Chapter 5 Pawns
The wind was heavy, it tore up the water and the steam of the hot springs. The wind blew up Kenji's shirt, his dress shirt was un-tucked as usual, but now it was scuffed and ripped. Kenji was out of breath and ready in his fighting stance. The girls looked on puzzled and confused.
Kein, the living Shadow stood ominously the wind throwing up the drapes of cloth clinging to his black ripped kimono. His scythe, black and shadowy as well, was grasped firmly in his hand and it's blade reflected of a small scared boy, Kenji. Despite his fear Kenji looked up at his brother defiant and ready, his small flimsy blade shinned with an equally defiant glow in the presence of Kein's huge dwarfing scythe.
"I'm going to finally wipe the disgrace you put on our family away for ever!" Kein taunted.
"I'm not gonna let you hurt innocent people!" Kenji said raising his sword.
"Kein has improved since I last fought him, I can feel his power rising within him. He's even stronger than he looks, and he looked pretty strong to begin with!" Kenji thought in his head, "I... I don't think I can beat him! It's not right!
"So... y'all gonna fight or just stand there?" Kitsune asked.
"Way to kill the mood, Kitsune," Kenji whispered under his breath.
"Enough talk!" Kein screamed and swung his scythe horizontally!
Kenji jumped, dodging it skillfully, but Kein followed up with a quick jab of the scythe handle. The handle caught Kenji while he was mid air, Kein then brought his scythe handle down and Kenji down with it, Kenji was thrown down in to the waters of the hot springs.
Kein's dark aroura was changing the surroundings, the water became murky and cold, causing the girls to jump out of it. The very sun blocked out by Kein's Shadows, his aroura like a giant black flame.
Kein brought his blade his in the air, what little of the sun that was getting through was reflecting off the water, concealing Kenji's position. Kein stood ready feeling around with his foot. Kein knew that Kenji would try to get behind him, so he secretly stood ready to swing behind himself.
"Kenji..." Shinobu whispered.
"Splash!" the water scattered as Kenji rose with his blade in hand.
The sound triggered Kein, and he began his reverse uppercut, without even making sure Kenji was behind him.
The gamble came through, the blade caught Kenji on his right shoulder. Blood spewed from it following the scythe blade.
"Oh no!' Shinobu screamed. "That's it I won't let you perverts continue!" Motoko screamed coming from inside Hintana house.
"She got changed?" Su asked, noticing Motoko was wearing her cloths.
Motoko charged blade in hand.
"Foolish mortal! Do you know who I am? Do you know what I can do?" Kein screamed. He raised his left arm and his shadowy aroura moved toward it gathering around it. Kein's left arm was slightly bigger than the rest of his body. Also the aroura around it was so great it burned away the sleeve of his kimono.
"What... what is that!" Motoko screamed!
"No!" Kenji screamed.
"Now die!" Kein screamed releasing the collected energy at motoko, it took the shape of a hand and reached out at motoko.
Kenji, ignoring the screaming pain in his soldier threw his sword in front of the wave. The wave closed in fast! The sword was left suspended upside down, like a cross, in between the Motoko and the wave. A White shield of light appeared around the cross! The wave crashed hard and the light began to crack and spread apart. A bit of the shadow seeped through the cracks and cut Motoko's left arm, the cut began to bleed. She landed hard behind the shield, and gripped her wound. Kein smacked Kenji with his huge arm.
Kenji was sent flying, he skidded against the water and sunk into the hot water. The sword fell and sank as well.
Kein raised his scythe and drove it down into the water. The ease as it went down let Kein know he missed. It had become too murky and dark to see through the water. A dark figure maneuvered around under the water, It's eyes pierced through every now and then, but it moved so fast, Kein couldn't keep up.
The figured stopped where the sword had landed and Kein took his chance! He reared his sword up high and- "Boom" went Su's huge rocket. The rocket flew fast but Kein didn't even move. It passed straight through him and headed for motoko!
"Whose side are you on?!" Motoko screamed, after cutting the rocket in half.
"Whoops, he, he," Su replied.
"All of you, just Die!!!" Kein screamed and then released a wave of shadow.
"EEEeekkkk!!!" "Aaiiieeee!!!" the girls went as they were all knocked back.
Except for Shinobu, "What?" Kein asked himself as he stared at the girl who the shadows refused to touch. Shinobu was scared and her eyes were close, and she didn't really seem much of a threat. Except the wave of energy, of shadow, of Kein's pure unbridled fury was too weak to get close to her. The shadows engulfed every thing, the Hot Springs, the girls, and Kenji. But not Her, she began to glow, a brilliant bright pink light.
"Wh..Whatsss that..." Kenji managed to seep out between the waves of water and shadow.
"That girl..." Kein said, taking a step toward Shinobu.
'Stop!" Kenji screamed, beginning to push back the shadow also, and stepped toward Kein.
"What's? What's happening?!" Shinobu said scared and confused.
"I must squash the power this girl has before it's unleashed!" Kein said to himself as he raised his scythe.
"No! Stop!" Kenji yelled, as he did he broke through the Shadow, and grabbed Kein's hand.
"I won't let you!" with Kenji's other hand he gripped his sword, and drove it through Kein!
"Your mortal blade can't stop me!" Kein pushed Kenji aside, easily.
Kein walked over to Shinobu, Kenji got up and took a couple of strikes at Kein, he stared blankly at Kein. He was almost like just some big collections of black cloth. And His arm, it was out of proportion and it had horns on it! "Look at you your not even Human anymore!" Kenji screamed.
"Yes!" Kein used his grotesque arm to grab Kenji's head. He lifted Kenji high into the air
The longest horn on Kein's elbow began to grow. "Kenji, no!" Shinobu screamed. "Kenji!" Su said. "Someone do something!" Naru said. "Don't do it!" yelled Motoko. "This is getting good!" Kitsune thought in her head.
"I am something more!" The Horn began to glow a dark black, it then quickly retracted. "Arrrggg!!!" Kenji screamed in pain. The horn traveled through Kein's arm and into Kenji's eye.
Kein let out a small grunt as he through Kenji aside. Kenji fell like a rag doll into the hot springs water, which have grown cold and murky. The water hid his wound.
"No... Shinobu let out a small gasp as rain began to cut through the shadows. The girls gathered around Shinobu. "We have to get out of here!" Naru pleaded with Shinobu who just stared at Kein who walked closer and closer.
"Kenji..." Shinobu pleaded. "Kenji..... Kenji....." the sad pleading voice echoed through Kenji's head. "Is it... is it alright... If I die, If I give up now?" he asked himself.
"Kenji! Help!" Shinobu's voice broke through the darkness. "...No...NO...NO!!!" Kenji screamed in his head.
A clash of lightning crashed piercing through the shadows behind where Kenji STOOD. A clap of thunder drew everyone's attention to the silhouette of Kenji. "I'm not gonna let you hurt innocent people," Kenji let out his signature phrase. "It's been so long since I could say that, so long since I fought for someone other than myself." Kenji said the shadows from his hair covered his eyes. The light from the lightning began to spread across the hot springs.
"So you have some fight left in you huh?" Kein said turning to face His brother.
Kein held his left arm up and the horn began to grow and glow. He held his scythe in the other hand and his shadows began to dance like fire. The rain had drenched Kein's hair, they reached down to his shoulders.
Kenji's Sword began to glow and the wound where he drew his blade from also began to glow.
"What, are you gonna shoot me with your little hand? Ha!" Kein taunted as he "floated" toward Kenji.
Pictures of Shinobu flashed in Kenji's eyes. Kenji thrusted his hand with out even looking up toward Kein and said, "Ichidou!" Kein dodged and grabbed Kenji's arm. Kein then countered with his scythe but again with moving he blocked with his sword. "Fool!" Kein screamed as his horn began to grow. "Kenji!" Shinobu screamed. The flashes of Shinobu in Kenji's eyes began to merge into one bright light! "Ausamatu Special technique, Teuken!" Kenji raised his head the gash in his eye glowed with a brilliant light! The light sprang from his eye.
"He's drawing power from his very soul, using his wound as a gate through to his soul. Kenji screamed, "Be purified by the light!" "NNAAUUUWWWRRR!!!!" Kein let out a gruesome roar, more than a scream, as the light ripped through the shadows!
"Au..." the girls let out a mixture of grunts and groans as they rose, rubbing their eyes. Kenji stood firmly, and in one hand. "Au..." Shinobu let out a small gasp. Now with the Shadows gone, she could see clearly. Kenji's hand was bleeding as usual, after battles, but now a huge gash in his right eye bled profusely.
"Kenji, you're... Bleeding..." Shinobu said.
"Heh, heh, heh... I should have expected as much from you, brother, back in the clan wars you were my best warrior... Heh, heh, heh..." Kein's voice echoed. Traces of "Kein" were scattered and where coming together, into a pool of shadow.
"Clan wars what's dat?" Su asked. "It's the bloody war with Kenji as the star warrior in my army."
Kenji stood silent as blood from his hand dripped down his sword. "Is it true?" Shinobu asked. "Yes! Before you go all lovely dovey, know that Kenji's sword is stained with the blood of a thousand men."
"I may not like Kenji, but I know that he is a good person, and that he would not have done something like what your saying!"
"It's true" Kenji said dimly.
"Yes For 5 long years, from when he was the tender age of 10 he was the star warrior in my army, he slaughtered any one I told him to, strong or weak, they all fell at the mini manslayer!" Kein told of Kenji's gruesome past.
"But a year ago, he just up lifted, the coward," Kein said, now a almost completely recreated.
"I left because I realized what you and father where doing! I thought you where just trying to protect our home, but you were just slaughtering the weak and innocent people!" Kenji protested.
"Only to extend the power and influence of the Ausamatu Village!" Kein's voice thundered.
"To what end? You were only attracting attention, and ruining our good name! Killing off would-be allies!" Kenji continued.
"I earned respect from the other Village Lords, the best defense is a good offense, fool, no one now dares to stand before the unbridled fury of MY armed forces! You were just some pawn in my game, the only difference between you and the rest of my men, was power, your nothing to me," Kein boasted.
"...What you earned... was fear..." Kenji said solemnly, raising his sword, indicating he was through talking.
"What's the difference?" Kein asked, raising his own weapon.
"The Ausamatu Village has no Honor, and to live with out honor..." Kenji said solemnly.
"Hey don't forget we're here too!" Su said feeling like she hadn't done anything in a while.
Kein stood again, as if nothing happened, "No!" "How could it be!?" "I don't know but this just got interesting!" a mixed reaction came from the crowd.
Kein stretched his mouth, reviling to rows of sharp white teeth, "Your gonna pay for that."
"Mind if reply with my blade!" Kenji Screamed rushing toward Kein.
Kenji swiped low with his first strike, his blade burning a bright glow, by putting his scythe down like a staff, Kein caught the blade in the handle. The force of the strike it the lower half of the scythe, and Kein used the momentum to bring his the top part, and the blade crashing down on Kenji.
Kenji, using his free hand, reached up and caught the scythe, right after the blade.
"Ha, ha, ha," Kein's laugh thundered. Using the one hand holding the scythe, he forced it down.
Kenji tried to hold it up, but it slowly came down on him, now he used both hands as he struggled. The blade scratched across his back, leaving an open flesh wound, which bled profusely.
"No," Gasped Shinobu, in-between holding back tears.
Well that's all for now, I can't say this was as long as it should have been, but I feel that this was a good place to end it. Sorry but really this was just to let you know the history of the young fighter who came to Hintana house. Well it's come to this Kenji's on the brink of defeat to his evil Older brother, Shinobu and the rest of the girls are helpless to... well help. Or are they? Next time...
Chapter 6: Girl Power!
I though I was gonna End this here?