Chapter XXIII—Rain and Thunder… and Blood

Chortling, Hans wiped his face with the back of his hand as he glanced up into the sky with outstretched arms. “Ah.”

“Kota!” snapped Shōzu. “Finish him!”

“Oh no!” cried Rōkura. “Hans!”

He looked down, squinted his eyes and was unable to see Kota very well. He really should have had a pair of spare glasses in his pocket or something. He groaned slight, trying not to reveal the his current physical state.

Hans still had a chance—a narrow chance, but even a small chance meant that he had to take it. For Rōkura’s sake. He couldn’t imagine her chained naked to a whipping post and thrashed in the middle of the town square.

Ogai-sama would have to put another Mind Block on her just so she could move on from the humiliation, but by that point, Ogai-sama might just decide she was too much trouble.

He sighed.

Kota smiled with the assurance of victory. “I will ask you again,” he said, impervious and unaffected by the rain. “Do you surrender?”

Despite his back smarting from the other man’s cat claws, and a dull pain in his chest, Kota thought he could go on in this fight for quite a lot longer, assuming he didn’t sustain any terrible wounds.

Shinjiro put his hand over Rōkura’s shoulder. Without thinking, she reached up an touched his hand. Shōzu saw this, smiled. These lovers are about to know the true meaning of pain and vengeance. He couldn’t wait to watch her howling in pain with every lash, that pain shared by her samurai lover.

Traitor. I will have my administrators find out where he is from. To make his life difficult—further vengeance by a slighted daimyo who had not been obeyed. Had they done what he had asked and waited, Shōzu might have let them go, depending on how he would have assessed the situation.

But the fools…

They had to meddle, and now they would pay the price!

With her breath held, Rōkura watched the combatants, hoping that Hans didn’t get hurt. He already was hurt, but her concern was not for herself at this present moment, but for her supporter.

“I’m… not done yet,” said Hans.

“Kota!” yelled Shōzu. “I told you to finish that fool!”

He didn’t let it show on his face, but Daichi’s ears were being split by Shōzu’s shouting, and he found it rather annoying to listen to.

“Do you hear that, little man? My master is commanding me to finish you.”

“Then let’s have it, swordsman.”

Kota nodded. “Very well. Just know, that I do this without harboring any ill will against yourself.”

“Hmph!” Hans sniffed with amusement. “You who follow a lord who murders people simply to make a point? I think not.”

“You do not know me, neither do you know how I came to be in the daimyo’s service. You should not judge what you do not know.”

“Enough talking,” said Hans. “Finish this, or surrender.”

“Very well.”

Kota narrowed his eyes and drew in a deep breath to the glee and suspense of his master, the relief of the shōgun, and the trepidation of Rōkura and Shinjiro. Hans was simply resigned, although he carried a sliver of hope.

Spreading his arms wide, Kota prepared his attack as power coalesced to him. Hans could feel it, all over him. He is going to strike me with a powerful attack.

That was sure to finish Hans, and probably kill him in the process. Shōzu was well pleased.

Rōkura brought her hand to her breast, her heart almost stopping for fear of what would happen to Hans. “Hans!”

Shinjiro took hold of her with both arms, something that would have made her blush in another circumstance, but what he said comforted her. “Rōkura! He will be all right!”

The samurai could barely believe he was comforting her, hoping against hope that Hans would somehow get out of this.

“Hnnnnnnneeeeyyaaah!” cried Kota, and he launched forward, his feet pattering on the tiles, the air before him parting as he cut through it toward his opponent, sword held forward in attack.

Hans tensed for the impact.

At the last second, he turned his shoulders and jumped back.

Kota nearly slammed into the bow of fire behind where Hans had been standing. He turned, but Hans was already casting his ability magic!

With his hand outstretched, he called, “CRYSTAL ENCASEMENT!”

The magic shot forth and enveloped Kota and he froze, as if in ice, portions of his body glittering and glinting with the light of the crackling and hissing flames. The rain tinkled off the of the crystals.

“WHAT?!” cried Shōzu. “NO!”

Hans stood up and dusted off his hands.

“Oh my gods!” breathed Rōkura. “Oh my gods—he did it!” Then she burst out laughing and crying. “Shinjiro—he did it!”

Hans strode around to the backside of Kota, ready to deliver the final blow. “Now I would ask you if you surrender, but I believe you are in no mood or condition to—“

The crystal shattered.

All eyes were suddenly on them. All prejudices to the situation were reversed, all hoped died, as Kota screamed and turned, angling his blade toward Hans.

The golden-haired blue-eyed supported raised his arm and took the brunt of Kota’s blade. The sound of sharp steal cutting through flesh dripped across Rōkura’s ears like wet rain.

Hans cried out and fell across the tiles in a spray of blood.

“Ha!” cried Shōzu. “We won! Well done, Kota! I knew my faith was not misplaced.”

With a cry of pain Hans held his arm to his chest. Rōkura burst forth and slid across the tiles and water.

“NO!”

Screamed Shinjiro.

It was a natural reaction, one Rōkura hadn’t thought about for even a second. To go to Hans was what a friend must do, but Rōkura’s temptation for blood was strong. Sliding in the water, the blood that had trickled down Hans’ wound and over the tiles splashed upon her face—upon her tongue.

“Hhhnnngh!”

The blood flowed into her.

“Kami-sama!” hissed Shinjiro. “Get away—all of you!”

“Silence, you fool!” bellowed Shōzu. “Samurai—arrest them all now!”

They moved in and put their hands on Shinjiro. He resisted at first, and was promptly hit in the back of the neck. He fell to his knees, his fear overwhelming. He knew what Rōkura became when she went into her Rage state.

The samurai also picked up the oni, but she snapped and gnashed her teeth at them. Still, they picked up up off the ground and turned her to Shōzu.

Through the blinding pain, Hans was aware that Rōkura had just ingested his blood, but how without it being intentional, he didn’t know. No one paid him any mind, bleeding out on the tiles at their feet.

Groaning, he kicked to slide himself away.

“Hahahaha!” laughed Shōzu. “Put her in the dungeon. We will strip her and flog her in the town square during the festival. Then we will have the most people watching.”

Daichi sighed, turned and began to stride to the castle entrance. He wanted a hot sentō and a good night’s—

“Look out!!”

A man cried out, loud and shirking.

Kota’s eyes widened when the oni girl, like a rabid dog, wriggled from her captor’s grasps and snapped one of their arms, exposing blood and bone to the dark night and the rain.

Light plumed in the sky overhead and Kota saw the eyes of the girl called Rōkura—ted timed, her teeth jagged and her hate palpable.

The strength that emanated from her sent him backing away with wide eyes. “How is this possible?” he asked.

Thunder exploded in the sky overhead.

And then the oni started ripping men to pieces.