As Kaiza drove down the road, he started to tilt, he brought an empty Contract Card down to Blazing Hound.
"Contract Card created Hellfire Shield." Hell's Access chimed.
"Kaiza, if you had the idea of creating a shield, you should have used it during your fight." Sora complained.
Kaiza said nothing, he let Blazing Hell take command of driving, he gripped Sora's left hand with his, bringing the new Contract Card down to Hell's Access, removing the belt and putting it against her waist.
"Contract Card: Hellfire Shield." The Device chimed.
He took control of Blazing Hound once more, then spoke.
"Forgive me."
"For what?" Sora asked.
He pushed her off Blazing Hound, as a slab of a building fell onto the front of Blazing Hound, as it proceeded to crash, knocking him into the air, as he hit a window, breaking through.
"Kaiza!" Sora yelled.
She got up, going over to him, shaking him, trying to wake him.
"Kaiza wake up, please wake up!" She yelled.
Kaiza started to black out
Once Kaiza opened his eyes, he was playing Hide and Seek, with some of his friends from the Orphanage, they didn't like him being the seeker or hider because he was too good.
After ten minutes he found everyone, it was his turn to hide, he decided to sneak into Sora's room.
"Having fun?" She asked.
"Not much, this is easy." Kaiza replied.
"I wish I could play, but my parent's abuse left my body fragile." She said,
Kaiza walked over to her, giving her a cookie, sitting down next to her.
"Well you're looking better, you're also talking more."
"That's all thanks to you, you have been coming here every day for the past two months."
"I did promise you that I would protect you and so I have."
She smiled, then her eyes widened, seeing Kaiza had leaned close to her, pecking her on the lips, with his own.
"I'm going to kill you Kaiza!" Sora yelled.
Kaiza got up, running away laughing, Sora got up out of bed and chased after him.
"Kids no ... Director come quickly!" The Nurse yelled.
"What is it?" The Director said, coming into the hallway. "Dear god."
Sora tackled Kaiza, starting to beat him with weak punches, and the Nurse pulled her off.
"Miss Ichidaime, you're up and walking." The Director said.
She looked down wide eyed, straightened herself, then took a few more steps.
"I-I'm walking." She said, with tears in her eyes.
She started to laugh, as she continued to cry, Kaiza got up, walking over to her, hugging her. She hugged back, Kaiza brought up his right hand, then started rubbing her head.
"Thank you Kaiza." Sora said, softly.
"You're welcome, Sora." Kaiza replied.
Everything went black.
Kaiza woke up, looking around, he felt something under his right hand, he looked down to see Sora asleep, with his hand on her head.
He rubbed her head, Sora smiled in her sleep, then she spoke.
"I love you Kaiza, don't die."
Not until you're safe He thought.
He got up slowly, trying not to wake Sora, as he slipped out of bed, he looked at his back, it was heavily bandaged, the device on his chest was also bandaged and he could feel stitches.
He took a loose shirt off the desk next to him, he put it on, then walked out of the room, there were people running around taking care of different injured people.
He walked up to an officer then spoke.
"How long has it been since I was found?"
The Officer looked surprised then spoke.
"Almost 3 days, your little friend has been by your side since then."
"Well that is like her."
"Should you even be up?"
"I'm fine for now, plus I'm not one person to stay still."
"Well you were in prison for some time."
"How did that last?"
"Good point."
"So please give me a run down of what has happened?"
"Well more monsters are swarming in each day, that dragon-like creature still has yet to move, but is stopping any attack coming through. An organization called the New Samurai, has been taking out the monsters."
Kaiza nodded as he was given the information.
"Your vehicle is in repair, it needs a lot of work, a slab of a building did fall onto it."
"What about that other rider, I think the creature called himself Ripa?"
"No signs since he took one of our officers."
"I see, then please bring me to this New Samurai Organization."
The Officer nodded, taking Kaiza to them.
Some unknown location
Hikari woke up, she expected to be tied to a chair, but she was in a soft bed, she got up checking if she still had her clothes on, finding them still intact and decided on trying to sneak out of the place.
"Hikari, where are you going?" A voice asked.
Hikari jumped then looked back, seeing a cloaked figure walking down the stairs.
"What do you want with me?" Hikari asked. "To kill me for fun?"
He walked up to her, raising his right arm, she flinched, feeling a warm human hand rub the top of her head.
She opened her eyes, seeing a human arm.
"I could never kill you, my love." Ripa said.
"Y-Your love?" She replied.
He removed his hand, walking toward a window peering out, through the dark hood.
"What is your name?" Ripa asked.
"Hikari." She said, bluntly.
"Your full name." Ripa said.
"You're quite rude, at least tell me your name first." Hikari said.
"I'm sorry, it has been quite a long time since I have used my real name." Ripa said. "But if I want to know my name, I'll tell you. It was Akumu Kage."
"Nightmare Shadow, fitting." She said, then sighed. "Mine is Shi Hikari, a great joke from my family."
"Death Light?" Akumu asked.
"Yep, but you called me Daishi?" She asked.
"Daishi Hikari, Fourth Light." Akumu said. "The Fourth Princess, of the Hikari Royal Family, over 833 years ago, during Feudal Japan and my one true love."
833 Years Ago
"After that man!" A Guard yelled.
Loud shouting filled the halls of the estate, as guards chased a man dressed in dark clothing, the man dodged and weaved past guards and staff.
He rounded a corner bumping into a young woman, knocking her over.
"Watch where you're going you idiot, I'm princess Daishi Hikari, I could have you hanged!" Hikari yelled.
She saw sharp grey eyes glaring back at her, more shouting came, they pulled up the girl, pulling a knife out, holding it to her throat.
"Quick he has the princess!" A Guard yelled.
The Man walked backwards, bumping into a wall, he found a window, he pushed the Princess toward the guards jumping out, a Guard located on one of the estate roofs, nocked an arrow, firing it and hitting the man in the back. The Guards and the Princess watched the man go limp as he collided onto a nearby roof.
An unknown amount of time went by, the man woke inside a cell, slowly getting up to his knees, his body still wasn't fully responding due to the arrow to the back, he gripped the bars and shocked them.
"Hey, let me the hell out of here!" The man yelled.
"Shut up you thief!" A Guard yelled.
"I'm not a thief!" The Man yelled again.
An old looking man, guarded by several guards, walked up to the cell.
"My King, Sir!" A Guard said. "You have no need to be here."
"If you're not a thief, then why did you try to steal the family rings from the royal chamber?" King Hikari asked.
Princess Hikari had snuck in, while staying behind a wall, listening to the conversation.
"They don't belong to the Royal Family, you people stole them from my family years ago!" The man yelled.
"So you're part of the Kage clan?" The King said. "The more reason to kill you and not let you go."
"You monster, you rule over the people with fear." The man yelled louder.
"One must use fear, otherwise people will rise up to take what is rightfully mine." The King said.
The King left with his Guards laughing madly, while the man yelled, shaking the bars hard, then fell onto the ground.
The princess walked up to the cell, then spoke.
"I never knew my father was like that."
The man looked up at him, with his mask gone, but very little light, the princess could see his face better, he had white hair, a slim face and what looked like grey eyes.
"What do you want, come to laugh at my pain, oh Princess of Light." He said, laughing at his own predicament.
"No. I came here to treat your wound." She said.
The man finally felt the pain from the arrow wound, his adrenaline finally died down and he let out a howl of pain.
She unlocks the door, walking in, removing part of the man's shirt, treating his wound.
"Hey! You know I can take you hostage to get back my family rings." He said.
"I know, but I could sneak them one by one instead." She said.
He went quiet then asked.
"What is your name?"
"How rude a man, say their name first." She said.
"Akumu Kage" Akumu said.
"Daishi Hikari." Hikari said.
"So are there three other sisters?" Akumu asked. "Since your name means Fourth Light."
"Yes, but they would rather be more like royal princesses." Hikari said. "I find it very boring."
"I see, so this is why you're willing to help me?" Akumu asked.
She nodded, finishing up her work on his wound, sitting down.
"What is the Kage Clan like?" Hikari asked.
He looked at her, with a confusing look, then spoke.
"They protect their own clan, but will protect those ones that need help."
Hikari nodded.
"I should be going, I will try to find a way to gain your family rings."
She got up and left.
"Jeez that will never happen."
An unknown amount of time passed as guards changed the lighting in the corridor a couple of times, Akumu counted at least two changes, so it has been about six days since he last saw Hikari, Akumu slumped on the ground, hungry and thirsty.
The creaking of the door to the cell creaked open, Akumu looked up, he could barely see who it was. The person knelt down, starting to talk, it took some time for Akumu to understand them.
"Akumu woke up." Someone whispered.
Akumu's eyes adjusted, he noticed two cloaked people in his room.
"Brother, we have come to set you free." The closest one said.
The other knelt down, as they both wrapped Akumu's arms around their necks, pulling him up to his feet, they pulled him out of the cell. But with lack of movement for who knows how long, Akumu's feet half walked and half stumbled his way out. Hikari was walking through the corridor, she saw the group going through the hall, one of the men let go of Akumu, lounging forward grabbing her by the throat, pressing her against the wall, to keep her from screaming.
"Tero leave her be, she has been taking care of me since I have been here." Akumu said weakly.
Tero let go of her, then, she took a couple gasps of air, then looked at them and asked.
"Who are these people?"
"Tero and Goshikku." Akumu said, breathing faintly. "They are my clan brothers."
She looks at all of them, sliding open part of her gown, reaching in, then pulls out a small box.
"Is that?" Akumu asked.
Hikari nodded and spoke. "Yes it is your family rings."
Tero's eyes widened, as he took hold of them.
"We were able to retrieve both Akumu and the Family ..." Before Goshikku could finish, there was the sound of something going through meat.
He looked down, seeing an arrow sticking out through his heart. His skin became pale white, as he slowly bled out, he soon fell to the ground dead.
Tero caught Akumu before he fell, Akumu took a hold of the box, forcing himself out of the tunnel with Tero's help. Loud shouting echoed through the quiet tunnels, as Hikari helped the two escape. Akumu opened the box, taking one of the rings out, popping it into his mouth, forcing himself to swallow it.
As they broke through the door ahead, Tero was struck in the chest by five arrows, from the guards ahead of them. Akumu took hold of Hikari, jumping out the building, using his already weak body to keep her safe.
He had already swallowed the second ring, Hikari pulled him up to his feet, dragging him through the castle grounds. Arrows whizzed by them, as Akumu proceeded to forcefully swallow the third ring.
"Why are you doing that?" Hikari asked.
"Only way for them to obtain them now is through my death." Akumu said.
"But they will lose their value."
"That's the point."
An arrow pierced through Akumu's left side, he stifled a scream, Hikari pulled him through buildings.
"Akumu, this is weird to say but I think I love you, this is the most fun that I have had in my life. We only had a short time together, but you have changed my boring life." Hikari said. "I'm glad I got to meet you, before I'm killed for doing this."
Hikari leaned forward giving Akumu a deep kiss on the lips. Akumu was a little stunned, but returned the kiss, he felt Hikari smile briefly, then push him back.
"Our first and last kiss." Hikari said. "I wished this would last forever."
"I'd say the same thing, but we will most likely not live past this day."
"Yeah you're right."
An arrow pierced through Hikari's right leg, Akumu covered her mouth from screaming out. Akumu lifted her up, carrying her bridal style, has he proceeded to run threw the courtyard, as more arrows, whizzed past then, until Akumu's heads lurched back, taking several arrows, to the back, he lost his footing as they down a couple of stairs. Akumu weakly brought the last ring to his mouth, forcibly swallowing it.
Guards ran up to both of them knocking them out. Once Akumu came to, he was tied to something, he had a sack covering his head, he heard the sound of people. The ground under him creaked, as someone walked up to him, pulling the sack from his head.
He closed his eyes letting them get adjusted, once he opened his eyes he saw the townspeople gathered, looking his way. Akumu looked around, seeing he was tied to a post, he saw Hikari tied next to him, with a fearful look in her eyes.
The King walked up and spoke.
"This man here, broke into the royal palace, to steal the royal family rings that we have had in my family for generations."
"Lies tell them, your fore father's stole the rings from this man ..." Hikari said, until she was slapped by her father.
"You don't not talk back to your King like that." The King said.
"Your king?" Akumu said. "Guess you don't care for her as a daughter."
"I don't, she was the worst child that I have, I wished you killed her, to get her out of my life for good."
People started to talk.
"Silence, I am your king."
"People who don't care for their daughter, are no king."
The King's eyes went bloodshot, he raised right hand, as from the corner of Akumu's eye, he saw a guard notching a fire arrow, as he let go, it sailed into the sky, hitting the kindling under Hikari's pole.
She screamed, starting to stomp it out to no avail.
"You monster, you have no right to rule!" Akumu shouted.
"Silence, no give me back the rings." The King said.
"I have swallowed them, the only way to get them is through my death." Akumu replied, grinning at the angered King.
The King raised his hand, as five more guards nocked flaming arrows, launching them.
"With pleasure." The King said, with a gleeful grin.
He shot his hand forward, sending word for the arrows to release, the arrows lit the kindling around Akumu and Hikari's poles. Hikari's dress had already caught fire as she started to cry, looking toward Akumu.
"I love you so much, even though our time was too short to fall in love, I was happy to be with you." Hikari said, then started to scream from the strong fire.
"I will fucking kill you, even if it means my death." Akumu roared.
The fire's heat became strong, as he started to burn, but something was different, he felt a belly feeling in the pit of his stomach. Someone from the audience screamed, seeing Akumu skin, meat and everything else on him fall off his body.
Akumu continued to roar, ripping his bounds, making his way toward the king. Arrows hit Akumu's new corpse-like body, but he continued making his way toward the king. Ripping an arrow out of his chest, as the only thing that remained on Akumu was bones, he gripped the king by his throat with left hand, lifting him up, smashed the arrow in and out of his heart for a good minute, dropping the king's corpse on the ground.
Akumu walked over the Hikari's corpse, picking up her charred body, knelt down ripping his missing stomach open, removing the rings, walking his way out of the courtyard, the guards did nothing to stop him, they were too terrified to move from their spot.
After a long walk, he made it back to his village, the guards stopped him, he handed the guards the rings, they looked at him.
"Tell the chief, I'm back." Akumu said.
They left, as he made his way toward the Chief's Hut, moving down to get on his knees, laying Hikari's charred in front of him. The flap of the hut opened as the Chief walked in, looking at the skeleton and the charred corpse, but said nothing and sat down in front of them.
"Welcome back Akumu, it's good to see you, um here." The Chief said.
"Thank you Sir." Akumu said, bowing.
"Who is she?"
"She was the fourth Princess of the Hikari family." Akumu said. "She saved me, along with Tero and Goshikku, but all lost their lives."
"So we lost them, what of the King?"
"Dead."
The Chief nodded and spoke.
"I see you were able to retrieve the rings, but it seems to have a side effect."
Akumu looked down and spoke.
"Yeah."
"How are you even able to speak, without a voice box?"
"I have no clue, but I'm pretty sure there is no way to get back."
"I see, what will you do now?"
"I guess journey the world, please bury her, in my grave."
The Chief nodded, Akumu leaned down, laying his forehead against Hikari's charred forehead, Akumu then stood up, taking a cloak.
"Good bye, Chief." He said.
"Good bye, Akumu." The Chief said.
Akumu turned around and left.
Present Day
Akumu and Hikari were sitting at a table, Hikari was drinking coffee, and listening.
"So you basically became the Grim Reaper of the world, now with the village rings back, you become a Warrior?" Hikari asked. "How did you know where they were and how they could do it?"
"It's because I gave them the blueprints to create it." Akumu said.
"Oh I see, um how is your hand human?" Hikari asked.
"That is because I have saved enough energy from the rings to obtain my original form." Akumu said.
"Oh, can I see?" Hikari asked.
He looked at her, then moved his hands up, pulling the hood back, revealing a thin handsome man, with short silver hair.
"You're so handsome." Hikari said.
"Thanks, so what will you do, leave or stay?" Akumu asked.
"For now, I will stay." She said.
"Are you sure about this?" Akumu asked.
Hikari nodded softly, sipping her coffee, then spoke once again.
"I'm terrified, things are changing so fast, but you don't seem to be lying."
"If it wasn't for that one guy, we wouldn't even be in this mess!" Akumu said aloud.
"He is a criminal." Hikari said.
"Then it is even better than taking him out now!" Akumu said aloud once again.
"I don't think that is right, I don't think it is his fault at all, have you ever spoken to him on these matters?" Hikari asked.
"Why would I need to?" Akumu asked.
Hikari stood up, walking over to him, wrapping her arms around his head, holding it against his chest.
"Everyone has room for change, if those around them can't help, then what is there for someone to grow without help?" Hikari asked.
Akumu said nothing, but gripped onto her shirt a bit.
"You of all people should know, things can change for people." Hikari said softly.
For the first time in hundreds of years, Akumu started crying, with no tears though.
Back with Kaiza
Kaiza looked at the new encampment, as he made his way in.
"Stop civilian, you cannot come here." A guard said.
Kaiza pushed him out of the way.
"If you don't know who I am, you must be a rookie." Kaiza said.
He made his way in, looking around, seeing people wearing different types of samurai armor, the more elaborate must mean one's rank.
"Kaiza Akuma, I heard you have been taken out." A man said, walking up.
Kaiza looked over to see an older man.
"Who are you?" Kaiza asked.
The man bowed, then spoke.
"I am Ryu Roka, I'm the leader of the New Samurai."
"So how long have you been keeping the monsters back?" Kaiza asked.
"Since you were put out of commission." Ryu said. "They keep coming, but that dragon, left unmoving, nerves me the most."
Kaiza proceeded to remove the bandages covering his back, there were dark flame-like marks covering his back, rapidly healing.
"Well time to get back into combat." Kaiza said.
"I thought you would say that, so I got your Blazing Hound here once it was finished being worked on."
Ryu led Kaiza to the garage, where Kaiza found the newly modified Blazing Hound.
"Blazing Hound Mark 2, this will help you access your Blazing Hound Weapons." Ryu explained.
"Thanks." Kaiza said, getting onto his machine.
"We will keep the civilians safe, you take care of the Sinful Seven and that mysterious new rider."
"Take care." Kaiza said, speeding off.
"Ryu Sir, should we call for the New Janissaries?" A man asked.
"Now, we have see how things become, if things get worse, call for them."
"Yes sir." The Man said, saluting.
The old man rubbed the scruff on his chin and sighed.
"This mission could be the death of me." Ryu said, walking into the barracks.