Japan
1183
Genpei War
The two major clans of Japan, Minamoto and Taira, were at war for control of Japan. The Taira Clan had recently begun ruling after a coup d'état. Consequently, some clans opposed their authority. The Minamoto clan, which was wiped out by the Taira 20 years prior in an attempt for power, sought revenge against them, hence the Genpei War. Now—at the height of the war, a skillful and tenacious sister duo has made a name for themselves as great warriors for the Minamoto—some compared them to deities.
"This is a suicide mission, sister!" responded Naku, her voice echoing around the camp, "Is the Shogun trying to lose the war?! To send only 300 samurai to battle against the Taira Clan's 600 is the decision of a madman!"
Tomoe, predictably, answered calmly, "Naku, we can not defy the Shogun's orders. That itself would be taking our own life. And besides, I would rather die at the hands of the enemy than the blade of a comrade."
"Bu-t what if-" Naku began to rebuttal, but was cut off,
"This is war, sister! This is not something that can be negotiated." Naku's last sparks were extinguished by Tomoe, "Now alert the men and prepare for battle, there is no time to be standing around."
"Yes, Commander…" Naku's voice slowly trailed off after realizing yet another defeat. She started to leisurely walk over to the camps. The salty ocean air flooded her lungs when she opened the creaky door. The sunshine showered her body; Naku then saw growing clouds brewing in the distance. It seems this was only the calm before the storm.
"One day you will be taking my orders," thought Naku sinisterly.
Since they were little, Naku and Tomoe were always arguing. Tomoe, the older sister by four years, was always calm and stern with people but was generally liked by her peers. However, as the older sister, she made sure Naku was kept in check. Naku was the "little sister", although at 22 years old not much separated the two physically. She was easily angered and not very personable compared to her sister. Hence, her inability to form friendships or gain any form of popularity. However, this does not mean Naku did not want to be like her sister, who was not just popular but also a fantastic martial artist and swordswoman. So from a young age, Naku chose to chase after her sister's trail of glory. She has now become her right-hand man, feeling closer than ever to achieving her goal.
"Lieutenant Minamoto and Lieutenant Toyoharu, rally the men in front of the campfire," Naku barked at the two remaining lieutenants. They had suffered many casualties and the morale throughout the soldiers was grim. Naku continued, "and tell the pigs that we are headed for battle."
"B-attle?" questioned Lieutenant Toyoharu with fear lingering in his voice.
"On Shogun Minamoto's command," replied Naku flatly.
"I guess the senile old man has finally lost his marbles," added Lieutenant Minamoto.
He was a son of the Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo but was still a fantastic warrior, due to his father's belief in not handing out titles. However, this strict ideology left few high-ranking officers, each one was equal, at the lowest, to 20 Taira Clan men, with some Commanders commonly called "one-man armies".
A wave of footsteps approached the common area. Once they were settled Naku informed the men of the situation, "We have been given orders to engage the Taira Clan one kilometer northwest of here at the Minamiechizen Crossroads. Prepare for combat at once!" a murmur went through the crowd.
Hyuchi was a crucial holding point for the Minamoto Clan due to it neighboring a large port. Additionally, it was the last town in the Ishikawa trading path that led to southern Japan.
A samurai cried out, "Commander Gozen, this is impossible! We have only just gotten out of a bloody battle in which we suffered many casualties!" The soldiers bobbed their heads in agreement.
"THIS IS A TURNING POINT IN THE WAR YOU INSOLENT BULLS!" Naku hastily screamed back, asserting her dominance over them, "IF WE WIN THIS BATTLE, CONTROL OF JAPAN WILL BE CERTAIN FOR THE MINAMOTO CLAN!"
Naku continued to bellow at her underlings, "AND TO ASSUME, that the great warriors that stand before me would be beaten by swordsmen comparable to farmers is a disgrace to our ancestors!" These words stung Naku as she knew herself that this would be many's final battle. It would be strategically an unattainable victory, even with their superior skill.
"Now prepare for battle and ready any remaining horses," ordered Naku at the unsure men.
"Those barefaced rats... stupid obscene rats… dumb stupid rats..." muttered Naku crazily as she hurried back to the Commander quarters.
They were stationed in a small abandoned town and naturally the only intact house was given to the highest-ranking officers. Tomoe was already putting on her armor when she entered the cabin, "Sister, there is no need to yell at them that much, it could affect their morale," chided Tomoe.
"Not all of us can be as great as you "Goddess of War"," snapped Naku sarcastically, walking over to her armor stand across the small room.
There was a lack of metal workers due to the war; her armor was dented and badly scratched accordingly. Naku wore mostly traditional gear except for her headgear, a devil's mouth mask and a low-cut helmet. She eyed each dent; every one had a distinct memory of the man she killed after she was hit. The comforting scrape of Tomoe sharpening her katana snapped Naku back into putting on her gear. The sound reminded her that she had survived to see another battle, which was rare in a time of war. A time in which she had seen many beloved friends die in front of her own eyes. In those moments she felt powerless but felt powerful when ending another's dream herself. As she put on her final piece of armor, her signature devil mouth mask, Naku fingered the scars under her eyes. She let out a long sigh, "Maybe it is preposterous… to repay these scars…"
She was no longer "Naku" — she was now The Crying Demon of the Minamoto Clan. Only her fiendish blue eyes glowed past her mask.
"I'm going to go prepare my horse. Don't forget your weapon, you might need it," Tomoe snickered.
Naku grabbed her wakizashi sword, which had a red finish from blood, "I'm off to battle, mother, father," whispered Naku, gazing at a little family picture she had in her pocket at all times. Maybe even a demon has a soft spot for family.
"It seems the snowstorm is growing closer, Commander,"
Naku jumped a little, "You can't keep scaring me Lieutenant Toyoharu or I might accidentally leave you headless,"
"No disrespect Commander, I've been practicing and I think my sword skills could rival yours," taunted Lieutenant Toyoharu.
Faster than Raijin, Naku's sword was at the throat of the Lieutenant.
"I would respectfully disagree…Lieutenant," warned Naku, withdrawing her sword.
"It seems you are still unrivaled," chuckled the frightened Lieutenant.
The two hustled over to a distraught horse pen to saddle up. They had lost 25 out of 30 horses in their last battle so only the high ranking officers and a navigator could ride.
A lowly samurai approached them outside the pen,"Commander Naku, Lieutenant, please mount and ride to the commons for Commander Gozen briefing," pointing at the two remaining horses.
Naku nodded and swiftly jumped on to the muscular beast, and trotted to the common, Lieutenant Toyoharu trailing.
Tomoe was finishing up when they arrived, "... if we stay strong and move quickly through their lines, it should be like deer to the slaughter." That was another thing that made Naku very jealous, Tomoe's ability to rally the troops. Naku was never able to give people the confidence to fight, she was always mean or too befuddling to make that connection to her soldiers.
"Look who decided to show up," Tomoe taunted, "I thought maybe I was going to take all their heads myself!" The crowd of bruteful men erupted in laughter, mortifying Naku.
"QUIET DOWN YOU INSOLENT BULLS! GIVE THE COMMANDER RESPECT!" Screamed back Tomoe in response to the men, much to Naku's delight.
"Insolent bulls… I guess she really is my sister," thought a grateful Naku.
Naku joined in, "We are departing now! Follow The Commander and I"
The two galloped towards the mountains. They were set to intercept them at the Minamiechizen Crossroads, which were known for bandits due to the fact that it was located in a thickly wooded mountain range. Naku and her men would use the woods to their advantage and take the enemy by surprise as well as to slow the progress of the cavalry. That was the idea at least. Naku was not very interested in the fight at hand though, "What beautiful mountains," she thought. The sway of the trees and crashing of nearby waves put her in a trance, only to be broken by the call of Tomoe, "Halt at the path entrance men!"
"We will sneak through the trees and locate the enemy!" ordered Naku.
The army began the trek through the woods, crouched and silent, only the clatter of armor was heard among the 300 samurai. Snow started to fall. It came so quickly and so thick that visibility was limited, especially in the woods. Naku could hear the faintest clatter in the distance, "Men, stop at this field!"
"What is it, sister?" questioned Tomoe.
"I hear them… the approaching swords that these samurai dread so greatly" said Naku coldly.
Across the field, a man was seen, then many, then many more. Out of the snow, thousands of samurai stood forth from Naku and Tomoe. Leading them, what appeared to be commanders, 3 gargantuan men.
"I-impossible…" muttered a distraught Naku, "It's like the trees around us have become our enemies"
"I count 1,000 samurai … Commander, we cannot fight, I-I have a family to return to…" Lieutenant Toyoharu began to cry, "I DON'T WANT TO DIE, PLEASE!" The once brave soldier dropped to his knees in despair. Many soldiers followed the lieutenant's lead,
"God, please, why!"
"I have so much more to live for!"
"Please tell my wife I love her…"
Soldiers all around Naku were falling.
Tomoe sung out to her men, "You can not give up when the battle has not started,"
"We shall fight, and we shall win" she floated over to the Lieutenant like a divine being.
"Understood?" Tomoe tilted the head of Toyoharu up and smiled.
"She is truly a goddess," thought Naku.
"Naku, it's time to meet with there commanders," Tomoe called out to Naku, "Be prepared for them to ask for our surrender, naturally we won't accept"
They trotted between the two armies to meet the commanders. To make matters worse, their adversaries were the famous three giants of the Taira clan, Asakura, Miyoshi, and Shugo Taira. The three were enormous in stature and were nearly double the size of Naku. Behind them were seven Lieutenants.
"Oh, it looks like the little girls have finally come out to play, or did you just finish cooking?" greeted Shugo Taira. He held a massive spiked club, "We would kindly ask you to surrender and come with us, don't worry we'll be gentle," snorted the rotund man with a menacing look in his deep brown eyes.
"You did ask quite nicely, unfortunately we don't intend to surrender," responded Naku, clenching her sword's hilt and grinding her teeth.
"To enter a fight knowing that death awaits—I applaud such bravery," added Asakura cockily.
He was the most respectful out of the three, nevertheless, he was still not very polite. As a result of his quieter mysterious persona and his good looks, he was quite popular with the ladies. He was admittedly attractive but such arrogance disgusted Naku. Asakura was not round like Shugo but made up for it with his incredible height.
"Brother, why are you so kind to mere maids?" Miyoshi joined in, "Shugo, I think I should finish them off here. A polite man wouldn't want fine ladies to go through the trouble of fighting—would we?" a nefarious fox-like smirk spread across his face. Miyoshi was Asakura's twin, yet his personality was crude compared to his.
"Don't bother, commander."
A man came out of the crowd of lieutenants,
"I, Lieutenant Masamune, will end the tale of the so-called "Crying Demon"," announced the Lieutenant. He was of similar stature to Commander Shugo, but most definitely not as skilled.
Naku began to giggle, then laugh, then cry at his challenge.
"Me? Be beaten by you?" she continued to howl.
"I wouldn't be laughing for somebody that can't get their own scars," said Masamune in a low voice,
"I've heard rumors that your sister gave them to you"
Naku was dead silent.
"That she was fed up with your BS and tried to cut you down," a murmur went through the lieutenants.
A knot in Naku's stomach turned. What he was saying was the painful truth. When the girls were little they would always practice sword fights. One day Tomoe was outraged after Naku asked repeatedly to fight her with real swords. She finally gave in to Naku's request. Naku was brutally defeated. At the end Tomoe gave Naku two scars under her eyes, "Naku, until you can repay me these scars, you will always be the little sister,"
Her entire life she has trained to repay the favor; One thing was certain, she was not going to die to this man before she can fulfill her goal.
Naku calmly unsheathed her sword and set herself in a fighting stance, "I will give you five seconds to say your final prayers," she warned.
5
Naku walked towards her enemy.
"Five seconds to say my prayers? I will be the one sending you to the afterlife!" Masamune countered.
4
Naku's walk turned into a run. The wind and snow whistled past her face; The steel hilt felt cold in her hand.
"And me, a man beaten by a woman is a preposterous idea!"
3
She shifted her body weight onto her right shoulder.
"Wait—Wait! I haven't gotten ready! Women are always trying for an unfair advantage!" He went into a clumsy fighting stance.
2
He called out to Tomoe, "Tell her family she died to Masamune the gallant!"
"FOR THE TAIRA!" The hefty man took a swing at Naku's mid-section.
As graceful as the snowflakes that followed, Naku dodged under the club.
"One," whispered Naku in the lieutenant's ear as his head fell to the ground.
Her blade was crimson once again; She sheathed her sword.
"Ho oh! The girl has some skill!" announced a surprised Shugo.
A Lieutenant ran to catch Masamune's body.
"My Brother! How could you have done this to my brother!" he started to bawl. "He was supposed to bring glory to our family!"
The unknown lieutenant continued to sob, "He promised father land and wealth once we became commanders…" his body slumped over his brothers in devastation.
He shot Naku a look of disdain, "YOU!—YOU! DID THIS!"
"Here comes another one"
Naku grabbed the throwing knife at her hip. Her arm cocked back.
"In the name of my brother, I, Haruto Masamune, will kill yo-,"
The salty taste of blood flooded his mouth before he hit the ground. Haruto's armor made a vociferous clatter.
"Who's next?" asked Naku menacingly.
The lieutenants slowly backed away.
"I thought I would put him out of his misery," retorted Naku, "The bloodline didn't have much hope," she walked over to grab the knife before shutting his shocked eyes.
Haruto and Kikkawa's blood painted the snow red; The first stroke in the painting.
Miyoshi let out a long whistle. "Wow, what a show! Looks like the little girl can dance!"
"Brothers, I think we should sit back and watch the show. These girls can put on a circus act for us!"
The commanders retreated back to their respective armies. The snowstorm had mostly subsided, but there were more clouds in the distance. Lieutenant Toyoharu and Minamoto centered themselves during Naku's battles and rallied the troops.
"Men, we do not have the numbers," Tomoe started a pre-battle speech, "We have pride, we have skill, we have our ancestors,"
"SO FIGHT TO WIN, NOT TO DIE!" The samurai let out hopeful cries in response.
"She has done it again," thought Naku.
"Naku and I will lead you on foot with the horses following us," continued Tomeo.
"TO BATTLE!"
The two armies started to run to each other, both confident in victory. But there cannot be two victorious.
"I will be the hero, I will end their story,"
The sea of samurai collided, thunderous clashing of swords were heard for miles.
"I will be victorious, just watch me Tomoe," thought Naku as she skewered an enemy's throat, the blood showering her face.
The duo were a well oiled machine when it came to fighting. It was as if they were dancing through the crowd. When they were pushed back-to-back they were even more dangerous; together they made the ultimate weapon.
In the span of 15 minutes, Naku and Tomoe had taken out 150 samurai. Their own armies' numbers were dwindling as a result of the enemy's overwhelming numbers. The Minamoto Clan's samurai were highly skilled compared to the Taira; most convoys would have been decimated instantaneously.
Then the snow came again. Thicker than the last. With the snow the commanders and lieutenants appeared on the battlefield.
Shugo appeared from the red and white storm, "You put on quite the act!"
"Not to crash the party, but we sadly have to stop you here," declared Asakura.
"Lieutenants, take out The Crying Demon and Asakura and Hiyoshi will take Commander Gozen," ordered Shugo Taira,"I'll sit back and watch the final act. If they kill all of you they might as well have the war!" his grotesque stomach jiggled when he walked away.
"Finally a real test," thought Naku, panting to catch her breath.
"Naku—stay sharp—don't let your g-guard down," reminded Tomoe between breaths. Naturally, the fighting had fatigued the sisters. It would be an uphill battle from here.
"W-worry about yourself, Tomoe," responded Naku. Tomoe smiled at her, not out of joy, but fear. Sometimes, the "goddess of war" gets nervous too.
The lieutenants surrounded Naku; she situated herself in an open position in case of an attack from all sides.
Asakura stepped forward heroically, the wind blowing in his hair. "Hiyoshi, do not unsheath your sword, I will handle this,"
"What an insufferable ****," thought Naku. She had encountered many man like him as one of the few onna-bugeisha. The men around her started to close in.
Naku composed herself, "Five against one, not bad odds."
"Fellow Samurai, we shall cut them down in the name of Taira no Kiyomori!" Asakura's battle cry reverberated throughout the battlefield.
The whole battlefield went still for Naku; each step the enemy took and each swing they did came clearer than day. Her focus was locked, and her sword was sharp. Steamed rolled from her mask. The demon was on the hunt.
Faster than a hare, She ran at the two lientents in front of her, deflecting their swings with her sword across her body. To their disbelief, they collided with their comrades, who were unfortunately mid-swing. The heads of their comrades rolled to the side.
"Two gone, three to go," thought Naku.
"ADASHI, CHIBA!" The lieutenants cried out their comrades' names. They had drunk together, grown together, fought together, they were a war family. And they had killed them.
Simultaneously, they turned their swords towards themselves. "We do not deserve to fight for their revenge because we were the ones to have killed them."
The only weapon sharper than a katana is one's pride.
"We will be seeing you shortly, my brothers."
With a booming bang, their bodies were pummeled with Shugo's club and thrown across the field, "THERE IS NO PLACE FOR USELESS RATS IN THIS ARMY!"
"YOU!" Shugo pointed at the remaining lieutenant. "DO SOMETHING OR I'LL KILL YOU IN YOMI!"
Naku glanced over at Tomoe, who had taken out Asakura and was now fighting Hiyoshi. A sudden look of sadness fell upon Shugo's face when he followed Naku's eyes to Asakura's inanimate body.
"He was always a little over confident…" muttered Shugo.
Naku saw that Tomoe's movements become slow with fatigue; she knew that she would have to help her sister and finish off this lieutenant. Even so, they would still have to defeat Shugo. Naku shifted her attention to the enemy at hand. She shifted her body to the right and began to run at him. He swung although it was futile. His body fell like many others, blood oozing from his chest.
"Too slow," taunted Naku, though she might be the one too late.
By the time Naku had killed the lieutenant, Hiyoshi had knocked Tomoe to her knees. On her final leg, Tomoe desperately blocked his swings.
"Don't die sister, hold on," thought Naku as she started to run over. Before, Hiyoshi's final swing, Naku kicked him out of the way of Tomoe, shattering his ribs.
Tomoe was hacking after receiving many blows to her stomach. "T-thank *cough* you, Naku"
Naku winked. "Thank me after the war."
Shugo appeared from the worsening storm. "Ho, Ho, well I'm quite surprised," he chuckled, "I didn't think I would have to come out and play!"
Naku faltered to her feet. "Still think I'm a kitchen maid?"
"Well, you have to be skilled with knives to be one," Shugo cackled from his own joke.
So fatigued from the battle, Naku could not run at Shugo, she could only wait and counter him.
"HERE I COME, DEMON!" yelled Shugo, the ground underneath him shaking with each step. What felt like the power of a thousand bulls, his club came down on Naku after her sword was shattered from the impact.
"One swing was all it took, haha!" Shugo skipped away in delight.
"Naku! Are you alright!?!" yelled Tomoe.
Naku groaned in agony. She staggered to her feet, her left arm broken and many ribs shattered; she could barely breathe.
"Come back, you fat bastard!"
"Oh, she still has a little fight left," mocked Shugo.
"You're just so desperate for me to kill you! He He!"
"I can't die here," thought Naku.
"I must find a way to kill him"
Naku drew the knife at her hip. She mustered all of her remaining strength and held the knife in front of her. The storm winds felt like they blew harder than ever before. She began to run. She didn't know what for. Maybe for her sister? Maybe for the Clan? But all she could do was run. She felt no purpose in each step. Shugo swung. Shugo hit. Naku swung. Naku's knife sank into his fatty flesh. She had taken a direct hit to the heart. As she flew through the air she saw Shugo's body go limp. Naku smiled.
"I am the hero," thought Naku.
"I killed him"
Maybe it was death at the doorstep, but Naku felt empty. She won. She accomplished her dream. But what for? For her own glory? Only a man would do something so silly!
"NAKU!!!" Tomoe's blood-curdling scream was heard for centuries.
Naku mouthed Tomoe her final words " Be well, sister."
Naku smiled. She had protected what she loved most.
"I'm coming, mom and dad."