Firestorm – Flame of Recca After War

War of the Ancient World

Kurei drilled the dagger down, and there was a gush of blood.

There was an old proverb that said, "when you find honey, eat just enough. Too much of it, and you will vomit." There are many things in life that are sweet in moderation but counter beneficial in excess. Confidence is one of them. When one is persuaded to believe a false defeat, few live to tell the tales. Kaoru allowed himself to be hit by the projectiles to lure his attackers to believing that they've done enough damage to subdue him. It was a bait all along. When the threesome approached Kaoru, they sprang the trap, and the stage was set for the counterattack. If he had no weapon to use, his adversary will be his weapon.

Kaoru quickly grabbed the legs of the one with Idaten who was standing above his head. In blinding speed, he flipped his feet and entangled it between his attacker's neck to bend her body down. In the nick of time, Kaoru was able to position her head directly on the direction of Kurei's knife. With her head exposed, the dagger was driven towards the skull… and there was silence. She didn't have time to scream. The death was immediate, and before anyone could react, the lifeless head gushed out blood in abundance.

Episode 7 – Crisis

Kaoru backflipped, now standing with his feet. His attackers are still in shock. Friendly fire. Kaoru however, was in no mood to rejoice. He's more bothered than focused. Something doesn't seem right. His pursuers were able to trace his whereabouts. On his way home, he was sure that he felt no danger on the way. He was confident that his senses wouldn't lie to him. After the incident in the cave, he made sure there won't be any repeat of it. Yet today, his assurance was broken.

"Tell me, how did you find me?"

His answer was not that of words, but that of music. He dodged another bolt from Fukyu Waon. This time, it won't be reflected, and the tables are beginning to turn. There was another bolt which Kaoru easily avoided.

"How did you find me?" Kaoru repeated.

No answer.

Kaoru knew that understanding the rational behind this is crucial. If he had been followed, it would consequently endanger Miyu and Raiha. Kaoru is a huge fan of puzzles. This time however, he's not in the mood to play. If his attacker would not speak a word, he will have to force it out. Dodging the next attack, he jumped unto his attackers shoulder. His feet quickly entangling the head as he did with the other. This time, he was sitting on the shoulder with hands ready to break the neck. "I will ask you one last time." Kaoru threatened. "How did you find me?"

His attacker is now gripped in fear. If she answers, Kurei will kill her. If she keeps her mouth shut, Kaoru will kill her. If she takes too long to make a decision, she'll be dead as well. In an instant, she knew that she is cornered. Regardless of the option, she'll not leave the battleground with breath in her mouth. Her eyes looked at Kurei, almost appealing for help.

In a rare glimpse of grace, Kurei drew something out from his pocket. Kaoru was watching intently. As the object was revealed, it was a familiar device. Eikai Gyoku. Kaoru now has more reason to be concerned. If he was followed, the enemy will likely be gathered in one place. But with Eikai Gyoku, everyone connected to him would be in simultaneous danger.

"I assume, you have something better to do than to break my servant's neck." Kurei bargained.

Kaoru understood the signal. Immediately, he released his hostage, and sprinted away. His gut feeling was right. Raiha and Miyu are in danger.

As Kurei watched Kaoru disappearing from the horizon, he had his attention somewhere else. When Nobunaga invaded the Hokage village, Ouka was firm in his edict that no madougus are to be used. In fear that they would fall into the wrong hands, they opted to fight with weapons forged only with steel and fire. It was apparently a mistake. In a night, those who once occupied the village now occupied their shallow graves. Some however, in fear of the invading party, slipped away into a village called Hanabi. It too, must be burned down. Not by Kurei's will, but by someone of a higher power.

As he and the assassin walks away, the assassin looked back to her teammate. Apparently, she had not just lost her life.

"Sir, " the assassin called, "the orb on Fuujin is missing."

In Team Hokage, Kaoru was the one gifted with exceptional combat skills. Among the five, he was the only one who wields a madougu that loses its efficiency as the distance between the combatants increase. It is thus, necessary for him to sharpen his reflexes more than any others would. Sharpening of reflexes is proportional to speed. And with hands that could transform Kougan Anki from one form to another in less than a second, they are obviously fast enough for snatching.

Kaoru was running as fast as he can. He was careless enough that one would lose his life. "How could so many things go wrong in a short span of time?" This was however, a small part of a larger picture. The skirmishes he had been involved in is a figment of a bigger event that is about to come to its fulfillment. Behind the ambushes was a hand controlling them as chess pieces on the board. What it is, he had yet to know. It was after all, a part of a plan.

Kaoru was quickly losing his sense of time. He's been running for about an hour, but it almost seemed like eternity to him. When one is wary of time, it seems to move too fast. When one hopes it'd be faster, Time seems to crawl. The moon was shining down upon him almost mockingly. All this running is draining his energy. His only prayer is that he is not too exhausted to protect his friends.

As he was running, his mind was preoocupied with Kurei's words. "Just before Kurei attempted to stab me, he said, 'one down, four to go.' What in the world does he mean by that?"

Miyu crashed to the ground and the Kougan Anki flew away from her grips. She struggled to get on her feet, but her body stopped her. "Get up… She murmured. As her attacker walks towards her, the least she can do was to crawl away, attempting to prolong the inevitable.

When Miyu took out the Kougan Anki from the box, she herself is already aware of the imminent danger she's in. Her husband was supposed to get things cleaned in the cave. Yet, he never returned. Before her husband left, he gave Miyu a warning. "The time is near when the second prophecy will be fulfilled." Miyu was speechless. It was a prophecy she refused to believe.

She remembered the day when the Hokage elders herded the entire clan together. "My dear people," began the keynote speaker. "we apologize for the emergency meeting at this time in the night." Miyu looked around as the people murmured. As the commotion grew louder, the chief elder raised his hand, silencing the crowd. "it was written in the ancient scrolls that there will come a day when the entire clan of Hokage will be wiped out from the face of the earth."

There was pin drop silence.

"The text prophesied that before such event will come to pass, wars will be more frequent. Of that period, there will be shedding of blood for the sake of power. Hatred will rise and distrust will flourish in this land. Many of you, in an attempt to save their lives, will flee. Yet their sanctuary will betray them."

The elder had everyone's attention. He let the silence stay for awhile, attempting to let the message sink in. Ouka was with the crowd. Seeing the opportunity for questions, he raised his hand, "Elder, when will all these begin?"

The elder looked at Ouka with seriousness in his eyes. He cleared his throat and answered, "When the seventh flame dragon appears." The silence was broken. People began discussing things among themselves. One shouted, "Kokuu died twelve years ago. We're still alive today. You've lost your mind!" Another yelled, "What kind of joke is this? Gathering us in the middle of the night for a failed prophecy?" There was evidently a growing unrest amongst the crowd. The elder, sensing that things are now beyond his control, shoot his eyes at Ouka. Ouka knew immediately that the old man is appealing for help to calm the crowd, to which Ouka prompty responded. From the top of his lungs, he outdid the noise. "SILENCE!"

The crowd was shaken. Everyone was now staring at Ouka. With the crowd settled, Ouka looked at the elder and asked, in a voice audible to everyone, "is there anything else we need to know?" The elder took a deep breath and said, "when the seventh flame dragon appears, there will be one hundred and fifty full moons. After that night, the entire village will be wiped out. On the next full moon, those that remain will be slaughtered." The elder paused, surveying the crowd. "Tonight, is the one hundred and forty ninth full moon."

Miyu looked at her husband, who stared back at her. "You don't believe it don't you?" she spoke, in a small but audible voice. Her husband simply looked back. Face now filled with sorrow. There was no answer… and she's brought back to the reality she's in. Helpless. Broken. Fearful.

In two days, the next full moon will light the night sky.

Her attacker held her by the neck and began to raise her above her feet. She could feel the fingers crushing her throat. "Why are you doing this?" Miyu asked, her voice showing signs of agony. The mouth of his attacker moved. Uttering familiar words. As he finished his sentence, Miyu's eyes grew wide.

Raiha was hiding under his blanket. Miyu told him not to make any sounds regardless of what happens. He too, was gripped in fear. He was trying not to move, but his trembling limbs are not cooperating.

Miyu felt her entire body caving in. Her entire body was ravaged by the powerful arms of her foe. She took one last look at the madougu. Oni. After taking in three hits, the wielder transforms into a monstrosity. The attacker raised his other fist, preparing his final attack to end the battle. Before he could land another blow on Miyu, a kick suddenly hit him in the face. His clutch on Miyu was released. As he staggered a few steps back, an elbow struck his midsection followed by another kick to the chin.

Kaoru has arrived.

End of Episode 7.

Author's note: Please drop a review. :)