Hirohito was walking through a black void after pulling the Ninja Sword, it was quiet and dark as faint sniffles filled the air. When he searched where the cries were coming from, he found a boy in a spotlight with his arms hugging his knees as he cried. "My, my, you're still alive." said Hirohito when he approached the boy, he raised his sword but suddenly froze in terror. The boy raised his head to look at him as black voided eyes made contact with his and stared into his soul.
Suddenly, the boy was pulled out of the spotlight and into the darkness, his cries were no longer audible as drops of water echoed. "Tell me something, my lord." began a voice in the shadows. Hirohito turned around but didn't see anyone as the spotlight disappeared.
"When the Reaper brought you back from the dead, did he tell you your Samurai Sword was destroyed?" said the voice but in the other direction.
"He mentioned something about being taken and never seen again." said Hirohito.
"Did he ever tell you about what I was like?" asked the voice, it was now in a different direction.
"Did he ever tell you what I've become?" asked the voice, opposite to the last one.
"Where are you? Show yourself." demanded Hirohito. His sword was still drawn as he searched for where the voice was coming from. A mist slowly rolled in and he looked into it to see someone was coming at him. Suddenly the man split into two then three as they came out wearing the same cloak as it wrapped to cover all their bodies. "Who are you?" asked Hirohito.
"I am the Shadow," introduced the Shadow.
"I am the Dual Bladed Ninja," introduced the Dual Bladed Ninja.
"And I'm the Fallen Prince," introduced the Fallen Prince.
"We were known as Prince Zhōng before the fall of the capital. We are now the mask of who Zhōng was, wanted to be, and is currently. All who hear of us quiver from our names, the wind blows a warning to our enemies and the trees bow in fear when they see us. The people may curse our names behind our backs but they hide when our focus is on them." stated the three boys in unison.
"Well then I assume, I'm going to need to kill all of you to control the Ninja Sword." said Hirohito.
"You will try," stated the Dual Bladed Ninja.
"But by the way, I think you should also focus on what's going outside as well." said the Fallen Prince. Hirohito looked at him confused before clutching his head and screaming painfully.
Hirohito collapsed to the ground after pulling out the Ninja Sword. He was screaming as he clung to his head making Lord Tyron confused. "No! No! No! You must fight him back, your majesty." cried the Reaper. He was panting after getting Captain Howin, Commander Zhèngyì, and the two guards off of him, they lay on the ground groaning as they couldn't get up.
Hirohito screamed one more time before putting his hands on the ground to brace himself. Lord Tyron slowly approached him curious as to what happened, behind him, Princess Zhen and Xing looked curiously as well. "Get back," shouted a voice from Hirohito's body. Lord Tyron paused as Hirohito got up. When he opened his eyes, his right eye was still green but his left was blue.
"Zhōng?" said Lord Tyron, cautiously.
"It is, uncle, it's me." said Zhōng. His head snapped to the left and his green eye glowed.
"What are you doing? We are fighting right now." said Hirohito. His head snapped right and his blue eye glowed.
"Making it even, it's not fair you are fighting someone on the outside." said Zhōng. His head snapped to the left and the green eye glowed again.
"Very well, Reaper, deal with him." ordered Hirohito.
"Yes, my emperor," acknowledged the Reaper, he was still panting.
"Don't hurt me too much," stated Zhōng when he snapped his head back to look at Lord Tyron.
"I won't kill you," promised Lord Tyron. He and the Reaper charged at Zhōng and the battle began.
Inside Zhōng's mind, Hirohito was taking on three Zhōngs as they came from every direction. They blended in the shadows and pounced immediately after one of them joined them. Hirohito could see the patterns of their attacks and the experiences they had. He knew one had only a black sword while the other two had one black and one silver and blue. Each one had different emotion driving their attacks, one had anger, one had determination and one had fear.
Meanwhile, outside, Lord Tyron fought against the right hand and green eye of Zhōng while the Reaper dealt with the left hand and blue eye of Zhōng. Every half of a second, the head would snap to fight one of them before snapping back to the other. It was difficult as Zhōng struggled against the Reaper and Hirohito struggled against Lord Tyron. It felt to them one hand was tied behind their back and they had a small fraction to react to the incoming blows.
"I won't lose to you!" declared Hirohito.
"You lost the second you drew the Ninja Sword." said Zhōng. He suddenly spotted a jar of green mist tied on the Reaper's waist. "Time to finish this."
"I agree," said the Dual Bladed Ninja. Inside the mind, the three rushed at Hirohito at once. Their blades were a blur and there was no gap or second before the other crashed after the first.
Hirohito stumbled and fell down, he pointed his blade to see it chopped off easily. "Behold, the true power of the Ninja Sword." said the Fallen Prince. Hirohito's eyes widened as he realized what was going to happen. Before he could flee, the Shadow incinerated him with one arm of the Ninja Mech activated.
"May your ashes suffer the pain we bear and that you never find peace in this hell." said Shadow.
Zhōng's right eye suddenly turned blue again, he swung his Longus sword at the Reaper with speed. The Reaper was caught off guard as Zhōng rushed him with fury of attacks. He realized that Zhōng had defeated Hirohito and he was next. They soon locked blades and he looked into the demon eyes the entire Ninja Empire feared. "The Princess did say you won't get away from this." growled Zhōng.
The Reaper began saying a chant before his knee was pierced by the spear of Captain Howin. He screamed from the pain and tried to refocus as he saw Zhōng's swords come side-cutting at him. He tried to block it with his scythe but it shattered as the first blade came by. There was nothing to stop the second blade as sliced off his head. The head thudded and the body crumbled to the ground by it. The green mist inside the jar burst out and went to Princess Zhen causing her eyes to turn back to red and her body grew again before collapsing.
"Cursing you on such a night would be bad for all, my hands are too bloody for this night especially." said Zhōng as he put away his swords. He approached Lord Tyron and Xing before looking at Captain Howin and then the princess as she started to wake up. Quickly he threw a smoke bomb to hide himself and his family as Princess Zhen's eyes were fully open. "You perhaps should forget anything you remember about this festival. That Zhōng you once knew died a long time ago."
Princess Zhen's eyes went wide as she stood up and looked at the cloud of smoke. She then realized the bodies of guards and civilians scattered not far from her. Suddenly, twenty mechs landed surrounding her, they pointed in every direction including the cloud of smoke as it disappeared.
"Zhen, are you okay, are you hurt? You're eyes are back." cried Empress Wēi.
"I'm fine, what happened here?" asked Princess Zhen puzzled.
"You mean you don't remember?" asked Empress Wēi, looking at her daughter confused.
"I remember coming back to try and catch the Fallen Prince, but he was facing someone with a scythe and," began Princess Zhen as tried to remember. She stopped when she saw the Reaper's body lying lifeless amongst the bodies.
"Your majesty, that happened a week ago." said Captain Howin, he was being helped by Commander Zhèngyì as they approached them.
Princess Zhen searched her memory but couldn't remember what happened. Her memories were vague and she clutched her head to think harder. "Where was I over that time?" she asked.
"You stayed with Lord Tyron and Zhōng," answered Captain Howin.
"Do you know where?" interrogated Empress Wēi.
"I do but I promised to them I won't tell anyone. Furthermore, I promise I won't intervene in the search here in this town." said Captain Howin.
"Very well, but I better not catch you working with the Fallen Prince again," said Empress Wēi.
"Yes, your majesty," acknowledged Captain Howin.
"Now shall we celebrate the departed? I'm sure there's lanterns still being sold around here." asked Empress Wēi. Princess Zhen nodded and the four left the street, leaving the twenty guards to secure it.
The four went outside of town where Princess Zhen and Empress Wēi lit one and sent it towards the sky where it joined hundreds. After watching theirs go up in the air, Princess Zhen turned to see Captain Howin lighting three and then helping Commander Zhèngyì light up one. "Who are those for?" she asked.
"One is for my mother, the other two are for my brothers." replied Captain Howin and his three lanterns went up.
"A friend I used to know in the capital, she was executed for being accused of being an Assassin." said Commander Zhèngyì and his lantern followed the Captain's.
"They say each lantern is to represent a soul that you loved or cared for. A lantern can never contain two or more as it is to be believed that the spirits aren't one." said Captain Howin. He put his arm on the commander's shoulder as he saw tears slowly going down his eyes. "I'm sure you'll see her again."
"I hope so too," agreed Commander Zhèngyì.
Zhōng and Xing lit a lantern on the other side of town. They raised the lantern up and it floated up into the sky shining brighter than the stars. "Aren't you going to raise one up, uncle?" asked Xing as they looked at their uncle.
"I would have time to get two if I wasn't busy trying to clean someone's mess." said Lord Tyron.
"Can you please stop finding an excuse for one, and two, I don't know what mess you're talking about." said Zhōng.
"I love your father dearly, I'm glad he raised you to keep traditions." began Lord Tyron as he wrapped his arms around the shoulders of his nephew and niece. "If he's looking down at us waiting for the last bits of his spirit, I'm sure he's fine with waiting for another year as long as his wife is closer to being full." They continued to watch the lantern go higher into the sky as it became as small as the stars.
Somewhere northeast of them, in mountains where snow fell and covered them, stood someone with a lantern as he lit it. The winds blew and the snow fell thick but the lantern rose to the sky as it flew away. Just like the first love of his life, it was brief as the Lone Bandit watched it disappear in the clouds.