A/N: Here's where all of the action starts. Sorry about the delay
everybody. My brain's been dead for a while. No inspiration! More to come
soon though!
Chapter 6 - Night of the Ninjas
Ominous black clouds gathered in the silvery skies overhead as night fell upon the Matsu estate. The deep roar of an approaching storm sent the shadowy silhouettes of moonlit vapors aloft and swirling in a gloomy whirlpool of tumultuous winds. The bamboo creaked and scraped against its own trunks, as its swayed violently from side to side. The bright moon, full and luminous, was soon blotted out by the oncoming legion of storm clouds. Flashes of silent lightning reached out into the darkness, like the hand of a restless spirit, to touch the sweet earth and light a fire of life-in-death. Following after closely, its wretched moaning that thundered and shook the land.
Lurking within the shadows, a horde of fiends gathered in the rustling bamboo, their presence concealed in the darkness and wind. Their voices drowned out by the growing thunderstorm, they planned their infiltration. Splitting into two factions they surrounded the mansion, leaping through the night like goblins, with one group hovering beneath the amber-lighted window. Silver blades revealed themselves in the gloom like the wicked fanged grin of a wolf ready to strike. Closer they came, lighting cracking violently overhead, screaming madness across the sky as it split open and rain began to fall upon their cloaked figures. Hovering within the drowning sheets of sky water, they awaited their quarry.
~
Battousai stood solemnly outside the stateroom, his hand resting on the door he had shut moments ago. The storm was filled with aggravation, the skies darkening and the winds growing more violent. His eyes narrowed to slits, glowing brightly with burning fire, as the sense of intruders raced through his veins. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as he flew down the stairs and out onto the wooden walkway. Staring into the writhing storm he watched for movement, any sign that his intuition had not failed him. Heart pounding within his chest, he waited, alert as a mountain beast to the potential threat that might be hovering in the bamboo just beyond the thick layers of driving rain. There, he saw the glint of a sword reflecting a stray thread of moonlight that peered through the dark clouds. Like a horde of evil spirits, they emerged from the depths of darkness and into the waning moonlight, soaked with rain, their swords glinting menacingly.
Calmly, Battousai stepped out into the downpour, the soles of his feet immediately saturated with rainwater and mud. The shower of water poured down on him, soaking his bangs and sending a bitter chill down his spine. The presence of the powerful elements only made him feel stronger as his opponents approached, a group of ten or fifteen, each with long swords and daggers in their hands. Watching from behind a gloomy mist, Battousai took his stance before his challengers, right hand hovering over his thirsty katana blade. In an instant, as a dazzling flash of lighting slithered across the sky above their heads and a roar of thunder boomed, they attacked, swords high and drawn to destroy. Battousai, eyes aglow with fiery hatred, cried out loud with the thunder and lunged forth as the battle began.
~
Toshiki jumped as she heard the thunder bellow in the sky outside. She held her kimono close around her shoulders, and wiped the loose strands of glossy black hair from her face. Smiling softly, she thought of the wondrous swordsman she had come to be so close to. It had been almost a week since Battousai had revealed himself to her and she had already experienced many wonderful things. She had showed him her impressive poetic, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and musical talents, which delighted his heart and pleased his soul. Satisfied with her utmost accomplishment, she lay back against the disheveled futon and sighed contentedly. Finally, she had taken hold of a rare and wonderful prize she had almost doubted achieving. She stared at a glowing amber candlelight, watching it dance in the cool wind that wafted through the paper screen and thought of him lovingly. She dreamed of the day when the wars would cease, and she would be free from the bonds that held her prisoner, united with her swordsman lover forever. It would be a time of happiness and joy that would never end, alongside a love she never wished to lose. Her eyes filled with happy tears at the thought of such beautiful imaginings and wished that day would come soon.
Her joyful mood was suddenly broken by another crack of thunder that shook the whole mansion. Toshiki grew fearful of the storm and wished to be near her lover. She quickly clambered to her feet to search for him, when an invisible hand opened the sliding paper doors. A shadow hovered in the doorway, the flash of a sword glinting in the candlelight. Toshiki's eyes grew wide in fear as it stepped forward followed by another and yet another. The window shutters flew open with the power of the raging winds and sent the room into swirling chaos. Toshiki could see nothing but darkness, the pelting rain forcing her to the ground, the brutal tempest engulfing her in terror. She screamed as the intruders came upon her and clutched her in their claws. Blindly, she fought against them, trying to evade their grasp, but was too weak for their vast numbers and she being without a weapon, was rendered helpless.
Blades drawn to her throat, they gagged and bound her in ropes and cloth and carried her to the back of the house. The rain soaked her thin kimono and froze her terror-stricken form. She cried out but no one heard, she fought but could not win, she prayed but found no salvation. Knowing her dear Akai would save her, she searched for him frantically but he was nowhere to be seen. The clouds burst overhead with golden radiance as the rain continued its assault, thunder roaring like a wicked monstrosity. For a moment during that illumination she thought she saw the figure of Akai, standing amongst a group of terrible warriors, his scarlet hair drenched and flowing down his back, his sword dripping with blood. She cried out to him, but to no avail. The bandits threw her upon a waterlogged warhorse and rode off into the storm.
~
Battousai, fought off his attackers swiftly and accurately, each swing of his mighty katana connecting and ending the battle one man at a time. There were five still standing, the others scattered lifeless in the mud, yet there was no smell of fear permeating the air. They raised their swords, and as Battousai rushed to end them, he heard a voice from beyond the storm calling out to him, a cry for help. He glanced behind to see where it had come from and saw, in a flash of amber lightning, the fragile form of Toshiki, a torn and wilted flower, being carried off into the darkness. His heart urged him to go after her but the battle raged on as his attackers advanced. Helpless to aid her, Battousai fought them off, anger filling his heart as the manslayer took over, sending him into a wild rage. Within moments the lot of them lay dead upon the rain-soaked ground, now red with their freshly spilled blood. Breathing heavily, he fought to regain control of his urge to kill. The storm began to calm as his true heart returned, however, the kidnappers were long gone.
Stunned at the sudden happening, he tried to figure out how he could have left himself off-guard. How did they plan such a successful and cunning attack? He thought back upon the day of revelation. There was a moment where his instincts were alerted to the presence of an intruder outside the mansion, however he gave it no concern. The bandits he had just defeated may have appeared to be lackeys, however their fighting techniques made all the difference. Normally he would have beaten any group of bandits in a matter of seconds. These men were different. They fought using a horizontal sword technique and were unafraid of his presence. It was clear. They had found him out. His identity had been discovered and because of that, Toshiki had been captured. Battousai cursed himself for not seeing it sooner.
Suddenly, a woman's scream shattered his train of thought and a crackled voice shouted, "She's gone! She's gone!"
The house came to life as servants and vassals awoke from their slumber to investigate. Still standing in the easing storm, Battousai caught the light of a lantern lighting up the outer walkway. A man who came from the house, dressed in his nightclothes, marching determinedly toward where the woman was screaming. It was Kaurousuke. He came to the window and shouted, "Old Yousai, what's the matter? Why are you shouting in the middle of the night?"
"It's Miss Toshiki!" the old woman cried, her face red with worry. "She's vanished! I cannot find her anywhere! She's gone! Lady Toshiki is gone!"
Kaurousuke, turned and saw Battousai standing above a group of still forms, drenched with rain and blood. He marched toward him, stared at the massacre and said coldly, "Where is she?"
Battousai's left hand clutched hard onto the hilt of katana, and a surge of rage filled his heart. "Taken...by Kokkaido's men."
The sword master let out a horrified gasp at hearing such news. He lunged at Battousai with verbal weaponry. "I don't believe this! How could you let such a thing happen? I can't believe that Lord Matsu hired such an arrogant, incompetent fool as you to protect this estate. You are a disgrace! I ought to-"
Kaurousuke's assault was silenced by Battousai's crushing hand constricting his throat. He glared at Kaurousuke, shooting daggers into his soul and hissed, "I warned you never to insult a hitokiri. Let me tell you this much. I have every intention to rescue Lord Matsu's daughter from Kokkaido. If you interfere, I will personally see to it that you never hold a sword again."
"Your threats are pathetic, young fool. Besides, even if you were to try and infiltrate Kokkaido's mansion alone, you will be killed before you even reached the gate. Not even Matsu-sama's best samurai could stand against him."
"You misjudge me. I am no samurai...I am a hitokiri." Battousai threw Kaurousuke to the ground and headed for the stable. He opened the doors and rushed to the far end of the barn, capturing the moonlit warhorse horse: Shiro Tsuki. In a flash the swordsman was aloft upon his great back and flew out into the garden at full gallop, nearly running into the bewildered daimyo.
"What is the meaning of this?" Matsu demanded seeing that his daughter was gone and his prized horse in the hands of a mere hired man.
"I'm sorry, Matsu-sama, but there is too much a stake to explain. Have no fear, for I shall not return empty-handed. The sun will not rise until my task is complete and the threat of Kokkaido has ended!" With that, Battousai turned his horse to the night and galloped through the gates and into the forest beyond, riding west toward Amagasaki.
"I do not understand, Yamagata," Matsu-sama said to his advisor, who had suddenly appeared from the shadows to stand beside him. "How can one man hope to achieve the impossible? How can he hope to stand a chance against Kokkaido? I cannot trust him. My daughter's life is at stake! I will send all of my servants if necessary! Call them at once!"
"No, my lord," Yamagata replied, calmly.
"Why ever not?" Matsu demanded.
"Because, this man is no ordinary swordsman. He has his heart set upon something so precious and dear to him, that not even a legion of spirits could stop him. He holds a power unknown to you or I, unbridled and untamed except by his own soul. A power, I believe, greater than even Kokkaido himself. Do not doubt his abilities, for as he promised, he will not return empty-handed."
Lord Matsu stared at the overwhelming devastation the young swordsman had left strewn upon the ground and replied, "Perhaps your right my friend...perhaps you're right."
Chapter 6 - Night of the Ninjas
Ominous black clouds gathered in the silvery skies overhead as night fell upon the Matsu estate. The deep roar of an approaching storm sent the shadowy silhouettes of moonlit vapors aloft and swirling in a gloomy whirlpool of tumultuous winds. The bamboo creaked and scraped against its own trunks, as its swayed violently from side to side. The bright moon, full and luminous, was soon blotted out by the oncoming legion of storm clouds. Flashes of silent lightning reached out into the darkness, like the hand of a restless spirit, to touch the sweet earth and light a fire of life-in-death. Following after closely, its wretched moaning that thundered and shook the land.
Lurking within the shadows, a horde of fiends gathered in the rustling bamboo, their presence concealed in the darkness and wind. Their voices drowned out by the growing thunderstorm, they planned their infiltration. Splitting into two factions they surrounded the mansion, leaping through the night like goblins, with one group hovering beneath the amber-lighted window. Silver blades revealed themselves in the gloom like the wicked fanged grin of a wolf ready to strike. Closer they came, lighting cracking violently overhead, screaming madness across the sky as it split open and rain began to fall upon their cloaked figures. Hovering within the drowning sheets of sky water, they awaited their quarry.
~
Battousai stood solemnly outside the stateroom, his hand resting on the door he had shut moments ago. The storm was filled with aggravation, the skies darkening and the winds growing more violent. His eyes narrowed to slits, glowing brightly with burning fire, as the sense of intruders raced through his veins. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as he flew down the stairs and out onto the wooden walkway. Staring into the writhing storm he watched for movement, any sign that his intuition had not failed him. Heart pounding within his chest, he waited, alert as a mountain beast to the potential threat that might be hovering in the bamboo just beyond the thick layers of driving rain. There, he saw the glint of a sword reflecting a stray thread of moonlight that peered through the dark clouds. Like a horde of evil spirits, they emerged from the depths of darkness and into the waning moonlight, soaked with rain, their swords glinting menacingly.
Calmly, Battousai stepped out into the downpour, the soles of his feet immediately saturated with rainwater and mud. The shower of water poured down on him, soaking his bangs and sending a bitter chill down his spine. The presence of the powerful elements only made him feel stronger as his opponents approached, a group of ten or fifteen, each with long swords and daggers in their hands. Watching from behind a gloomy mist, Battousai took his stance before his challengers, right hand hovering over his thirsty katana blade. In an instant, as a dazzling flash of lighting slithered across the sky above their heads and a roar of thunder boomed, they attacked, swords high and drawn to destroy. Battousai, eyes aglow with fiery hatred, cried out loud with the thunder and lunged forth as the battle began.
~
Toshiki jumped as she heard the thunder bellow in the sky outside. She held her kimono close around her shoulders, and wiped the loose strands of glossy black hair from her face. Smiling softly, she thought of the wondrous swordsman she had come to be so close to. It had been almost a week since Battousai had revealed himself to her and she had already experienced many wonderful things. She had showed him her impressive poetic, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and musical talents, which delighted his heart and pleased his soul. Satisfied with her utmost accomplishment, she lay back against the disheveled futon and sighed contentedly. Finally, she had taken hold of a rare and wonderful prize she had almost doubted achieving. She stared at a glowing amber candlelight, watching it dance in the cool wind that wafted through the paper screen and thought of him lovingly. She dreamed of the day when the wars would cease, and she would be free from the bonds that held her prisoner, united with her swordsman lover forever. It would be a time of happiness and joy that would never end, alongside a love she never wished to lose. Her eyes filled with happy tears at the thought of such beautiful imaginings and wished that day would come soon.
Her joyful mood was suddenly broken by another crack of thunder that shook the whole mansion. Toshiki grew fearful of the storm and wished to be near her lover. She quickly clambered to her feet to search for him, when an invisible hand opened the sliding paper doors. A shadow hovered in the doorway, the flash of a sword glinting in the candlelight. Toshiki's eyes grew wide in fear as it stepped forward followed by another and yet another. The window shutters flew open with the power of the raging winds and sent the room into swirling chaos. Toshiki could see nothing but darkness, the pelting rain forcing her to the ground, the brutal tempest engulfing her in terror. She screamed as the intruders came upon her and clutched her in their claws. Blindly, she fought against them, trying to evade their grasp, but was too weak for their vast numbers and she being without a weapon, was rendered helpless.
Blades drawn to her throat, they gagged and bound her in ropes and cloth and carried her to the back of the house. The rain soaked her thin kimono and froze her terror-stricken form. She cried out but no one heard, she fought but could not win, she prayed but found no salvation. Knowing her dear Akai would save her, she searched for him frantically but he was nowhere to be seen. The clouds burst overhead with golden radiance as the rain continued its assault, thunder roaring like a wicked monstrosity. For a moment during that illumination she thought she saw the figure of Akai, standing amongst a group of terrible warriors, his scarlet hair drenched and flowing down his back, his sword dripping with blood. She cried out to him, but to no avail. The bandits threw her upon a waterlogged warhorse and rode off into the storm.
~
Battousai, fought off his attackers swiftly and accurately, each swing of his mighty katana connecting and ending the battle one man at a time. There were five still standing, the others scattered lifeless in the mud, yet there was no smell of fear permeating the air. They raised their swords, and as Battousai rushed to end them, he heard a voice from beyond the storm calling out to him, a cry for help. He glanced behind to see where it had come from and saw, in a flash of amber lightning, the fragile form of Toshiki, a torn and wilted flower, being carried off into the darkness. His heart urged him to go after her but the battle raged on as his attackers advanced. Helpless to aid her, Battousai fought them off, anger filling his heart as the manslayer took over, sending him into a wild rage. Within moments the lot of them lay dead upon the rain-soaked ground, now red with their freshly spilled blood. Breathing heavily, he fought to regain control of his urge to kill. The storm began to calm as his true heart returned, however, the kidnappers were long gone.
Stunned at the sudden happening, he tried to figure out how he could have left himself off-guard. How did they plan such a successful and cunning attack? He thought back upon the day of revelation. There was a moment where his instincts were alerted to the presence of an intruder outside the mansion, however he gave it no concern. The bandits he had just defeated may have appeared to be lackeys, however their fighting techniques made all the difference. Normally he would have beaten any group of bandits in a matter of seconds. These men were different. They fought using a horizontal sword technique and were unafraid of his presence. It was clear. They had found him out. His identity had been discovered and because of that, Toshiki had been captured. Battousai cursed himself for not seeing it sooner.
Suddenly, a woman's scream shattered his train of thought and a crackled voice shouted, "She's gone! She's gone!"
The house came to life as servants and vassals awoke from their slumber to investigate. Still standing in the easing storm, Battousai caught the light of a lantern lighting up the outer walkway. A man who came from the house, dressed in his nightclothes, marching determinedly toward where the woman was screaming. It was Kaurousuke. He came to the window and shouted, "Old Yousai, what's the matter? Why are you shouting in the middle of the night?"
"It's Miss Toshiki!" the old woman cried, her face red with worry. "She's vanished! I cannot find her anywhere! She's gone! Lady Toshiki is gone!"
Kaurousuke, turned and saw Battousai standing above a group of still forms, drenched with rain and blood. He marched toward him, stared at the massacre and said coldly, "Where is she?"
Battousai's left hand clutched hard onto the hilt of katana, and a surge of rage filled his heart. "Taken...by Kokkaido's men."
The sword master let out a horrified gasp at hearing such news. He lunged at Battousai with verbal weaponry. "I don't believe this! How could you let such a thing happen? I can't believe that Lord Matsu hired such an arrogant, incompetent fool as you to protect this estate. You are a disgrace! I ought to-"
Kaurousuke's assault was silenced by Battousai's crushing hand constricting his throat. He glared at Kaurousuke, shooting daggers into his soul and hissed, "I warned you never to insult a hitokiri. Let me tell you this much. I have every intention to rescue Lord Matsu's daughter from Kokkaido. If you interfere, I will personally see to it that you never hold a sword again."
"Your threats are pathetic, young fool. Besides, even if you were to try and infiltrate Kokkaido's mansion alone, you will be killed before you even reached the gate. Not even Matsu-sama's best samurai could stand against him."
"You misjudge me. I am no samurai...I am a hitokiri." Battousai threw Kaurousuke to the ground and headed for the stable. He opened the doors and rushed to the far end of the barn, capturing the moonlit warhorse horse: Shiro Tsuki. In a flash the swordsman was aloft upon his great back and flew out into the garden at full gallop, nearly running into the bewildered daimyo.
"What is the meaning of this?" Matsu demanded seeing that his daughter was gone and his prized horse in the hands of a mere hired man.
"I'm sorry, Matsu-sama, but there is too much a stake to explain. Have no fear, for I shall not return empty-handed. The sun will not rise until my task is complete and the threat of Kokkaido has ended!" With that, Battousai turned his horse to the night and galloped through the gates and into the forest beyond, riding west toward Amagasaki.
"I do not understand, Yamagata," Matsu-sama said to his advisor, who had suddenly appeared from the shadows to stand beside him. "How can one man hope to achieve the impossible? How can he hope to stand a chance against Kokkaido? I cannot trust him. My daughter's life is at stake! I will send all of my servants if necessary! Call them at once!"
"No, my lord," Yamagata replied, calmly.
"Why ever not?" Matsu demanded.
"Because, this man is no ordinary swordsman. He has his heart set upon something so precious and dear to him, that not even a legion of spirits could stop him. He holds a power unknown to you or I, unbridled and untamed except by his own soul. A power, I believe, greater than even Kokkaido himself. Do not doubt his abilities, for as he promised, he will not return empty-handed."
Lord Matsu stared at the overwhelming devastation the young swordsman had left strewn upon the ground and replied, "Perhaps your right my friend...perhaps you're right."