Author's Note: This is a short scene/story for my upcoming story "NU: River of Time" The characters at the end is from another story as well. You can check out my story "Dark Secrets: Infinite Winters"

The Samurai

The campfire crackle above the great canyon as the Samurai sleep. He began to dream about his beloved and his moments with her. He remembered those days and nights with her until their wedding day. Unfortunately, his dream ended with the same tragedy. He saw Ashi disappeared from existence. Her last words were still haunting. "Without Aku.. I would have never.. existed."

Those words.

"Without Aku..."

Keeps repeating and repeating inside his head.

"Without Aku..."

The samurai wondered if he stayed in the future and defeat Aku there. That would've saved Ashi. But then he remembered his duty to return to his family and people and save them from Aku's oppression. But he chose duty over love. The samurai began to regret it. Questioned himself, Was it worth it?

Suddenly, he heard horses neighing. The samurai immediately kicked the sand on the fire and went to the shadow corners of the great canyon. He got a glimpse of armored men riding their great horses across the desert. They were about to enter a small path through the canyons. Just like the dark entity told him. The samurai prepared his sword for a surprise attack.

He remembered what the entity told him. "As they enter the path, strike down the horseman at the back first."

And so the samurai did. He leaped and struck the horseman from behind. The other three stopped and saw their fallen comrade impaled by the white samurai.

The samurai knew who they are. He has to focus about the objective. "They are carrying the cargo every 13 days." He recalled the entity's words. "They transfer it to other places just to keep it away from mortal hands."

"Why have I not heard of this in legends before?" The samurai asked.

"Because dead men tell no tales." It makes sense for the samurai. These guys are not to mess with. And also this cargo is a small treasure chest. What's inside could help the samurai for his journey. Whatever it is, the dark entity told him that he needs it.

The three men in strange armors dismounted and faced the white samurai. One of them went forward and asked the mortal. "You dare strike down a Horseman. How brave of you. But care to tell us how do you know of this route?"

The samurai did not respond. He pulled out his sword from the dead horseman. Its blade stained with black goo. The corpse of the dead horseman disintegrated like ashes. The others were surprised to see the mortal wielding a Celestial Sword.

"That's impossible." The horseman with a bow said. "Where did you get that?"

No answer from the samurai. It's no use. The horsemen decided to use action instead of words. The drew out their weapons and prepare to face the mortal. "If this is what you want, prepare yourself!"

The samurai made the first attack, went straight towards the horseman with a long black sword. Their blades clashed for a second and then the samurai quickly jumped towards the second horseman carrying a spear and gave him a kick to the face. After that, he leapt towards the third one carrying a bow. He swung his sword vertically and cut the third horseman into half turning him into dust.

Two down. Two to go.

The swordsman said to the spearman. "Don't take him lightly. Give everything you got!"

The samurai did not face them again. He took the old chest and ran from them towards the canyon cave. Then the two men chased him. The swordsman swung his sword throwing flaming projectiles. The spearman went to another path climbing up the canyon. The samurai just went deep into the cave merging with the darkness. The swordsman's armor began to glowing like a burning furnace and as he walk towards the cave, steam leaking out from the metal plates.

"Where are you now?" The swordsman lights up his path by casting flames on the ground.

Then the mortal popped from the shadows and threw the old chest to the swordsman. His foe caught it but he dropped his sword in the process. Defenseless for a few seconds, the samurai struck the horseman with his sword and grabbed the chest from the dead man.

One enemy left.

As he remembered, the entity told him that if he killed all four horsemen, the chest will unlock. The Samurai doesn't like taking lives but the entity reassured him that everything is just a duty to save the entire existence.

Suddenly, the spearman jumped down for an attack. But he missed his target as the samurai quickly dodged his spear. The mortal struck the spearman with the chest, knocking him down and then struck him with the Celestial Sword. As the last horseman turned to dust, the chest unlocked itself. The samurai carefully puts down the chest and opened it to see the object inside. "Take it." The entity whispered to the Samurai as the object began to glow in front of him.

"What is this?" He asked.

"You'll need it." The entity said softly. "Wear it."

The Samurai carefully puts his left hand in the chest and wore a golden gauntlet. It glowed even more as he took it out from the chest. He then noticed a purple gem attached on it. "What is this?"

The entity educated him. "This is the gem that helps you get to anywhere you want. And I mean anywhere." Then he added just to make clear. "Your beloved is not in the Beyond. She's still inside me. What's there is your nemesis Aku. So you don't need to go there to find her."

"Understood." The samurai took the gauntlet with him as he began to take a new course. "Where are we going?"

However, the chest suddenly closed itself. Once it was locked, the ashes of the four horsemen were gathered and revived all of them. As they returned, they saw the Samurai wielding the gauntlet. Their eyes turned burning red showing their anger. The entity responded, "Time to go."

The gem opened a portal for the samurai and took him somewhere away from the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse.

Outside Time itself, the Council of Time witnessed the Samurai taking the gauntlet. Later they knew they have opponents coming for their champion. Horatius communicated to the noble knight Jack about his upcoming opponent.

"He is coming for you." Horatius said to the knight.

Wielding three gems in his armor, Jack replied "I'm ready. Just give me a minute." He pulled out his flaming sword with the red gem attached on its blade from the corpses of Asgardians who fought to protect their king Odin.

The god king of Asgard saw the gems attached on to the knight. "Boy, you have no idea what those gems can do to mortals like you. One titan once gathered all of them and nearly destroyed everything."

The knight did not listen. He responded. "Will that be your last words, the god who cursed my queen?"

"It wasn't me. It was-" He then slain by the Knight before he could say the name.

The flaming sword decapitated the god and his head burst into light disappeared along with his body. Once it was over, the knight asked Horatius. "Which god do I have to kill next?"

Horatius smirked.

=X=