(Time: 1683 Satsuki, nijūsan-nichi, suiyōbi (May,23,Wednesday)
(Mayonaka: Midnight) (Location: The city of Ebisu) (Hitsuji province)
Senshi stood amongst the bodies of the fallen samurai. She had a few minor cuts and one or two bruises, but she was fine. Yet, she was covered in blood; some her own, mostly theirs.
She stretched her limbs, as sweat dripped from her forehead. "Whew! What a workout... I hope the others are alright."
As she turned to go through the doorway a single body arose from the fallen. It quickly lunged at her with murderous intent.
"Hn!?" /Slash!/
She barely dodged the strike, leaving a large wound in her torso. "Tch…"
The man cocked his head; he stood in an uneasy puppet like position. "Heh...you did well to dodge me."
Senshi took an offensive stance. "Who are you?" She demanded.
"Me? My name is Kiseichū. I'm Taberu's right-hand man." Said the man menacingly.
"Taberu?" Asked Senshi oblivious.
"Ugh… the Shogun." He replied.
"Oh!"
Kiseichū's body began to contort; his limbs became mangled, splitting, thorns protruded from his arms, while a third eye grew on his forehead glowing black.
He grew razor sharp teeth and a tail that sprouted from his backside, covered in jagged thorns.
He roared to the heavens; "Raaaahhhh!!"
Senshi slumped over, looking tired. "Aw jeez… You're a demon?"
"Time to die." Said Kiseichū.
/Boom!/
In an instant they clashed, shaking the hall. He grabbed her, throwing Senshi into the air, then leaping up to strike her.
She grabbed his fist in mid-air, throwing him to the ground, she smashed into his chest with her knee.
"Gah!" He vomited blood; but quickly recovered, spinning around to throw her off. Back handing her into the wall causing a crater.
/Wham!/
She pushed herself out of the crater and onto the floor, brushing herself off. "Whew..."
"How!?" He screamed. "That strike would've killed any human!"
"Keep coming baka, you might even get a serious blow in." She said mockingly.
--------
In an instant Tamari jumped to the side of a pillar, springing from it, he used the momentum to propel himself forward. He stabbed into Taberu's stomach, cutting up his body, leaving a huge hole in his abdomen.
"GRAAAHH!!" Screamed Taberu.
Hundreds of dismembered limbs fell out of his stomach in a bloody mess on the floor; a foul stench filled the room.
"Ugh..." Ko quickly covered his nose fearing he would faint otherwise.
"Raaaahhhh!" Tamari continuously assaulted Taberu with heavy blows pushing him into a corner.
Taberu grabbed a pillar, pulling it from its place. "I will not be made a fool of!!"
/Boom!/
He clashed with Tamari, causing a shockwave that rocked the chamber. But the mass of the pillar was too great for Tamari, throwing him back.
Taberu stumbled backward, catching his breath. "Ugh... I see you carry a sacred mask. My Master is looking for them, I'm sure he'll be pleased with me after I pick it off your corpse!"
"Tamari, are you okay!?" Yelled Ko.
Tamari slowly stood up, blood dripping from behind his mask. "Ugh… Yeah. I'm fine, take these."
Tamari handed Ko the bag of red balls he received from Tenshu.
"What can I do with these?" Asked Ko.
"I'll buy you time; I need you to place them at each of the pillars." He replied.
Tamari got up, running toward Taberu. He took out a slip of paper with the kanji (Barrier) on it. Placing it on a pillar, a wall of blue energy separated Tamari and Ko.
Taberu laughed. "A barrier? You wish to let that boy escape? You can try but I will find him and devour him!"
"He is of no concern; I am your opponent!" Shouted Tamari as he jumped up.
--------
Both Senshi and Kiseichū stood evenly matched; both exhausted.
"Hah...hah. Your friends will die. My master is no mere opponent." Said Kiseichū.
"Hah..hah..Yeah? Well, I have faith in them." She replied.
"They will be consumed!" Yelled Kiseichū.
Kiseichū jumped into the air, crashing down with a mighty kick. /Boom!/
Senshi was thrown back; he swung at her with his tail, but she vaulted over it.
Running up the side of his tail, jumping onto his back. She broke off one of his thorns, stabbed it into his third eye, he wailed in agony.
"Gaaah!"
Kiseichū grabbed her leg, smashing her into the floor. /Wham!/
She quickly snatched one of the fallen samurai's katana, stabbing into his leg. He tried to crush her, but she ran under him pulling the blade all the way through, cutting his leg off.
He fell to the ground clutching his wound waiting for it to heal; he looked around, she was gone. "Ngh...Where!?"
Senshi appeared behind him with a sinister smile as she began to stab blades into his body. He screamed; in desperation he launched his tail for her abdomen, stabbing through her.
"Gaaah!!" She screamed as it shot through her chest.
He laughed triumphantly as she hung motionless. "Ha ha ha! It was useless to think you could beat me!"
--------
Taberu and Tamari were locked in vicious combat; the ground shook as the ceiling looked like it was going to fall on top of them. Ko quickly placed the red balls near each of the pillars.
"Ngh...hah!" He dodged around falling pieces of debris. /Bonk!/ "Gah!"
Taberu shot out his tongue chasing Tamari around the chamber.
"You will not escape me!" Shouted Taberu.
Tamari jumped off the walls, latching onto the pillars. /Boom!/
The pillar was destroyed by Taberu's tongue and quickly Tamari jumped onto the giant mass of flesh and teeth, running along it.
"Heh..." Grinned Tamari.
"Rgh... Don't get cocky!" Shouted Taberu.
The tongue split up into many tentacles, grabbing Tamari, slamming him into the walls.
/Wham!/ "Gah!"
Taberu held him up, bringing him in. "Hehe... Bon Appétit."
Tamari struggled to get free; he drew ever closer to being eaten. "Rgh..."
/Boom!/
Taberu's tongue exploded in a viscera of blood and saliva, staining the room in a grotesque display.
"Gah, hah ha... H-he blew himself up!?"
The dust parted, revealing Tamari; barely standing. His clothes were tattered, his hair stained with blood and covered in debris.
He was at his limit.
Taberu stuttered with fear. "Wha...You-you're insane...!"
"Ngh..hah...What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Grinned Tamari.
Ko had finally finished, yelling out to Tamari. "Tamari, we're ready!"
Tamari looked back at him and nodded. "Time to end this..."
"You shall be burnt to cinders!" Screamed Taberu.
A strange golden blue light began to gather around Tamari's naginata.
"Your final retribution has come; feel the agony and wrath of those you've killed!"
"Grahh!" Taberu's second mouth gaped open revealing a purple ball of flame increasing in size.
"Hell Dance: Jigoku no kutsū!!*" (Infernal Torment) *
He launched the purple ball of fire, twice the size of Tamari. It moved toward him at incredible speeds; Tamari was done for. But at the last second, he grinned; gripping his naginata he changed his stance.
"Kishin Style: Ten'nosabaki!*" (Heavenly Judgement) *
--------
"Gah ha ha ha! Dead like the pathetic human that you are! How pitiful..." Laughed Kiseichū.
Senshi raised her head, a mischievous grin across her face.
"Heh, you should always make sure to double tap ya know?" She said mockingly.
"Wha!?"
Senshi jumped off, landing on her feet; she waved a slip of paper with the kanji: (Heal) in the air.
"Heh, I'll have to remember to thank Tamari when I'm finished with you."
"Rgh...Damn you! Diiiieee!!"
He rushed her, swinging his massive arms, slamming the ground. /Wham!/
Causing a large explosion of debris. "Ngh...wha!?" Senshi was gone; he spun around searching for her.
She appeared right in front of him, holding her open palm in front of his face.
"Seriously? Do you ever learn?" She grinned.
"Raaaah!!" Wailed Kiseichū.
He reached out to kill her; her eyes glowed, and in an instant, she made a fist.
"Shishigami Style: Doragonfangu!"* (Dragon fang) * Utterly obliterating his body.
/Boom!/ The room became littered with chunks of fresh meat; a foul-smelling stain covering the floor.
"Ah jeez, seems Tamari's getting himself into more trouble than even me these days." Said Senshi, shaking herself off.
She noticed a green worm wiggling around in the demon's corpse.
"Hm?"
She picked the creature up, it had a tiny green body covered in hooks, a small black mask for a face.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Screamed the tiny worm.
"Awww, how cute! Bye bye!" /Crunch/
She crushed the worm, throwing it on the ground, squishing it.
--------
In an instant the room was covered in a heavy pressure, as a massive blade of light sliced the fireball in two; Taberu was cut into pieces.
He fell back, rocking the room with his mass; the red balls exploded around the pillars; crashing down on Taberu immobilizing him.
His face was shredded, his arms gone, and his chest ripped open.
"Ugh… What!? What's happening!? Why can't I heal!?" Yelled Taberu.
Exhausted, Tamari walked over, taking his mask off.
"Heh...I'd tell you to take better care of your body, but we're past that point." He said smugly.
"Ugh...hehe...yeah." Said Ko, dazed and exhausted.
"Blasted human! I won't be done in by you!" He yelled angrily.
Tamari placed the mask back on, jumping up to his head.
"If you value your wretched existence, you're going to tell me everything you know about the Seven Noh Generals and your Master."
Taberu was silent. Tamari stabbed into his head, twisting it deeper into his cranium.
"Gahh!! Argh!!" He screamed.
"From where I stand, You Don't Have A Choice." Said Tamari with a cold, menacing tone.
Taberu relented. "Ugh... M-my orders were to take control of the nation through political means, and to seek out the masks. Kill any who opposed us… The others were given different objectives, I don't know of!"
"Who are the others!? Who is your master, why is he searching for the masks!?" Shouted Tamari.
Taberu said nothing.
"Answer me!" /Stab!/
"Ugh...My master…"
Before he finished, a wave of heat came crashing into the room, sending Tamari flying.
He slowly got up struggling to get to his knees. "Ngh...gah!"
It felt as if the sun had appeared before him, the walls began to burn and char.
He looked over to Ko; he had passed out from heat exhaustion.
Tamari squinted as the excruciating heat burned his eyes; he saw a man engulfed in a blanket of flames. Then like that, they went out.
Standing before Taberu was a man with the appearance of a six-foot tall, twenty-eight-year-old; with short red hair, which stood back on its edges.
He had piercing orangish black eyes. His ears were slightly pointed- His teeth as well were sharp; his arms and legs were covered in scars that radiated immense heat. Jagged ring-shaped scars lined his fingers.
He wore a red and white fighter Gi with gold linings and patterns of black lightning; it opened in the middle exposing his chest, which bore a large circle shaped scar that stretched outwards; the Gi itself was worn and torn.
Draped around his neck and waist was a blood-stained sash, blueish silver; patterns of the ocean covered the sash. His feet stood bare for he had no shoes or sandals of any kind.
"Chi-Chikara! You've come to save me, thank God!" Pleaded Taberu desperately.
"Save you?" Asked Chikara.
"Yes! From those vile humans!" He pointed at Tamari and Ko.
Chikara glanced over at Tamari.
"Wha...Hn!?"
Tamari felt an immense chill down his spine, as if thousands of swords were pointed directly at him.
Chikara ignored him, turning back to Taberu.
"As if-" he said with a cold demeanor.
Taberu looked at Chikara in terror, as if he was looking at death itself. "What…?"
Chikara gently touched Taberu with a finger.
/Tap-/
Instantly, Taberu's body went up in flames. "GAAAHHHH!!! AHHHH!!!"
He screamed and cried out in anguish as he was burned alive in a manner of moments.
Then, there was silence; there was nothing left, not even his mask.
"We can't have you snitch on us, can we?" Smirked Chikara.
"Ugh… Why?" Asked Tamari, struggling.
Chikara looked back at Tamari. "Why? Did I really need a reason? All the fat bastard cared about was gorging himself on those weaker than him; the miserable fool."
The man slowly walked over to Tamari. As he drew closer the heat grew more intense. Tamari felt like his very being was melting. Chikara squatted down in front of him.
"But I guess you beat him, ...congrats." He said, as if the feat was mere child's play.
He patted Tamari's cheek, leaving burn marks. "Ngh..."
"You seem to be able to use the Sacred Mask; that could be a problem... I could kill you now…"
Tamari groaned in pain; he was on the verge of mental surrender. "Argh…"
"But what's the fun in that?" Smiled Chikara cheerfully. "Not much of a reason, is it?"
He stood up waving goodbye. "See ya kid." He vanished in a sudden flame, disappearing.
By the time he left Tamari had begun to pass out. Luckily, Senshi burst through the doors.
"Tamari! I won!"
She looked around the ruined room; noticing Ko unconscious, and Tamari struggling to keep consciousness.
"Tamari!" She quickly ran over to him, lifting his head.
"What's wrong!?" She asked, her voice cracking.
Tamari slowly looked up at Senshi. "Grab Ko and the necklace…I'll be fi-"
Suddenly, everything went black.