Kaigen and Yohmori
INTRODUCTION
A young man and woman walk down a forest trail. The young man is wearing a white cloak (just like Inuyasha's) with sparse sleeves and pants of the same material. The right shoulder of this cloak has blue hexagons with white Japanese letters inside them. These symbols represent the many elements of this world. This man also has carries a light purplish blue, full diamond single bladed katana (sword) with a razor sharp edge and a lightening stone for the hand guard. This young man's name is Yohmori.
The young woman who is traveling Yohmori is Kaigen or Kat as Yohmori calls her. Kat has a cloak just like Yohmori except the hexagons are pink with blue Japanese symbols that represent the things she likes. Kaigen also carries a reddish full diamond double bladed broad sword with 2 razor sharp edges. This sword has a fire crystal as its hand guard.
The lightening stone, that Yohmori has as a hand guard, is a element stone and the fire crystal that Kaigen has is called an element crystal. An element can be harnessed by 3 things; a stone, a crystal, and a diamond.
An element stone can only absorb an element and release it as a non-toxic and odorless gas. An element crystal can absorb the element and can exhume it in any form on the command of the wielder. An element diamond is much more powerful than an element stone or crystal, an element diamond can absorb, multiply the element 10 fold by decreasing the will power of the wielder temporarily, and exhume the element in any form on the command of the wielder.
Kaigen and Yohmori met exactly one year ago while Yohmori was doing a job. Yohmori is a mercenary and fighter for hire. Kaigen lost her memory a month before she met Yohmori, all she can remember is her family being killed by a demon called Naraku. Yohmori left his family 3 years ago to raise money for his sick sister but when he came back after the job he found them all dead but could not find a reason for their death. Yohmori left his home village and became a mercenary and fighter for hire hoping to find a reason for his families death. Kaigen then joined him in hopes of finding Naraku. Both Kaigen and Yohmori have become very close friends because they have a lot in common. This is my account of these two troubled 17 year olds.
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CHAPTER 1: THE INN
As Kaigen and Yohmori walked down the dust ridden trail Yohmori began to ponder over past experiences that he had had. As he thought of one in particular event he began to smile as if he were about to laugh. "What ya thinking about?" Kaigen asked with immense curiosity. "I was just thinking about a past job I had to do. I had to hunt down a perverted exile of a village, he somehow managed to grope every girl in the village, except the children of course, before he was thrown out of the village." replied Yohmori. Yohmori continued "I seem to recall that I was doubling as a body guard for a woman who he especially had an interest in.". "So did you ever catch the guy?" Kaigen asked. "Yeah, I brought him back to the village and I left soon after but I don't think he learned his lesson." Yohmori said.
They continued on until they had found adequate lodging. As always Yohmori was the one with the money and paid for the room. Kaigen agreed to cook dinner if Yohmori would go shopping. Yohmori left for the town square upon this agreement.
The town square was an actual square in this village. This was apparently one of the few villages that was planned before it was built. As Yohmori walked past the various shops he caught various bits of conversations between various people and sellers. "I'll give you 500 yen, no less for that chicken." one man said to the seller in the poultry shop. "I wont take less than 1000 yen for it, this chicken is pure breed. "This guys a con artist." said a teenager to a friend watching the seller and the buyer at the poultry shop. Yohmori continued on into a corner of the square where the vegetable and meat shops were. As Yohmori walked up to the counter of the meat house and he was greeted with a smile and asked if he wanted to buy something. Yohmori gave the man in the meat house what he wanted and the man disappeared into the back room and came back with a cloth bag which contained the meat Yohmori ordered. Yohmori did the same with the vegetable gardener and in no time was heading back toward the inn that he and Kaigen were staying in.
As Yohmori walked he caught a familiar sent. Yohmori had a very sensitive nose, more sensitive than any human could ever have. It was the smell of gun grease. He had smelled it once before when he met a strange boy who claimed he was from the future. Of course Yohmori didn't believe him being the non-sense kind of person he was. "I wonder if He is around…" Yohmori thought. He discarded the thought and headed for the inn.
Yohmori walked into the room and dropped the cloth bags by Kaigen who was watching a pot of water boil. "Thanks." Kaigen said without looking up. "No problem, I know how you hate to shop." Yohmori said in reply. Kaigen dropped a few carrots and other various vegetables in the pot then peeled the potatoes. She speared the meat and hung it over the open fire, after she removed the pot. After awhile it was all finished and Kaigen and Yohmori were contently eating beef stew and rice. "This is really good Kat." complimented Yohmori. Kaigen blushed and continued to eat. Suddenly Kaigen's cat like ear twitched. Yohmori noticed it and asked if she had heard something. Kaigen had assured him it was just a bug bothering her ear and swatted aimlessly above her ear in an attempt to scare away the bug.
"It may just be me but I feel like something big is going to happen in the near future." Yohmori said. "Any idea what it might be?" Kaigen asked in reply. Yohmori shook his head meaning no. "You do seem more tense than usual." Kaigen said with concern. Yohmori replied "It's like the demons in this world are more active than before as if something has happened to the thing that kept them under wraps.". Yohmori finished his food and said goodnight and went to bed.
Kaigen acts like a cat some what, therefore Yohmori's nickname for her is "Kat" and which constitutes the way she sleeps. Kaigen curled up on the floor with a blanket that she had gotten from the inn manager. "I love this." Kaigen thought. "Traveling with him is so much easier than going solo, he may not talk much but at least he listens.". Kaigen lay curled up in her favorite position thinking of her and Yohmori's most recent travel. As she thought she fell into a deep sleep.
CHAPTER 2: DAY 1
It was around 7:45am when Yohmori got up. He got up and when back to the town square to see if he could catch the scent he had caught the day before. Yohmori walked around the square but found nothing. Not many people where up though he was observed by a few shop owners due to the early morning light reflecting off the blade of Yohmori's diamond katana. He did not have a sheath so the blade was exposed as it hung behind his cloaks thick cloth belt. It lit the ground beside Yohmori with a pale blue. Many children seemed to shy away from Yohmori if he walked by but one had appeared in front of him and was looking up at Yohmori with curious eyes.
Yohmori kneeled down and asked what the matter was. The child responded "I heard from my dad you where a famous mercenary, is it true?". "Why yes but I only work for the good guys." Yohmori said. "I don't have much money but want to become a mercenary and protector of peace just like you." Said the small boy. "Well first of all you have to have a weapon and be able to practice a lot." Yohmori said. "I don't have a weapon, my dad says I'm too small to have a real sword." the boy said with a disappointed look. Yohmori paused and thought for a moment and then said "Well you father is right but even I started out with a practice weapon. What do you say we go get you a practice weapon?". "Wow you mean it!" the boy asked with great delight.
"Lead me to the nearest cedar tree." Yohmori said. "Ok this way!" the boy said as he took off running. Yohmori followed and within minutes they had reached a full grown cedar tree.
The kid asked Yohmori what he was going to do and Yohmori replied "I'm going to do exactly what I said we were going to do, get you a practice weapon.". Yohmori drew his sword and carved a sword shape deep into the tree and took one good downward wing and cut the sword shape out of the tree. After which he picked it up and shaved off the unnecessary wood and handed it to the kid. "Wow that was awesome. It looks so professional." the kid said with great delight as Yohmori handed him the sword. "Now go to the nearest sword shop and tell them you want some handle material and get them to wrap it on the handle end." Yohmori said as he handed the excited kid 500 yen and he ran off to get the material. The child turned around and yells a thanks and disappears over a hill.
Kaigen jumps down out of the tree behind Yohmori and sneaks up behind him. "You were watching Kat?" Yohmori said without turning around. "Dang it how did you know!" Kaigen said with a surprised voice. "You may have the hearing but I have the best nose around. I knew you were watching the whole time." Yohmori said confidently as he turned around to face Kaigen. "And why did you leave me behind in the inn huh!" Kaigen shouted. Yohmori flinched back and thought for a second. "Um…I guess I really haven't gotten over the habit of not having a partner." Yohmori admitted. Kaigen gave a loud humph and turned her back to Yohmori. "What's wrong Kat?" Yohmori asked. Kaigen sulked for a moment and then said "You don't even know what today is do you Yoh?". Yohmori thought for a second and then said "Hmm… Kat you know I'm not good with remembering dates.". Kaigen made a half disappointed half disgusted face and then said "No baka. I mean what happened to us on this day one year ago.". Yohmori thought to himself "Oh crap it's her birthday already?". "Is it your birthday Kat? I'm so sorry I didn't remember it." Yohmori said. A blood vessel in Kaigen's forehead began to throb. "Ohh crap that isn't it. What is it? What the heck happened a year ago?" Yohmori thought to himself franticly. After a moment Kaigen screamed "It's the day we met you insensitive jerk!". Kaigen turned around and stormed to the base of the hill the cedar tree was on, leaving Yohmori stunned by the tree. "Oh man I thought see was gonna kill me." Yohmori said with relief.
"I still can if you want!" Kaigen yelled from the bottom of the hill. "No need." Yohmori said as he walked down after her.
Kaigen picked up a cloth bag and continued to walk down path leaving about 5 feet of space between Yohmori and her as they walked. "Come on Kat I'm sorry I forgot please don't be mad." Yohmori pleaded. "I don't care just give me some space!" Kaigen yelled back to him. They walked about 2 miles before anyone said anything again. "Do you think we will ever find Naraku?" Kaigen said with her head slightly tilted down. "Don't know when but we will find him." Yohmori said reassuring her. "So where are we going?" Kaigen asked as she stopped. "Well since you started going this way I figured we could go to Kassasagi Town. Maybe I can get a job there." Yohmori said looking up the trail at a group of villagers coming his way. "Well what are we waiting for?" Kaigen asked as she started walking forward again. "I was just thinking. Lets go." Yohmori said as he began to follow Kaigen.
Kassasgi Town is the capital city of the province of Kassasagi. Yohmori and Kaigen live in this province and have never moved beyond its borders. Kassasagi Town is located on the corner of the province and has only 5 miles separating it and the next province, Akebi province. Kassasagi Town is a small city more than a town but it is the biggest town in the province.
As Yohmori and Kaigen approached the gate of the town Yohmori said "Don't get lost Kat it's easy to get lost if you don't know this place.".
Yohmori and Kaigen walked through the city and looked through the shops as they went. Kaigen ended up buying a brush using some money she had borrowed from Yohmori. As Yohmori walked down the street with Kaigen trailing behind him looking back and forth at the open booths products. A voice suddenly called out to Yohmori from a nearby wall. Yohmori turned and saw a person in a black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. This suit was strange in this day and age so many people were looking at him as if he were a demon or something. "Long time no see Yoh." The person said. "Who are you and what do you want with me?" Yohmori asked with suspicion.
CHAPTER 3: THE STRANGER.
"You really don't remember me?" asked the stranger. "No." Yohmori said plainly. Yohmori tried to sniff the air but all he got was a strong dose of ink form the shop the stranger was leaning against. "Gotta give you credit for trying to catch my cent. Here let me give you one clue." said the stranger as he pulled out a small gun, a Rugar .22 long barrel pistol to be exact. This gun is extremely accurate for those of you who don't know. "I see now." said Yohmori and the stranger put the gun away again. "Who is he Yoh?" Kaigen asked. Kaigen approached the man and proceeded to feeling his clothes material and his hair. "Kat what are you doing?" asked Yohmori with surprise. "He's just weird I've never seen somebody like him is he a demon?" Kaigen asked with curiosity as she continued to examine him. "Heh, you're one to talk about people being weird. Can you get off me now?" the stranger asked and Kaigen retreated to Yohmori's side. "So what are you doing in Kassagi town?" Yohmori asked the stranger. "I thought I would just drop by to see an old friend." said the stranger with a slight smirk. "You two are friends Yoh?" Kaigen asked. "Not exactly, I've only met him once. It was a few months ago when we got separated in that valley of lost souls, remember?" Yohmori explained. Kaigen gave a small growl and said "Yeah I remember that hell hole we were stuck there for 2 days. That was the worst week of my life it seems, it took a week for some of the wounds I got there to heal!". "Both of us thought we were the one we were looking for and got in a fight that seemed to drag on for hours until both of us collapsed from exhaustion. It was the only time I used up my whole reserve of bullets." said the stranger. "So who is your old friend anyways?" asked Kaigen. "He's the brother of Sesshomaru." explained the stranger. "You mean Sesshomaru the tall handsome guy with that little girl and toad tagging along with him?" asked Kaigen. "That's the one." the stranger assured. "So you're here to see Inuyasha?" asked Yohmori. The stranger looked at Yohmori with a questionable face and said "No I'm here to see the other brother of Sesshomaru.".
CHAPTER 4: THE OTHER BROTHER.
Yohmori and Kaigen stood there stunned for a few seconds. Since Yohmori had been given many jobs concerning Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, Kaigen and Yohmori had gotten to know the dog clan family very well and thought they had known all about Sesshomaru and his siblings.
The stranger asked why they looked so surprised and Kaigen and Yohmori explained that they thought they had known just about everything about Sesshomaru and his brother, or as of now brothers. "So what's your relation between you and him?" Yohmori asked. "I bumped into Sesshomaru's brother while I was searching for a sword I had heard about, Soul Edge. It turns out that he and I are related but by a huge gap." explained the Stranger. "So you and Sesshomaru are related?" asked Kaigen.
The Stranger shook his head yes and Kaigen proceeded to asking him questions that had nothing to do with the situation, with the exception of one, what his name was. As the Stranger answered Kaigen's question about what Sesshomaru's other brother's name was Yohmori seemed to tense up immensely. The man's name was Kagekiha. Yohmori stepped forward and asked "You said his name was Kagekiha?". Kaigen immediately stopped asking questions and noticed the all too familiar look on Yohmori's face, the face of concern. "What's going to happen, whenever Yohmori gets that look it means something big is going to happen. That's the face of concern he always gets, there is no doubt about it, but it's different…." Kaigen thought to herself. "Yeah his name is Kagekiha, he stands about as tall as me and wears a blue kimono kind of like Inuyasha's. He seemed to mention something about it being one of the element cloaks but I don't know what he's talking about." the Stranger said in reply to Yohmori's question. "We must leave Kaigen, come on, lets go." Yohmori said in a serious tone. "Before we leave, I wanna know one thing what's your name?" Kaigen asked the Stranger. The Stranger replied "My real name is Nokemono but you can call me Ruzai.". Kaigen and Yohmori leave in a hurry after the Stranger answers Kaigen's question.
Kaigen and Yohmori are out of the city within minutes and heading west. Yohmori is leading in a brisk pace with Kaigen struggling to keep up. "Hey, Yoh wait up, hang on a second, what's all the rush for?" Kaigen asks as she tries to keep up with Yohmori. "We're heading to my friends house, I don't want any questions ok." Yohmori says in a serious voice. "Why though?" Kaigen asks. "I said I don't want any questions Kat." Yohmori said. Kaigen stops and in a demanding voice says "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on!". Yohmori stops and a wind blows from the north and blows both Kaigen and Yohmori's hair to the side. Yohmori turns around with the same face as he had when he asked the Ruzai about Kagekiha's name. "It's something to do with my family isn't it Yoh….?" Kaigen asked.
"I can't tell you I swore I wouldn't tell." Yohmori said and turned back around. "I want to know Yohmori!" Kaigen yelled "I don't care if you swore or not!". "We are going to my friends house for your protection. Ok?" Yohmori said. "Stop trying to change the subject! I want to know what's wrong!" Kaigen demanded. "You have no family and I promised I would protect you anyway I could but I can't." Yohmori said. "You're wrong Yoh." Kaigen said. Yohmori turned around and faced Kaigen. "You're wrong…Family means people who will be there for you. I have family. You. And since when couldn't you protect me and from who? You have always been there for me, no matter what." Kaigen said in voice which sounded like she was about to cry. Yohmori stood for a second and then walked toward Kaigen and stopped beside her. "I can't protect you against him." Yohmori said. Kaigen turned to Yohmori and asks "Who? Who can't you protect me from? Naraku? Ruzai? Kagekiha? Sesshomaru? Who!" Kaigen demands. "Ruzai and Kagekiha. That's who." Yohmori replied.
CHAPTER 5: THE PROTECTORITE AND THE TRUTH
"Why would you need to protect me against them?" Kaigen asked in a surprised voice. "Ruzai barely knows me and Kagekiha has never seen me." Kaigen said. "Kagekiha has done more than seen you Kat." Yohmori said. "What? How do you know? What did he do?" Kaigen asked with surprise. "Try to remember the man who killed your family." Yohmori said. "I try not to remember that and you know that Yoh." Kaigen said. "Try to remember his face…" Yohmori said.
Kaigen puts her hand to here chin a tries to remember the face of the man but all she can remember is his clothes and his shape. "I can only remember his clothes and his shape but his face seems to be hid by shadows." Kaigen said. "Do you know who he is Yoh? You have to tell me if you know!" Kaigen said. "I know….I've always known." Yohmori said hanging his head a bit. "You knew!" Kaigen screamed. Kaigen grabbed Yohmori's kimono. "Why didn't you tell me!" Kaigen asked with fury in her eyes. A pause of movements and Yohmori then removed Kaigen's hand from his kimono and said, "I didn't tell you because he would have killed you. Nether you or I stand a chance against him….." Yohmori trailed off. "Who killed my family Yohmori! Look at me! Who killed them!" Kaigen demanded. "Kagekiha did, he is already too strong for me and you combined but if he gets Soul Edge he will be unstoppable." Yohmori said. "Kagekiha did it? But I thought it was Naraku who killed my family…he was dressed the same way and everything." Kaigen said. "The mind likes to think what it wants and you truly believed Naraku had done it when it was Kagekiha who was working for Naraku." Yohmori said. "How do you know?" Kaigen asked with suspicion. Yohmori turned to Kaigen and said "I was there Kaigen….I watched him kill your family.". Kaigen makes a tight fist with her left hand and slaps Yohmori with her right hand. Yohmori's head is turned to the side by Kaigen's slap. "You bastard. You watched them die! How come you never did anything!" Kaigen screams at Yohmori. Yohmori turns his head back to Kaigen and says "I did do something Kat….Do you think you came out of there unscathed because he was merciful?".
Kaigen asks "What are you getting at Yoh? I can't remember anything past the point of my family being killed. You also know what happened then don't you?". Yohmori says in reply " Yeah I know what happened after that. Let me tell you what happened to you and me at that time."
Yohmori and Kaigen stood and Yohmori explained what happened: I was being charged of robbing your villages head masters house which happened to be your fathers house. I was after Soul Edge at the time and had been tipped off by a local villages head master that your father had it in his house. I was dumb enough to believe him and tried to rob your fathers house. At that point in time I didn't believe in killing anyone for something I wanted, I just wanted the sword that was it. So the next night I decided to raid the house. When I had gotten in and was about to nab the sword your father, Torusaki, came in with a few other people and caught me and chained me to the wall opposite the sword. It turns out your father was tipped off by someone that I was coming or so I thought. He was actually being tipped off about Kagekiha's coming. I pled guilty to the robbery charges they had agreed upon an where about to kill me when Kagekiha came in and mercilessly killed the 2 villagers your father had brought with him. I screamed for him to run because I had already fought with Kagekiha before and barely got away with my life. For some reason you and your mother were sitting in the corner and Kagekiha didn't see you two. Torusaki took one swing at Kagekiha with his sword, Kagekiha blocked it easily and your father was killed by Kagekiha's dagger that he held in his left hand which he didn't block with. By this time I was struggling furiously against the chains I was bound by because I knew Kagekiha didn't leave survivors at a crime scene. Kagekiha turned around and saw you and your mother, as he walked over to you two I screamed demonic threats at him and as your mother turned to protect you she was killed with one swift swing of Kagekiha's blade, as this happened I broke free of the chains, ran for Kagekiha and only managed to injure his left arm as he jumped back. A person dressed in the same manner as Kagekiha walked into the room and as Kagekiha turned to see who it was I grabbed you and broke through the wall and into the forest behind your house. After evading them for many hours I finally got to a safe village and left you with a family that took good care of you. I watched over you for a few years in the village and then left you in their capable hands. Being as dramatized as you the family and I swore to never tell you what happened to you.
Kaigen paused for a minute and then said "Sorry Yoh….". Yohmori looked at Kaigen and asked "About what?". "Sorry that I slapped you. You saved my life and all I did was slap you in the face.". Yohmori then said "It's ok I probably deserved it for some forgotten reason. But what I don't get is why you don't remember the family I left you with.". Kaigen then made a disgusted face and said "I remembered them I just didn't want to accept them because I was so different from them. That's why I told you I didn't remember them. It's been so long since I've seen them I don't even remember what they look like. I'm such a terrible person.". Kaigen then turned away from Yohmori. "Kat I am the only terrible person here. I should have realized that It would have been hard for you there. I should have stayed with you.". Kaigen turned and smiled at Yohmori and said "You are pretty terrible." Kaigen then giggled a little bit. "Thanks….I needed that." Yohmori said in a sarcastic voice. "Chill I'm just kidding Yoh. So I guess we don't need to go to your friends house since I know what happened. What are we going to do now?". Kaigen said in reply to Yohmori. "Guess not. I have no idea what we need to do now." Yohmori said.
Kaigen and Yohmori thought for a moment and Kaigen finally said "I got it. Maybe Ruzai doesn't know about Kagekiha and him being evil. Maybe we could talk him into joining our side. How about it Yoh?". Yohmori said with a worried tone "I don't know….what if he's just trying to trick us?". "You worry too much Yoh. Just trust people every once and a while.". Yohmori hesitated for a moment. Kaigen walked up to Yohmori and put her arms around him and said in a playful voice "Aww come on Yoh you'll protect me from the big bad Ruzai wont you?". A couple walks by Yohmori and Kaigen and the girl of the couple giggled. Yohmori struggles to get away but fails only making him more embarrassed. "Come on Kat you're embarrassing me, people are looking at us." Yohmori said as he tried to get free again.
"Ok ok, we can try to get Ruzai on our side." Yohmori said and Kaigen lets go of him. Yohmori brushed himself off and said "We can try but if anything goes wrong you have to get away safely, got that?". Kaigen replied with a nod of her head and they headed back to town to try and find Ruzai.
CHAPTER 6: THE MARKSMAN
As Yohmori and Kaigen looked through town for a little while. After a while a thought struck Kaigen and she stopped suddenly. "What's wrong Kat?" Yohmori asked. "You told me you were 17! How were you around when I was a kid!" Kaigen yelled and everybody in the street stopped to look at who was making the commotion. Yohmori stepped back and reluctantly said "Yeah, but this isn't the best place for this right now Kat.". "I want to know the truth and the whole truth NOW Yohmori!" Kaigen said, the vein in Kaigen's neck began to throb again as a sign she was mad (once again). "Well….uh you see Kat the thing is I'm uh….." Yohmori looks around at the people watching him and Kaigen. "WELL!" Kaigen yelled. "Uh well I'm a….a half demon." Yohmori said in reply and continued to look at the people watching and saw a few women and children shying away from them. "What's that got to do with it? And why are you acting like you are ashamed of being part demon?" Kaigen asked as some of the crowd disbursed, "I'm half demon aren't I? I don't have a problem with it." Kaigen said pointing to one of her cat like ears. Yohmori paused, turned back to Kaigen, and then said "Well no, you actually you are only ¼ demon. Your mom and dad were both humans. And as for my age I'm 34 in human years but my body doesn't age as much as a humans body does, having no physical demon characteristics I was able to pass my self off as a 17 year old human. Plus technically I'm 17, in demon years at least, since demon years are only 6 months.". Kaigen gave Yohmori a harsh look and turned around and started to walk but saw Ruzai coming their way and seemed to have a harsh look on his face. "Uh Yohmori…." Kaigen said. "Yeah, what is it?" Yohmori said and then noticed Ruzai and saw that he didn't look too happy. "Ohh great, Buddha must hate me, cause this day just keeps getting worse.".
Ruzai kept walking towards Yohmori and Kaigen with a "I'm ticked" look. "Get behind me Kat." Yohmori said as he walked in front of Kaigen. Ruzai stopped about 7 feet away from Yohmori and lifted his gun and pointed it at Yohmori. "Are you crazy, there are too many people around!" Yohmori yelled. "You half breed trash, are you doubting my aim?." Ruzai said In a cold voice. "Why are you doing this?" Yohmori asked in reply. "I should have killed you and that cat demon when I had the chance. I can't stand half and part demons, You're either a demon or a human or you don't live. That's the way I work. I'm here from the future to kill those who blur the line between these 2 races." Ruzai explained. "So why didn't you kill us when you had the chance?" Yohmori asked as he put his hand on his sword. "Because I thought the girl was a full demon and you where a human. But according to the quarrel you 2 just had that isn't the case." Ruzai said in reply. Ruzai tightened his grip on his gun and took precise aim at Yohmori. "Hashiru Kaigen." Yohmori said and Kaigen started to back away from Yohmori. "Hold it! What do you take me for an idiot? I can understand Japanese. If you move I'll kill you Kaigen." Ruzai said and Kaigen stopped where she was. "Let her go and you can have me Ruzai." Yohmori said. Ruzai shook his head no.
By this time the street's crowd was reduced to nothing by Ruzai, Yohmori and Kaigen and one person who was peering out a doorway near Kaigen to watch the situation.
"Don't you dare touch her Ruzai." Yohmori said. Kaigen began to move again and Ruzai placed a shot inches away from her ear and she froze again. Yohmori drew his sword in reply to the shot. Ruzai took precise aim at Kaigen and said "Put it away or I'll kill the girl.". Yohmori doesn't move. "I said put it away or she dies!" Ruzai yells. "I don't think you have the guts Ruzai." Yohmori says in a confident voice. "Fine then." Ruzai says and he shoots once at Kaigen and Kaigen responds by using her cat reflects to deflect the shot with her sword, the shot is deflected and hit's the person that is watching in the left shoulder. "Son of a!" the man yells as he puts his hand over the wound. Everybody looks at the man. The man Is wearing a hooded jacket that says Metallica on the back. He walks into the street and pulls off the jacket and throws it aside then pulls out a pocket knife. "Are you ok?" Kaigen asked. "Just a minute…" the person says as he sticks the knife into his wound and removes the head of the bullet from his shoulder. "That hurt dang it." the man says and gives Ruzai a devilish look. "No crap it's a bullet." Ruzai says. "You would know wouldn't you…..brother." the man says. Ruzai looks at the man like he is crazy and says "Brother? Are you insane? I don't have a brother. I'm an only child." Ruzai says. Yohmori sniffs the air and the strong scent of blood is in the air. "This man isn't his brother, their blood signatures are totally different." Yohmori thinks to himself.
A blood signature is a certain smell that relatives give off and can only be detected by demons and half demons. The smell of brothers have a close resemblance but have a slight difference.
Ruzai points his pistol at the man. "Get lost who ever you are or else." Ruzai demands. The man doesn't move, instead he turns to Ruzai and throws his knife and it sticks in Ruzai's right shoulder. Ruzai yells and drops his gun and Yohmori runs up, grabs the gun, and jumps back. "Let me see that will you?" the man asks Yohmori and Yohmori hands the gun to the man.
The man examines it and asks "So why would an expert marksman from the 20th century be in feudal Japan to kill half demons?". Ruzai removes the knife from his shoulder and looks at the inscription on the bloodstained blade. "So that's who you are huh?" Ruzai says with a devious look on his face.
CHAPTER 7 THE HEAVY METAL TRAVELER
"So you know who I am eh?" The man says.
"Yeah they call you Heavy Metal, back home at least." Ruzai says. "I don't get it why would they call him Heavy Metal?" Kaigen asked. "I have no idea why Kat." Yohmori said as he watched on curiously. "So the question is why you are here Heavy Metal." Ruzai said. Heavy Metal lifted the gun and pointed it at Ruzai and then said "I'm here to stop you.". Ruzai lifted the knife at the ready and said "Is that so? Well I have news for you, I'm not gonna stop till I kill every half demon alive.". Heavy Metal proceeded to trying to explain the futility in trying to eradicate the world of all part demons; "It's useless to try to wipe out a race that is half and half, its not logical, especially by yourself. These people haven't done anything to you, why do you persist on hurting them?". "Does it really matter?" Ruzai asked. "Guess not." Heavy Metal said as he pulled the trigger of the gun. Ruzai turns to the side and barely avoids the bullet as it flies inches from his face. "I see. I've been wanting a good fight for a while." Ruzai said as he flipped the knife in his hand and threw it at Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal shoots the knife down before it can hit him. "They call me Heavy Metal for a reason." Heavy Metal said as he walked forward and picked up the knife and put it in his pocket. "Its because I can use any weapon with razor sharp precision." Heavy Metal continued. "I'm finished since I've disarmed you." Heavy Metal said as he removed the clip from the gun. "Don't be so sure Metal." Ruzai said as he pulls out another gun and points it at him.
Yohmori steps in front of Heavy Metal and unsheathes his sword and says "I've had enough of this. Fighting is useless at this point in time.". "Why is that?" Ruzai asked. "Because while you two were fighting, there is a large amount of demonic energy heading this way." Kaigen said.
Ruzai stopped and looked toward the horizon behind him. "The hanyou has a point." Ruzai said as he turned back around. "This is no normal evil energy either." Ruzai continued "It's bad, really bad. I never thought he would grow that evil and that powerful just by obtaining the sword.". Yohmori asked "Who and what sword are you talking about?". Ruzai lowered his gun and said "Kagekiha and Soul Edge.". Yohmori tensed up once again and asked how Kagekiha got Soul Edge. "I'm from the future, he wanted to know where Soul Edge was, put 2 and 2 together." Ruzai said. "So you told him where to find Soul Edge using the history books right?" Heavy Metal said as he stepped from behind Yohmori. "I didn't expect him to increase in that much power just by attaining the sword, I thought you had to use it to unlock the potential." Ruzai said in reply. "I propose we all join forces if we are to stop him." said Heavy Metal. Ruzai holstered his gun in a sign that he agreed. "Here, you might need this." Heavy Metal said as he walked forward and handed Ruzai his 2nd gun. Ruzai hesitated and asked "What are you going to use?". Heavy Metal replied by walking into the door he was spectating from earlier and re-emerging with a large bag on his back. "What's that?" Kaigen asked. "My weapon, of course, but for the time being I'll use this." Heavy Metal said as he lifted a large double bladed sword that had strange writing carved between the blades. "We should get moving." Yohmori said as he began to walk in the direction of the demonic aura. Everybody began to follow him and walked out of town without saying a word.
CHAPTER 8: MEMORIES AND THOUGHTS.
As the group of fighters walked toward the strong demonic aura each one had something going through their minds, as any normal person would if they were staring something this terrible in the face.
Kaigen, Yohmori's laid back partner, seemed to be just as tense as Yohmori now. "He killed them, I can't forget that, Kagekiha killed my family." Kaigen thought as she looked toward the demonic aura.
Yohmori, being the determined and protective fighter he was, seemed to be contemplating on how to stop Kagekiha and his new found weapon. "Ruzai practically gave Kagekiha Soul Edge, there is nothing I can do about that now, but it still baffles me how Kagekiha can become so strong just by acquiring the sword. I must stop him at all costs, the lives of hundreds of people hang in the balance, if not the whole country." Yohmori thought with his usual determined look. Yohmori paused and looked over at Kaigen, who was walking beside him. Yohmori had never seen Kaigen so determined before, she always seemed to be extremely laid back in nearly everything she did. Yohmori looked away as Kaigen looked upward and put her hands behind her head as she walked. Yohmori looked at the other two fighters he was walking with. Yohmori's eye was caught by the excessively large bag on Heavy Metal's back. It was being held up by his one hand that was draped over his shoulder holding one of the straps of the bag. "What's in there, anyways?" Yohmori asked himself " He said it was his weapon, but he's using a sword, why wouldn't he use what's he has in that bag?". Yohmori looked away from the bag and he directed his attention to Ruzai who was walking in front of him alongside Heavy Metal. "What's going to happen when this is all over? Is he going to continue hunting half and part demons? And now that he knows that Kat and I are part and half demons will he continue to hunt us?" Yohmori continued to look at Ruzai's back while he was contemplating the answers to these questions.
Ruzai noticed that Yohmori was looking at him and Ruzai asked "Something bothering you hanyou?". Yohmori replied "No, I was just thinking," and Yohmori turned his eyes toward the demonic aura which seemed to be getting stronger. Ruzai turned back to the road ahead and Heavy Metal asked him in a low voice to where he thought only Ruzai could hear him "Aren't you afraid he will attack you from behind?". Kaigen over heard this and became disgruntled because she didn't like people talking behind Yohmori's back about him. Kaigen then remembered what he had told her in a past experience.
A teenager had insulted Yohmori after Yohmori had finished a job for the teenagers father. The teenager thought nobody could hear him and he said "I could have done a better job than him.". Kaigen immediately turned and charged the boy and punched him in the chest. Yohmori grabbed hold of Kaigen's fist before she had another chance to strike the boy. "He's not worth it Kat, I don't care what other people think or say, the only one that matters to me right now is you.". Kaigen blushed at the thought of what Yohmori had said and Kaigen became a little less tense over Heavy Metal's insult.
Ruzai replied to Heavy Metal's question by saying "He wont attack me from behind, he is an honorable fighter, even if he is a half demon.".
Heavy Metal looked back at Yohmori and Yohmori stared back at Heavy Metal with a blank stare. "Want something?" Yohmori asked Heavy Metal. "Yeah, well kind of. Have you and Ruzai ever fought, I mean before today?" Heavy Metal asked. Yohmori replied by asking "Ever heard of the Valley of Lost Souls?". Heavy Metal replied by shaking his head no. "Well it's a valley that spans for miles in every direction and is covered in dense fog, you can probably only see 5 feet in front of you maybe if that much." Yohmori said. "You point being?" Heavy Metal asked sarcastically. "That's where we fought a few months ago." Ruzai said without looking back at them. "We both thought we were somebody else and we tried to kill each other." Ruzai continued.
"I was hired to kill someone but I was never gave a picture or a good description of the person, all I was given was that he fought with strange weapons and moves." Yohmori said. "Let us tell you about what exactly happened." Yohmori said.
CHAPTER 9: VALLEY OF LOST SOULS
"There is a shrine in the very middle of the Valley of Lost Souls, legend has it that the souls there were vain in their life and guard a treasure or something along those lines, I wasn't there for that though. I was hired by someone to kill a man that uses "strange" attacks when he fights. I was told that he was after the treasure and that in order to find him I needed to go to the shrine and wait for him." Yohmori explained.
"I was told something different but by the same person, as Yohmori and I found out later. I was told an extraordinary fighter was going to be at the shrine in the Valley of Lost Souls, so naturally being a fighter always looking for a good fight I went. In a way neither of us where lied to but it shouldn't have happened because both Yohmori and I hate to be manipulated by others, that's what pisses both me and him off about it." Ruzai said. "When I got to the shrine Yohmori was waiting by the door." Ruzai said as he recalled the scene in his mind.
"Yohmori greeted me to the shrine by asking if I was looking for the treasure. Being the smartass I am, I replied by saying, "Yeah, I want the treasure that's here, but it aint material goods that I'm looking for. I'm looking for a good fight.". I proceeded to walk closer to Yohmori and asked if he was a human and if so how he got to the shrine without getting lost in the fog." Ruzai said.
"I got here by instinct and pure determination. Yohmori replied to me." Ruzai continued. "So you must be the fighter then, by the looks of your sword and the look on your face. I said and Yohmori replied by nodding his head saying "I am A fighter, but I only fight my prey I have no time to fool with weaklings. I'm waiting on someone." Yohmori said. I asked Yohmori his name and he said it was unimportant to me. I laughed and Yohmori looked at me like I was a nut." Ruzai said.
"You are a nut." Yohmori said in a small voice, interrupting the story. "Watch it hanyou, or I may have to rethink my killing priorities." Ruzai said.
"Continuing from where I left off, Yohmori looked at me like I was crazy or something and I stopped laughing and I said "You just don't get it do you?". "I don't get what?" Yohmori replied. I continued to tell him what he was missing by saying "Any body who can get here by pure determination and instinct is a deadly fighter and that's exactly what I'm looking for.". I raised a small sword, since at that time it was my primary weapon. Yohmori smiled and unsheathed his sword and said "I see, so you're here not for the physical treasure, you're here for a fight.". I replied by smirking and saying "A good fight is always better than money to me." Ruzai continued the story telling the group.
Yohmori dashed at me with a his sword in a horizontal position and I stepped to the side and blocked the tip of the blade with my sword. I tried to counter attack Yohmori from behind but he had already slid around and was facing me. I decided I would attack and see if I could psyche out Yohmori, I ran at him and acted as I was going to strike with an upward swing and was planning to strike from Yohmori's right side. Yohmori had great form and was able to anticipate the move and blocked the move by moving toward me, which was something I didn't expect. Yohmori was about to strike me with a slash from my right to my left. I am an unorthodox fighter when it comes to close combat I remind you, I dropped to my butt and kicked the sword out of Yohmori's hand and as it stuck in the ground behind me I came up with a slice and cut his left shoulder as he stepped back.
Yohmori replied to the move by saying "A cut? Heh, you don't even use form and you were actually able to cut me, how ironic.". I smirked and grabbed Yohmori's sword and felt of the blade. And then threw it to him and asked "It's pretty sharp, what's it made of?" Yohmori told me it was a full diamond sword. "Pretty nice concept you got there, so the more you fight the sharper it gets." I said and Yohmori replied by advancing on me again.
I was ready for an all out war this time, I headed right in seeing how he would respond. I gave a few stabs at Yohmori's chest and he avoided them like a pro. Yohmori seemed to get tired of my seamlessly endless advances and him avoiding them all. Yohmori finally advanced on me quickly with a vertical swing and I blocked with my sword but to my surprise it was cut clean in half. I was holding the false edge of the sword for support against the swing since my sword was a single bladed sword. I stood stunned holding both pieces of my sword. Then in a moment of me being pissed off about the sword being weak against attack, I threw the point at Yohmori like a throwing knife but he deflected it with a mere movement of his wrist.
I had no other weapons so I had to resort to my last resort. Yohmori thought he had me and he tried to stab me when I looked up at him. I stepped back at an angle and avoided and could have sworn I felt the wind from the swords movement. I quickly pulled out my gun and shot randomly at Yohmori's head realizing this was a fight to the death for him. The bullet came a mere life threatening inch from Yohmori's nose.
Yohmori replied to the shot by trying to cut me from the side coming right out of the stab he had just finished, I dropped on my back and rolled a few times to where I could get up. As I stood I took good aim and shot at the wound I had just given Yohmori in his left shoulder. I hit the mark like I always did from a good distance away. Yohmori looked over at his wound as he grimaced in pain. Yohmori looked back at me and asked "What the heck was that?". I was speechless when Yohmori replied to the shot, usually any normal man would have screamed from the pain of a bullet going through his shoulder. I came out of my half daze and asked "I cant believe it, it doesn't hurt?". Yohmori looked at me with a no duh look and said "Well of course it did, but I'm used to pain by now.".
I gave a small laugh and pointed my gun at Yohmori once more. "Not this time…" Yohmori said as he dashed forward at me. I followed his every movement and shot, I barely missed Yohmori's shoulder as he dashed from side to side. "Damn I missed…" I said as I placed 2 more shots not 2 inches from his head and managed to clip his unwounded shoulder. As Yohmori came closer and closer I ended up running out of bullets and was pulling out another clip as he came in fast and hard. Yohmori managed to catch my left shoulder with his sword, the wound to this day hasn't healed completely. I still have a scar from it, but that's the price I pay for being unprepared. I fell to the ground holding my shoulder with the gun in my hand. I had managed to get the clip into the gun just before Yohmori cut me. Yohmori lifted his sword and looked me in the eye. For a moment I watched my life flash before my eyes and Yohmori for a split second looked like my father.
Ruzai paused seeming to shake the ragged memory of his tattered past from his mind. Kaigen noticed the significance of his movements at the time and realized what he meant by them.
Ruzai continued with the story as everybody listened. Yohmori tightened his grip on the sword and stabbed at me, I raised my gun trying to block the stab thinking I was a goner. I had barely diverted Yohmori's blade to stab just beside me, I came up with an uppercut and sent Yohmori flying with his sword. Taking full advantage of the situation I shot at Yohmori's right leg and it hit the mark. I stood holding my shoulder as Yohmori tried to stand. Yohmori managed to get to his feet pretty well and smiled at me. "What are you smiling at punk?" I replied.
"Nothing, you're smarter than you look is all." Yohmori said. "Things arent always what they seem are they?" I said as Yohmori looked down at his wound and over at me again. "You're right, they aren't, you tried to immobilize me didn't you?" Yohmori asked with a smug look. "What of it?" I said as a I continued to hold my shoulder as it poured out blood. "I see, this time I'm ending this if you don't mind." Yohmori said as he walked toward me. I lifted my gun and pointed it at Yohmori and said "Don't come any closer or I will kill you, got that?". Yohmori continued to walk toward me and I shot weakly at Yohmori and missed. "What's wrong? Is you're vision getting blurry or something? You missed." Yohmori said with a smug look. Indeed my vision was getting blurry from the blood loss and I was even weaker from all the jumping around we had been doing. "Shut up bastard." I replied weakly and shot at him again and missed once again. Yohmori lifted his sword as he got close to me. As he swung downward he must have thought it was all over but I had an ace up my sleeve, or so I thought, I brought up another gun and blocked the swing of Yohmori's sword with both of them.
Yohmori stood stunned, he seemed surprised I was able to block at all. I pushed off of Yohmori and staggered backward. I regained my balance and aimed both guns at Yohmori and shot both once and Yohmori ducked under the shots and dashed at me staying low to the ground and he punched me in the chest and I went flying as I dropped both guns. I laid motionless on the ground for a moment as Yohmori walked up to me and lifted his sword once again. "Do it, I have nothing to live for anymore, I got what I wanted." I said with a battered voice. Yohmori paused. "Do it damn it! I threatened you're life! Kill me!" I tried to scream at Yohmori. Yohmori sheathed his sword and turned away from me and said "That's just it, you threatened, you didn't try to take my life. You were just here to fight, not die.". I replied by saying "So? You where here to kill me right?". Yohmori turned around and looked surprised. "What did you say? How did you know I was here to kill someone?" Yohmori asked with surprise. I answered by saying "I know the person that sent you and me here, he pitted us against each other on purpose. I was told about a treasure that was here and when I didn't seem interested he mentioned you and that you were a strong fighter. I finally realized that it was a trap when we were fighting. But you are here for money's sake right? So kill me and you can get your reward.". I weakly smirked at Yohmori and he replied with a humph and turned again. "I have no reason to kill an innocent person such as yourself." Yohmori said and I replied by saying "Am I so innocent? I've killed hundreds yet you want to let me go? And what if I come back for you?". Yohmori replied by saying "I don't care about your past, and if you come back for me I'll handle you then." and he continued to walk and he disappeared from sight. I ended up being saved by a woman dressed in purple and white, she brought me to the edge of the valley like I asked her and she left, I never got her name though.
"So that's what happened huh?" Kaigen said and Ruzai ended the story. "Come to think of it I remember a girl dressed in a purple and white when I was waiting for Yoh to come out of the valley. She had a bad temper and was with some friends." Kaigen said. Yohmori looked over at Kaigen and asked "So what were they like Kat?". Kaigen replied by putting her hand to her chin and saying "Well the girl was bad tempered and tried to kill me but one of the guys she was with stopped her and me from fighting. The guy seemed nice enough, but I cant stand the girl, I think her name was Kagura."
((To be continued……))
((Yes for the time being this one will intertwine with my other fan fiction that is 25+ episodes. But you wont need to read them to understand this one.))
((to be continued))
((I'm still working on this chapter, sorry. I'll have it up A.S.A.P.))