not its true master."
Namiko gritted her teeth. "What makes you think I wanted to be!"
She ran at full- force towards Hitoshi. She began slashing rapidly, however, Hitoshi dodged easily. He quickly grabbed her hand.
"You are too slow little girl."
He pushed her to the ground. "Now, give me Akujki." Namiko got up. "I'll never give it to you," she said.
"So sorry you feel that way," Hitoshi answered.
Twenty ninjas appeared around Namiko and Yasuko.
"Damnmit!" Namiko thought.
Suddenly, three of the ninjas fell apart. Namiko and Yasuko turned to see Hotsuma standing there.
A few more ninjas disappeared as Ryo slashed them down.
Hotsuma and Ryo took care of the other ninjas.
"Namiko!" Namiko turned to see Atsuko run up to her. "We're so glad you're okay! We thought she killed you!" Atsuko exclaimed pointing at Yasuko.
"Name's Yasuko," she replied.
"Whatever," Atsuko answered. Yasuko rolled her eyes at this reply.
"These sentimental reunion things disgust me," Hitoshi thought.
"Wait, we have more important matters to deal with," Hotsuma said.
They all turned to see Hitoshi standing there. "Yes, I believe we're not done yet," Hitoshi said. However, another voice filled the air. "Stop Hitoshi, I will finish these fools."
A strange gate appeared behind Hitoshi. It opened to reveal a bright light coming from the entrance.
Then, a figure stepped out of the gate and onto the ground.
"Allow me to introduce myself. "My name is Yasutoki, leader of the Black Dragon."
Yasutoki threw off the straw hat to the ground. He wore a traditional black Japanese kimono. He had billowing white hair go down his back. He had wooden sandals.
Yasuko stood up. "Yasutoki! We end this now!" she shouted.
Yasutoki smiled. "Yasuko, you will have your chance to kill me. But, if all of you want to end this, then come to the true Glass Palace. We will finish our battle there."
The gate opened again, and Yasutoki walked through it.
Hitoshi was about to walk through it, but stopped and turned.
"We'll be leaving the gate open. Well, I guess I'll see you people later."
With that he walked through the gate.
Namiko began walking towards the gate. "I don't know about you, but I have something I have to do."
Atsuko walked up. "Those Black Dragon scum killed my family and friends. I'm going."
Yasuko looked up. "I have my own affairs with them."
Hotsuma sheathed his sword away. "I have to do something first." He dashed away.
Namiko looked at Ryo. "So, what're you going to do?" she asked.
Ryo sighed. "What do you think I'm going to do?"
He walked with them through the gate.
Kagari stood at the train station in Shinjuku. She sighed as she glimpsed at her ticket.
"Kagari."
She turned to see Hotsuma standing there. "Hotsuma? What are you doing here?"
Hotsuma took a few steps forward. "I have to say goodbye. This will most likely be the last time you see me."
Kagari nodded. "I have a feeling I will see you again."
She walked away to board her train, while Hotsuma left back to face whatever his fate may be.
(Sorry if the chapter felt rushed. Its main purpose was to act as an interlude to the next chapter.)