(A/N)This chapter is dedicated once again to Nikana Olos, Kree the Wolf, and Trillinka. This is for the simple reason that several of their guesses were correct.
This is a sad story, isn't it? Well, I know you all hate me for what I did to Taki. I hate what I did to her. But I'm writing a story that walks hand-in-hand with life, it is always unpredictable because so much can happen. That, I think, is why my stories seem to be so down-to-earth.
This is basically your typical chapter of Ulrich-beating-the-bad-guy's-senseless. But I promise that the next chapter will bring a bit of emotional relief for Ulrich (and hopefully all of you).
Nikana, I'm having so trouble emailing you. So I removed the block on my address in my profile. Have fun with it! ;)
I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
The Soul of a Warrior
By: Tellemicus Sundance
Chapter 12--Ulrich Unleashed!
His scream tore its way through the ears of every person within its reach. Everyone stopped their actions, no matter what they were doing, to seek out the source of the scream. They didn't have to look too hard either.
Planting his free hand on the ground in front of him, he somehow found the strength to lift the debris several inches from his back; just enough room for him to free his trapped arm. Pushing against the rubble with all his might, he heard Kurowana chuckling down upon him.
"Well, well," Kurowana said, grinning down on Ulrich's attempt to escape. "What do we have here?"
Upon hearing his voice, newfound hatred and strength boiled to the surface. Taking his first decent breath for several minutes, he let out another scream as he tried to force the collapsed structure off of himself.
With a surge of strength none of them had ever seen before, the small fighter trapped under the rubble broke free. It was unbelievable; the roof section first splintered then snapped in half altogether. He leapt up from his prone position to almost twenty feet in the air. The debris that had been pressing him down was smashed to pieces and cast aside as he leapt up through it.
The morning sun beat down on him making him almost looked as though he were glowing. Then, as he descended back to earth, the glow of his body faded as he left the sun's line of sight.
Landing in a crouched position behind Kurowana, he launched himself instantly forward toward a nearby ninja. The man was in the process of killing a young woman who was sprawled on the ground helplessly.
The only warning he got was the sound of running feet and a terrifying scream of fury. Then a fist connected with his jawbone, just below his ear. The force of the punch was so great that it actually tore the side of his face from his body. With a sickening gurgle, the ninja slumped to the ground.
Standing still for only a second's time, Ulrich glanced around for anyone else who was about to be killed. He spotted four ninjas gathered around Tadashi and Nozomi, easily twenty paces away. All of them were watching him in wonder and fear.
All they saw of him was a streak of black that was heading for them. Quickly in the midst of them, Ulrich threw one punch that connected solidly. The ninja crumbled to the ground as his comrades reacted.
Ducking under a slash from behind him, Ulrich whirled around and planted his foot into the man's temple. Using the momentum of his spin, Ulrich carried on toward the next ninja who was in the middle of a swing. Catching the blade easily, he lashed out with his fist and hit the man in his gut. Releasing his weapon, the ninja collapsed onto his back as he grasped his abdomen.
While still hold the katana by its blade, Ulrich jerked it to the side and deflected an incoming slash. Stepping inside the ninja's reach, he brought the katana tip down and stabbed it deeply into the man's chest.
As he turned away from the ninja, he looked again for any others. The rest of the ninjas seemed understand his deadly glare at them and backed away from the samurai instantly.
Facing Kurowana, who hadn't moved since killing Taki, Ulrich walked forward, ignoring the astonished stares of all around him.
Climbing to his feet, Tadashi watched Ulrich's retreating back. He had no idea what had just happened. Ulrich, who he knew seemed to like Taki, seemed to have been driven to a bloodlust over her death. As Ulrich's swift killing of the four men around him replayed in his mind, Tadashi realized something. Though inconceivable, it was the only thing that he could possibly think that explained his sudden newfound strength and speed.
"The Warrior of Legend?" Tadashi said softly.
Stopping just in front of the demon that had killed the one person he'd befriended, he glared menacingly up at him. Not the least bit deterred, Kurowana grinned arrogantly.
"Well, well," he said. "It would seem you're more than meets the eye."
The boy only glared at him with strangely dilated pupils.
"You seem quite confident," Kurowana said, feeling almost unsettled. "Do you even think you stand a chance against me?"
A cold glare was his response.
Dropping into an aggressive stance, Kurowana lunged forward with no warning. Slashing his katana in swift, narrow cuts, he hoped to open the boy's chest to the air around him. But it was his blade that hit air as the boy ducked and dodged each slash.
Growing irritated, Kurowana brought his katana high over his head in an attempt to cleave the boy from head to toe. But he left his entire body open and the boy's fist in his face quickly reminded him.
Backing away, Kurowana accidentally dropped his katana. Not giving him the chance to reclaim it, the boy rushed forward, swinging a flurry of punches and kicks that were almost too fast to see.
Blocking most of them, Kurowana swung his leg out. He had hoped to catch the boy off guard. But the boy merely brought his arm up and stopped his kick. The force of his kick actually caused the boy to slide a little across the ground. But he didn't seem to notice, nor did Kurowana. The boy's forearm felt like rocks on his shin, and the sheer and obvious strength in the boy's muscles startled Kurowana badly.
It was his moment's hesitation that allowed the boy to jerk forward and plant both his fists into his chest. The power of the double punch sent Kurowana flying back almost ten feet.
Landing roughly on his back, he would've slid for a little ways further. That is if he hadn't hit a pair of legs. Looking up he saw that he was at the boy's feet, who was glaring down on him like a furious dog.
Climbing as fast to his feet as he could, Kurowana turned to face him, only to find him missing. Lashing around with a fist, he spotted the boy behind him as he ducked under the punch.
Grunting in the strain, Kurowana forced his body to move as fast as he could. The two of them were quickly locked in a brutal fistfight. The boy had speed and determination, but Kurowana had experience and strength. Many of Kurowana's attacks hit only air as the boy dodged around, almost mockingly. Managing to land a punch on the boy's evasive form, his punch sent him to the ground.
Trying to climb to his feet, the boy looked up in time to Kurowana's knee fast approaching his face. The blow sent him away, sprawling him on his back. While the boy was breathing on the ground, very hard and audible breathing was heard from him.
"Time to die," Kurowana said as he drew a pair of daggers from his sash.
"NO!" came a shout behind him.
Whirling around, Kurowana instantly dodged Tadashi's furious attack. Knocking his katana from Tadashi's hands with one hand, he brought his other hand up and held the dagger dangerously under his chin.
"You forget your place, boy," Kurowana said, glaring.
As Kurowana swung his free blade toward Tadashi's torso, time slowed to a crawl. There came an inhuman scream behind Kurowana, instantly followed by the scratching of steel on stone.
Knocking Tadashi aside, Kurowana spun around to face whatever was approaching him. All he saw was a black blur racing up and over him with a line of silver cutting straight for his face.
Tadashi watched from his position on the ground as his sparring partner sailed easily twenty feet into the air and came to rest gently on his feet well behind him. Tadashi glimpsed Ulrich as he was turning slowly back to face his enemy. Then Kurowana whirled around again, seeking Ulrich.
Finding him, he dropped into an aggressive stance. Ulrich just watched him for a moment, and then slowly brought Tadashi's katana up to his face. It wasn't only a swordsman's salute for as he turned to the flat of the blade toward Kurowana, he showed himself something.
Dripping from the blade was fresh blood, Kurowana's blood.
Tadashi had only enough time to see Kurowana look surprised for a moment. Then, with a slushy slip, the upper half of his head parted from him. The two pieces of the ninja master fell limply to the ground near him.
Sighing, Ulrich lowered the katana, which quickly fell from his limp grasp. Then he force-marched himself back the ruins of the structure, back to Taki, as his mind finally emerged from the white blankness of his fury. The samurai and ninja alike watched as he walked away, no longer caring what they did to one another.
As one, the ninja and samurai quietly parted. The ninja gathered their dead and dying and were fast to disappear back into the woods from whence they came. Many of the villagers did likewise; only the samurai remained to watch their savior as he crept up to Taki.
He held her body as tightly to his as he dared. Even with his vision blinded by tears, he could clearly see her head lying to side. Her face was relaxed, eyes closed and her mouth slightly ajar. The sight of it brought fresh tears to his face.
His grief and rapid approaching exhaustion pulled him forcefully into a lonely unconsciousness.
(A/N)Before I go, I have one last request. For those of you who didn't, please review chapters eight to the current. I would very much like so feedback on them, especially your opinions on what happened in Confessions.