Chapter 26: Kill Another To Stay Alive

Bankotsu sat on a hill later that night. There were fireflies all around him. He found himself thinking about his past before he became a mercenary. A painful memory came back to him.

Flashback

"Father!" Bankotsu cried as he ran up and hugged his dad. "Don't leave me! Take me with you!"

His father smiled. "Bankotsu, you are way too young to go off to war. You're only 10 years old!" he patted his son's head. "Besides," he added, "who's going to take care of your mother if you're not here?"

Bankotsu looked down at the ground. He hated it when his dad went off to war. Last time he cam back with terrible wounds.

Bankotsu's mother put her hand on his shoulder as they watched the warriors leave. Bankotsu could feel tears forming, but he blinked them away.

A few months later, when the warriors came back, Bankotsu rushed out to greet them. He looked excitedly at each one to see which one was his father.

He was confused when he didn't see him. He saw a warrior walk over to his mother and whisper something in her ear. Bankotsu felt a jolt in his heart when he saw her face.

He walked slowly over to her. "Mom?" he asked in a shaky voice. "Where's dad?"

She collapsed on her knees and threw her arms around him. She began crying and Bankotsu cried with her. He still didn't understand, but he knew something was wrong.

Later he found out that his father was killed in the war. He died saving another warrior. Bankotsu was devastated. He never understood what war was. He didn't know what the warriors actually did there. He didn't know that you could die, or how painful it was.

Sure, he knew you could get hurt. But children his age did not understand the concept of death. They didn't know how tragic it was until they actually experience the pain.

Bankotsu understood at the funeral. He realized how terrible war was. The anger and pain it brought. To kill another just to stay alive. That's what the term meant to him.

Bankotsu couldn't bare it any longer when they brought his father's coffin out. He ran off, away from the dreadful ceremony. He looked up at the stars. "Why?" he asked.

Over the next few years, Bankotsu trained. He wanted to go to war now. He had made up his mind. All he could think about was avenging his father, but the training was rough and hard work.

He was 15 before they finally let him go to war. On that day, Bankotsu was trembling with nervousness. He thought about this day for many years, but to have it actually come was a little frightening.

"You nervous kid?" a warrior asked him.

"Yeah, a little," Bankotsu answered.

"I don't blame you," the warrior said. "I wish I could tell you it will be alright, but I can't promise you that you'll survive the battle." He looked over at Bankotsu, who stared at him in shock. "I don't mean to scare you boy, but you should know the truth. You can go back if you like. I won't stop you. You wouldn't be the first."

Bankotsu swallowed hard. "I'm not going to run away sir," he told him firmly.

Two teenaged warriors walked up on either side of him. They were older than him and often teased him.

"I'll bet you won't last 5 minutes on the battle field!" one said to him.

"I'll bet he won't last 5 minutes before the battle even starts!" said the other. They both howled with laughter. Bankotsu ignored them. He would show those losers, he would show them all.

When the battle started, Bankotsu braced himself as the warriors charged.

He killed one warrior, but another one came from behind. Bankotsu moved out of the way and quickly killed him to.

"Hey!" one of the boys called to him. "Get out of here! You'll only be in the way!"

Bankotsu tried to ignore him. He charged at another warrior, but his arm was cut.

The boy shouted at him again. "I told you to get lost! What are you deaf?"

Bankotsu gritted his teeth. He sliced a warrior in half, but another one was coming in from behind. The boy killed him and grabbed Bankotsu by his collar.

"Look, I'm not going to keep saving your sorry butt! You're too wimpy to fight a real battle this isn't a game! War isn't for losers like you so just- GAHHHH!" the boy let out a yelp of pain as Bankotsu stabbed him with his weapon.

The other boy stared in terror as his friend fell to the ground. Bankotsu could feel anger rushing through him, anger that needed to get out.

He began killing every warrior that crossed his path, including the ones on his side. Every time he killed one warrior, it wasn't enough, so he killed more. It seemed to satisfy the thirst that he had in his veins.

By the time the battle was over, everyone had either fled to safety or had been killed. Bankotsu picked up a warrior's weapon and headed back to his village.

When he arrived, everyone greeted him, but there was a murmur of confusion when no one else showed up.

"Bankotsu!" his mother cried, running up to him. "Where's everyone else? Are they alive? Did you win the-" but he just pushed past her as if she wasn't even there.

Everyone cautiously followed him as he opened the door to a room. They watched as he walked over to a giant halberd in the middle of the room.

"Banryuu…" Bankotsu murmured to himself. He put his hand on it and tried to lift it.

"Bankotsu, what are you thinking?" his mother shouted. "No man could possibly lift Banryuu on his own strength! You're not strong enough!"

Bankotsu flinched. Everyone kept telling him that, all his life. Every person that ever told him that was echoing through his head.

"I'll show you," he mumbled.

His mother looked at him strangely. "What did you say?" she asked.

"I'll show you all!" he shouted angrily, making everyone jump. With one mighty heave, he lifted the halberd with one hand. He smirked. It felt light as a feather.

The villagers stared at him in astonishment. His mother slowly moved forward. "Bankotsu?" she asked wearily.

Bankotsu spun around and pointed Banryuu at them. "Damn you all! None of you had any faith in me! You probably didn't even think I would survive the war!"

"Bankotsu! You're scaring me!" his mother wailed.

"Shut up!" he shouted. He swung his Banryuu and killed her instantly, along with a few other villagers. The rest of them shrieked and ran away. Bankotsu smirked and ran after them.

Within 10 minutes, the whole village was destroyed.

End Of Flashback

Bankotsu shook his head to get rid of the memory. He ended up thinking about Sango and the baby, and became a little frightened. Was he really ready to become a dad?

Bankotsu wasn't so sure anymore. It would be a big step, and he wouldn't be able to have that much freedom anymore.

Bankotsu suddenly heard some rustling from the bushes, and it was headed toward the castle. Bankotsu stood up and began running towards it. Suddenly, it shot up to the sky and vanished.

"Hey everyone!" he called to the others. "There's something out here!" The others quickly came out. "It disappeared somewhere. Keep your eyes open."

It was at that moment that they heard an ear-piercing shriek. Bankotsu spun around. "Sango!" he cried, and ran towards the castle. Dammit, he thought, the whole thing was a distraction. To lure us away from the temple!

MUAHAHAHA! Yeah that's right! Cliff hanger! BURNAGE! You'll have to wait to see what happens! R&R