Ghost Story of Battōsai the Man Slayer
"I see, so, this warrior with the same name as Kenshin Uesugi has captured the soldiers I sent out to get their pieces of the Crimson armor." A shadowly figure with the voice of a younf man said sitting on the darkness with only one candle lit up.
"Indeed, that is the report from the messenger hawk." A woman answered.
She is a slender, yet voluptuous woman with dark red hair pinned in a bun, light brown eyes, and a small beauty mark under the left side of her lower lip. She wears a low-cut red kimono which hangs loosely over her upper arms, exposing her decolletage. Particularly well-groomed and made up. She also wears heavy eye shadow and green lipstick. Breasts sizes: F-cup.
"My lord, forgive me for speaking such things in front of you but I fear this warrior from another world has proven to become a threat in your quest." The woman pointed out about Kenshin stopping their soldiers twice.
"He's certainly strong and move fast too, perhaps he could be a worthy opponent for me as well." The young man smirked.
"But my lord…" The woman worried.
"Don't worry, Yumi, you've seen my strength firsthand on the battlefield even some of the strongest women were no match against me." The young man reminded his right-hand as his red eyes glares at the woman.
"Of course, I never doubted your strength and I will always follow you to the end, Lord Shishio." Yumi bowed.
The young man named Shishio smiles wickedly evil and look at the single candle imagining it to be bigger and hotter flame and the image of Kenshin's backside is shown.
"(My blood boils whenever I hear your name, it is telling me to fight you and kill.)" Shishio thought as his red eyes glows a little while chuckling.
(Nobunaga's Palace, Throne Room)
Kenshin and Hideyoshi are waiting outside with Shiro while Nobunaga is having a meeting with Yoshimoto and Ieyasu about going out for a little hawk-hunting together.
"What's hawk-hunting?" Hideyoshi asked.
"It means using a trained hawk to hunt, it's a primary form of entertainment around here." Shiro explained.
"I read about that in a book, Lords from another countries come and bring their hawks as gifts as a form of admiration and Lady Nobunaga also loves hawks, that she does." Kenshin added.
"Oh, does hunting mean I can eat meat for once?" Hideyoshi asked as she wants more than rice and veggies they've been having.
"We're here for a banquet!" Shingen announced her arrival with F. Kenshin as well.
"Greetings you two, I take it you got the message of the hawk-hunting?" Kenshin asked.
"Yep, I can't wait to see we'll be feasting on tonight." Shingen excited.
"Greeting, Kenshin, it's nice to see you again." F. Kenshin greeted with a bow.
"Hold on, I just realize you both have the same first name!" Hideyoshi pointed out.
"We do, which is why whenever Kenshin and I are together with the others (or maybe just the two of us) you call me Ken for short." F. Kenshin suggested.
"Very well, I can accept that." Kenshin nodded as the two warrior women enter Nobunaga's room.
"Oh, this is quite the splendid hawk you have here." Shingen commented at the hawk in a gold-like cage.
"Well done, Ieyasu." Ken complimented the pink hair girl making her blush.
Kenshin narrow his eyes in a serious mood locking onto Ieyasu remembering the night she played Akechi into stealing Shingen and Ken's pieces of the Crimson Armor probably for herself since Yoshimoto isn't interested in conquering Japan, he can tell this pink girl is planning something big involving the Crimson Armor and perhaps using Lady Nobunaga to gather them for her.
"Huh, is something the matter, Kenshin?" Hideyoshi asked as she notices Kenshin looking a little serious right now, the question snapped Kenshin out of his thoughts on Ieyasu.
"Oh, it's nothing, Hideyoshi. I just was thinking… what kind of animal we'll be hunting, that I was." Kenshin lied with a nervous chuckle. Luckily, Hideyoshi brought it.
"You sure look serious for hunting." Shiro said.
"Well, my master took me out in a forest, and I had to survive for two whole weeks on my own." Kenshin explained.
"Whoa, two whole weeks! I don't think I would last a day or two alone in the woods." Hideyoshi admitted.
"I see, then you two better go the Lords are leaving." Shiro pointed at the Lords walking out together.
"Hey, wait! I want meat too!" Hideyoshi cried as she ran after them with Kenshin behind.
(Outside a Dark, Spooky Forest)
Everyone is watching as the hawk is flying in the sky and chasing a smaller bird as Hideyoshi thinks this is like a race to the death, Kenshin remembers meeting a hawk two years ago in a forest they came friends and hunted together until it was for Kenshin to go back home and the hawk flew elsewhere.
"Oh?" Kenshin turned around noticing a fluffy white bunny behind.
"Oh, a bunny, I wanna keep it!" Hideyoshi said and tells the hawk to go catch the bunny.
"You do know that hawks are naturally born hunters and they kill their prey." Kenshin informed.
"I'm sure it'll go easy on the bunny." Hideyoshi hoped, they waited for a few seconds, but the hawk doesn't seem to be coming back.
"Umm, now that's strange." Kenshin said.
"My lord, what will we do?" Akechi asked and Nobunaga turns to Hideyoshi.
"Hideyoshi, you want to keep that rabbit?" She asked.
"Yes, I do!" Hideyoshi answered quickly.
"Very well, everyone let's go." Nobunaga suggested to go into the forest, and they all agree to find the rabbit and the hawk.
Everyone enters the forest, all except for Ieyasu staying behind for a moment as she does an evil smile.
"So, tell me Ieyasu… what do you really know about this forest?" Kenshin asked seriously, standing next to Ieyasu much to her shock.
"K-Kenshin… I thought you already gone in with the others." Ieyasu said nervous.
"I will, after you tell me what your plan is involving this forest like how you tried to get Akechi to steal the Crimson Armor pieces from Shingen and Ken that night." Kenshin revealed.
"What… h-how'd you know that?" Ieyasu asked shock.
"I guess you could say I'm pretty at sneaking around like a ninja, you lack the sharp instinct to even notices me." Kenshin answered making Ieyasu gasps.
"(Damn it, I underestimate this warrior.)" Ieyasu thought as she knew she has no choice to tell him the truth.
"This is known as the Sea of Forest, inside is very dark as the trees covers the sky like it has suddenly become nighttime, it is also where the heads of warriors who died are buried here." Ieyasu explained and they heard screaming in the woods.
"That sounds like Hideyoshi and Akechi, you better tell me all you know about this forest." Kenshin demanded.
"There is also a reason why most warriors and others who enter this forest never comes out, it is because they get trapped by dead samurai and forcing them to have tea parties for all eternity. The only way to be free from the forest and make the dead warriors rest in peace is by going through the 100 ghost stories challenge, you have to tell 100 stories and they have to be at least scary for them otherwise you're doom." Ieyasu explained in a dark tone.
"I see, then I must help them to get out of this forest, that I must." Kenshin said before grabbing Ieyasu's arm.
"And you're coming with me, unless you want to have a fight right now." Kenshin threatened as he pulls up a little of his sword with his thumb.
Ieyasu have magic powers and some fighting skills, but she knew better that Kenshin would beat her in a fight in seconds and his techniques deliver heavy blows with only the front blunt side, making her afraid if he ever decides to use the sharp end.
"Very well, let us go then." Ieyasu sighed in defeat.
The two enter the forest together walking deep as they can like the lights are fading from within until they saw a burning light up ahead meaning it must be the dead tea party, Kenshin is surprised to see Masamune Date here too. She must've tried to walk through the forest and got trapped by the dead samurais and force to take the 100 ghost stories challenge.
"Kenshin, I'm so glad to see you!" Hideyoshi cried as she hugs him.
"I'm glad you all are safe, that I am. I take these are the dead samurai we have to tell ghost stories to?" Kenshin asked looking at the four zombie samurais.
"Yes, I managed to tell them seven stories and seven candles gone out, meaning there's ninety-three stories left to tell." Masamune explained showing them the candles.
"Then we better get started if we want to get out of here together, that we should." Kenshin said as he its down and everyone gather around the candles.
Starting with Ieyasu, everyone each tells their own scary stories and seem to satisfied the dead samurais except Akechi gets scared real easily and throw lash out in fear, so she is force to be tied up with her mouth cover and Lady Nobunaga's stories aren't very scary at all even though Akechi gets scared of them.
"Okay, we have 35 blown out candles and there are 65 ones left." Kenshin counted the remaining burned candles.
"Aw, we're not even close to halfway." Hideyoshi cried fearing they'll be stick in this forest forever.
"Forgive me, I'm all out of stories." Ieyasu informed sadly.
"This is terrible, Ieyasu is not and none of Lord Nobunaga's stories are any. What are we going to do?!" Hideyoshi panicked.
"In case you've forgotten, we still got Kenshin here." Ieyasu pointed out.
"Kenshin! PLEASE tell us you have more stories to tell?" Hideyoshi begged.
"Perhaps, I believe there is one story that will end this challenge once and for all." Kenshin determined.
"Oh, a story that will sniff out all these candles in one good. I'm interested to hear it." Nobunaga said as the other lords nod in agreement.
"This story… goes to a couple hundred years ago back in my old world involving my ancestor I was named after." Kenshin narrowed his eyes in a dark, scary tone.
"Back then my ancestor was named Battosai, the Man Slayer for the all murdering he has done." Kenshin started telling everyone including the dead samurais about his ancestor's dark past.
He told them about his ancestor as a child seeing all the blood of innocent people some bandits killed traumatize and three women who he grown to see them as his older sisters as they sacrificed themselves for him to live, soon he was taken in and trained by a strong swordsman. Years later war breaks out and the pervious Kenshin decided to enter the battle of the war in hopes to stop the fighting with his sword, but what he did during the war made things worse as he started slaughtering all the men who draw their swords at them and killing many more. Blood was spilled everything, and his eyes were yellow as if he became some sort of demon, other strong swordsman were no match for his skills, strength, and speed for he would soon be known as the Man Slayer, Battosai. Even when the war ended and everyone lived in peace, the Battosai continue this dark path as his soul is stained in blood of the enemies he has killed and even fought against another named who was also a Battosai, the battle was fierce both could've died but the previous Kenshin won in the end and years later he vanish.
"They say the Battosai still wonders the world seeking those who have also committed sins and kills them, without mercy. It's a true sad and dangerous story of bloodshed for you all better be prepare and count your sins… because Battosai may come after you too." Kenshin draw out his sword a little and clink it back as suddenly slash marks appears right next to everyone including the dead samurais frighten them even Nobunaga was a little scared.
"Whoa, now that was scary!" Hideyoshi gasped.
Hideyoshi wonders if that story has impressed the zombies, at first it seems like nothing happened until one candle went out and a second later another candle went out then to everyone's surprise all the candles went in mere seconds.
"All the candles, they're all out!" Ken shocked.
"This could only mean that…" Shingen paused.
"Kenshin's story really worked, he blew away all the candles at once!" Hideyoshi cheered.
"Well done, Kenshin, it would you are better at story telling than I thought." Nobunaga complimented.
"Thank you, I was really a bit worry the dead samurais wouldn't impress, that I was." Kenshin said scratching the back of his head.
"Kenshin Himura, like Nobunaga who is worthy of ruling the land, you are worthy as a samurai." One of the dead samurai said.
"Whoa, they spoke?" Hideyoshi gasped.
"May your souls finally rest in peace." Kenshin prayed.
"Thank you but be aware of the evil that will seek to destroy this land… one is just like and not like the females of this world." The dead samurai warned before they all vanish heading off to the afterlife.
Kenshin took in the words the dead samurai said and will train hard for the day he will face his other male also wondering if he's from another world like he and Hideyoshi and wonder how did he even get here in the first place.
"Okay, with that over, we can finally leave this place. I'll go get Akerin." Hideyoshi said going to untie Akechi, but she soon sees her that she wet herself while being passed out. This soon Hideyoshi realize that she has to go to.
"Well, we better go find Hideyoshi her new pet rabbit." Kenshin said as he gets up.
"Huh, pet rabbit, do you mean to say that Hideyoshi doesn't want to fest on the rabbit's meat?" Nobunaga confused.
"Oh no, Hideyoshi is not the kind of girl who would eat small animals like rabbits, she just wants it as a pet." Kenshin explained.
"Oh, I see." Nobunaga said understanding it.
"Besides, I think I know where we can find a good animal to hunt." Kenshin said.
(Nobunaga's Palace, Banquet)
"Cheers to making out of the 100 Ghost Stories challenge thanks for Kenshin!" Nobunaga raised a cup, and everyone cheers along.
"Kenshin, these boars you caught are tasty too." Shingen said as she eats the leg.
"You're welcome, I'm glad we can enjoy this banquet together, that I am." Kenshin smiled.
"And I got my very own pet bunny!" Hideyoshi snuggled the rabbit on her cheeks.
"After this, the gathering for the Crimson Armor will continue on and I will bring this land together!" Nobunaga declared proudly and everyone cheers with her.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Everyone were out for a little hunting until they got themselves trapped by dead samurai and won't leave until they told 100 ghost stories which was difficult for them until Kenshin decided to use the story of his ancestor, the previous Kenshin who was the dangerous killer known as Battosai the Man Slayer which got them out of there. The main villain has also made a slight appeance in this chapter as the day for Kenshin and Shishio to meet will come to decide to fate of this world.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!
