(Year: 1799)
Japan has been in chaos for over a hundred years, warlords fight for territory while the rest of society fight or struggle to survive, it all started when a Yokai possessed the emperor of japan and converted every member of the 'Hironaka' clan into Yokai, after this the central government had been sent into chaos, the system of samurai had been corrupted.
'Yokai Lord Yuuzo' The new ruler of Japan gave the remaining samurai a choice, either to fight under his rules or to run away like cowards and eventually die by his hand. some stayed, some fled. those who did stay or go ended up having children & families of their own. Years passed and people began to accept the new dark life, but as the population grew so did the the people's will.
people started to not want to be a samurai under the government because it meant that they were servants, they had no free will or freedom...that is what it means to be a samurai under the government.
they are forced to kill and take from the innocent, slowly but surely some clans began to rebel against the corrupt government which started the Great Civil War Of Kyoto in year 1799...this is the era of the last samurai.
Rakurai a young boy was only ten when he witnessed his father 'Regetsu Kekai' get slaughtered by his uncle. Rakurai was just about to roll out of bed when he'd see his uncle standing over his father. Rakurai layed there in shock as Ryoto removed the katana from Regetsu's lifeless body.
"oh my dear nephew, I won't kill you, I'll just make you the perfect mercenary pet...if you don't die."
Ryoto said as he grabbed Rakurai by his hair and picked him up, Rakurai would scream and cry in agony, calling for his father as he'd try to fight his way out.
"Dad, wake up, please! help me!"
"he's dead Rakurai, he can't save you but don't worry, I'll make sure you won't cry again." Ryoto said in a devillish manner before throwing Rakurai in the back of a Wagon and taking him to his residence.
For the next five years Rakurai had to endure harsh training and torture. Rakurai wasn't obedient at first until he noticed he was becoming stronger and hoped to become strong enough to break free one day, so he took advantage of his uncle's training although it was cruel and the most diificult thing Rakurai has dealt with so far.
Rakurai was taught how to master the art of stealth, Kenjutsu and six other martial arts.
Rakurai was injected with an unknown amount of poison's to the point where his body would adapt and become immune to poison.
He was tortured with electricity and heat so hot that he could almost endure any pain.
Ryoto enjected Rakurai with Yokai blood that destroyed his cells and repaired them to the point where his dna was altered, even still Rakurai's will was so strong that he remained human with the exceptions being he moves and reacts at supernatural speeds while also being able to regenerate faster than a normal human being.
Ryoto taught Rakurai how to be strategic in order to kill his enemies quickly without being spotted.
Rakurai became a deadly Mercenary at a young age and is the youngest to ever do so.
Rakurai was being used like a tool, by his uncle.
Ryoto is connected to the royal Yakanaki clan. the Yakanaki clan is affiliated with the Yokai clan as both clans came to a agreement to take over japan and to do so they have to get rid of other royal clans in Japan.
The Osakai clan. One of the biggest clans a clan mixed with good hearted people and cold hearted people although their leader is completely Evil he's not completely cold hearted. Ryoto used Rakurai as a tool to attempt to kill off the remaining members of the Osakai Clan and the wandering Samurai known as 'Ronin' who didn't follow the orders of Yokai Lord Yuuzo.
Rakurai had been sent on a mission to kill a wandering samurai who had been seen near the area.
Rakurai dashes through the trees, leaping branch to branch as he would search the area for his target.
he'd see a fairly tall guy with black hair and red ends and a black straw hat.
'Found You'. Rakurai would say to himself as he'd leap down towards the guy after pulling out his katana and swings it at the man trying to slash at his nape of his neck.
Takanashi, the man whom Rakurai attacked, pulled his katana and blocked Rakurai's blow then swiftly leaps back. "Who are you? what do you want with me?" Takanashi asks.
"I don't want to do this but I have to.. don't make it harder than it has to be." Rakurai said to Takanashi
Takanashi raised a brow and clenched his sword a bit.
"I don't intend on just letting you kill me, kid. killing me isn't going to be easy, trust me."
Rakurai frowned a bit but the two were interrupted by a girl around the same age as Rakurai with similar features to Takanashi but with silver hair.
"Takanashi? What's going on here ? who is that?"
Takanashi glanced at Rakurai then looked towards his sister Hemori.
"I don't know Hemori.."
Rakurai would interrupt.
"I'm Rakurai, I heard your brother is a strong swordsman, so I was hoping I could spar with him. no harm intended." he'd sheathe his katana and nodded towards Takanashi.
"How do you know that she's my sister?-"
before Takanashi could finish, Rakurai vanished from their eyesight.
"where did he go, Takanashi?" Hemori asked
Takanashi shrugged and rubbed the top of Hemori's head.
"I don't know. must be some type of stealth technique."
the two would walk off, going towards their home.
Rakurai walked towards Ryoto's residence with a frown on his face. saying to himself "It's not right... he had his younger sister with him...and she needs her older brother.. I can't do it anymore, I can't keep killing people, even if I have to i won't kill them, it isn't right... who am I to decide who dies or not, when no one has that right...in the end we're all the same.. b- but the fighting and killing just won't come to an end."
Rakurai made it back to Ryoto's residence, he'd walk through the main gate and went inside Ryoto's Castle. "Ryoto, I won't do it anymore...I won't be your pawn. if you want to kill him or anyone else, do it with your own hands. I'm done here and i'm done with you."
Ryoto chuckled and called his guards.
"Is that so? guards take him to the cellar."
Ryoto knocked Rakurai out before he could blink. An hour or two later Rakurai wakes up looking at his hands and the bars of the cell in front of him.
"Let me free... I haven't done anything wrong!!"
Rakurai said as he'd grip the cell bars and shouted to guards in the distance.
"that's the thing, we haven't done anything wrong, this is a clan of mercenaries, a clan of murderers who kill for pay...let me guess you probably refused to kill someone and they sent you here..."
said the female with white hair and red eyes as she'd sit in the corner of the cell.
"How'd you know?" Rakurai asked.
"well, it's simple, no one gets put in these cells but slaves and mercenaries who refuses to kill, I did the same thing you did. I've been here for two weeks, they're just gonna let us sit in here and rot until we're dead or agree to kill again."
"No...I won't let that happen, not after everything I've endured, I want to see the light, i want to explore and learn on my own, I want to find my own path and you can't do that from a cell."
The girl shook her head in denial before responding.
"there's no way we'll make it out, this place is guarded by some of the strongest mercenaries in japan, how do you plan on breaking free?"
"hmm, I don't know, I'll have to improvise.. I'll make a way out."
Rakurai says before thinking to himself.
'If I can get that key from that guard, I can take him out and escape.'
Rakurai looks around the cellars analyzing each corner and thinks to himself.
"I got it!" Rakurai shouts as Yurinete would look with her eyes widened.
"Hmm?"
"Just watch and see.. guard! GUARD! GUARD!"
Rakurai takes his tanto from his boot and slits his wrist and screams in pain.
"HELP!...she's crazy, she's gonna kill me !"
A nearby guard hears all the noise Rakurai is making and comes to the cell and unlocks it then opens the door.
"Are you okay Rakurai??"
Rakurai smirks and kicks the guard on the chin, the guard was sent flying back into the wall knocked unconcious while Rakurai patches up his wrist he look over at Yurinete.
"Hey! you coming with me or not?"
Yurinete looked to the side then at Rakurai.
"I Don't care if I stay or go honestly, I have nothing to look forward to here because we wont escape she say."
Rakurai scoops the girl up and dashes out of the cellar.
"What are you doing?"
Rakurai smiles. "Saving your life, you can thank me later.. I think I had enough of the villain role. It's time to do the right thing and be the hero and take out the evil in this world, if you've got the ability to alter things for the better than why not and oh what's your name?"
Yurinete looks shocked as she hears Rakurai speak
"It's...Yurinete."
Yurinete looked at Rakurai
"I'm Rakurai but i'm sure you know that since that guy already said it."
Rakurai glanced down to see two guard coming towards the hallway.
"Hey, wanna play a game?" Rakurai says with a devious smirk on his face.
"What? A game at this time? You serious?"
Yurinete said in response.
"Mhm, it's called getting the most pie, in other words who ever takes out the most enemies wins, if you can't understand just watch and see."
Rakurai jumps and takes out both guards in a swift manuever.
he'd knee one guard behind the knee then elbows the pressure point on his neck then chops the other guard on the pressure point on his neck causing him to lose consciousness.
Yurinete looked in shock as she thought to herself
'How could any living person move that fast, I didn't see him attack and I'm in his arms.'
Yurinete then slid down from Rakurai's arms and quietly peaked around the corner.
"Rakurai, Ryoto is coming, I can see him, what do we do?"
Rakurai turned his back towards Yurinete and crouched down.
"game over, hop on."
Yurinete nods and jumps on to Rakurai's back. Rakurai would dash through the halls and out of Ryoto's castle, he was moving faster than the speed of lightning.
Yurinete was no amateur so she could handle the level of speed Rakurai was running at.
'So this is the type of potiental elites possess, if we make it out of this alive I hope to be this strong one day.'
Rakurai runs out to the balcony and jumps off the ledge of the castle and leaps from building to building until they make it into the forest.
Rakurai stopped running and looked back to see Yurinete sleeping, it was the first time she slept in weeks after being imprisoned.
"Wow you really fell asleep while I was running that fast, I'm impressed. anyways sleep well, your okay
with me."
Hours passed, it was now night time, Rakurai walked towards the beach and Yurinete wakes up.
"Hey, Yurinete. What island are you from?" Rakurai asks. "Kyoto, why?" Yurinete responds.
"I'm from Kyoto too and I planned on escaping and heading home after escaping tonight. there's an old man at the docks, he'll take you straight to Kyoto. So go home and be with your family and friends, don't come back to a place like this, ever."
Yurinete clences the collar of Rakurai's cloak.
"Why would you do such a thing? Why not come with me, why are you staying here?"
Yurinete asks.
Rakurai let's Yurinete down and then looks down at her before smiling.
"Well now that I thought about it, there's some unfinished business I have to handle here. I want to make sure I put a stop to what's going on here, I can't keep running from it."
Yurinete nods as she looks down.
"Understood, just make sure you don't die."
Rakurai nods after laughing. "I'll make sure of that and the docks are right on the shore of the beach, it's not to far from here, I'll return to Kyoto some day, we'll meet again someday."
Yurinete nods and looks away but when she looks back Rakurai vanished from her eye sight.
Yurinete found the old man and went home.
'I won't forget what you did for me Rakurai.' she'd say to herself after going to the docks and getting on the boat to return home safely. Rakurai gathers the rest of his strength to get back to town, he hasn't slept or ate in days despite only being locked up for a couple hours. Rakurai made it to town and got to the nearest house in town, he'd knock twice on the first door he seen before falling unconsious. Hemori ? Takanashi screams and say go check who is at the door Hemori opened the door and looked down to see Rakurai unconsious.
"Hey Takanashi it's that guy again!"
Takanashi responds "What guy what do he want?"
"Ummm.... I don't know, he looks... dead."
Takanashi comes to door and looks down and see its the kid who tried to kill him.
"hmm seems like he's unconscious, let's just let him rest for now."
"Are you just gonna let him lay here?" Hemori said
"Mm, I thought about it." Takanashi said while shrugging.
Takanshi grabs Rakurai by the ankle and pulls him inside the house, Rakurai would bump his head twice and opened an eye as he would speak "What's going on?"
"Shhh, shut up and go back to sleep idiot." Takanashi implied as Hemori closed the door.
Hemori went to the kitchen to finish cleaning and Takanashi layed Rakurai on the couch and let him rest for a while.
An hour passed and Rakurai gained consciouness.
"Hey, what happened? Where am I?" Rakurai would look around but no one was there.
Takanashi came from the backroom and stood behind the couch.
"Hell if you ever try that bull shit again ill kill you , why are you here anyways? who are you?"
Takanashi said in a protective tone.
Rakurai replied "I Told you I'm Rakurai...Rakurai Kekai, sorry. I mean you no harm and it wasn't my choice to kill you or try to, I had no other option.. my uncle murdered my father and took me captive, he made me his personal tool but i've had enough of that life, I want to do good and I want to be free while doing so."
Takanashi replies and crosses his arms "Why should I believe you? you could be trying to kill me again."
"But i'm not, it all really changed when I seen your sister, I just got this feeling that you two need each other, I can tell that you two aren't corrupt like majority of the people on this Island and I asked myself what right do I have to take you from her when I've had loved ones taken from me. she doesn't deserve that type of pain and neither do you. You don't know how much I risked by not following through. but as long as I listened to my uncle, things would only get worse and worse for me, you and the rest of the people on this Island. What are they planning anyways?"
Rakurai said as he looked down at the floor then at the palm of his hand.
Takanashi sat there for a minute taking in all Rakurai had said, his words seemed so familiar to Takanashi. "Okay, Okay. I believe you, and forgive you. But seriously, your uncle and his boss are planning to eliminate everyone they can't control and you were only making it easier for them. This Island and Kyoto are one of the only Island to not be completely captured by that shitty boss of your uncle's."
Rakurai nods.
"Hey what's your name again?"
Rakurai asked.
"Takanashi, Takanashi Homaru" Takanashi said as he looked over at Rakurai.
"Takanashi....I know we just met and i'm the one who was sent to kill you but you're different, I can tell. I know it's a lot to ask but will you help me protect Kasumigaseki, Kyoto and the rest of Japan."
"you're a strange kid, you know that. but what the hell, why not...I can't make any promises though, I can only do what I can, but if your gonna tag along with me and my kid sister you've gotta do your part, no freeloading allowed."
"Understood." Rakurai said as he'd stand up. "Hey where's the closest hot spring, I need to bath."
Rakurai asked "Yeah, there's one out back, Hemori knows where the fresh towels are so just ask her when your ready." Rakurai walks out back looking for Hemori and would go outside to do push ups until he can't any more. Meanwhile Hemori gets his towels ready as he finishes his exercise.
"Here Rakurai."
"Oh- thanks."
Rakurai took the towels and went out back removing his clothes as Hemori would watch in secret.
Rakurai turned his back towards Hemori causing her to see the scars on his back and body.
'How much has he endured...' she'd ask herself before being cut off by Takanashi.
"What are you doing? peeping on the new guy? pshhh and you call me the pervy one. Anyways tomorrow we have a long day ahead of us, so be prepared."
Takanashi shakes his head and chuckles lightly before walking off and going to his room to sleep for the night.
Rakurai finishes bathing and puts on his sleep attire then sat on the couch. Hemori looked over at Rakurai from a distance then went to her room to sleep for the night.
Rakurai looked at the ceiling while thinking to himself.
'Things aren't exactly great on this island but i'm free now and one step closer to achieving my goals...If I were to give up, I'd never prevail. I strive to protect every innocent person in japan with everything I have, until the day I die, but I can't do that if i'm contained, or without getting stronger...so, I'll never give up, no matter what!'
he'd reach up towards the ceiling and clenched his fist while looking at it before falling asleep for the night.
[End Of Chapter]
(To Be Continued..)