Firestorm – Flame of Recca After War

War of the Ancient World

Kaoru pushed his back to a tree holding his shoulder. There was a blood stained arrow that hit him. He coughed, breathing heavily as he pulls the arrow away from his bleeding shoulder. Dropping it, and fled.

Episode 4 – Demon Hunters

"Someone's coming."

"Where?"

"Behind us. He's coming, really fast. We must hide."

Kaoru kept on his sprint… looking forward, he noticed two children hiding in the bush. One was short haired with large blue eye and firm lips. He was about as tall as Ganko. The other had longer hair and looked much like the former, except that he's noticeably taller. "They must be brothers," Kaoru thought in a split second. Knowing the impending danger for these children, he quickly ran towards them and grabbed their hands. Without a word, he continued running while dragging both of them with him.

"Let us go! Let us go!" cried one as he tries to wag his hand away from Kaoru, but it didn't budge. Shortly, they noticed arrows trailing them again, one of them hit the longer haired one on the toe, and he fell, wriggling in pain.

"Shit," Kaoru thought as he turns back and picks the boy up. As he lifts the boy, an arrow pierced his back. The pain rushed through his veins, and blood starts finding its way from the wounded back. He fell into one knee, weakened. He faced down, trying to recuperate from the damage. As he lifts his head, he saw the boys. They were looking at him with fear and terror. Sweating, he pulled the arrow away from his back and got on his feet… and continued running.

Shortly, they found themselves on the edifice of a nearby cave, a shelter where they could keep themselves safe for a while. "This will keep us safe for a while," he thought. Kaoru dropped to sit and laid the wounded boy on the floor. He took off his shirt and tied it on the boy's wounded leg.

As he begins to compose himself, Kaoru realized that it's past dinner.

"Stay here. I'm going to find food for us."

Shortly, Kaoru got up and went out of the cave.

"Who's that guy?"

"I don't know… but I think he's not a bad person."

"My leg still hurts… I wanna go home…"

"Me too. But I don't think we can go home like this. I don't even know the way home now."

Present day…

"You've seen it too?" asked Fuuko who seemingly was in a shuffle of tension.

"It came from the sealed cave… right?" asked Domon.

Fuuko's face was painted with peril. She bowed in agreement with her feet trembling.

"No way..."

There was a stabbing sound and a faint scream that could be heard from outside the cave. It wasn't that of Kaoru.

"Brother… I'm scared…"

The boys hugged each other, trying to keep themselves warm.

"We shouldn't have run away from home…"

Shortly, Kaoru appeared from the mouth of the cave and entered holding a bloody sword on one of his arm and his thigh on the other. Blood was dripping like a half closed faucet and stained his hand.

"You're wounded!"

"I'm ok. Go ahead and eat."

Kaoru dropped a pack of fruits he's gathered a couple of meters away from the cave.

"No you're wounded, it is still bleeding. We have to do something."

Kaoru was silent. He knew the bleeding has to stop. A few minutes ago, he was ambushed by three ninjas whom he thought was among those who were following them. One perfect swing of sword caught him off guard, cutting him open. He couldn't spare their lives. Or else, he would put his and the boy's lives in jeopardy. Kaoru returned killing three, and taking a sword with him.

"What's your name?" asked Kaoru.

"Akai," answered the wounded boy swiftly. "Thank you for saving us."

Kaoru smiled and nodded. "No problem," he thought.

"My name is Raiha." Answered the other as he pull out a small silk cloth from his pocket and placed it on Kaoru. "This isn't much, but at least it could help minimize the bleeding.

Raiha. So you're Raiha…

Kaoru paused for a moment, observing the boy. Come to think of it, he rather seems familiar. His face reminds him of the same face that used to shine a calm, friendly look when he was still with the Uruha. This boy is undoubtedly the same Raiha he knew back then. But why is he here? Isn't he supposed to live in the same time as Recca and the others do?

Before Kaoru could exclaim his gratitude, an arrow bullet cut their conversation as it shoots itself through the darkness of the cave. No one was hurt, but apparently, he knew what's coming to them.

"Raiha, Akai, run back. Go to the darker place of the cave so they won't see you. Hurry!"

The two boys ran in fear, leaving the half eaten food behind. Shortly, their fear was realized. They've been found. A dozen attackers thronged the mouth of the cave.

"Well well, what do we have here? Such a good place for you to die." an insulting question by one.

Kaoru was silent. He was on his feet with a sword he got earlier pointed at his predator. His eyes were sharp, staring with his eyes that tell his foes that he's ready to kill.

There was silence, and exchange of blade strikes followed.

Moments later, the mouth of the cave was like a scene of massacre. Lifeless bodies have scattered, blood all over. Before the eyes of the boys, Kaoru fell on his back, dropping his sword. He was bathed in blood, sweating, and breathing hardly and a couple of arrow bolts pierced through his body, and it opened more wounds. Standing on top of him was a heavily built man who carries a madougu as well. It shone, and what reads on it is a Chinese word "metal". It was the Tetsugan. The man struck his fist on Kaoru's stomach. Unprotected human flesh pressed by metal fist. Kaoru felt the pain surging across his body. He screamed in pain as he places both hand on his stomach, trying to sheath it from more attack.

"Hanabi… so the remnants of the Hokage are in that town." Noroi whispered to himself. "It's about time we end the history of Hokage once and for all." Kurei, or Noroi, watched closely on the Eikai Gyoku, the same madougu used by Kagehoushi, the shadow ball. "Now, shall we conquer the last stronghold of the Hokage ninja clan?" asked Noroi with a convincing voice. He stood up, and started walking away.

"Stretch his arm." Commanded the metal man. Kaoru, still feeling the numb from the pain felt his hand stretching apart, opening the black and blue abdomen that his hands used to cover. He wanted to keep them from taking his arm, but he was too weak to pull it away. Shortly, he felt himself crucified on the earth. Both his arms stretched against each other. It was until he realizes that there lands another blow from the metal arm. It was more painful, as he felt his muscles succumbing to the pain, his bones starting to crack. He screamed louder and popped blood out of his mouth.

"Am I gonna die here?" he thought, helplessly as another fist lands on him, and he coughed more blood with his scream.

"Shit. Outnumbered. If only this was a one on one fight. I could beat them no matter how many they are.

"Three… no two more shots and I'm gonna faint… I could hardly breathe at all."

Kaoru stared at the person in front of him, the metal man, laughing madly. "Too easy. Hahahaha. You're too easy." He drilled another fist, and lauged.

"This time, I'm gonna break your leg," warned the metal man as he lifts his blood-stained fist.

"My leg… hmm… in that case, I can probably withstand three more punches. Stupid body… I'm very exhausted... I should've fought them when I still had the chance. Running for hours drained most of my energy. I could hardly avoid their attacks at all."

Kaoru looked at the people around him, only three are still moving. The two pawns who holds his hand apart from each other, and the metal man, which he supposes is the leader.

"I'll probably spare your life if you would beg for it," jeered the metal man sarcastically.

"Fuck you."

Without wasting a second, the metal man drilled his fist on Kaoru's left knee. Kaoru felt his bones cracking. He screamed, and this time, it was a long scream as he kicks himself off the grip of the attackers. It was the most painful damage he endured so far in the battle. Tears started to crawl apart from his eyes.

"The next punch will land on the opposite knee."

"Brother… he's going to die…"

"But… what can we do?"

The younger was silent. He looked at his brother in the eye. And look against a bag which they carried with them.

"No way… that's…"

Author's note:

Sorry for the late update again. I have finally been freed from my busy days. So I could now start putting more attention to this fanfic. Expect faster updates now. Thanks for reading 

Next Access: Bad Blood

"THAT'S RAIJIN!!"