Firestorm – Flame of Recca After War

War of the Ancient World

"Raiha..." Kurei whispered as he bends down to the height of the boy, now shaking in fear. He knew he had made the wrong choice. Raiha is now looking before the very village he had run away from. He can't find the right words to explain his feelings. When he left it, it wasn't how it looks like today. Houses are burning everywhere. Dead bodies have flooded the soil. As he scans the area, he could easily identify some whom had been vital in shaping his life. He looked at his aunt bleeding from all parts of her body, lifelessly lying on the ground. His heart begins to shatter, yet he was too afraid to cry. What more is there to life? What's the point? He could see the thinning defense struggling to fight back against the legion of zombies sent against them. Soon, the entire clan will be wiped out. Strangled in between Kurei's arms, he is forced to watch the slaughter of his own race. Little did he know, the one who stands with him shares the same bloodline.

Kurei's face is now next to Raiha's ear. The hair of Bakuju slightly touched Raiha's face and more chills were sent to his spine. He's not so sure if he's the next one to die. "Your father is still fighting." Kurei smirked sadistically. "I want you to watch as I snuff the life out of him." Kurei dragged Raiha to the battlefield, and the boy had little courage to resist.

Kaoru... I'm sorry...

Episode 13 - Dread and Despair

"You're injured."

"It's just a scratch."

Kagerou and Kaoru are running as fast as they can. With the Eikai Gyoku, they could find the way to where they need to go. Kaoru was holding his side. the bleeding doesn't seem ready to stop. He knew that the more effort he pulls together, the long it will take to heal. But time is not on their side. He had half a day to save both Kurei and Raiha, and to stop Tendou Jigoku from entering the portal. "Tendou Jigoku is cautious." Kagerou started. "He will undoubtedly send his peons in before he himself enters. At this rate, it would buy us some time to save your friends."

Kaoru nodded. He wasn't so sure they could make it. But there really isn't much choice. "Mom?" Kagerou didn't know how to respond. the boy she's with is not her son. But she was already told that she became his foster mom in the future. Should she call him her son? She wasn't so sure. "Yeah?"

"You can open the time portal as well right?"

Kagerou looked at the boy. What is he thinking?

In the heat of the battlefield, Raiha's father struck down one zombie after the other. He let loose a gasp. The defense is wearing thin. As he looks around, his comrade is falling one after the other. The longer the battle drags, the less hope there is. From behind, a thundering sound drew his attention. As he looked back to see what it was, he saw a ball of fire raced his way. Too late! A massive explosion blasted the ground from where he stands... and he yelled out in pain.

"Surprise surprise." Kurei taunted. "Look who we have here?" As the smoke clears, Raiha's dad was on his knees. Both his legs were burnt beyond recognition. He gasps for air as he sets his eyes on his attacker.

"DAAAAAADDDDDDD!"

No! That's Raiha! They got my son!

"Well well well..." Kurei observed the destruction he had brought about. His flames have consumed half of the man he intends to kill. The father is now at his mercy, and in a few moment's time, he's keen on ending his life. "Perhaps you recognize this boy with me?" Kurei wrapped his left arm around Raiha's neck. Raiha begins to choke as his captor tightens the lock. The father looked helplessly. He can no longer use his legs, and with what's left of him, he had no way of rescuing his son. "LET GO OF MY SON!"

"Whow... slow down you worm," Kurei commanded as he kicked the father in the head. "I am the one making the decisions here. How dare you order me?"

"DAAAAADDDD!" Raiha lamented. "Stop it, you demo-!"

Kurei tightened his squeeze on Raiha's neck one's again, and the little guy began feeling his neck failing him. "Shut up, brat!" Kurei drew out the knife he used in his attempt to stab Kaoru. This time, he's sure not to miss. "Look closely, Raiha. Your dad's life ends here." Raiha set his eyes straight to his dad. He certainly wished this was all a dream. Yet what he sees is nothing less than the reality. Kurei threw the knife to the father's forehead, and the blade sank in. Shortly, blood gushed out abundantly.

"Dad... no... dad!" Raiha mourned. His eyes is flooded with tears. Both father and son are helpless in their state. Raiha had just witnessed his father struck down by the person he hoped to trust. "My son..." The dad spoke, his voice now broken and fading. "I... love-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kurei set him ablaze. The entire body was now engulfed in flames, and he let loose another sadistic laugh. Raiha's eyes turned dim. His fear turned to rage. He screamed at the top of his lungs and Raijin began unleashing violent bolts of electricity. Kurei jumped away from the boy and lightning bolts began flashing forward to strike him down.

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

Raiha began firing in all directions in hopes to exact revenge in his father's murderer. But Kurei was simply too fast for him. Each shot Raiha throws passes through air. There was no enemy to hit.

Raiha raised up his hands and a massive amount of electricity gathered into his madougu.

He's planning to blow up the entire area. What a lovely sight. Destroying the very town you sought refuge in.

"Master... stop it! If you use me to blast the entire vicinity, you will be dragged along."

Raijin's words seem to fall on deaf ears. Raiha is determined to kill his captor. What else does he have left? In his mind, he had already killed the last person he can trust. Now, even his father is dead. The trauma he had was overwhelming for someone his age. His mind is now shut tight. If he dies, he dies. What else is there to live for? The people he loved have left him. If there's a God, where is he?

Raiha aimed his fist at Kurei. "You will die. YOU WILL DIE!" Raiha yelled, and before anyone knew what happened, a bright light flashed.

Present Day...

Tokiya cut down a zombie emerging from the portal with a sword. "Where did all these things come from?" The question was intended for Raiha to answer, who seems to be the only one who knew the entire story. "My memories..." Raiha murmured. "I've lost a part of my memory..." Fuuko marched in and slapped Raiha in the face. "Aren't you going to answer Tokiya?" Raiha turned to Fuuko, his face, expressionless. The part where Fuuko hit him started to swell, but he doesn't seem to feel it. "I've lost a part of my memory..." he repeated, tears rolling down his cheeks. "and now, everything is beginning to make sense again..." He squeezed the object he's holding even tighter. Fuuko wanted to slap his prince once again, but after seeing how he looked, she began to sympathize. "Raiha...?" Fuuko paused for a few seconds, waiting for the man to respond. She waited, but she didn't receive any. "Raiha, what's happening to you?"

"MERGE, Kougan Anki!"

Kaoru leaped and landed in between Raiha and Kurei. On his hand was the orb of Kougan Anki. From Kurei's back, the five other pieces of the Adamantine Blade stormed in. One part struck the Nisebi, and it shattered. The other struck Kurei's Eikai Gyoku, it too, was destroyed. Three others wounded Kurei's limbs as they pierced through his body. The six pieces of the puzzle madougu collapsed together on Kaoru's hand and assembled into its first form. Kagerou landed immediately after.

"Raiha, we don't have much time to talk."

Raiha couldn't believe what he saw. A few hours ago, he thought Kaoru's dead. But now, he was saved again by the very same person he betrayed. "Kaoru... I'm sorry!" Raiha confessed. Kaoru maintained his focus at Kurei. He had heard Raiha, but his apology was of lesser priority. "Raiha, we'll talk later. Go with her," motioning to Kagerou. "She will lead you to a safe place."

Kagerou immediately grabbed the boy's hand. "Come with me." she demanded as she runs on away from Kurei, pulling Raiha in the process.

"Kurei! Snap out of it. Why are you doing this?"

The flame master stared back at his aggresor and laughed hysterically. "How lucky could I be?" He growled. "To be the one privileged to kill you." He pulled his knife from the forehead of Raiha's dead father. As he draws out the weapon, a long red crystal emerged from the path of the wounds.

"Is that?"

"Ensui? Yes. It is. An Ensui formed from the blood of its prey."

Kurei rushed in with Ensui in his hand. He swung the sword against Kaoru. Anticipating the attack, Kaoru switched the Kougan Anki to Ryu, deflecting the blade with the handle and using the sickle to tear open another wound on Kurei's back as the latter landed to the ground. "Kurei. When you were about to stab me last time, you said one down, four to go. What do you mean by that?"

"You will know soon enough." Kurei answered, swinging the blade again against Kaoru who dodged the attack by jumping up. Kurei pointed the sword to Kaoru. "Blood Snake!" From the blade, a red snake emerged and rampaged towards Kaoru. "Kougan Anki, Third form, Kyoku!" Kaoru dived down towards the snake with the adamantine blade to cut through the projectile. He crashed to Kurei, who was standing motionless, but as he landed, something was wrong. He used the ice doll! Kaoru quickly pulled the Kougan Anki out of the ground. Before he could completely remove it from where it sank, a blade suddenly appeared before him, and it cut open his forehead. Blood gushed out and Kaoru was momentarily blinded by the splash of his own blood. From behind him, two zombies pounced in and wounded both sides of his shoulders. "Shit!" Kaoru transformed the blade into its fifth form and shot the two on the head. Both were killed instantly. Where's Kurei?

Suddenly, Kaoru's left foot was clipped by ice. Tsuraramai! Kaoru tried to jump, but his left foot was too deep into the solid blood. Kaoru banged the blood covering his feet, crushing some of them out in the process. Another zombie pounced in and Kaoru shot it down before it could touch him. Kaoru crouched down and jumped with all his might. This time, he was able to break free from the blood that held his feet in place. From the direction he's jumping, another blood snake came to him from the ground. I need a blind spot. Kaoru took off his shirt and threw it down to the snake, hoping to create a momentary escape mechanism from Kurei to regroup. Kaoru moved out of Kurei's vision and snuck behind him from the pile of rubble. I need to take out that mask.

Before Kaoru could make his next move, a blood snake came out from the ground where he was crouching. WHAT? The snake struck his chest and sent him flying upwards. He lost his grip from the Kougan Anki and the blade flew away from his hands. NOOOOO. Kurei suddenly appeared from above Kaoru in mid-air. "Take this!" Another blood snake came out of the sword, and Kaoru crashed back to the ground. Two zombies pounced into him again. Kaoru rolled away to avoided the first one. Darn it. I'm getting overwhelmed. Kaoru nipped up and jumped away, but the second one caught him by the leg and slammed him to the ground, back first.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhh..."

The other zombie jumped down slightly above Kaoru's head and pinned both his arms with its own. His body is now fastened to the ground in a Y position. He tried to break free, but the zombies are far more powerful. From above, Kurei sent down three more snakes. Each one blasting Kaoru's defenseless body. Kaoru screamed in pain. His voice weakening with each shot.

Kagerou hid Raiha in a house that still stands. Raiha glanced at Raijin. It is now powerless. Even as he try to start electricity from it, no spark appears. Right next to the orb was another one. One madougu, strong enough to suppress its power-Fuujin. "Raiha... we will wait for Kaoru to come. If in one hour he fails to show up, he told me to assume that he's dead... and I will have to let you escape." Raiha looked back at Kagerou. She doesn't look like an enemy. Can I trust her?

Kurei landed on Kaoru's side. Watching his opponent breathing heavily. He pointed the sword on Kaoru's body and shot another snake point blank. and the boy spewed blood from his mouth. "You were probably wondering how I figured out your location." Kurei started. He stretched his hand on Kaoru's face. One of his fingers had the Shingan attached to it. "This is why."

"You were also wondering why I said one down four to go." The zombie holding Kaoru's arms pounded his head on to the skin between Kaoru's neck and shoulder and sank its teeth. More blood streamed out from Kaoru's body and he screamed in pain, struggling with even more intensity to free himself from the teeth and the tight rein on his limbs. Kurei kicked the zombie at the head and forced it to throw its head back in pain. "Stop it. I don't intend to kill him yet."

"I said one down four to go because there are only five who knows how I got here. Miyu and her husband, who are both dead. You are the third one. The fourth one is Kagerou, and the owner of this body is the fifth."

Kaoru was silent. His sweat dropping coldly from his face. The owner of this body? What does Kurei mean?"

"You are now wondering about my grammatical use of language. You probably are thinking that you are talking to Bajuku." Kurei took off the mask slowly. "Let me show you who is it that you are trying to save all along."

Kaoru's eyes grew wide after seeing the face behind the mask. IMPOSSIBLE! He's... he's been dead...

From Kurei's body emerged a face Kaoru never thought he would see again.

Kouran Mori.

End of Episode 13.

Author's note: I had to overcome a lot of discouragements to get this entire fanfic completed (it took me more than half a decade to complete this). As of writing, I will only need about two to three more chapters to put an end to this fic. I have mixed emotions about this. This is probably the last fanfic I will be writing. I have no plans of writing anything else afterwards. My first fanfic was Perfect World, a story about Kaoru and Kurei, written when I was 15 (You can search for it under Flame of Recca). It was written at a time when only Volume 23 was out (FoR has 33 volumes and Vol 23 is the one I liked best). Now that I'm going 26, I shouldn't be doing this anymore. I really felt that Flame of Recca deserves to have a remake. The anime was just a cinematic abomination. It fails to do justice to the characters, especially Kaoru, who's fight with Joker in the anime was just plain garbage. I think that by the fics I'm writing, it shows that Kaoru is my favorite character. Anzai Nobuyuki has really created a gem in his character. No anime character has really been as interesting as Kaoru is. That's just me though. Anyway, I will really appreciate your reviews. Thanks for reading. :)