I look at Onnajo and nod my head, aware of the flags hidden around behind the trees my hand slowly reaches to the handle of my katana. Inhale deeply as I hear the sound of a loud bang making my ears ring as I have my eyes locked onto Dosarai. My eyes stay locked onto Dosarai as the gunpowder flies out the flintlock in a spread. With my very eyes I see Dosarai unsheathe his katana and deflect all the spread, his katana movements were faster than the naked eye could see. As soon as I went to press the attack I get grabbed by my collar, its none other than Onnajo, I hear a clanking sound and the sound of spark. I look up after being moved and she's blocking a katana strike with her flintlock and with pure strength she pushes him back locked in eye contact with him. "A dirty fucking trap I smelt it from when we were all the way at the ship, but I wanted to believe it was true. The one good thing about this new fruitful friendship is that you love to fight so get to it Lord Ishi!" I nod my head and quickly unsheathed my katana and dash around her going for swipe, he jumps over my blade backing up in the process. "Is that all you got Ishi I expected better?" He says shaking his head. Remember my gourd that exploded I grunt in anger that really could've came in handy this very moment. "Your quick for a old man I give you that but don't think this is far from over!" I look towards Onnajo before calling out to her. "Onnajo do you have any liquor on you!" I yell over at her, while she's preparing for the enemy forces to close in. "You damn idiot are you even a daimyo? No I don't have any liquor I don't drink I smoke opium!" She yells back insulting me a bit and she shakes her head getting ready to refocus her attention.
I rush back at Dosarai, leaping into the air bringing my katana down, he spins out of the way my swing as it lands, and he smirks before he speaks. "Your right this is far from over!" He says loudly as he grabs my right wrist twisting it making me drop my katana before trying to reach for it as it falls with my left. I do manage to get a hold of it before he drove his knee into my skull. This stunning hit caused me to stumble back and I lick my lips resulting in the taste of my own blood dripping from my nose. Before I could even react I get caught with a flurry of blows, a right hook to my chin, and a left in the same spot. He wraps his hands around my head kneeing once more, before shifting his weight diagonal while spinning as he dragged his leg to my neck, sending a force of power through my body crashing me to the ground. My neck and shoulders till vibrating from the kick I manage to lift myself up, as if guided by fate my eyes look over at Kyo and Fumikage. Kyo is crying over his near lifeless body most likely blaming herself, what was in that letter must have been the truth, he must've wrote it before time he would never betray me. They must have really gotten close those are the tears of someone you care about or at least care for. I have to win this battle so many other have sacrificed so much for it. I at least need them to pull back and retreat, I need to keep moving for forward. I push myself to absorb the pain not feeling most of it, but something about those two I know exactly how Kyo feels. I lost Shiho, and at this rate it will happen again. I need to grow stronger! In that very instant it was like something snapped. All the pain I had been feeling is completely gone.
I had blinked my eyes and I found myself in the flow of waves, a all blue scenery as I'm floating. The sight of this place reminds me of the sea but also the sky. There's clouds and waves, I follow them and as soon as I do, they begin to turn red. This overpowering sense of rage begins to consume me as I drift more towards the end of the line. This place is like being lost at sea I have no idea what I'm doing here, what is all this? As soon as my thoughts began to go to that question, a voice echoes and shapes the realm around me. "This is your destiny, your choice. These are never set in stone or fated to happen. You choose your own at each and every turn. Now choose." The realm begins to split as the voice speaks, one side red and the other blue but the waves connect. I doubt this is the first time I'll end up here, the life of the daimyo requires many a situation like this. I let my heart decide and I follow the red waves. Almost like a waking up from sleep I end up in front of my enemy who is smirking and talking. "Your a lot weaker than I thought are you sure, your Kaito's son." I feel my vein's burn up and my eyes begin to bleed, I feel myself giving into my rage. I try so hard to resist it, it was too much I wanted to slay my enemy he deserves nothing less than death. "Weak your a bottom feeder, less than trash trying to oppress those weaker than yourself, I'll show you what's on the other side of that fence." I say with a calmness in my voice. I feel the energy shifting through my veins. I feel this shadow guide my blade like I'm being possessed, I look at my arms, they have turned a black color with a red outline. I lunge forward feeling lighter than normal, this is spiritual flow. The energy that's manipulating I cant explain how I'm doing it but this is it, I've felt it once before.
This happened in my original timeline, I was about to face a battle that changed my very life, you could say the result calmed me down I gained a wife at the end of it all. This was the battle for Shiho, I was determined to prove that my clan was favorable enough for her that I would cut down anyone who got in my way. At this point, we had swapped letter, and met each other at a few social gatherings, we were compatible except her husband to be was the complete opposite. All he seen was her bloodline and not her person and it drove me over the edge. I wanted his head, he just wanted the wealth and power that came with her. It really pissed me off when he decided to elope essentially kidnapping her just to be with her, he forced my hand when I found out. It was this exact feeling so consumed with rage that I feel this spirit possess me and guide me through combat. I call it the Essence of the Daimyo. I was born for this, the combat the ability to conquer. I felt the same back then as I do now. This man in front of me deserves death for questioning my rule. I shall deliver it swift and just. I swing my blade vertically in front of me, he ducks under it and my katana cleaves cleanly through the tree. I bring my knee up where he ducked slamming it into his face following the movements my instincts take me. He attempts to slash in retaliation, I grab his katana with my bare hand what should have cut me is instead making sparks. The energy surrounding my body is being used as armor, I grip it shattering his katana. Following up with grabbing his neck and slamming him into the ground, I do it repeatedly until it sounds like he's coughing up organs but all I see is blood spurting from his mouth. I pick him up once more slamming him into another tree before punching him through it, It would seem he's fallen unconscious, he's leaned against a tree stump with his eyes pure white. I look around seeing the multiple flags, appear from behind the bushes.
No doubt these are their reinforcements, I quickly move through the bushes before encountering the flag bearers and their troops. I feel my katana slashing through multiple enemies, blood is splattering over my eyes I start to become blind just slashing away I hear a eerie sounding screech, what was that from it sounds close. I feel myself grab one of the soldiers slamming his face into the ground, before grabbing his neck snapping it finishing the job. My hand grabs one soldier before throwing him into a crowd and my other arm pushing men back with a swing. I'm one handing a katana I should be tired after all this is over. I start swinging and I can only feel the vibration of swords swinging, whoever I'm fighting can hold his own I cant tell anymore. My hand grabs the sword arm and snaps it, the sound it made I could only speculate the bone was broken outward. I feel my katana slash against the man I'm fighting and I feel something hit me all at once. This is the feeling of gunpowder, the only person capable is Onnajo. My mind losing focus on the battlefield thinking of her then thinking of Fumikage. My allies, I haven't even thought about them are they okay? As I start thinking about them my eyes begin to open and what was in front of me, I could not believe. Did I do this? I look up at the flag, and the symbol it bears causes tears to overflow in my eyes. I look down at the soldier's bodies scattered across the forest, the one that is familiar is the man I began fighting. No doubt he was knocked unconscious.
I look down at the body currently laying in my arms, it makes me welp like a young child. I feel my throat start to clog up what have I done? The person in my arms is no one other than Kaito, my father. My tears stream down my cheek and with his last bit of strength he puts his hand behind my head and brings me down to place my forehead against his. He inhales deeply while looking at me, one of his arms is bent the bone sticking out piercing the skin, the blood leaking down his arm. On the other side where I slashed him left a large gash across his chest and he continues to inhale sharply. Onnajo walks over to my side placing her hand on my shoulder before hugging me slightly, she speaks a bit "Boss I don't know what that was, however this was all you, and I know you don't want to hear it now but you need to own up to this, these were your reinforcements, the old man played you." She says you before walking away. "I'll leave you alone with your father this may be the last time you get to speak him, I'll get your ninja and that woman to the ship do with the daimyo as you wish boss, I'll save that for you at the very least." I kneel down next to my father as she speaks and walks away. My vision blurry from the tears erupting from my eyes looking at the destruction I've caused this power, this hatred is it all worth it? What did I gain from this battle? I continue to look at my father and he inhales deeply once more before he opens his mouth. "M-my son you-. He coughs up blood a little bit swallowing his blood trying to speak more. "Your not to blame for this. I never taught you the way of the daimyo." He inhales after that, finding it more and more difficult to breathe no doubt. In response I whimper the first time around I didn't get this chance. "You will have to lead the charge now my boy. Your the man of our estate now. The leader our clan will look up to. I've always been proud of you no matter where life took you" He speaks clearly before coughing a lot more. "Before I go to join your grandfather, never use that power unless you have to. It's-" He starts to hyperventilate inhaling as much air as he can before clinging to my armor. "Its a curse not a blessing our ancestors are weapons of war for the gods, I don't know nearly as much, Your mother must tell you about the divine intervention!" He says in a rush and he looks into my tear filled eyes nearly all defeated. "My son come here." He says with all his strength I lean down closer. He brings his hand behind my head once more this time placing a soft kiss on my forehead, just like when I was a child. My tears flood even more and I begin to cry and I'm trying to catch my breathe as I whimper. "Farewell my boy, I love you." He says as he closes his eyes and his clutches fist begin to open he has passed on. "I-I love you too dad" My voice shakes and I lean over his deceased body crying and whimpering. Karu along with many other soldiers come up behind me placing his hand on my back nodding his head.