Firestorm – Flame of Recca After War

War of the Ancient World

"Master, Get up."

A voice?

"Master, Get up!" the voice repeated.

"Who are you?"

"I am Raijin. The Thunder God."

Raiha had a blanket covering his entire body. Still trembling, he hears the sound of the battle going on outside. But the distraction of another voice echoing within the room has gripped him. As he slowly unseals himself from the cover, he saw a hairy figure that looked like a horned lion.

"Put that black device on." Commanded the madougu. "Your attacker is too proud of himself. I will put him in his place." Raiha was unsure of what's going on. A few minutes ago, he was obeying Miyu. Yet as what seems to be the current situation, obeying Raijin seems a more inviting idea. He clamped the madougu on his right arm.

"Aim your fist to the big guy, and I'll do the rest." guided Raijin as Raiha steps to the front door with his body still quivering in fear.

Kaoru was down. Miyu is in danger. The sight Raiha saw was a shipwreck. His decision to obey Raijin was after all, a better choice. Raiha quickly aimed his shaking arm to the attacker who was rushing with all his might to Miyu.

"You inferior being. The soil from which you stand will be your grave." Raijin murmured as bolts of lightning began flashing from the madougu.

"Rolling Thunder!"

The attacker was thrown off a few meters. He didn't know what hit him, but he knew where it came from - the house. As he gets up, he saw the tiny figure of Raiha, who now, is frozen in fear. The guy's still standing after being struck by lightning.

Before the attacker could reach Raiha however, the battle was over. In a rare occasion, the three of them each had a role to play. Miyu was vital in saving Kaoru's and Raiha's life. Raiha plays a key role in saving both his friend's life. Kaoru also, was in the same position. When men are in the brink of death, working together can yield outstanding results. Relationships are important as they catapult man's capacity to heights they could in no way reach on their own.

Episode 9 – The Gathering Storm

8:17 A.M., the next day…

Kaoru opened his eyes. "Sunlight…" As he composed himself, the recent chain of events have not left his thoughts. "I have stained my hands with blood of both allies and foes. If there is a God, will He understand that the shedding of blood is not something I like, but an option that I could in no way reject?"

At about the same time, Raiha also woke up. It was a long, insane night before they all went to sleep. They all knew that the struggle is far from over. Miyu was already awake prior, finishing their breakfast with slices of fruits. Just last night, she was busy healing with the Kotodama. A very useful treasure indeed, and in recent chain of events, has been often used.

As the threesome sat together for the meal, Miyu's eyes was fastened at Kaoru. Sensing the unease, Kaoru broke the silence, "thanks for healing me a second time." He smiled and nodded, yet Miyu wasn't quite attentive to what he said. "Is something wrong?" asked Raiha, who was also bothered.

"Kaoru, you're not from this time, are you?"

Raiha was shocked with the question. Not from this time? What does she mean by saying that Kaoru is not from this time?

"You came here from the future… and you came with someone else. A bloodthirsty madman whose mind is fixed on revenge."

"Shut up!" Kaoru's mood is now changing. The initial shock of Miyu's discovery was shadowed by her description of Kurei.

"The man who came with you, did he not stain his hands with the blood of those he despise? To come to the past to kill those who were already dead in your time. Is that not a mind of a madman?"

Kaoru stood up and lunges at Miyu with his fist aimed at Miyu's face. Raiha quickly put himself between the heated party and with his body weight, is pushing Kaoru back. His eyes are beginning to well up. Last night was already a night he wished he never had. Today, he's certainly not up to what he was seeing.

"Don't you dare badmouth my brother."

"How ungrateful of you. Moments ago, you were thanking me for healing your wounds. Now you wanted to hit me. Is that a way to respond to the woman who saved your life twice?"

Kaoru was silent. He was no longer in an aggressive posture. Miyu's words registered.

"Get out of my house. Take Raiha with you and leave."

Raiha's tears are now rolling down his cheeks. "Why?" he uttered in a now broken voice. "Why are you doing this, miss Miyu?"

Without removing her eyes from Kaoru, she replied, "The one who came here with Kaoru was the man who killed my husband."

Kaoru's eyes grew wide. Impossible! Raiha's sorrow is also marred with shock. How could Miyu know about Kurei? Was it the guy from yesterday?

"Leave. Take your things and leave. Do not make me repeat myself."

Kaoru's fiery eyes are now replaced with sorrow. How could Kurei kill an innocent man? He stepped out of the house with Raiha carrying a bagful of belongings with him. As they both prepare to leave the vicinity, Kaoru took a last glance of his former friend. "Thank you." He whispered but in a sound audible to the supposed listener.

His house in ashes and the other person who provided him shelter has now closed the doors, he and Raiha needed a place to stay. They were homeless.

The two spent the next few hours walking away from Miyu's house. Both still couldn't believe what has transpired, they each realized that they never spoke a word to the other since they were ejected from the house. In an attempt to break the silence, Kaoru looked at the younger fellow as they walked. "Raiha," Kaoru asked, "why are you away from home? Shouldn't you be with your parents?"

"They told us to flee our home."

"Flee? Why?"

"Because our city will soon be overran by evil people."

Overran? The Hokage village should've already been destroyed before we arrived at this era.

"Tell me more."

"Two months ago, we stayed in another place. It's called the Hokage village. The people there are adept in the study of mystical arts. We were not good fighters, but to compensate for our weakness, we have developed weapons that far exceed conventional tools. They are called madougus."

Kaoru nodded. It was apparently information he already knew. "Tell me more."

"We were attacked by vast army. When my parents realized that our entire village will soon fall into the hands of the enemy, they decided to flee with me, along with several others to another village. We used a madougu to hide our presence. It was like a white cloth that makes one invisible."

Oboro… Kaoru remembered it clearly. It was both a fantastic offensive and defensive weapon. He almost died of blood loss fighting Tsukishiro who employed the same madougu for offensive purposes.

"I have no idea of the new village's location. But just three days ago, my parents told me and my brother to leave home because our village is being attacked and the defenses of the remaining Hokage ninjas are getting thinner. It won't be long before all is lost."

Impossible. Nobunaga is dead. I witnessed his death with my own eyes. Who could be behind all this?

Before Raiha could say another word, Kaoru pushed Raiha aside and he jumped away, forcing a gap between him and Raiha. Suddenly, an explosion blasted the ground at the gap.

Kaoru quickly shifted his attention to the source of the attack. It came from uphill. As he survey's the attacker, he quickly realized that he met her before. Flute on hand, she was the same attacker with Kurei last night. This time though, she had a new shoe - Idaten.

The attacker disappeared from where she was standing. With speed, she fired off a handful of explosions. Kaoru quickly ran to Raiha's aid and carrying him, avoided the blasts. As Kaoru jumped from once area to the other, avoiding the attack, Raiha's belongings slipped and scattered on the ground.

For a short time, Kaoru glanced at the loots, hoping to find something useful to defend themselves with. One of those in Raiha's belongings caught his attention.

Still carrying Raiha, Kaoru whispered, "why did you take THAT blade? It was Miyu's!"

"I thought we needed something to defend ourselves with."

In a rare instance, using something that's not rightfully yours could be helpful. Raiha secretly slipped the Kougan Anki in his belongings. Seeing how Kaoru used the blade, he was expecting it to become handy soon, but not THIS soon.

Kaoru quickly put Raiha on the ground and picks up the golden blade. Facing their attacker, he was keen on ending the fight quickly.

"My dear Miyu..." A voice of a man walking back and forth in Miyu's house echoed. It was cold and ghastly, almost like a voice of a dead man. "You've done a good job sending the boys away. If not, I would've killed all of you here."

In tears, Miyu was trembling. "You demon! Give me back my husband!"

"Are you so in a hurry to be with him?" asked the man, almost mockingly.

Miyu didn't respond.

"Then with him you shall be."

A snake-like creature surfaced from the ground. Opening its jaws wide, it swallowed Miyu whole.

"Tomorrow is the day I become a god. Thank me, Miyu, for you shall participate in this grand feast."

Kaoru suddenly felt a presence fade. His opponent now lying on the ground with a slash at the chest.

"Miyu… is dead." He whispered, but in a voice audible to Raiha. What is this feeling? I can feel the ki of a great evil. Kaoru is sweating cold. It was not an unfamiliar power. He felt it before. Actually, only a few days ago.

Tendou Jigoku was released?

"Raiha," Kaoru whispered. For the first time, fear has ravaged his entire body. "this is bad. We have to leave. Now!" Raiha quickly picked up his belongings. As he picked the last item, a paper fell off. Noticing it, Kaoru picked it up and checked it out.

After spending a few seconds scanning at the message written there, he looked at Raiha and said, "it's from Miyu. A last will."

End of Episode 9.

Author's note: Sorry for a few weeks without update. I was preoccupied with other stuff :) Hope you enjoyed this one.