As the sun clawed its way higher into the sky, casting long, menacing shadows across the Aokigahara Estate, Kenshiro and Nozomi stood ready, the tension between them as palpable as the blood-laced air they breathed. Every sense was heightened, every muscle tensed for the first move in a deadly dance of blades and blood.
Kenshiro had sweat running down his face, thinking, 'Am I the bad guy here? She technically threatened me first. I was hoping I wouldn't have to fight. She doesn't want to be alone, or want the shadow of who she honors to be alone. Unlike Hyogo, I feel this is true honor amongst a warrior. Maybe she wants me to kill her in a good battle…she must know if she stays here with the shadow she won't last long. She's not even touched by the rot yet despite being around so much of it. If it's a true fight she wants, i'll give it to her.'
Nozomi initiated the battle, her four arms gracefully bringing down twin axes with a force that split the air itself. Kenshiro, honing his Runes Of Vigor, darted sideways with an increased speed that left a blur in his wake. He retaliated with a spinning kick aimed at Nozomi's side, but she deflected it with the flat of her axe, using the opening to swipe dangerously close to his face, leaving a shallow cut across his cheek. Regaining ground, Kenshiro closed in with a series of rapid slashes. Nozomi, predicting each movement, parried with her axes, each clash emitting a chilling metallic ring. With a sudden drop, she rolled backward, pulling forth a spray of toxic red roses in her wake, forcing Kenshiro into the poisonous cloud. Gasping, he leaped high, escaping the choking toxins and landed with a Shinsei Giri slash that tore through the garden, narrowly missing Nozomi but cleaving a statue in two.
'I can't get caught up in that! Gotta move away from it!'
Nozomi, unfazed, switched to a berserker state, twirling with wild, deadly elegance. Her axes sang through the air, screaming at the top of her lungs, and Kenshiro felt the whoosh of wind as a blade missing his skin by mere millimeters. He counterattacked with a diagonal strike, only to find his blade entangled in a sudden growth of rose-laden vines, pulling him closer into Nozomi's striking range.
'Back up!'
Locked in close quarters, Kenshiro delivered a headbutt, stunning Nozomi momentarily. He freed his katana using a swift kick to the hilt, slicing through the air and finding flesh. Blood sprayed, coating both warriors in a grim scarlet. Nozomi staggered but recovered, her eyes flashing with wild ferocity, enhancing her strength.
Nozomi exclaimed, "Pathetic!"
With a roar, Nozomi slammed her axes together, summoning a large rosewood tree from her mouth, its wood gnarled and dripping with ash. Kenshiro vaulted back as she hurled it towards him. Exploding on impact, sharp wooden shards embedded in the earth around him, one grazing his arm and drawing blood.
'She's strong! And I can tell she's trying to make me fight more in the toxin that she placed in the air, gotta avoid it at all costs!'
Kenshiro, blood streaking down his arm, feinted left then attacked right, his blade aimed at Nozomi's abdomen. She danced aside, the motion fluid and deadly, and retaliated with a crushing blow from her ax that he barely blocked with his sword, the force reverberating through his bones.
Circling each other, both warriors breathed heavily, the stench of blood and roses heavy in the air. Kenshiro lunged forward aggressively, his katana singing a silent song of death. Nozomi met his blade with her axes, the collision sparking flames of metal on metal. She pushed forward, driving him back towards another toxic rose cloud.
Nozomi exclaimed, "A true warrior does not fret in the midst of battle! Fight for your life! That is the way of a true honor!"
Kenshiro said, "I am!"
"I will kill you, boy. Show me you're worth the Masters Battle Art!"
Kenshiro felt the toxin searing his lungs but pressed the assault, delivering a high kick that Nozomi caught, twisting his foot and throwing him off-balance. She capitalized on this with a sweeping blow that opened a gash across his thigh, his blood soaking the soil beneath them. Kenshiro, pain igniting his senses, retaliated with a desperate spinning Shinsei Giri, the air blade whistling dangerously close to Nozomi's face, slicing off a lock of her hair. She responded with a guttural scream, launching herself into another frenzied berserker attack, her axes a whirlwind of death and destruction.
As debris flew around them, Nozomi's axes caught Kenshiro's sleeve, pinning him against a crumbling wall. With raw strength, he lifted both legs and kicked her backwards, freeing himself, only to step into a field of newly sprouted toxic roses. Holding his breath, he leapt upwards, somersaulting over Nozomi to land behind her.
'I fell for her trap! How can I even beat her?!'
Without pause, Kenshiro aimed a kick at her back, which Nozomi anticipated, ducking and sweeping his legs from under him. As he hit the ground, she plunged an ax towards his chest. Rolling away, Kenshiro narrowly avoided a fatal blow, the ax embedding itself in the earth where his body had been seconds before.
He looked down, seeing Mei's flower was still there in good condition with a little blood on it, and he remembered what she said to him, even touching his chest.
'I'm strung on not failing her. I get it now. It's in my nature to think of others. Hell, I've been doing it all this time when I tried to force myself not to care about anyone's backstory. But I contradicted myself. I thought about my family and everyone in the village, I thought about them the entire time, for my revenge. I can't leave people alone. Am I gonna regret this? Everyone back at the cave, even though I just met them, are they gonna die now? Why the fuck do I care so much? They've been the only non hostile people I've met, and been nice. Dammit.'
Back on his feet, Kenshiro's movements were slower now, fatigue setting in. Nozomi, sensing weakness, thrust forward with blinding speed, her axes slicing through the air, one catching Kenshiro's side and drawing a deep, bloody line. Kenshiro grunted, pain flashing across his features. In a burst of resolve, Kenshiro managed to corner Nozomi against a remnant stone arch. Swinging his katana with all his might, he aimed to end the fight with a single, decisive blow. Nozomi ducked under the swing, the movement so close that his blade sliced a few strands of her hair.
'This young warrior…is he getting stronger?' Nozomi thought.
With no room to maneuver, Nozomi pushed off the stone arch, somersaulting over Kenshiro to land gracefully behind him. Before he could turn, she struck, a powerful blow to his back with the flat of her ax that sent him sprawling to the ground.
Severely wounded, Kenshiro struggled to rise, his vision blurring. Nozomi approached, her axes ready for the final blow. Yet, in his last defiant act, Kenshiro spun, his blade arcing upward in a final, desperate attempt. Nozomi sidestepped smoothly, her counter swift and brutal, her ax finding his shoulder and pinning him to the cold ground beneath them.
As his consciousness faded, Kenshiro saw Nozomi standing victorious, the battlefield around them a testament to their brutal dance. The Aokigahara Estate, its ground soaked with blood and strewn with roses, bore silent witness to the fierce competition of two formidable warriors bound by fate and ferocity in a combat where only one could prevail.
Nozomi stood over him, saying, "You fought horribly, warrior. But I will praise your efforts. This is where you shall depart from the estate permanently…"
Kenshiro gripped the flower Mei gave him, and he jumped to his feet backwards, gritting his teeth, he coughed, "I'm not done yet.."
As the air around them thickened with the scent of iron and roses, Nozomi, standing amidst the carnage of splintered wood and blood-splattered stone, paused and admired Kenshiro's relentless tenacity and skill with the katana. With a flick of her wrists, her axes clattered to the ground, and she looked down at her hands, now enveloped in a ghostly steam. "This will do," she murmured, her voice a mixture of admiration and resolve.
'She wants to fight with no weapons? To the death..? Okay..I've trained on that by myself against a tree when I was younger, done it for years. I won't have a problem. Maybe..'
Kenshiro, sensing the shift in her tactics, allowed his own katana to drop. Shaking with exertion and determination, he steadied himself into the ancient and respected crane stance—an open, balancing posture that readied him for rapid movements—his legs slightly bent and arms poised for quick, deflective counters.
The air crackled as Nozomi charged, her fists aimed at Kenshiro's head. He swayed to the left, avoiding the blow, and retaliated with a swift jab to her abdomen, feeling the impact against his knuckles. Nozomi grimaced but spun around, landing a solid kick to Kenshiro's side, propelling him into the shattered remains of a nearby water fountain. They moved through the remnants of the fountain, water mixing with blood. Kenshiro lunged, throwing a barrage of punches, each strike echoing through the broken estate. Nozomi blocked each attack, countering with an elbow strike that caught Kenshiro off-guard, knocking the wind out of him.
Stumbling back, Kenshiro recovered and tackled Nozomi into a rose bush, its thorns tearing at their skins. Amidst the sharp pain, Nozomi grabbed a broken branch, swinging it at Kenshiro's head. He ducked, sweeping her legs and sending her crashing onto the thorny ground. Surrounded by the suffocating blooms and faced with closing in on toxins, Kenshiro lifted Nozomi, using his surroundings to his advantage, and hurled her towards a neighboring wall. The impact cracked the stone, a cloud of dust rising around her form. Nozomi emerged from the debris, blood trailing down her face. She charged, slamming her steam-covered fists against Kenshiro's chest, the force echoing out and shaking nearby windows. Kenshiro recoiled but immediately regained his balance and rushed forward, driving his knee into her midsection and pinning her against the unstable wall.
"AGH!"
Kenshiro said, "I'm protecting this flower..I hate letting people down..I won't be a failure anymore. I failed once..not again."
"Saying that…does not make you worthy of the Masters Battle Art!"
They grappled, shifting and moving with strained breaths. Kenshiro managed to flip Nozomi over his shoulder, but she twisted mid-air, landing gracefully and pushing him into a marble column. The structure groaned under the impact, pieces of marble falling like rain. Recovering, Kenshiro ducked as Nozomi aimed a high kick at his head. He grabbed her leg, twisting and pushing, but she used the momentum to rotate and land another punch to his jaw, a spray of blood staining the air between them.
At that moment, Kenshiro's eyes glowed red, and he said, "It's happening again…that bloodlust—."
They fought through the hallways, portraits and artifacts crashing around them. Kenshiro smashed Nozomi into an ancient armor display, the metallic clang resonating as she pushed back, using the armor's helmet to strike at Kenshiro's face. Blow for blow, they stumbled into the grand dining area, crashing into the long table. Kenshiro caught a chalice, flinging it at Nozomi as she advanced, the metal cup striking her head and briefly stunning her.
Seizing the moment, Kenshiro wrapped his arms around Nozomi, attempting to subdue her with a chokehold. Using her elbows, she jabbed him in the ribs, breaking free and throwing him over the table, dishes shattering under his weight. Nozomi leaped onto the table, running its length before launching herself into a flying kick. Kenshiro rolled away, the kick demolishing the chair behind him. He quickly stood, catching Nozomi's next punch and twisting her arm behind her back.
With a grunt, Nozomi reversed the hold, throwing Kenshiro through a set of double doors into the garden. They landed in the plush greenery, their bodies thudding against the soft earth, a contrast to the hardness of their strikes. Back on their feet, they circled each other, fists raised, blood and sweat mingling. Kenshiro feinted a punch and went low, tackling Nozomi at the knees and sending both of them crashing into a nearby rose trellis, the structure groaning and buckling under their combined weight.
Entangled in the vines and blooms, Nozomi headbutted Kenshiro, freeing herself. She scrambled up, pulling Kenshiro by his shirt, and delivered a series of rapid punches, each connecting with a wet, brutal sound. Kenshiro absorbed the blows, his vision blurring. With a loud yell, he pushed forward, using his forehead to strike Nozomi's chin, stunning her. He followed through with a punch to her temple, dazing her enough to maneuver behind her for a back choke.
Dragging free of his grasp, Nozomi spun around, her fist connecting with his nose, a loud crack signifying the break. Blood poured freely as Kenshiro staggered, yet he managed a weak smile, lunging forward and driving his shoulder into her stomach, propelling her back towards the main courtyard.
'I'm enjoying…this?! Kenshiro smiledz
Nozomi smiled as well, "Small warrior…you are almost worthy."
They found themselves where it all began, the center of the once majestic courtyard now a scene of devastation. Exhausted and battered, they traded blows, punches so quick they were barely visible, blood spraying with each contact, painting the air red. Kenshiro's punches began to overpower Nozomi's defenses, his fists blurring as they connected with her face repeatedly, the sounds of flesh and bone meeting reverberating around the courtyard.
Nozomi's resistance waned, her blocks slowing. With a final, powerful roar, Kenshiro pulled back his fist one last time and thrust it forward, piercing through her chest, his hand breaking through her back, clutching her beating heart.
Silence descended as Nozomi looked down at the protrusion from her chest, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and resignation. She collapsed, Kenshiro's arm still through her, her blood seeping into the cracks of the ruined courtyard. Gently, he withdrew his hand, letting her body lay rest on the blood-soaked earth, her warrior essence dissipating like steam as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon.
Kenshiro panted heavily, blood from his face dripping on Nozomi.
As Nozomi's lifeblood flowed freely onto the courtyard's cold stones, her grip on Kenshiro's arm tightened. Tears welled in her eyes, not from the pain of her wound, but from a profound realization of unavoidable fate and a warrior's solemn end.
"You... are truly worthy..." she managed, her voice frail yet filled with an undeniable respect. Each word was punctuated by labored breaths, her chest heaving with the effort. She locked her gaze with Kenshiro's, the intensity of her stare conveying the weight of her next words.
"Listen, young warrior," Nozomi whispered, her voice gaining strength as she spoke of deeper truths, "in combat, we face not just our foes, but also ourselves. The true essence of a warrior lies not in how they wield a blade, but in how they honor their mortality. To fight knowing each breath could be your last—this is the purity of our path."
Her eyes reflected the fading light as she continued, "This estate, the Aokigahara Estate, is steeped in the legacy of the Shiranui family, led by Katsuhiro, a figure of immense wisdom and strength. Our bloodline has protected these lands through storm and silence, believing that the true nature of power is restraint and not conquest."
"Katsuhiro, our patriarch, was a man who understood that the fabric of our reality is woven not just from the actions of the living but from the spirits of the past who echo in our choices." Her grip loosened slightly, her energy waning but her spirit unyielding. "Remember us, Kenshiro. Remember that the essence of our fight lies in acknowledging the brevity of our existence..." Her voice trailed off as the shadows of mortality gathered around her.
With one final effort, Nozomi raised Kenshiro's hand, pressing it against her chest, over her heart. "Be the warrior who knows the value of life, and fight with the honor of those who have fallen before you." Tears streamed down her cheeks, not for her impending death, but for the hope that her words would root deeply within Kenshiro's soul. "Your eyes…they turned red before…your bloodlust rising…you are the embodiment of Battle Art…"
Slowly, her hand fell away, her eyes still locked with his, she panted fast, then slow.
Kenshiro looked at the shadow, then looked at Nozomi. He then picked Nozomi up, and laid her across his back, carrying her.
Nozomi said, "What…are you doing?"
"You'll see."
Kenshiro made it to Katsuhiro's shadow, and he laid Nozomi beside the shadow, saying, "It Won't take long. You said you'll leave together, so I put you two together. You were inflicted with rot while we fought too…."
"Tch…fuck the rot. Fuck Commander Takeda…I got what I wanted. I knew you were a true warrior."
"You too."
Kenshiro stood, his clothes stained with the evidence of their brutal confrontation, yet his demeanor changed. No longer just a fighter seeking victory, but a warrior imbued with a deeper understanding of his path and purpose. He walked slowly towards the shadow of Katsuhiro, each step measured and respectful, his heart hardened by battle but softened by wisdom.
'Embodiment of a Battle Art…wonder what that means…'
Kenshiro reached out tentatively, his fingers brushing the ethereal shadow before him. As he touched it, a sudden surge of ephemeral energy enveloped him, swirling him into the depths of a vivid memory. Time and space bent around him, seamlessly transporting him into the rich tapestry of Katsuhiro's past.