Crimson skies were all that was seen for miles without end. As though someone had spread a blood-red clothe across the entire sky. Black smoke could be seen from far away as fires burned the remains of their intended targets, soot and ash filled the air, creating an opposite effect of a beautiful snowfall.

Crows sang songs of joy as they called out to one another while feasting on the corpses that littered the land for miles in all directions. Scavengers of all sizes crawled out of their homes to partake of the feast that was laid out before them. Groans and pleas for death created a symphony that would gladden the deity of death as men cried like infants and prayed for an end to their suffering.

It was in this same field of despair and death that I stared down at the one who had come to claim my head. With the last of my strength, I pushed myself to my feet. I used my sword to support myself as I stood to my full height, never once letting my enemy see the pain and agony I was passing through. With his demon mask and black kabuto on his head, the shadow general Sasaki Kojiro. Even under the deep shadow cast by his helmet and mask, I could still feel his stare. He and I had been at one another's throats for decades. He was one of the few warriors I had grown to respect even though we were enemies.

It was obvious to him that I had no strength left as he walked towards me with the grace of a predator that had perfected its craft of hunting. When he was mere inches from me he stopped and stared for what seemed like an eternity. Taking off his helmet and laying it at my feet, he bowed showing his respect for the rivalry we had both shared over the years. The sound of scraping metal rang clear in the air as his sword left its sheathe and he positioned it in front of my heart.

I see. He wanted me to die with dignity and without feeling any pain. Even at death's door he still treated me with the respect and honor of a warrior. A searing hot sensation passed through me as his sword found its way to my heart in a smooth motion. Moments passed and the burning sensation gave way to a cool feeling that brought peace to my being.

"BANG".

The sound of the gun could be heard by every living thing in the vicinity and some of them quickly scurried away as the sound was usually accompanied by death. Kojiro's eyes were wide with shock as he stared down at the hole my flintlock had just created in his torso. Open flesh served as a gateway for the continuous flowing crimson liquid that left his body. He looked at me and his shock gave way to a cold deathly smile that mirrored the one I was currently wearing at the moment.

"Even in death you still show your unyielding strength, my rival", he said as the light started to fade from his eyes.

Still wearing the same smile on my face I let go of my sword for the very first time since I had entered a battle field and it fell to the floor.

"You made this life an interesting one, we shall continue with our rivalry in the next life Sasaki." He nodded to me before falling to the floor as the light left his eyes.

I looked around the battlefield one last time even as I lost the strength in my legs and fell to my knees. I felt a drop of water touch my face as the skies gave way to the rains. As if nature was trying to wash away all our misdeeds and cleanse the land of the sea of red that had soaked into the ground. I smiled as the darkness beckoned and my eyelids grew heavy. As the cold hands of death claimed me, one sentence repeated itself in my mind over and over again. And as I breathed my last the words left my lips

"till the reconnection"...

I woke up short of breath, panting and feeling hot all over. Tossing aside the covers I walked to the bathroom to take a cold shower. As the water was running over me, my thoughts drifted to the dream I just had. It had been the same one I had yesterday and the day before that. Having the same dream twice in a row was very rare. But having the exact same dream every night for over a month was totally unheard of. Was this because my time to find out the identity of my past life was drawing to a close? I had no one to guide me through this seeing as I had been living alone for as long as I can remember.

Stepping out of the bathroom after what seemed like forever I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself. Silver hair with blue highlights already made me stand out in any crowd, but having obsidian pupils without any outlining tone gave people a creepy vibe if they found me looking at them even for a brief moment.

A lean and well-toned body which was a result of years of constant kenjutsu lessons gave the aura exotic feline predator poised to end you if you gave the slightest of chances. However, the thing that stood out most aside from my hair color and slightly pale skin was the scar on the left side of my chest, directly above my heart like someone had gone for it with a blade.

Drying off with a towel I put on my shorts and stepped outside after grabbing the pair of daisho hanging above my bed. For as long as I could remember the feel of a sword in each arm always calmed me down and gave me a sense of clarity. As if knowing my intentions, the night breeze stopped for a moment as I got into the double sword stance and closed my eyes. I felt every sense in my body come alive and even with closed eyes, I could see the courtyard clearly in my mind. The almost undetectable sound of a leaf landing on the floor as a light breeze picked up was like a gunshot to me which signaled the first strike in a series of deadly forms…