House of Maxwell Productions
Presents

Samurai Banzai RELOAD
Volume 3 - Blood Oath (Chapters 11 - 15)

Based on the webcomic Samurai Banzai
Copyright 2004 Briana Higgins

Written by
Elite Plushie

Chapter Eleven
Trust Don't Rust

>>>Midday - May 3, 1583

It was everything Fuji could do to keep from falling face forward into the underbrush. The apprentice ran full tilt down the unforgiving slope, hoping that, by some fortunate twist of fate, he had chosen to run in the same general direction as Noriko. Of course, the rain foretold earlier by ominous dark clouds had descended upon the forest shortly after the apprentice's departure from confrontation with Wild Card. This made tracking the swordswoman's footsteps impossible, not to mention the fact that Fuji could no longer see clearly three feet in front of his face.

Even so, the apprentice fought past the stinging deluge and put his every effort into avoiding trees and animal burrows. If what Jeffy-sensei had said was true, then time was of the essence. Fuji didn't even have time to worry about the progress of Megumi and Yuki, who had been sent along with him to assist the swordswoman. As the forest cover began to thin out, the catgirl and former kunoichi soon caught up with the apprentice.

"Hey!" Yuki called after him. "I couldn't hear what Jeffy said to you! Why are we running after Noriko? Can't she handle herself?"

Fuji attempted to raise his gasping voice above the constant noise of the storm. "You know that guy she's chasing? The one with the necklace?"

"Yeah." Yuki responded. "So what's the deal? He didn't look that threatening."

The apprentice's eyes narrowed. "According to Jeffy-sensei, that guy's name is Matsuda Jiro."

"Wait a minute!" Megumi shouted. "Why does Jeffy-sensei know the person who murdered Noriko's father?"

Fuji could see a stretch of open ground coming up ahead as he gave his reply. "Matsuda Jiro is another one of the Three Yaen-style Masters, just like Jeffy-sensei. Even someone like Noriko doesn't stand a chance against him alone!"

>>>

The damnable rain was making things even more difficult for Jeffy. Left, right, up, down; Wild Card's attacks came from all directions without any chance of respite. The already thick fog that covered the forest floor worked in tandem with the pouring rain to hide the masked assassin from the sword master's view. It took every bit of Jeffy's cognitive ability just to anticipate the direction of new attacks in time to block them.

Wild Card suddenly burst from out of the fog and brought two playing cards forward in a pincer movement. Jeffy drew his damaged wakizashi to defend from both directions along with his katana, but the masked opponent simply changed the direction of his attack and effortlessly separated the blade of the wakizashi from its hilt. The sword master seemed to throw away the now useless handle of the short sword and desperately brought his katana to the fore.

Sensing the sign of weakness, Wild Card moved in for the kill. However, Jeffy had anticipated the speed of the assassin's attack, and the handle of the wakizashi had not quite hit the ground yet. The sword master kicked the falling handle with enough force to send the object careening into his opponent's chin with an audible crack. As Wild Card reeled from the unexpected blow, Jeffy moved in for the kill, katana point forward. The assassin in white brought a card up in defense with lighting speed, but Jeffy altered his attack pattern and cut the paper in two, not forgetting to quickly grab his opponent's arm, thereby preventing the nearly simultaneous release of a backup card. The sword master's katana again dove for Wild Card's midsection. With an insane amount of speed brought on by desperation, the assassin blocked the thrusting blade and redirected its momentum into the churning mess of pinestraw and mud below. As the two combatants grappled against each other, Wild Card's soulless blue eyes glared into Jeffy's with an air of cold calculation.

"It was wise of you to send your comrades away." the assassin mused nonchalantly. "They would have been dead long before now if you hadn't."

Jeffy smiled in turn. "It's not my job to make things easy for you. Still, I am curious as to your motive for this attack."

Wild Card cackled dryly. "Motive? You talk as if I'm some common murderer!"

The masked combatant twisted his entire body with inhuman speed, forcibly wrenching himself out of the stalemate. Jeffy reacted immediately, making a quick horizontal cut that would have brought any following offensive move from his opponent to an abrupt end. However, it seemed that Wild Card had something different in mind. The assassin vaulted high into the air and landed well out of Jeffy's effective combat range. Strangely enough, he also began to straighten his kimono and stow away the playing cards.

"My 'motive', as you call it, is very simple." Wild Card stated in an businesslike manner. "I was sent here to not only separate you from your comrades but also to deliver a message."

"What kind of message?" Jeffy replied, his eyes narrowing in thought. Separate him from his comrades? Fuji, Noriko, and the others were surely in for an ambush.

Wild Card cackled slightly. "The message comes from your master, Raijin."

The sword master stepped backward in shock. "Raijin? What is he doing here? And Jiro as well?"

The masked assassin shrugged. "It is indeed a strange twist of fate that all three of the legendary Yaen Masters would arrive at the same mountain so close to the day of destiny. Still, Raijin-sama's decree is this: come alone to the shrine at the top of Mt. Gozaisho and your traveling companions will be spared for the time being."

"This doesn't make sense." Jeffy responded, surprise bringing down the volume of his voice. "Why jeopardize the lives of others? What could be so important that he wouldn't trust me to come of my own accord?"

Wild Card turned to leave in the direction of Mt. Gozaisho. "Let's just say for now that there are bigger things going on here than a cursed sword or a little girl's revenge. As for the rest, you can hear it from Raijin-sama himself." The clear blue eyes narrowed underneath the assassin's mask. "Don't take too long to reach the summit. I'll be watching your every move."

As soon as Wild Card had melted away into the rain and fog, Jeffy sheathed his katana and began moving back towards Mt. Gozaisho. The best way to help the others now was to go along with his former sensei's demands. Even so, Jeffy couldn't help but wonder about the current situation. Just what was going on in this area? Raijin at the head of a bandit gang, or possibly a small army? That didn't sound like the man who had mastered every aspect of Yaen-style swordsmanship long before either Jeffy or his fellow student Jiro had even been born.

The sword master quickened his pace through the torrential rain, his every footstep scattering water, mud, and foliage. Something was very wrong on this mountain, and, as usual, it had fallen to Anakouji Jeffery to find out just what was going on. He was truthfully worried about Noriko and the others, but they could have only lived under the shelter of his skill for a short time anyway. Now was the time for their own skills to be put to the test, but Jeffy still feared greatly for Megumi and Fuji. Neither of them had gotten enough training to fight with students of Raijin on any level. The sword master could only hope that what the two had been given would be enough to see them through.

>>>

The pounding force of the rain mattered little to Itagaki Noriko. Her father's murderer had been found, and revenge was now at hand. The only question now was where the bastard had gotten off to.

The swordswoman stood before what she assumed to be the ruins of Old Komo Town. The charred wooden remains of buildings that had once inhabited this small valley stood as a grim reminder of some great conflagration that had taken place many years ago. Dense forest surrounded the ruins, and new saplings at the edge heralded nature's coming reclamation of the abandoned ground.

Noriko currently stood on a well-worn patch of dirt that had once been a road leading to the center of the town. It continued to the west for quite some distance, finally stopping in the middle of the ruins. It looked as if it had once been a courtyard, but something seemed out of place. There was a figure suspended in midair, barely discernable at this distance. The rainstorm abated slightly for just a moment, which was long enough to make the stark violet kimono on the figure apparent to the naked eye.

"Takashi!" Noriko exclaimed in confusion.

The man in the black kimono seemed to materialize out of the buildings. He drew his katana in a lightning-fast movement and dashed at the surprised swordswoman.

"You've got more important things to worry about!" Matsuda Jiro shouted.

Noriko barely had time to draw her own katana and counter the sudden rush attack, but the swordswoman's blade only touched her opponent's weapon for a split second. The force of the man in black's strike seemed to simply dissipate as suddenly as it had appeared. Dazed for a split second as she tipped forward, Noriko rebalanced and strove with every fiber of her being to match the speed of her opponent's attack. Unfortunately, by the time Noriko had even thought of this notion, Matsuda Jiro was already behind her.

The man in black rammed an elbow into the swordswoman's back, causing her to lose an already tentative balance and plunge face-first into the dirt. Noriko felt two new sensations almost simultaneously. The first was the painful feeling of a hard, blunt, and gritty object that rammed down hard on the back of her neck, presumably her opponent's sandal pinning her to the ground. The second was a cold, almost fluid sensation that penetrated her right shoulder that immediately transformed into an intense, searing hot pain that lanced throughout her right arm and upper body. Noriko attempted to scream in torment, but only found herself choking on the grimy muck that had received the impact of her face. So this was what it felt like to be pierced by a katana blade . . .

"How could you even think about fighting me like this?" Jiro leered as he pressed down harder on his victim's neck. "Just what kind of amateurs does Jeffy travel with these days?"

The Yaen Master retracted his katana blade, allowing Noriko to lash out in retaliation with her injured sword arm. However, the swordsman had completely disappeared from view. Noriko panted into the cold rain that soaked her kimono and stung the open wound in her shoulder. Had the murderer run away? No, he had to be lurking about somewhere nearby, but why would he retreat when he had the upper hand?

"Noriko!" a voice shouted from the eastern forest.

The swordswoman in question turned in the direction of the voice to see Fuji leading Yuki and Megumi toward her.

"Hey!" Fuji continued to shout. "Are you alright! Where's the guy in black!"

Noriko gasped as she was struck by a sudden realization.

"Stay back!" she shouted at the rapidly approaching trio. "He's still here! It's a trap!"

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Noriko suddenly felt an intense rush of cold air. Fuji and the others stopped just short of her position, but the murderer did not appear. Something about that sudden rush of wind hadn't felt right, however. There was something about it's texture . . . something solid? Multiple wounds suddenly opened up all over Noriko's body, some of the more severe ones emitting a slight spray of blood. The swordswoman nearly passed out in pain, falling into the dirt amidst the surprised screams of Yuki and Megumi.

Noriko's thoughts clouded over in delirious pain. That cunning bastard . . . he had sliced the air with such force that the resulting disruptions had actually traveled over a short distance and cut right through her.

"Nori-chan!" Megumi exclaimed as both she and Fuji rushed to the aid of their injured companion. "Are you okay! Say something!"

The swordswoman's opponent emerged from behind a burned-out wall, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "Her technique isn't all that bad, I suppose. Speed was the critical element here; this 'Nori-chan' of yours is far too slow to fight against someone of my caliber."

"How could you!" Fuji exclaimed as he cradled Noriko's prone, barely conscious form. "You're a Yaen Master just like Jeffy-sensei! How could you fight with such brutality!"

"Brutality?" Jiro scoffed. "What do you think a battle is, anyway? One cannot claim to be a student of Anakouji Jeffery and ask such inane questions."

Yuki suddenly noticed the figure in the ruined courtyard. "Taka-kun! What's he doing over there?"

The man in black simply shrugged. "There's another fool who couldn't handle himself in battle. You three would do well to learn from your friends' performances."

Yuki simply ignored the swordsman and ran straight toward the courtyard. What had happened to Takashi? He seemed to be hanging in midair with no visible suspension. The catgirl only managed to traverse a few yards before a massive figure descended from above and blocked her path.

This new combatant appeared even taller than Nobumitsu, with nearly twice the muscle rippling across his uncovered torso. A pair of long, dark blue hakama pants were held to his waist by a black obi, contrasting with the simple white tabi socks that adorned his feet along with accompanying sandals. The only other article of clothing on the man's massive frame was a thick cloth wrapping around his right forearm. Far more interesting than the man's clothes, however, was his stark white hair that frayed out in all directions, nearly eclipsing a pair of large, cat-like ears from view. In fact, he seemed to be of the exact same demon species as Yuki. The catgirl herself quivered visibly at the approach of this gigantic raiju, only one curious word whispering its way past her lips.

"Hideaki . . ."

The demon's young, yet stone-like face was fixed in an expression of cold menace. Deep red eyes stared off into the distance even as he spoke to the demon girl before him in a deep, guttural voice.

"Attempt to move any further, and the ronin dies. Is that understood?"

Not even waiting for a reply, Hideaki moved towards Jiro and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Anakouji Jeffery is heading toward Mt. Gozaisho as instructed. We shall spare this riffraff in accordance with the deal."

Jiro sheathed his polished katana with a sigh. "Oh well. They weren't much fun anyway. I'll be heading back to the shrine myself." The swordsman began to move towards the east, but paused when he noticed that his companion had not moved an inch.

"Aren't you coming?" he queried.

Hideaki's expression didn't change for an instant. "We've been instructed to spare their lives, but I don't remember anything being said about the degree to which they must remain alive."

Jiro shrugged and resumed his walk toward the forest. "Whatever floats your boat, big guy. Just make sure that at least one of them can still move."

The raiju cracked his knuckles in anticipation and turned to the group. "So, who's first?"

"Hideaki!" Yuki cried out. "What are you doing? Why are you working with assassins and murderers! What did you do to Taka-kun?"

Hideaki glared at the catgirl with cold intensity. "So many questions from someone who should already know the answers. The reasons for which I serve alongside the combative elite are none of your concern. As for the ronin . . ."

The raiju snapped his fingers as the rain finally began to die down. An extensive network of chains suddenly appeared in the ruined courtyard, revealing a wounded and beaten Takashi held aloft in their iron embrace.

"It's such a shame," the male raiju sighed. "A shame that my orders prevent me from ending his misbegotten life right here and now."

Fuji found it hard to fight down his confusion regarding the current situation. There was obviously some connection between Takashi, Yuki, and this "Hideaki", but just what was it? If they had once been friends, then why did they fight against each other in this manner?

"So," Hideaki mused. "No volunteers for a beating? Then how about . . ."

Yuki's expression transformed from shock to anger. "Hideaki, I can stop you."

The male raiju cocked an eyebrow toward his would-be opponent. "Is that so? Go ahead and try."

Yuki extended her right arm upwards in order to receive her personal weapon. "Kamikaze-ken!"

A few moments passed, but the sword did not appear as it always had before.

Hideaki began to cackle hysterically before delivering a message to Yuki. "Oh, so sorry; I forgot to mention something. Wild Card sends his deepest thanks for the new sword, and also his caution that the weapon will no longer respond to your summons." The raiju's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Perhaps the blade didn't appreciate being wielded by someone who doesn't know how to use it."

Hideaki's ears twitched in response to the sound of the quickly recovering Noriko taking hold of her katana. A wide grin of anticipation crossed the raiju's face. "Let me show you how a true demon fights. Ikazuchi!"

The chains that held Takashi aloft above the ruined courtyard began to unravel of their own accord. A sharp grinding noise filled the air and sparks flew everywhere as the metallic links unceremoniously dropped the captive ronin's body to the ground and snaked towards Hideaki. The weapon wrapped itself around the cloth on the raiju's right arm, placing it's tail end in his hand.

Hideaki poised the weapon in preparation for use. "You like what I've done to my sword, Yuki? Let's see if your friends like it too!"

The catgirl stared in horror as her brother dove straight for Noriko, throwing the massive chain ahead of his advance. The target swordswoman quickly rose to her feet and set up a block with her stylized katana, but it was of no use, especially in her wounded state. The tip of the chain struck Noriko's sword with an eardrum-busting clang, sending the blade flying into the distance and dislocating the girl's arm with a loud crack. Despite the fact that the chain's course had been diverted, Hideaki still hurtled toward her with a feral cry.

No one was more surprised than Fuji himself as the apprentice rose to Noriko's defense, barring the path of the stampeding male raiju. The visions from the previous night of the gigantic broadsword and the massive chain returned fresh to the boy's mind even as he drew the Fan of Uzume from his white obi. Hideaki was nearly upon him when Fuji opened the fan directly into the raiju's face.

The intense light contained within the fan had an actual impact at that range, blowing Hideaki off his feet and backwards into the dirt. The raiju clutched at his eyes and cried out like a wounded beast, giving Fuji all the initiative he needed. The apprentice snatched a kunai from Megumi's belt and dove at his opponent. Unfortunately, however injured the raiju's eyes had become, his ears still worked just fine.

Hideaki lashed out with both feet, catching the advancing Fuji in his midsection and propelling the luckless apprentice several feet through the air. The raiju quickly regained his footing, cursed wildly and dashed into the forest cover with insane alacrity. Fuji, by contrast, landed sharply on his behind and flopped back into the dirt with the wind knocked out of him. Due to the lack of oxygen, the apprentice quickly passed out of consciousness.

>>>

"Protector?"

A middle-aged woman turned toward the aging raiju. "Is there something the matter, Raijin-sama?"

The one called Raijin shook his masked face, causing his massive amount of white hair to rustle. "Nothing to worry about in excess, but something I did not expect nonetheless."

The blue fire that burned in the center of the wooden table cast eerie shadows across the shrine walls. The demon known as Raijin looked even more foreboding than usual, clad in gigantic heaps of cloth and an extremely offsetting mask with twin red eyes that were so distorted in size as to take up most of the object's "face".

"My vision was different this time." Raijin continued. "I saw Jeffy's companions, and two sets of kanji had been laid over them at the same time."

The woman's voice sounded interested despite the fact that her facial expression had not changed. "What were they?"

"At first," Raijin replied. "I believed it to say 'protector'. One of the individuals Jeffy travels with has a strong, innate will to protect those around him, one that he himself does not fully recognize. My vision named him as the Protector."

After a few moments of silence, the woman posed an obvious question. "So what was the other set of kanji?"

Raijin's voice lowered as it echoed in the dark. "My vision also referred to him as . . . the Destroyer."

Shock became apparent in the shadowed woman's voice. "Destroyer? You don't mean to say . . ."

"Indeed." Raijin interrupted. "The one who will bring destruction to all of Japan is among Jeffy's companions."

(End Chapter Eleven)

Japanese Dialogue and Terms (in order of appearance):

sama - suffix denoting extreme respect, similar to the title "Lord" in English.

tabi - traditional two-toed white sock often worn with sandals in Japan.

Ikazuchi - translates as "divine thunder".

kanji - a Japanese system of writing based on borrowed or modified Chinese characters.