Chapter 6: The Tortured Soul.
I do not own anything from Rurouni Kenshin or SAO.
The day was August 2, 2024. Jin was with Kirito and Asuna. The trio were all in a meeting point in a small cave. Jin was wearing a black robe to disguise himself.
"Everyone, we're here for discussing a serious threat… A red guild known as Laughing Coffin has been committing murders all across Aincrad. They have become unreasonable to the point they relish in murdering others." A familiar voice called.
'Agil… It's been a while, tough guy.' Jin thought with a smirk.
"Didn't some of the Clearers sent any messages to them?" One of the players asked.
"They were assassinated a few days later. They can no longer be reasoned with so we must destroy them once and for all." Agil said.
Jin had a dark expression on his face. His eyes turned red in response, causing the heat around him to emanate. The other players eventually took notice of the rising heat in the air.
'It couldn't be, could it?' One axe wielder thought.
'With all this heat… That means…' A mace player said.
Jin swiftly took the robe off, revealing his appearance for all to say. All the players, except a select few, were in a state of fright.
"Everyone! SHUT UP!" Jin yelled.
The players kept quiet but were frightened of the powerful commanding tone.
"I'm not a player killer. I hunt those who committed the killing of an innocent. If you want to know how to track down red or orange guilds like Laughing Coffin or the former Titan's Hand, I can tell you where." Jin said.
"How were you able to get the data needed to find those monsters?" A female sword user asked.
"Let's just say that I have contacts that are information brokers. One of my clients provided me the coordinates for Laughing Coffin's hiding place." Jin said.
Most of the players were surprised, but one of them, wearing a robe, acted suspicious. Jin immediately noticed the behavior and dashed to the player before he had a chance of running. He grabbed the player's head and used the pommel of his katana to knock him out. Everyone gathered to where Jin was.
"What are you doing, Jin!? You just harmed a green player!" Asuna said.
"Not any green player…" Jin said.
He then moved the sleeve of the robe and showed a tattoo. It was pitch black with a masquerade face making a smile. A bony left arm was shown encircling the face. The tattoo was shown in a coffin shape.
"A spy from Laughing Coffin… This tattoo proves everything right now. However, I'm afraid that it's too late. He already sent the info to the base so they'll be prepared for us." Jin said.
"So… Where is the base of Laughing Coffin you speak of?" A man asked.
Jin took note of the man who came to him. He was muscular, tall, and physically strong, with sharp scholarly features and steel-gray hair that had a strand hanging over his forehead. He was wearing a crimson armor that had a white cape. He was wielding a shield and a sword. The shield was like a round cross shield with a red crucifix symbol.
"It's located in Floor 57, at the base of a mountain. It's a small cavern, but it's a perfect spot for an ambush. Keep your detection skill active so you can locate them." Jin said.
"Very well… In two days, we'll be heading to Floor 57. We need to clean them out for they have become our threat. WILL WE ALLOW THEM TO TAKE OUR LIVES!?" The man shouted.
The players roared with vigor. They all wanted to fight and destroy Laughing Coffin. Jin was more than willing to join the fight.
"Mind if I know your name, young man?" The man asked.
"It's Jin. And you?" Jin asked.
"I'm Heathcliff, the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath." Heathcliff said.
"Oh, I heard about you guys. After the Aincrad Liberation Force, you guys are the Number 1 Clearers as of today." Jin said.
"I see that our efforts has not gone unnoticed. In any case, I applaud you for sharing us the information needed to find Laughing Coffin's hiding place. I hope to see you in the fight as the Blaze Swordsman once we begin cleaning them out." Heathcliff said.
"Looking forward to it. Make sure to notify every Clearer here in the meeting so we can get the battle ready." Jin said.
Heathcliff nodded, but he briefly glanced at Jin before talking to the other players. Kirito and Asuna went to Jin, now looking impressed.
"You have your ways to prove that you're no cold blooded murderer. It was rather surprising to see a direct approach, especially when you caught that spy." Kirito said.
"It had a win-win benefit. One is to prep the players for an ambush since Laughing Coffin is resourceful enough to evade most players. I had a hard time tracking that spy till he made his move. Two, it clears my name, but I doubt they'll look at me with a different eye." Jin said.
######
At the town in Floor 57, Jin was seen drinking at a pub. Agil was with him in the pub.
"Jin, you may be 16 years old, but you shouldn't drink…" Agil lectured.
Jin snorted from Agil's advice. He chugged his drink down in response.
"That was my second cup. I can hold up to three at most. At least it helps me think of something else." Jin said.
Agil was surprised when Jin was acting like a soldier who lost his purpose in life.
"Hey I've been meaning to ask, Jin. Why do your eyes turn red at times here in Aincrad?" Agil asked.
"I guess there's one more thing you need to know about me, but I won't share it multiple times. Let's wait till Kirito shows up." Jin said.
"Good point." Agil agreed.
The two guys were drinking glasses of water, unable to hold off their alcohol. Kirito and Asuna eventually arrived and noticed them.
"There you guys are… We've been looking for you two." Kirito said.
"If you can find a pub in town, I'm most likely hanging out in one." Jin retorted.
"Okay man. Tell me why your eyes turn red at times." Agil persisted.
"You're that curious I'll commend you for that. In any case, the reason my eyes turn red is not due to side effect caused by my training. It's a physiological condition." Jin said.
"What kind of condition?" Asuna asked, interested.
"Haemolacria. Basically, my eyes shed tears of blood." Jin revealed.
Kirito, Asuna and Agil were all surprised and realized why his eyes turn red at times. He was staining them with his own blood.
"Don't think this condition is cool. It's not like I can just cosplay a familiar character from an anime and say 'Amaterasu!' all the time with a bleeding eye. It's a pain cleaning the mess, not to mention the risk of anemia. At least it signifies that I'm going in for the kill." Jin said.
The group briefly chuckled from the comparison. Jin finished his drink of water and left to a hotel to sleep at.
######
The next two days have past. The raid against Laughing Coffin began. Jin had an impassive gaze, waiting for the proper time to unleash his bloodlust. Kirito and Asuna were unnerved of his expression.
"He looks ready to strike at any possible moment…" Asuna whispered.
"I noticed… If a member from Laughing Coffin came out, he'll probably deal with it in a flash." Kirito whispered back, making Asuna giggle.
Jin heard the whispering clearly, but ignored the comments. He focused his sense in the surrounding raid. By then, Heathcliff began to explain the plan.
"This is it, everyone! Neutralize them in any possible. If they're not willing to come peacefully, then you can kill them." Heathcliff said.
"No quarter!" Agil shouted.
The raiders went in the cave, ready to fight off the guild. Upon entering, a swift player suddenly descended and attempted to stab Jin, only to be intercepted by a parry from the scabbard.
"You're dead…" Jin said in a cold tone.
He killed the player in a single blow, using basic battojutsu. Everyone was surprised on what happened till they noticed Jin's eyes glowing red.
'He's ready to fight… Here they come!' Kirito thought.
The whole guild of Laughing Coffin began to fight off the raiders. Everyone began to fight them off, killing each other.
"They're all over us…!" Agil said.
"I'll take care of thinning their numbers… Just take em out through guerilla tactics." Jin said.
He then readied himself to use one of his skills. Kirito and Asuna thought they knew which one he was intending to use.
"Hiken: Shinku Renge!"
They were shocked that he was using a low-level skill. However, Jin made each successive attack hit on a critical point on each of the Laughing Coffin members. All showed horrific expressions to him before flames engulfed them, causing them to shatter in polygons.
"This is what the Fiery Battosai can do…? How scary…" A male spear wielder said.
"Thank goodness he's on our side. He did say that he only hunts orange and red guilds." A female axe wielder said.
Five Laughing Coffin members attempt to take down Jin by surrounding him. This made the battojutsu user smirk sadistically.
"Oh no… Everyone! Move away from Jin, NOW!" Kirito called out.
The raiders moved away, leaving the members of Laughing Coffin confused. They then heard Jin utter two words.
"Hiken: Funka!"
An eruption of flames surrounded Jin, incinerating the five members. The guild now realized they were now being defeated by one player capable of using powerful skills.
"PoH, we can't hold the Clearers off. The Fiery Battosai is here, killing us all." A member said.
PoH had ample, black wavy hair and a tattoo on the right side of his face. He was wearing a dark poncho that concealed much of his appearance.
"I'll go deal with this, Johnny Black. I wonder how my Mate Chopper will fare against him." PoH said.
Johnny Black was wearing a dark colored hooded cloak and a mask. His hands are armored, and he also appears to be very thin.
"Alright, PoH. Do what you like." Johnny said.
PoH walked to the battle and dashed towards Jin, slicing the raiders down near him. Jin noticed the weapon PoH had.
'The Mate Chopper… It's said to pierce through the defenses of its enemies with one single cut. That weapon surpasses Elucidator, the same sword Kirito has. If he wants a fight against my sword, so be it.' Jin thought.
The two players locked eyes with fierce determination. Everyone stopped to see the leader of Laughing Coffin facing Jin. All were now awaiting a potentially dangerous battle. The members of Laughing Coffin and the raiders all moved away to continue their fight, leaving the strongest warriors to fight each other.
"The Blaze Swordsman, aka the Fiery Battosai." PoH said.
"The Prince of Hell... Fitting name considering you'll be sent back to your domain." Jin replied.
"You and your deductions… Someone like you is a threat not to be taken lightly. For that, I'll fight with you, Battosai." PoH said.
PoH and Jin continued to stare each other before both dashed in extreme speed. A loud clash was heard as their respective swords began to fight for dominance against one another. The force of the clash created a heat wave, a result from Jin's abilities.
"Why did you create such a bloodthirsty guild in the first place? What purpose will it do for you to kill others for your sick pleasure?" Jin asked, pushing PoH back.
"This is all but a death game created by Kayaba. If we kill, we will make him take the blame for what we have done." PoH responded.
"You and your guild killed hundreds of players so you can cause the media to express hate on him!? Unfortunately, it'll backfire on you!" Jin said, attempting to slice PoH with Homura Dama.
PoH had to move out of the way, lest he got burnt. Seeing the rage unleashed from Jin made him have second thoughts in the battle, but persisted.
"I'm not letting some kid lecture me on what I should do. You will die for all I care." PoH said.
PoH then dashed at Jin and managed to slice one of his fingers from his left hand. This made Jin move back in response. His HP decreased by 2/5.
'That dagger is like a Chinese kitchen knife, almost similar to a cleaver. I have to shatter it so no one will acquire it. But first, I need to deal with this guy… I don't want to use my advanced skills yet, but I have no choice.' Jin thought.
PoH took notice of Jin debating mentally and decided to take advantage of his brief distraction. Jin then looked at PoH and unleashed a devastating attack.
"Hiken: Hono no Kanji!"
Jin began to make swift, powerful attacks with fire. PoH stood little chance and took the full brunt of the technique. The kanji that was written from the skill was hell (地獄). PoH was sent flying back, losing a quarter of his HP.
"That skill seems to be your specialty… Whatever word comes to your mind, you execute it immediately… I won't fall for that one again." PoH said.
"Bring it." Jin taunted.
PoH dashed at Jin, intending to go for the kill. This made him unleash the next skill.
"Hiken: Shukuchi Ju!"
Forcing to break his limits, Jin took massive steps and began executing extreme speed attacks, butchering PoH. Most of the attacks were directed on him while some managed to hit his weapon. His HP dropped to half.
"UGAH! Damn you Battosai!" PoH bellowed.
'Pathetic fool…' Jin thought with sadism.
Jin scraped his sword on the scabbard, producing a mini cyclone.
"Hiken: Kagutsuchi!"
PoH attempted to block the attack as Jin made a powerful thrust to stab him. His weapon held on, but it started to show noticeable cracks spreading on the blade. He was fatigued after trying to block off the attack.
"That sword of yours… It's stronger than mine…" PoH said in surprise.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Jin said.
Jin channeled the flames into his sword and raised it up. The flames became concentrated, forming a giant blade.
"Hiken: HOUKEN!"
The attack swiftly came to PoH. He attempted to block this one, but the pressure was proven too much. His weapon was shattered, crushing his hopes of killing Jin.
'My Mate Chopper… You destroyed it…' PoH thought in disbelief, unable to comprehend why.
Jin slid his sword back into its scabbard. His eyes turned back to normal, but he held his serious expression. Everyone was shocked to see that Jin defeated the leader in an intense battle.
"This ends your terrorism in SAO, PoH. Everyone in Laughing Coffin… Surrender now, or I'll turn you all to ash in an instant." Jin said in a serious tone.
"Fuck you, Battosai!" A member said.
About twelve members were intending to take down Jin in a desperate attempt. Everyone was about to help him fight them off till Heathcliff decided to make everyone pause. They all watched with concern as they noticed the lone swordsman about to kill the charging members of Laughing Coffin.
"So be it… Burn in hell." Jin said, showing his eyes glowing red.
Jin moved his sword out of the scabbard and scraped the ground. His sword began to unleash a powerful wildfire, acting like a blaze. He then raised his sword up, ready to perform the technique.
"Hiken: Hi Nami Henka: Gōka Messhitsu!"
A powerful blast of fire was created from the swing. The twelve members of Laughing Coffin got caught in the explosion. The force torn them apart and burnt the pieces to ash. The skill used shocked everyone upon seeing it.
'This is how strong the Blaze Swordsman is!? He created a giant fire bomb!' A male mace player thought.
'What did he learn to become this strong…? It's as though he has luck all over him.' A male rapier user thought.
Kirito, Agil, and Asuna were equally shocked, seeing the new skill. They didn't expect him to develop a new one.
"Jesus, Jin… What kind of skill was that? That was too overpowered to kill those guys…" Agil asked.
"A variation of one of my skills. It's stronger than the Funka in terms of power. I'll admit, that's the first time I used that skill…" Jin admitted.
"Either way, we cleared off Laughing Coffin." Heathcliff said.
"Not quite… PoH and 8 other members fled before they got caught in the blast. All the other members were killed." Jin said.
"I see. We have fewer PK players so it should be manageable for us to clear the game. We all owe you for this, Jin." Heathcliff said.
"Think nothing about it. I'm just doing two personal quests. One: to rid this game of PK guilds and two: clearing this game." Jin said.
The whole crowd cheered in victory, but Jin was not. He began recalling the horrific expressions from the deaths of the Laughing Coffin members. This made him feel nauseous, forcing him to run outside.
"Jin! Are you alright?" Kirito called out.
######
Outside the former hideout of Laughing Coffin, Jin was vomiting. He felt very sick from the killings he had done. The psychological toll was starting to get to him.
'This…is what I'm forced to deal with every single night. No sign of respite… Just a hellish nightmare that grows and tortures my own soul. Soon, I'll be forced in the same situation as my late master… I won't let this get the better of me…' Jin thought.
Kirito and Asuna managed to catch up to Jin, noting how pale he looked. This got them concerned till they saw his face. It was cold, yet sorrowful.
"Avert your concern from me… I'm no longer considered 'human'…" Jin said.
Asuna and Kirito attempted to reason with him, only for Jin to disappear from their sight, using a warp crystal.
######
Jin was back in Floor 19. He took note of the numerous graves around him. One in particular was cross-shaped. This made him fall to his knees, mentally exhausted from today's raid. The eerie yet somber scenery provided a sense of comfort to him. He couldn't explain why, but the very air felt indescribably welcoming.
'I will end up in a grave one day… I'm starting to lose myself more and more… Will I be able to fulfill my promise? Jin thought.
Unable to find an answer, Jin collapsed, unconscious.