Chapter 10

Remorse and Reminiscing

Mitsurugi laughed as he pulled his sword out then dropped his fabled katana...the Damascus sword...rumored to have killed thousands of opponents both strong and weak.

"Well now...it seems...you are going to succeed after all...(cough)"

Blood drips slowly on to Hayate's flabbergasted face as his eyes widen with grief.

Hayate had killed his master...his Kutsrugi katana impaling Mitsurugi though the stomach. Beside Hayate's head, a hole burring in the floor by Mitsurugi's sword.

"Mitsurugi-sama gomen..."

"Stop...enough...I don't need an apology...especially from the brat who just killed me."

Both men chuckled but a serious air came over them.

For Mitsurugi time seemed to slow down. His entire life flashing before his eyes.

'Who would have known that the little orphan boy I picked up would grow to kill me. A demon among men...the greatest samurai. How...ironic..." Mitsurugi thought to himself.

He saw his childhood and his adulthood. To the burning of his village by the Daimyo...to the very first moment he held up a sword. His travels to Greece and Italy...Egypt and Spain. His wanderings and especially when he met Hayate. Reminiscing on his days spent with Hayate, he remembered everything. The good times and bad...training and relaxing. Working and pranking, fighting and dueling to the day Hayate left to wander on his own.

"You know Hayate. You're the closest thing I've had to a son. Even though you killed me, the best thing that happened to me was meeting and watching you grow. Hehe..."

Hayate also spent this time reminiscing. The time when Mitsurugi found him laying on the ground crying.

Flashback

(After local town boys roughed up Hayate, one of them kicked him to the ground)

"(sob) sniff"

"Hahahaha look at you weeping and wailing! Get up boy! Pick yourself up!"

"Shut up! Just who the fuck are you Mr? Sure you may have a sword but I can still kick your ass.!"

"You obviously don't know who I am." Mitsurugi grabs his sword.

"I don't care! You can be the freaking emperor and I would still fight you! Death does not scare me!"

"You sure?" Mitsurugi unsheathes his Damascus Sword. Its beauty and radiance shone in the sunlight and almost dazzled young Hayate.

Hayate then hatched a scheme. He smirked.

"Hey Mr. Samuraiguy. There's one thing that would cheer me up right now."

"Oh really? And the name is Mitsurugi boy. Learn some manners for god sakes! So what can I do boy?"

"Let me hold your sword for a bit. Please? Or I'm gonna cry REALLY loud. Little embarrassing for you right?"

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Wha!?...but...I...but...uh...sniff."

'Oh crap' thought Mitsurugi.

Hayate blurted an earth shattering wail.

"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"Alright alright...geez. I'll let you hold it for 15 seconds kid if you shut up. Hmpf!"

"Yippee! Arigato Mitsurugi-sama."

Mitsurugi sheathed his sword and handed it to young Hayate.

'Hm...Mitsurugi-sama...I like the sound of that. Maybe this kid isn't so ba..."

Distracted by his thoughts, Mitsurugi failed to notice Hayate's absence along with his Damascus sword.

"Hey punk! Where are you?? Give me back my sword!!"

Mitsurugi then caught sight of Hayate speeding down a road.

"You little brat!!"

"Now I can show those punks whats what hahhahaha!" Hayate yelled manically.

'Is he going to kill those boys? Shit! If that happens...the police will exile me from the town...'

"Little boy WAIIIIT!!"

End Flashback

Mitsurugi coughed violently as Hayate pulled his katana out of Mitsurugi and gently laid him on the ground.

"Mitsurugi-sama...I...I'm so sorry." Tears formed in Hayate's eyes.

"hehe...still that sobbing brat I found years ago huh?"

A serious expression came over Mitsurugi's face.

"Hayate...I want you to remain strong, practice everyday. Nightmare...is no fool. He is a dark and evil monster overwhelmed by Soul Edge. You cannot fulfill your goal at your current strength.

You just barely got me. Nightmare would take you out in 2 minutes max. He's someone to take dead seriously. (Cough, cough)"

"Hai, I will...now Nightmare must pay for the death of the 5th person that I hold dear. He will die by my sword for you...my brother...my father and my mother and grandmother. I Swear it!"

Hayate adamantly said with his hand over his heart.

"hehe...that's my boy."

"Thank you...father."

"That's new."

"I know."

A small moment of silence emerged. Mitsurugi then stared at the moon.

"Sure is a beautiful night..."

Mitsurugi closed his eyes...his soul...gone from this world.

Hayate looked down. Tears forming in his eyes again, tragedy struck again

"NIGHTMARE!! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!"