I held my breath as I remembered the night the Oniwabanshu had been murdered by Kanryu, a drug lord who had hired them to be his bodyguards and keep Takani Megumi, the woman who created the Opium he trafficked, from escaping. My fists clenched involuntarily as I remembered the greatest mistake of my life.

I looked on in fear as Kanryu pulled the cover from a gatling gun, firing at me, Battousai and Battousai's comrades, missing on purpose. "Kanryu, how did you get such a weapon?!" I cried out, angering him for not speaking to him as a superior. Kanryu fired at my legs, immobilizing me, then taking a break to talk of his plans to become a merchant of death, an underground arms dealer.

"My goal's always been to move up to the big time."

"You mean…" I whispered, finally realizing just how great the mistake I had made in joining Kanryu was.

"'A merchant of death,' an arms dealer. Amassing capitol with the new opium... leading with this new-model gatling gun, entering the field with a bang! Thus is the story of the great merchant Takeda Kanryu, told!" He went on to explain the 'power' of money, before he aimed the gatling gun at me to take my life…

I could do nothing but look on in horror as Shikijo, one of the only four Oniwabanshu left, and one of my valued comrades, jumped in front of me to save my life. Then, in what seemed to be a rage, Hyottoko gave his life to allow Beshimi the chance at Kanryu, but Beshimi was unable to do anything even with Hyottoko's help. I cried out their names as they fell.

"I'm sorry... for being... in the end... so use...less..."

Han'nya was the only one left. Han'nya whispered to Battousai the location of Takani Megumi, then ran, drawing Kanryu's attention towards him.

"Han'nya!" I cried out as my second in command was destroyed by the gatling gun. Han'nya flew into the air from the sheer power of the gun, dozens of bullets entering him. Han'nya fell to the floor with a thud. Kanryu ran out of bullets, and was brought down by Battousai moments later. Battousai and his allies went to rescue Megumi.

Leaving me alone with my thoughts.

"How could I have let this happen? Shikijo..." I looked into the eyes of Shikijo, who still sat up, though he was dead.

Shikijo had came to the Oniwabanshu from the Ishinshishi, having been a spy. I had nearly killed him, but I saw great potential in Shikijo and allowed him to live, and help Shikijo strengthen himself even further, provided Shikijo joined the Oniwabanshu. Shikijo, however, did much more than that. He proved to be one of the most loyal Oniwabanshu he commanded. However, due to Shikijo's betrayal of the Ishinshishi, he could not find a way of life in the Meiji era.

"Beshimi... Hyottoko..." I then remembered Beshimi and Hyottoko, whom I knew very little of. They, too, were shunned, due to their lack of abilities. Everyone said they had but one trick... that they could offer so little... but they offered me much more than anyone else could ever see.

"Han'nya..."

My 2IC had given his life in an attempt to give Battousai enough time to grab his sword and stop Kanryu.

"Okashira! Farewell!"

Han'nya had been abandoned by his family. Where he had been born, it was called 'Returning the child', and was commonplace in that poor area, done to cut down on food costs. Han'nya had lived life as an animal until I had found him and turned him into a powerful Onmitsu, and a powerful user of Kenpo. Han'nya had mutilated his face badly, so he could wear any face he needed to, his specialty intelligence. He said to Battousai that, if he could be of use to me, he didn't need a face. Han'nya had given his life so Battousai could save me...

I closed his eyes even tighter, pain taking hold over me. I gripped my fists tightly, the pain from the bullets nothing to the pain deep within my soul.

"This couldn't have happened... I failed them all... I promised them that... and I failed..." My fists began to bleed from the fury I had as I gripped them, the physical pain still not as much as the emotional pain inside. I screamed out in fury, sadness and pain, a pain no man hath experienced before as the wind outside blew fiercely around outside Kanryu's mansion...

"For now... for now... I can't place flowers here. But I will someday.

I swear it." I walked into the forest after speaking these few lines at the graves of my fallen comrades, the Oniwabanshu. Here, darkness would consume my soul, through my insane obsession to kill Battousai and give them the title, 'Strongest'. I would have their vengeance. Someday.