Some of the characters in Samurai Seed are using the characters from Astray and the Seed MSV. And then there are also Characters which use reference from Naruto and other anime. I tried my best to stay true to the character but if any of you feel it occ, my bad.
Took me ages (almost literally) but I finally finished the new chapter for Samurai Seed and managed an update… enjoy.
Kage is Kira
NOTE:
"Doryaaaaaaaaaa!": normal talking
"Charge!": special case
'Darn!': thoughts
GWA HA HA HA! : Giant creature speech
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
Please… read and review
Chapter 13:
In the Darkness wreaths
"They've come again? The same Zaft ship?" Kage blinked.
"Yeah. It's the third time this week now."
"…they're quite fast at restocking, I give them that…" Kage went out to the walls and saw the ship again. "AHOY down there!"
"AHOY, Kage-danna! Are you coming to check our goods again?"
"The usual routine." Kage get down through the crane and landed on their ship. He checked their goods again… and it was perfect. As always. "I don't understand… how did you guys could resupply so quickly? I know Japan was close to the Zaft lands… but no matter how fast, the fastest you can travel is at least 5 days. You managed to resupply in 2 days period?"
"Ah, we utilize a new supplying system, Kage-danna. You see… this ship never get back to the mainland. Instead of going back and forth the mainland, one big ship will bring as many goods as it can carry and then stationed themselves in a strategic point, close to many potential buyers. We go there daily to resupply." Mikhail inwardly congratulates himself for such wonderfully believable excuse. And it's not entirely a big lie. His ship does resupply from a big ship… Veia's flagship Aquarius, which had stationed itself, along with the Bladebane battleships and Carpentaria's fleet just two days ago, some distance away from the Archangel Fortress.
Even Kage had to admit, this man is quite convincing and his story is quite believable. He began contemplating on whether he can let the man in or not. The crane was for safety sake. But ethically, it was rather rude and not a very efficient method of transaction. His mask hid his contemplating face well.
One of Mikhail's men nudged him on the back. "Hey, Mikhail! Tell him to let us in! We'll never proceed with the plan if he keeps doing this!"
"You should learn more about human psychology, my impatient friend. Right now, we're garnering his, and most importantly his men's, trust. Thanks to that botched up initial infiltration attempt, we've lost some. If we press him to let us in now, he realized there's a plot going on and then he'll never let us in; all the things we've done in the last three visits will be for naught… but… to be on the safe side…"
Kage finally decided that he wouldn't take the risk. "Oh well… some modern age we're living. Okay. Show me the goods."
"Umm… Excuse me? Kage-danna?"
"Hai?"
"Well… I've heard some words… that your base was in need of ore?"
"…one moment." Kage yelled up. "Would somebody call Captain Harlbarton and Lieutenant Murdoch to come here, if you please!"
The guards above were somewhat bewildered but done so anyway. Moments later, Harlbarton and Murdoch had already down with Kage and Mikhail. The merchant disguised doctor explained his offer. "If you want, we can offer you some ore, we can get it fast and in greater quantity as well. Remember, our supplier get their goods from Augustus, a mining city."
Harlbarton, Kage and Murdoch talked with each other.
"Well… his offer is tempting… Thanks to some of those usual traders, we've managed to stock up some ore. But… we still need some more. And fast." Murdoch started.
"What do you think Kage? Can we trust them?"
Kage was at an impasse. He had to admit. Three visits. No trouble at all. So far, all they sell are food, some spices and ingredients etc… but ores. Well. That's one heavy load that the crane definitely can't lift. Small amounts at a time, maybe. But judging by the amount THEY need, that'll take days to unload, and they don't have that. They have to take the risk and let them in. Risk. He was never much of a risk taker. "I'm not really sure. They haven't made any trouble at all… but… we got some reasons not to let them in as well. Their stories are indeed believable. But… the fact that they're new guy… and they just conveniently appear after all the battle is over…"
"Coincidence?"
"Not a big fan of it." Kage and Murdoch turned to the elder Captain for the final say.
The elder captain pondered their reasoning. "Let's give them a try. But we'll put them under strict guard."
Kage and Murdoch agreed. Harlbarton turned towards the 'merchants'. "Fine. But mind you, we'll put you on a strict watch."
And thus the merchants retreated to their mothership.
A few days later…
"Are you ready, Mikhail?" Veia asked.
"Their immunity is strong. If we are going to penetrate it, we have to go full burst in one go. And we may have to do this in one shot before Kage gets another chance to ruin it."
"…"
"…My Lord?"
"…I… I have doubts." Veia turn around, staring at the Fortress. "A premonition. So to speak."
"Of our failure?"
The Old general chuckled. "Why, even the best of stratagems can be foiled. Given the right circumstances, naturally. It's just…"
"Is it Kage you're worried about?"
"…no… Well yes. But… something else too." Mikhail gave the old veteran a look.
"Worry not. Kage may possess the strongest of the secret weapon… but if the reports are to be believed, we may have a slight advantage."
"Which is?"
"One of my Bladebanes told me that Kage may not have full control of that weapon. It seems, it's highly unstable and random."
"Is that so… but that's a mere technicality that will only need to time to mend."
"Exactly sir. That's why we must proceed with the surgery now while this tumor cancer is still harmless… otherwise…"
Veia get the message and nodded. "You're right. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Go. And good luck."
After he bowed, Mikhail left with his retinue. Veia gazed at the departing convoy of ships, his uneasiness keeps nagging him. Yzak looked at his master and brave a question. "Master… what ails your mind?"
"Somehow… I had a feeling… we're about to witness an awakening of something truly monstrous."
He should've seen it coming: at the dead of a morning, inspecting every ship that enters the fortress, and then trained his ass off with Harlbarton. Come breakfast, lunch and dinner, when his ramen is always high on demand. He had to instruct other chefs to cook ramen en masse for a few hundred mouths to feed in one time. Sure he used to deal with lots of customers. But at least they came a few family at a time and not every last one of them asked for double portions. Harlbarton would pummel him in between the meal hours, the decimation of the last remainder of the 7 days of flame rebellion… And then there's the matter of Shiki, who remained so unstable, and Harlbarton demanded extra training.
"The problem is, like I said, you hated Shiki. You just couldn't bring yourself to trust him/her."
"Yeah… yeah… whatever you say sir…" Kage, annoyed and weary, could barely lift his body. Good God, he couldn't believe how tired he was. Eyebags start to form underneath his eyes. His sleep has always been far from peaceful since he start killing people. The kid with long hair keeps hounding him in his sleep, asking why he couldn't hear his name. Though he finally understood this kid is Shiki. He know who he is, but he couldn't hear his name nor speak of it, he keeps having these hallucinations these… dreams over and over for nights, "…and that had played havoc on my sleep."
"Achyaaa…" Mwu scratched his head in sympathy. "Eyebags don't look good on you…"
"Well, that's no good… Kira… no, Kage you know your position?" The old Captain glared at the young shinobi.
"A chef for a Ramen freak and part time Ninja?"
"Yes… and you're also an ace of this fortress. That means you're no good to us half alive." Harlbarton tapped Kira's tired shoulder. "You need rest. Take a break. That's an order."
"…"
"And no buts!" The two captains howled in chorus.
Kage looked at the two man. "I'm not going to argue… maybe I can't rest…" he removed his mask. "My point is you guys have been hounding my back with this super ninja crap, like I need it."
"I don't like your tone boy." Mwu cringed. "We're trying to help you here. Could you please show some appreciation?"
Kira couldn't control himself. Frustration, anger, annoyance, and above all lack of sleep had made his tone sound harsher than it should have. "Funny you should mention help. As far as I'm concerned, all your ideas had brought my situation from bad to worse."
"What did you…" Mwu's Caucasian skin turned pink in anger.
"Alright that's enough." Harlbarton cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Kira we're no ogre. We're all tired, and sweat steam can heat up your head. Take a one day break, young man. We wouldn't want you to drop dead when we need you most."
Kira jumped away without further ado with a scoff. Mwu displeasure was quickly abated with a gentle knock to his head.
"That was stupid. To get provoked by the words of a 16 year old boy?"
"…" Mwu swept the sweat off his brow and sighed. The elder captain was right. It was stupid and childish of him.
"You know… not that I give up on him… but… I think we've kept him here long enough." Harlbarton looked meaningfully at Mwu. The younger captain blinked once, and then caught his senior's meaning.
"I guess so… by rights, he and his friends shouldn't even be here…" Mwu started to regret the anger that swelled in him a moment ago. If he thinks about it, Kira got every right to be furious at him. In just a few short weeks, he had killed so many of his kind, the Advanced. "We should've done this the first time he asked for it. Now he's seen enough blood spilt to last two lifetimes."
"I think I'll have your brother to assemble a squad to escort him and his friends. A small contingent, 8, 9 people tops."
"We've trained him and his friends well. Those Emeralds won't find them easy prey now."
"Never hurts to be prepared, no?"
Mwu sighed and smiled. "No. I'll tell him tomorrow, when he's cooled off. But I'm still pissed though, so I think I'll give him a parting prank or something."
"Why?"
"He called me a Ramen Freak."
The elder captain sneered. "And that's not true?"
"No. I'm a SUPER Ramen FREAK." A mental image of the bold golden cast words (20th Century Fox style): SUPER RAMEN FREAK can be seen at Mwu's background.
The elder captain sweat dropped.
Kira walked around, taking the best of his one day break. Slowly but sure, inhaling fresh air like it was the breath of his life. The mask was literally glued to his mouth. How long since the last time his mouth was not covered with this piece of clothing? Yesterday's dinner session seems like ages ago. Yep. He only took off the mask when he's cooking, to avoid suspicion. But almost as soon as he finished his meal, he quickly put it on once more. The only smell he sniffed without the mask is the smell of broth, flour, and other food ingredients. Outside, he would wear this mask, and it reeks of blood, sweat and more blood. And so when he took off the black covering, his nose tingled at the smell of fresh sea air. '…haa… fresh air can be so sweet…' His mind kept screaming of demanding some sleep, but his heart told him to meet his friends first. He hadn't been able to see them for God Knows how long. The only time he can see them was during meal time, and he was too busy in the kitchen to engage in any sort of conversation. The first he found was Sai, in the medical ward, talking to the surgeons. It seem Sai had developed an interest in surgeries and medicine.
"Kira!"
"Sai."
"Where in the world have you been?"
"I've been… well… busy."
"It must be tough."
"You tell me. You want to be a surgeon?"
"What?" Sai looked at Kira then to himself: he's wearing a bloodstained apron and holding a scalpel. "Oh yeah. You know I always wanna be a doctor. What happened to your eyes? Those eyebags… what have you been doing?"
"Well… just… busy. I've been having… nightmares too."
"I see… Wait a moment." Sai turned to one of the doctors and talk about something. When he turned to Kira again, he gave him a weed. "This weed was used to anesthetize patients. A painkiller, so to speak. Normally we mix with some other drugs but it can be eaten as it is, but it has a side effect of making you incredibly sleepy."
Kira took the weed. "With the state I'm in, I doubt I'll need it to get any sleepier than I already am. But thanks."
Sai smiled. "Glad I can help."
"Have you seen Tolle and Milly?"
"I don't know. Haven't seen them since morning."
"What about Kuzzey?"
"I think I saw him around in the armory. I don't know what he's doing though."
"Okay." Kira left Sai as he's back to his conversation with the army surgeons. Kira left him and continue his trip around the base. It's been weeks since the last attack. Most of the damages done by enemy cannonfire had been fixed. Now he can start to see what a different sight Archangel was before its damaged state. The whole fortress is situated in between two steep cliffs and it was positioned on a gulf. It is circular, with two wide walls protecting front and rear. No side walls, since it is protected by two tall cliffs. The entire structure of this fortress is centered on a pair of two tall and long parallel walls that split the fortress to two right down the middle and connected the front and rear ramparts. The two walls serve as platforms that supported the massive Lohengrin Cannons, its barrel jutted out just a bit out on the front wall, where the two gigantic Angel Statues were situated in such manner, it look as if the Angels shoulder the great cannons. The walls are connected by an arch at the back wall, the fortification and the docks that faces the sea. Midway across the parallel walls are two huge water towers, one per wall, it carry Sea-water periodically from the canals of the lower rear rampart Watergates. The Seawater is then processed and made into drinkable water, or in times of war, used to cool down the Lohengrin Cannons. In the space between the two walls is the main command center tower. This is where captains and seated officers reside. Armories, smithery, medical ward, kitchen, mess hall, and other military installation quarters were placed within these center parallel walls. The grounds within the fortress were used to build soldier's quarters, barracks, and training grounds.
'What was Kuzzey doing in the armory?' Kira frowned when he saw the boy in the armory, weighting a katana and try to swing it around. He was already out of breath in 2 swings.
"Kuzzey?"
"!" He jerked in surprise. The chubby boy turned to Kira and sighed a relief. "Kira… you scared me."
"What are you doing with that sword?"
"N…Nothing!... I-I-I'm not trying to train to take arms in the next battle or something… I… erb…"
"If you're smart my friend, you sheath that katana back where it comes from and forget it."
"B…B…B…But she said that… I should at least train f…for… self defense. I… It's not smart… But it's the right thing."
"…She? Who's she?"
"The… vice captain, short haired one."
'Natarle.' "Look… some of us… are not meant to be warriors. You are one of those and I assure you it's a blessing."
"B… But I can't stand it!" Kuzzey slam the katana to the ground. "…I want to fight… not hiding and cowering in fear… I want to be like Kage… Like… like you."
Kira blinked. So Kuzzey was aware. Aware and he kept it secret. "When I was a chef… I would spend my sleeping nights, sometimes dreaming of cooking a better ramen than master… sometimes not dreaming at all. The worst Nightmare I can think of was when every ingredient in the ramen turns back to life and turns me to ramen for some cold hard vengeance."
Kuzzey snorted. Kira smiled bitterly.
"Do you know what my dreams are now? What I suffered every night that I woke up? There are only two. One, I was in an empty dojo. Covered in darkness… I was alone and voices hounding my head. The second dream happened more often. I was standing on the edge of the river. And on the surface I saw them."
Seeing the dark expression in Kira's face, Kuzzey knew he wouldn't like the answer… but he asked anyway. "Saw who?"
"Everyone. Every person I've killed with my own two hands. They looked at me. Calling me. They said "we're waiting for you brother." Bad enough dream to hound your sleep, sending you wide awake screaming in terror in the black of the night."
Kuzzey paled and gulped. And then he suddenly noticed: Kira looks thinner. Black circles formed around his eyes and his skin becomes paler, and his hair was messy. Well his hair was always messy but now it looked so… fragile. As if it's ready to fall in one fell swoop.
"This… is the price you pay… for becoming like me." Kira gently tap Kuzzey's back. He took Shiki from his back and after a moment of hesitation, placed the Katana with others on the rack, molding perfectly like a tree in the forest. 'At least this'll give one less nightmare to be wary of…' "You don't want this."
"But isn't that your sword?"
"It's their sword. I just borrowed it. Long enough… perhaps too long." Kira turned to Kuzzey and took the katana from his hand. "We've beat back the enemy. We haven't seen them for weeks. Maybe now Harlbarton can spare some men to get us in proper shelter. We won't have to fight again, once we're there." He placed the normal katana back to a barrel along with other Katanas. He tapped Kuzzey's shoulder and gave an assuring smile. "Everything's going back to the way it was. I promise you that."
Kuzzey gave a little smile. Kira nodded and left. Kuzzey smile disappeared once Kira was out of the room and he stared at Shiki, long and hard.
Kira look around the fortress grounds, in the many camps that are soldiers' quarters. It's the only place he can think of where Tolle or Milly can go to, and he figure that this is where he can rest. Or so he thinks.
A soldier told him that Milly and Tolle was last seen in front of their camp. Kira head straight there and when he opened just a bit of the veil, all he heard was muffled sensual moaning. Become redder than a lobster in less than a second, Kira closed the veil and after muttering about a dozen swearwords of hormones and the birds and bees, shattered his sprint record with a 50 yard dash in 3 seconds. 'Don't. Go. In there.'
Finally he had to ask one of the Physician in the infirmary (as Kage) to let him borrow a closed ward to rest. The soldiers were more than willing, even honored to let the famed ace to sleep in their quarters. When he offered to guard him in his rest, Kage refused. "No one may come in. And besides, this base can't afford to spare one man just to guard someone sleeping. Just tell everyone not to come in. We got like 50 soldier around here, each can tell the other not to come in." Kage paused for a moment. "If you guys were tempted to sneak in and unmask me, I'll hunt them down and kill them and the rest of their families. No hard feelings but that's Shinobi rule for you." Of course, he made it all up, but he doubted any of these soldiers know anything about Shinobi and they're not going to take their chances.
The physician gulped and nodded. Kage closed the surrounding area with the veil used for operating. He even put strings tied to bells for good measure. Undoing his mask as he laid to sleep, he found the image of Mir and Tolle going at it prevented him from taking a good shuteye. When he tried to counting sheep, disturbing and censored images came into mind. 'You've got to be kidding me…' Then the brunette remembered the weed that Sai gave him, bless his soul. Kira took a bite out of it and chew it slowly. His tongue felt numb as his eyes become very heavy. In less than a minute, the ninja drifted into a silent dreamless sleep.
In Zaft mainland…
Athrun was staring at the chessboard. The King, Queen and Pawns had rook, bishop and knights walled around him. A black pawn was positioned just a few boxes away from the white pieces. He took the small pawn and moved right into the midst of the white pieces.
He remembered his detailed instruction of his plan to take down Archangel like it was yesterday.
A few weeks ago, when Athrun brief his strategy step by step once more to Veia before he left…
"Now… after we deprive them of all ammos and supplies, they'll need fresh and large amounts of ore and supplies. Local merchants can probably provide supplies. But ore? Sure Archangel has its own smelting plants. But I doubt they have their own iron mine. And that's what we're going to give them. Ore. We can use this. Disguise a ship as merchant that carries ore. We can disguise 20-30 of our men inside those ships' hulls."
In the ocean just in front of the White Fortress…
Mikhail look at the long line of ship carrying ores are convoying towards the fortress. The guards atop Archangel's walls took notice of the convoy of ships and waved his hand. Mikhail took notice and waved back appropriately.
"Well Nichol's weapon, the Blitz Armaments, have a very interesting ability. It renders him invisible to naked eye. We tried to have him infiltrate the base early on… but as you know, it failed. Now they won't even let us in as easy."
"Now we wouldn't want to make things too easy now would we?" Raww chuckled.
Athrun groaned at the joke. "You're just adding to my misery. But… in the end it happened anyway. Here's what you must do."
Just then, one of the ships exploded, much to the apparent shock of the onlookers. At the distance, a Zaft battle barge ship appeared and start battering the merchant ships with cannonfires.
"…have our own ships fire at them? Wouldn't that like… prevent them from letting us in?" Veia blinked behind his helmet visor.
"Imagine a smaller fish, about to be eaten by a bigger fish. Instinctively, it will gather around with other smaller fishes regardless of species, forming a visage of a larger fish." Athrun grouped a couple of varying chess pieces together, ganging up on a queen. "In times of desperation when facing greater enemies, particularly if the party in peril is in possession of something the helper requires, they will ignore all differences and quickly aid them without question. Man always chooses the lesser of two evils."
Pillars of water burst out of the sea around the convoy with each shot missed.
"Rear cannon squad! To your stations! Whatever happens we gotta help those merchants!"
A green Zaft battle barge barraged the slow moving merchant ships with shot after shot. The shooter however made it so that they'll miss the crucial ships. Another fake ship was brought down. The allied forces atop the walls grew desperate. Harlbarton arrived at the walls and watched the commotion.
"Taichou, shouldn't we help them?" Prayer turned to his captain.
"…send out our ships."
"Aye, captain. You guys! Get on board those ships. We gotta help them!"
"AYE!" The soldiers rushed to the battleships docked inside. In moments the rear gate of the white fortress was opened, and a group of five small ships (relative to Zaft Battle Barge) carrying a dozen men each set sailed. The Zaft soldiers atop the barge noticed the incoming enemy ships and per instruction, intensified their barrage. The soldiers atop the Skirmisher battleships performed as they were trained. They undock a series of small cannons. The Skirmisher ships quickly maneuvered around the convoy of ships and surround the Barge. The ships began furiously barraging the Barge from both sides with effectiveness born from years of practice and training.
In accordance with the plan, the battle barge Captain should've retreated by now, but its main masts was felled down, one by one in quick succession under the intense fire, and the Barge's fixed triple forward bow guns were not in position to shoot the Skirmisher Ships, who keeps moving nimbly, away from a single ship's line of fire of its side guns. The soldiers tried to send arrows at them, but alas, they're out of range. Ballistas were deployed next, but the ships are too nimble. Soon, the Barge's main rudder was the next to be taken down, followed by smashing of the gun ports, and one cannon shot ignite the blackpowder in the great ship, sending it to a ruinous blaze as it sank to the bottom.
Mikhail gulped as he saw the effectiveness of the Skirmishers battleships.
"Thank you, Captain… thank you…" Mikhail, half faking his gratefulness, shook Harlbarton's hand roughly. "Thank you so much for saving our asses back there."
"Yes well… how exactly did you end up getting chased by a Zaft Main Battleship? Did they find out you've been selling military provisions?"
"That would be the case, yes." The quack merchant nodded. "But you've saved us, thank you."
"Wouldn't that mean the end of your trade?"
"We'll figure something out. Where's Kage dono? Weren't he supposed to check us?"
"He's… gone." Harlbarton stated so blatantly, everyone stared at the elder captain in shock. "An errand of secrecy."
"But I thought he was sle-…" a physician start to spoke until Harlbarton silence him with a stare.
"I don't think we'll be seeing him anytime soon, now."
"Really now?" Mikhail inwardly couldn't believe their lucky stars. Their greatest obstacle was removed! They couldn't pick a better day to do this. Relieved beyond measure, it threatened to break his disguised expression. But discipline took over immediately and he reasserted his merchant face. "Understood. The Iron ores are in crates. Would you like to see them?"
"Absolutely." Harlbarton step forward. Mikhail's men brought forward a few specific boxes. But Harlbarton walk past them. Clearly, he wishes to see it with his own eyes and choose his own crate. His men were a bit worried but Mikhail calmed them with a look. Harlbarton look around the ship. As expected, it was a different ship with ones that previously came. But considering their load it is only natural. "Open them all."
"What?" One of his soldiers was about to whine until Harlbarton glared at him. "Yes. That's right. Open them all up!"
There are 35 boxes. All of them were opened and its content revealed. All contain nothing but ores. Harlbarton carefully observe the content of one crate… and then suddenly he stabbed his great sword into the box… and cleaved it into two. The content spilled out. Ores. No blood, no nothing.
"…my apologies." The old captain sheathed his sword. "Alright, folks, help me clean this up. We take this one straight to the smelting plants."
"Aye captain." The soldiers helped the old captain cleaned the mess.
Mikhail sighed a relief. Harlbarton chuckled. "Did I scare you?"
"W… Well…"
"Hm. Tell you what. Why don't you stay in my base for tonight? Accept what little hospitality we can give you."
"I would be greatly honored." The doctor nodded.
"We need quite a bit of luck on that part of the plan." Veia rubbed his chin.
"All battle plans would always have luck as a decisive factor. Even the best ones." Athrun tossing an ore piece up and down. "But with someone like Kage checking your delivery, we cannot entirely rely on luck. They will do something like hacking apart or stabbing a crate or two. So at least ten of your crates will be fully loaded with these." He threw the ore stone to a torch and a few moments later, it started puffing unnaturally thick smoke.
Murdock quickly supervise to have the 'ores' carried to be put into the refinery immediately. Meanwhile, on the harbor, Prayer had the crates moved to the warehouse.
"Let's put these suckers in." Murdock roared over the blazing furnace. The men took their shovel and start shoving piles of ores into furnace. A couple of hours later and the melted ores were processed into melted red hot iron and they poured them all to bullet casings as a new batch of ores were shoved back to the furnace. "Come on! We're gonna be lightin' this furnace night and day. All nighters boys. All nighters!"
"(cough) (cough)… sorry… haven't figured out all the kinks in that compound yet… (cough)!" Athrun closed his nose as he and the rest of the commanders ran out of the black smoke covered prison cell.
"It sure seems works… couldn't see a damn thing out of that smoke." Veia walked out of the smoke calmly, though he did not fell victim to coughs like his colleagues. Namely Raww.
"(cough), (cough)… this isn't (cough) one of your schemes (cough) to get out (cough) out of prison cell now…" The masked man coughed the hardest. He was standing too close to the torch Athrun burned with that compound of his.
"Well… not exactly." Athrun looked apologetically to his superior. "The compound contains real iron ore. But when it is processed to extract the ore within, it will quickly burn, resulting in that pitch jet black smoke. However… we need time to get you all in place. That one I just burned was pure undiluted compound. The ones I'm giving to your man would take a bigger amount to create a smoke that thick."
Mikhail looked at the smelting plant and realized the clock is ticking. Some of his Bladebanes position themselves near important spots: supplies, armory, forge, and medical ward. One of the 'merchants' peek inside and saw a ward closed off by a curtain. Curiosity piqued, the man tried to open it, but had his hand slapped by the doctor.
"Shush! Don't disturb… a sleeping injured patient now!"
"Oh. My apologies. Curiosity." The 'merchants' bowed down and apologize before he reported back to his brothers of the swords: "We can take our time and save this place for the last. No one there but injured patient. Not gonna offer much of a trouble or fight."
Inside, Kira, 'the sleeping injured patient', still stuck in his drug induced sleep, blissfully unaware he had just escaped the priority death list.
"Taking into account on how long it'll take to create ammo for a base with so many cannons, all it'll take is just one crate, but I'd say, you guys have until midnight to memorize the interior and locate the targets."
"The Captains… and of course… Kage."
"Yes." Athrun suddenly were reminded of something. "Oh… and… Mikhail Coast isn't it? The 'Doctor'? Assuming he's the only one among the squad of Bladebanes who treated Fuji with some humanity…" Athrun was still pissed when he knew how the Bladebanes treated the 80 feet giant. And they had the nerve to ask why he changed side in a heartbeat! "…told him… that at all cost, he must not let that giant see him. If that giant can recognize him before the due time… we lost."
"You know… instead of Sapphire Bladebanes, you might want to utilize Onyx Assassins for the job. Bladebanes are warriors. Not assassins." Veia looked at his warriors through the window, preparing for battle.
"For this plan to work we need the soldiers unleash as much chaos into the base as long as possible. The 'Shadow-Walkers' are too frail. Because, as you said it, they're assassins. Not Warriors."
"Point taken. It's just… I've been training my Bladebanes for years… not many of them who can see in the dark."
Athrun laughed, understanding Veia's plight. "Don't worry. Thought of something to deal with that too."
"Stay out of sight of Fuji. Yeah right." Mikhail cursed himself. They allowed the big ass guy to stand and patrol inside the inner fortress grounds! He's literally a walking portable guard tower.
"I could've sworn I saw someone familiar." Fuji frowned. Was that the good Dr. Mikhail he saw just now?
"Saw who?" One of the soldiers asked, wondering the giant's alarm.
"…no… I'm not sure it's just my imagination. But I could've sworn I saw… my doctor."
"…what?" The soldiers were a bit confused.
"I know it sounds crazy… but I would recognize his silver hair."
The soldiers chuckled. "Dude. You ought to rest. I think if there's a silver haired mad doctor loitering around, we would know."
"…I'm fine. And he's not mad, by the way." Fuji nodded.
The soldiers nodded and walk away. Fuji looked again through the window. He was sure he saw him here. 'These are good people doc… I'll be damned if you unleash havoc here.' He swished his head around, more alert than ever.
"Great. Just great. This is gonna be a long thirty minutes to midnight…" Mikhail gasped a breath. And so the Doctor had spent his time running around, avoiding the windows, hiding in the dark of a night, while Fuji was patrolling around, and peeking through windows.
Fuji walks around slowly as to avoid shaking the ground with each of his step. He's doing rather well… if he may say so himself. It's just that then, he made one WRONG peek…
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ECCHI! HENTAI! LECHEERRR!" Various items were thrown at his face.
"C…. CHOT… CHOTTO MATTE KUDASAI… I… I'M SORRY LADIES! I D…DIDN'T MEAN TO…!" Fuji covered his face with his one palm.
In a short 5 minutes, the 80 feet man was forced into a traditional Japanese Seiza position, looming over Natarle, with the angry victims growling behind her. Surprisingly, next to him were Tolle, Sai, Jackie, and Neumann… Mwu included.
"This kind of thing… well… forgive the expression, but it's not something a human should do." Natarle was tapping her feet.
"Oi! Wait a damn minute! I'm innocent!" Mwu protested. A red slap can be seen imprinted on his face.
"Then why were you found on the scene of a crime?"
"I was walking around when I saw these idiots peeking through a god-damn door! How the hell would I know it's a door to woman's lavatory!"
"And what of you guys? You are peeking?"
"Well…" Sai gulped. He had footprints on his face. "The truth is…"
"We were… erhm… peeking… but then suddenly those girls go wild and trampled allover us…" Jackie was gritting his teeth, holding a great pain. One of those girls trampled on his testicles.
"From one point of view, we are the victims here…" Neumann concluded.
"SILENCE! And what about you, Fuji? The girls stated you are the main culprit here."
"In my defense… and I'm terribly sorry… but I'm looking for a man."
"What, you swing that way?" Jackie blurted. Fuji gave him a deathglare.
"That man's name is Mikhail Coast… a Doctor."
"We have doctors here if you are ill."
"You don't understand…ermm…" Fuji paused mid sentence. Thinking on what he should say. "…I have an idea… if you would lend me your ears…"
10 minutes left…
Mikhail took a long deep breath of relief. It seems the giant had given up. Now he'll just wait for 10 more minutes and he can begin the ambush in the earnest. Just then, he saw Mwu running around looking really worried muttering the word: "Doctors… Doctors… where can I get some God-damn good doctors… What the hell is that disease anyway!"
Upon hearing the words Doctor and Disease, Mikhail's ears perked up. "Excuse me, Captain Mwu? Is something wrong?"
"Well… one of my boys got caught with a serious illness we've never seen before. Other doctors gave up midway saying give it up! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!"
"Illness? One you've never seen before?" His eyes glittering with excitement and for a moment he forgot all about his mission. "Um… you know before I'm a merchant, I was doctor and I studied quite a bit of some medical arts. May I see the patient?"
"You're sure? We don't know if it's contagious so we quarantined him…"
"A good precaution. Please. Show me the way."
"Alright. Come this way."
The quack merchant followed the captain with interest glinting in his eyes not to the infirmary, but to a door. Outside, Harlbarton, Murrue and Natarle was waiting with stern look in their face. "This is it. I dare not to go in."
"Right." Mikhail put on his surgery mask and opened the door. To his shock, what awaits him inside is a giant palm that quickly grasped him and lifted him up off the ground. "W… WHOAAA!"
And then just like that, the door, the wall disappeared. And the doctor suddenly realized he was on the edge of a wall and grasping him tightly was Fuji. "W… what…"
"Hello, Doctor. I know it was you." Fuji greeted Mikhail gently.
"Y…You… Fuji…" By recognizing the giant, Mikhail knew he had blown his cover and confirmed his identity.
"Aha…" Mwu smirked. Bullseye. So Fuji was right. He really is a quack merchant.
Harlbarton was less cheerful however. "Natarle-san, pass this to everyone, tell them to round up all the ship's crew at the central court, immediately."
"At once." Natarle left in a hurry.
Mikhail continued to squirm in Fuji's grasp, and then Fuji opened up his palm and let the doctor stood.
"Of all the Bladebanes, I respected you the most, Dr. Mikhail. You're the only one who treated me as human."
"You are human. Albeit… unique."
"Comparing that to the things I went through… I consider it the highest praise I could accept. And that's good enough for me."
"So what happens now?"
Fuji sighed. "Gather your men, leave this place. Whatever you do to this place, I will unleash upon you TENFOLD! I've warned you."
"I believe you. But that doesn't mean it will change anything Fuji. The surgery is already in motion the moment you let us infect your defenses. Just like a beating heart, the flow of blood can't stop."
"All the same. There's a person in this fortress that will unleash what I'm capable of doing a hundredfold. He does that to me. I would hate to see him do that to you."
"Oh." Mikhail made a nervous oh with his mouth. "But I fear your threats change nothing."
Just then, unnaturally thick black smoke suddenly starts to rise from the direction of the furnace area.
Harlbarton gasped. "What the… did Murdock burnt the furnace?"
"He'll kill himself first…" Mwu frowned. Even he, a Ninja with a trained eye, could barely see pass the smoke. "That's no natural smoke…"
True enough, down below, the black smoke screen quickly escalates from the furnace area to well, everywhere. Soon, the black smoke had already covered the fortress grounds.
"OI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT!" Murdock roared at his men amidst the black smoke, coughing as he did so.
"Sir! Cough! We don't know either. The furnace (cough) just start puking out smoke!"
"Puking out smoke?"
The guards who saw the black smoke thought the furnace is on fire and quickly ring the bell as loud as he can. "FIRE! FIRE! WE GOT A FIRE!"
"Fire?" Every soldiers within the fortress quickly moved as trained. Nevertheless, panic still reigned and Natarle were also distracted and momentarily forgot her orders. The disguised Bladebanes looked at each other and smirked before they tossed a few black rocks into nearby torch. Other Bladebanes who have positioned themselves at strategic points also do the same.
Soon, the whole white fortress was engulfed in a huge black fog visible to a great distance even from Aquarius. Goud put down his binoculars and signaled his fleet. "Get ready to move. We'll be there at dawn!"
It was total pandemonium inside the fortress. No one can see where or who. Just then, they saw something glowing in the dark. A pair of light – or eyes. Before they can enquire further, the soldiers in vicinity were cut in half. The Bladebanes pulled out their swords and wear goggles which are shining fluorescently.
"My own design. I was trying to invent a pair of glasses that can help us see at night. Little success by the way. But I managed to scrape an… interesting byproduct." Athrun took a small jar containing a blue salve. He took a flick and splatters it to his cheek. The blue salve quickly vanished, seemingly absorbed by Athrun's skin. "Take a look."
Raww looked at Athrun's face through the goggles lenses and blinked. The salve shined on Athrun's cheek. He removed the goggles and saw nothing. He put the goggles on and off to be completely sure. It seems the salve can only be seen shining when he put on the goggles… otherwise no one else will see it.
"Made a few tweaks on some luminescent mushrooms and mosses. I can't make much… given with what I have here."
"With what you…How the Hell did you do that… in here?" Veia didn't see any lab equipment within Athrun's cell.
"Time, my Lord. All I need is time." The raven haired strategist smiled matter of factly.
Everywhere within the fortress Alliance soldiers, blinded in darkness, were haplessly massacred by the Bladebanes.
"KILL EVERYONE WITHOUT THE MARK!" Between the screams of terror and the sound of blade splitting man in half, the Bladebane's echoing scream only made it worse. A few soldiers, who managed to regain their sense of sight, somewhat, attempt a futile resistance. But in the end it is, as mentioned, futile. Blood splattered allover the place, pieces of flesh flying now and then in random sizes.
A few elite Bladebanes who had memorized the inner workings of Fortress earlier quickly head straight to their targets: high seated officers and the captains, all the while killing pretty much everyone they ran across. The Bladebane doesn't care what they hit. If it still make a sound, and it doesn't have a mark, slice it till it stop screaming and then move on to the next.
The Fortress Ground were pretty much spared from the blinding black fog, but the soldiers resting there were greatly alarmed and immediately rushed towards the fortress main building, intent on finding out what happened. Sai had already joined up with Tolle and Mir, who, like everyone else, was just as panicked. With them was Prayer, who, until but a moment ago was telling them that they will all go home first thing tomorrow morning.
"What the hell is going on? Is the base on fire or what?" Tolle try to get a glimpse on the Fortress insides to no avail.
"Those screams… they sound like-" Miriallia's frightful comment was cut short as another scream of pain and she dug back to Tolle's chest.
Sai frowned. "…these smoke… we're under attack." The bespectacled boy surmised. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" He yelled louder. Hoping that at least some of the soldiers would catch his announcement.
If they did, Sai didn't notice because he realized their group is missing two people: "Where's Kira and Kuzzey?"
"Kira-kun… I think some of the soldiers reported to me they saw him in the armory… with Kuzzey-kun." Prayer thought out loud.
"In the armory… inside that black smoke?"
"Yes." Seeing the look on their faces, Prayer knew that they won't just stay put. "Give me half a minute to grab my lance and buckler and then we'll charge in there together."
Kira was still half asleep when he awoke at last, hearing the screams all around him, including a great darkness clouding his eyes.
"What's… going on?"
The Bladebanes, covered in blood from head to toe, were wildly looking around, searching for more targets. They turned around and saw another group, marked and burst out from a flock of black smoke. Now there are 12 of them.
"How're you doing?" They relaxed their vigilance for a moment and opened their goggles.
"Doing great! Killed everyone this side of the fortress. This smoke is just awesome. This is also awesome." The Bladebane's tapped the Goggles in his head. "You know what I think? I think we can do this before Lord Veia gets here!"
"Let's go to the armory! We'll burn it down. Just for good measure."
"Good idea… but I don't know the way to armory."
"I know where. I've memorized its location. Let's go."
The large group move one, literally slaughtering their way to the armory. When they get there, the armory was also engulfed in darkness but the fog is thinner here. So they can still look around.
Kira put his mask and start walking around in complete darkness. He can still hear screams and yells. But his eyes can still see… albeit to a certain extent.
As he got out from the curtain he saw the doctor had just comes in, dragging an injured body from the smoke covered alleyway outside.
"What's going on here?"
"We're under attack Kage-dono! Where were you? Have you not been listening?" The doctor was clearly frustrated. Both because the many casualty piling on and the fact Kage was asleep throughout the chaos.
"I was… slee… ping…" It was then the last effect of the sleeping drug finally wears off and Kage took a better look at his surroundings: the floor soaked in blood, many of the casualties (all of them in fact) have lost a limb or just plain stabbed and cut. They were all groaning in pain.
"How did I sleep through all this?" Though Kage quickly knew the answer: the sleeping drug. It was strong drug… perhaps too strong. On instinct he start looking for his weapons. Kunais in his pocket, sets of shuriken in his bag, wires, explosive tags and…
And he remembered the last most important piece of equipment he left behind in the armory.
"I'm going to the armory!"
"Ouch. They don't mince money on swords don't they?" One of the Bladebanes cut himself up when he looked at a katana which caught his interest.
"Just leave it. Our blacksmiths can make better sword than these junks."
"I know. This are just craps." He tossed the sword away like a junk. "Hard to believe they can still fight us with these junks."
"Yeah. Hell… speaking of weapons, ya know who planned all this?"
"I hear it was masterminded by that genius Zala himself. He also created these goggles… and that see-in-the-dark paint job too."
"You know what, that kid freak me out ya know." One of the Bladebanes, wielding a giant double headed glaive spoke. "I mean… he's just a kid… barely older than my own brat, and he invented… what… the Juggernaut? The Tristan? Even Aquarius? Heck virtually most of the equipment we're using today were either something he invented or something reverse engineered from his inventions!"
"What do you expect? He's the son of Patrick Zala. Too bad they imprisoned him for life. High treason I hear."
"Well, I'm not surprised they didn't hang him. What do you think bud-AAAAAAAAAH!"
Something stabbed his butt. They turned around and saw a person clad in black garment with mask and a headband wielding a bloodied Katana. For a moment they jerked back in fear.
"That's…"
"Kage!"
"I thought he was gone!"
"Oh shi…"
But one of the Bladebanes, one with the Glaives quickly noticed something was off. He was part of the team who had played as the merchant and had seen Kage many times, inspecting their ship, and he was quick to notice severable significant difference between this Kage and the one he saw. For starters: this Kage… is noticeably shorter and fatter. 'Wait a minute…'
"G-Get out of here now!" Kage choked the word, summing as much courage as he could into it… which isn't saying much.
And the voice was a dead giveaway for him. The man smirked. "Ah the great Kage."
Kage winced. The man's tone was wickedly sarcastic.
"Who would've thought eh? We scouted around the building looking for you… and instead you got us."
The masked boy didn't say anything. Deep down, he was too frightened to react.
"So what happens now? Are you going to kill us?"
Still no reply.
"If not then… we're gonna have to kill you." The man readied his glaive. Kage frowned and did the same, but he didn't pull out his sword. Instead he took the sword from his surroundings. The two ready themselves… and then Kage charged first, yelling as he did so.
The man smirked. That's it. Keep coming. At the last second, Kage clumsily slash his sword downward. The man dodged the clumsy slash and tripped the boy's leg, sending him falling to the floor, face first.
"Itee…!"
Kage's groans of pain is what swept the other Bladebane's fears away and they realized something was clearly up.
The man chuckled as 'Kage' clumsily struggling to get back up. He's going to enjoy this.
'Kage' looked back towards the Bladebane and start rushing back, more clumsily. The opponent merely sidestepped, and this time, brutally kneed him in the gut. A sickening crack can be heard and the poor impostor was too wreaked in pain to elicit a yell. For a moment it look as if the Kage is about to faint, but the opponent isn't finished with the boy yet. He roughly pulled his short hair, raise it up and slam it back to the ground. Blood trickling just beneath the dangling headband. The glaived warrior pulled his beaten and bruised opponent up, bringing him to his eye level and pull his mask down, revealing the barely conscious Kuzzey.
"So this is the devil that terrifies even the Elemental Soldiers?"
The other Bladebanes laughed heartily.
Kuzzey was terrified and most of all he was hurting all over. The Bladebane drop him to the floor before stab his thigh with his glaive, earning a scream from Kuzzey. "AAAAAAAGH!" Further adding to to Kuzzey's pain, the knight brutally pull out his glaive and then step on the open wound, earning another scream, inciting further laughs from the other Bladebanes.
The knight finally lift his leg and then, as finisher, kicked him in the stomach, sending Kuzzey flying all across the room.
"So much for the horrifying black nightmare." The Bladebanes all laughed, "Come on guys. Let's just burn this place up… with him inside."
Kira/Kage rushed throughout the blackened alleyways. His visibility greatly reduced by the darkness. But it also work to his advantage, his black outfit made him particularly difficult for the enemy to notice him. Heck, he could pretty much became virtually invisible in this darkness.
Kage stopped midway and catch his breath when he realized with all this black fog, he didn't know where to go.
All the sudden he heard a scream to his side and saw two bright blue dot in the midst of the darkness. Straining his eyes he could make out a shape of a person. The two bright blue looked at him and it seems it had a problem making out his shape. It turned to look at another shape, this time, Kage took notice, a wounded soldier. Kage waste no time and charged at the Bladebane, starting by kicking his knee, earning a grunt and caused the knight to stumble down, bringing the knight's neck to his reach. Without further ado, Kage took a kunai and slit the knight's throat at its exposed joints. The Bladebane died just as it reached the ground.
Kage looked at the Bladebane and then to the soldier.
'You're okay?"
"K…Kage-dono? I thought you left on some errand?"
"I just finished." Kage kept his answer short. He looked at the Bladebane and took notice of the goggles they wear. Kage pry it away and put it on. His eyes widened when he saw the luminescent war paint on the Bladebane's armor and features. "Well I'll be…" He put them on and remove them and fro to test his theory.
"What is it sir?"
"They use a special war paint that can only be seen with these goggles. That's how they didn't kill their own by mistake in this darkness."
"Is that so… damn… The things these bastards can come up with…"
Kage silently remain quiet at that comment, though he can only think of one person who can invent something like this. As he looked around his surroundings, he suddenly realized there are markings on the walls as well, drawn with the same material. One of them are pointing directions towards the armory.
"I need to use these goggles. Will you be alright?"
"I'm fine sir. I think I can find my way to the infirmary, I know the place, I was going there when this bastard show up."
"Good." And with that, Kage disappeared into the darkness almost seamlessly.
Some of the knights were already well on the way to burn the armory as they start splashing fishoils around the room when one of the Bladebanes stopped prior splashing a barrelful of Katana and suddenly remember something. "Wait a minute."
Everyone turned towards him. "If I recall correctly… Kage has in his possession a horrifying weapon… the Katana that took down that giant of a monster Fuji."
"Now that you've mentioned it… yeah… I remember now… it also said it can become a sword big enough to cut the skies… or it can become a giant bow that can decimate armies."
They all turned to the bloodied and bruised Kuzzey. They took note of the katana on his back and remembered that Kuzzey didn't use the said Katana to fight them. Instead he used another weapon.
One of the Bladebanes walked towards Kuzzey and put a foot on his back while prying the Katana away. He pulled it out no problem. He gazed upon it and start swinging it several times. Nothing happened.
"Change! Transform! Shoot!" The knight yelled several words, trying to make it transform. No dice.
The other Bladebanes snickered, except the one with Glaives. He moved and took the Katana, before shattering it with his knee. "…the Katana is here. In this room."
Everyone stopped and looked at the man.
"What do you mean?"
"It all makes sense now. Kage wasn't on errands… he must've left the fortress and was no longer part of the army. This… wannabe here is probably some guy Harlbarton choose on the fly to play the part as Kage. To keep the impression that Kage is still here."
"But how do you discern that his weapon is here?"
"It wasn't his. Remember? Raww Le Klueze and his team's report suggested that the final weapon in Amaterasu was carried by Mwu La Flagga, but then, midway, according to Veia-sama's own testimony, it was given to Kage. Now that he left, the weapon obviously must be relinquished. It was Alliance's property after all."
"And this guy was tasked to be here… because the weapon is stored here somewhere." The Bladebanes finally stopped their activity altogether and looked upon the hundreds of katana stored inside the armory.
"Hiding a tree in the forest. Clever boy." The Bladebane punctuated the last segment with a stomp on Kuzzey's face. Earning another grunt.
"How the hell did we know which is which? We don't have time to check all this sword one by one?"
"Well, there is a way. One that can be fun for us too." The Glaive Bladebane smirked wickedly. "The sword acknowledges Kage as its master… so if it's splashed in its master's still living blood, it should react… right?"
Kuzzey's eyes widened at the proclamation. He quickly struggled and starts crawling to the exit. But before he can get within a few steps away, a sword pierced his hand, nailing him on the spot. "AAAAAAHHHH!"
The Bladebane who threw the sword took the bloodied sword and looked at the Kuzzey's blood dripping from its edges. "Okay… here's the game. Every one of us took a stab at the fat ass here, and then sprays on these batches of swords. The winner gets to present the weapon and this guy's head to Veia-sama. Oh and a bonus: try not to kill the boy before we found the weapon. Those who can keep to this rule will even have the pleasure to kill this guy. Capish?"
The Bladebanes, much to Kuzzey's horror, cheered at the idea. Now the chubby boy was visibly shaking, and his tears flooded as he whimpered and inadvertently had a leak.
"Damn! This guy just pissed himself up!"
"Well come on guys! We don't have much time!"
"Okay! Here we go!" Another Bladebane then began stabbing Kuzzey on his knee, earning another scream. Soon, the Bladebanes took turn stabbing the helpless Kuzzey, each scream only brought more laughter from the soldiers.
00000000000000000
At that moment…
Kage run as fast as his legs can carry him, and was killing and helping enemy knights and alliance soldiers, in that order when a frightful feeling flow into his gut.
This feeling simply propel him to move faster and quicker. When he finally arrived at that familiar door just as he heard a scream that froze his spine. "Kuzzey!"
In his terror he kicked the door open and beheld the grotesque view before him.
Kuzzey, horrifyingly still alive looked weakly at him with multiple open wound across his obliterated body. The Bladebane was laughter stopped momentarily when they saw his shocked visage on the door.
"…Kuzzey?"
"What's this? Another copycat?" The knights' mockery and the subsequent laughter fell on Kira's deaf ear. His eye didn't even see them either. All he can see is Kuzzey, dying and eviscerated beyond recovery, making a move with his relatively intact hand towards his belly. Kage watched, with fright, as Kuzzey crawled, ever so slowly towards a small corner.
Kage/Kira suddenly realized what he was up to. 'Kuzzey… no! Don't move!'
Kuzzey took no notice and continue to crawl. He reached out weakly to a certain spot, only to be stopped by another stab to his bloodied hand, this time by the Glaived Bladebane. Kuzzey screamed again, as loud as his bloodied lungs allowed him to.
Kira's eyes transfixed at the scene and his mind gone blank.
The Glaive Bladebane looked at the direction of Kuzzey's hand were pointing and following it he found a pack of katana neatly placed in hidden shade.
Kuzzey's eyes widen with fright and he squirms and start trashing about vainly. The Glaive Bladebane walk calmly and surely took the whole bundle.
"Aha… so this is where you keep it?" He moved his hand towards the bundle and stopped midway. He looked Kage, still standing there, frozen. "Aren't you going to stop me?"
But Kira was too horrified to even listen. In his mind, the image of Kuzzey's form keep jumbling together in a frenzy kaleidoscope. Images of him talking with Kuzzey just this afternoon seems like ages ago. Words he said to Kuzzey in that room echoed in his ears like it was being screamed at the top of one's lungs.
"Everyone. Every person I've killed with my own two hands." "This… is the price you pay…" "They looked at me. Calling me." "becoming like me." "They said "we're waiting for you brother."
Kira was so lost, he didn't noticed a slash appearing on his chest.
Kuzzey whimpered.
"Nope. Not this one." The Bladebane decided to test which one is the original Shiki by slicing this Kage. "Well, the sword has chosen Kage. If you're Kage as well, then it will react to you, no?"
"But isn't that your sword?" "It's their sword. I just borrowed it. Long enough… perhaps too long." "We won't have to fight again…" "Everything's going back to the way it was. I promise you that."
"No…" Another slice appeared upon the uncaring Kira's chest.
"Not this one…" The Bladebane was clearly having fun as he threw away the katana and grabbed another before repeating the whole process.
Kira was standing on a puddle of his own blood, but he didn't seem to care even as more slashes appeared. After half the umpteenth slashes, the Bladebane reached one last katana. He tried to pull it out, but a sudden jolt singed his palm.
"Ouch! What the…"
The gasp from the Bladebane bring some tidbits of awareness back to Kira's eyes.
The Bladebane reach out for the sword but Kuzzey, god knows how with his battered body, summoned a strength from unknown source and managed to get back on his feet and ram the knight, biting his outstretched arm as the boy grab the Katana.
Shiki, seemingly sensing that Kuzzey intent on aiding its true master did not reject his touch. A grateful fact which Kuzzey immediately took his chance. "KIRA!"
What seem to occur in minutes had actually occurred in seconds. Kuzzey threw the Katana to his friend before returning to biting the Bladebane, Kira was sober enough to attempt to catch it as it fly overhead.
"Why you…!" Angered, the Bladebane smashed Kuzzey's body, but the boy now truly focus all his strength on biting the Bladebane. Angered further, the Bladebane raise his glaive. And when Kira finally caught the Katana in his hand, a sickening chop can be heard with mundane finality and Kuzzey's squirming voice was heard… no more.
Kira was trembling, head to toe.
"Everything's going back to the way it was. I promise you that."
Liar.
"…going back to the way it was. I promise you that."
I'm a god damn liar…
Then destroy them.
Destroy those who made you a liar.
Kira/Kage answered to no one in particular in a voice... horrifyingly unlike his own: "Yeah."
The Bladebane seem particularly pleased of himself. "And that's one Kage down. Here comes another!" Before he could land his glaive at Kage's figure, the said ninja disappeared, melded into the darkness's embrace.
"Where did he…?"
"Look around!" One of the Bladebane turn his head several times as he walked, before bumping to one of his friends.
"Sor-THE FUCK!" The Swordsmen all step back like being lashed by a whip. One of them had already have his head removed.
"He was still alive about a second ago!"
"Goggles on!" The swordsmen quickly put the goggles on and wildly looked around. One of the bladebanes look around while standing close to the smoke.
Too close.
"Hm-WHA-!" Something caught his leg and pulled him into the darkness. The short scream draw everyone's attention and they saw, through the goggles a figure, their friend with its markings… and the markings on his arms, his legs, even the markings on his stomach were all split into small pieces until finally the markings in his head move away from the markings in his shoulders.
"Shit!" Two Bladebanes angrily charge forward, but suddenly, a horde of Kunai flew out of the smoke from their back. Several nailed deep into 3 of them on their spinal cord. The three drop dead to the ground, their voice just won't come.
Now the Bladebanes were even more terrified and confused. One of them angrily charged into the black smoke swinging wildly.
"GRAAHH! COME HERE YOU COWARDLY NATURAL! FIGHT LIKE A-" They never heard the finished sentence. Seconds later, pieces of him, bloody and brutally eviscerated, were thrown at the group terrifying and angering them to no end.
And then a voice… a whispery deathly cold voice echoed around them: "I see you…"
"Holy…"
"Weren't they supposed to be freakin' blind in this fucking smoke?" The remaining Bladebanes huddle together, back to back. Just then, one of the Bladebanes felt something touched the back of his head and turned around. To his shock, he saw another one of the Bladebanes, dead and hanged with half a dozen kunais embedded on his entrails.
"How the hell did he do that!"
In their terror, one of the Bladebane tripped and fell. On the floor he saw the Black smoke crept in towards him. Terrified, he quickly get back up… only to see another one of his comrade's upper half fell down from its waist, his innards bursting out as it did.
Now, only three of them left.
"Gods above… what the hell is he?"
"This is bad shit insane man, this is bad shit FUCKIN' insane!"
Only the Glaived Bladebane can maintain some modicum of calmness. Though cold sweat pouring down through his neck. "So this is the real deal? No wonder even Veia-sama was smitten with him." 'I thought I'll never be afraid of the dark again…'
Their eyes wildly scanned the surroundings. They're practically surrounded with the black fog of their own making. Every time it shift and moves, they had to fight the urge to just charge in. Kage can now hide anywhere. Talk about a serious case of backfiring strategy.
"Well… there's another way to light things up." The Glaived Bladebane grinned and took an lit torch and throw haphazardly. The torch hit one of the oiled weapons in the armory and within moments, the whole room is ablaze, knocking away some of the black fog, lighting their surroundings.
"You have no place to hide now, Kage!" the Bladebane gloat.
"Neither can you."
The whisper came from his back and the Bladebane turn around, only to see his two teammates were suddenly pulled down by their legs and then dragged screaming towards a pile of burning weapons. They were screaming for their Gods when hundreds of burning sharp weapons crashed upon them.
Now the Glaived Bladebane was truly afraid and alone. "Damn… saving me for the last…" he looked at Kuzzey's bloodied body and realized he must've done something a little too far. "Mind if I ask just who the Hell is this guy that I pissed you off this much!"
And then, appearing from the shadows of a cabinet, amidst the small sea of blazing flames, Kage tood, his bloodied Shiki outstretched. "Why did you kill him?"
"He attacked me! He tried to knife me, he even bit my arm! I respond in kind! This is war, man! What's your problem!"
"War… are for warriors."
"And I'm a warrior! You're a warrior. Death is a common thing! There's no personal feelings into it… I'm just… I'm just doing my job!"
"…you are a warrior. He's not."
"Yeah right!"
"He's a civilian. And I'm not a warrior either." Kage disappeared again.
The glaived Bladebane looked around, using his blade as a mirror to look behind him, covering his blind spot. Much to his horror, Kage whisper right next to his ears from the back of his head:
"I'm an assassin."
As he furiously turned around, Shiki went through his gut… from his back. His eyes widened in disbelief and sheer terror. "I've always hated you all(AN: Kira was referring to the Advanced and ZAFT in general). I really do. But you know what?" Kage ruthlessly twirled the Katana, crushing whatever organs it had penetrated.
"Right now… all the hate in the world couldn't compare... to the way I hate myself… more than anyone in the world."
He deepened the stab before finally, and brutally rip the sword out, blood burst out, spraying Kage's back, as the Bladebane fell with a thud on the pool on his own blood.
Kage removed his mask and rush towards Kuzzey's body. A giant stab penetrated his entire belly. As he touched him, the body gave a weak response. Kira turned it around and looked at Kuzzey's dying gasps.
"Ki…ra…"
"Kuzzey…"
"…was I… a…ble… to be… use…ful… at… last?" and with that, the life in Kuzzey's eyes died.
That day, a greater part of whatever's left of Kira Yamato's crumbling humanity died with Kuzzey Buskirk.
Unit Introduction:
Allied Skirmishers:
The Skirmishers are a relatively small and fast ship, designed as aquatic scouts and escorts to larger ships. The fastest ship in the alliance army and easily maneuverable, Skirmishers nevertheless carry a small number of weaponry. Travelling light and fast, it has minimal storage capacity, only suited for short term assignments. Barring the arrows and grappling hooks it board enemy ships, it is only armed with four small Hellfire Mortar cannons, two on each side on its open deck, manned by two soldiers for each cannon. Its frail structure and relatively weak firepower means it was meant to be deployed in numbers to take on larger ships. Holds 24 soldiers, the first dozen is down below, rowing (but fighters when they board other ships), the other eight manned the weapons and one captain led the ship and steered it while the other three manage the ship.
Main Armament: 4 Hellfire Mortar cannon
Capacity: 30 people max
Zaft Battle Barge
Zaft's navy suffers from their lack of available natural resources. Unlike the Allied, they cannot field as many naval units. Their main naval units lie in Carpentaria, and it has been the only bastion of naval prowess they have (relative to the allied that have dozens of such naval bases). What they lack in numbers, Zaft makes it up in quality. Most of their ships are literally a floating warehouse of arsenal, designed to take as much punishments and dish out just as much. The Zaft Battle Barge, for example, is a ship designed with armaments to take on just about anything. A fixed Isolde long range triple barreled artillery as a forward bow gun, and a series of Tristan cannons on both sides. For skirmishing enemy soldiers on deck, the Barge supported many ballista and fixed crossbows. However, all these extra armaments, ammunitions, provisions, and coupled with its heavily armored occupants, and the barge's not so fluid design means this ship handles like a slumbering hunk of floating dead weight in the sea. A clever Allied captain would maneuver their ships to batter the Barge with an intense hit and run tactics, provided they can steer their ship smartly enough to prevent themselves being bombarded with impunity. Slumbering, but tough as hell, the battle barge became the mainstay of Zaft Empire's Naval battleships.
Main Armament: 1 Isolde Forward Artillery Bow triple barreled cannon, 10 Tristan cannons on each side, 4 Ballista on deck, 12 fixed crossbows on each side of the deck.
Capacity: 60 people max
Please… R&R!
