Episode 4 - Strings and Swords

“ Walk and Walk , Only to Know There is Nothing like Humanity “

Same Night —-

At Ishikawa and Yumi House —-

“ Now , it time for puppet show !!! “

The swamp of the dead amry , more than five hundred ,was ready to clash Ishikawa .

“ Now , it look bad !!! “

“ Hey , you “ pointed at Asaki .

“ Go , wake that Yumi up . “

Asaki didn't understand why he need Yumi for in this battle .

Kiki , calming sitting in the bridge and take the broken strings and tied that borken strings into shamisen.

“ Audience , My First Song —

She swaying the two finger and strike the frist strings .

“ Frist Strings Kaizeki Kazen - Sliver Moon—

Whole army of soldier gather and make a circle like a moon . Then , army divide into small circle and big circle . Big circle were katana and horse user to make sure enemy unable escaped but small circle were only Naginata ( Spear / Lance ) users only to attack .

Ishikawa smile and , “ You are pretty cute but girl without eyes and smell like dead , is not so my type . “

“ Is that so ? That too sad for my heart . So Now —- Die . “

All Naginata user jump at him . Everyone were fight on the tune she made .

He take his sword at start to fight . One naginata user throw the naginata at him , Ishikawa grab that naginata and cut his leg — throw that naginata at his mouth .

In that small battle , some people were losing hands , some were losing legs — Inshort , it was mass blood bath .

The first string of her shamisen disappear . As well as the Naginata Soldier .

“ I thought you are weak , but you are quiet strong . “

Ishikawa grins at her .

“ Thank you for your kind word , Lady . “

“ Aren't you modest one ? “

“ Only to Girls , that is . “

“ For your modesty , let me give you death —

“ Second String Kaizeki Kaizen — Hurricane —

Second force of soldier katana all gather , start spinning and to create the storm of the sword in it .

“ Spin , Spin , Run and Run but it will catch you . “ She smile .

“ I don't want to hurt you but you really are creepy . “

She lift her two finger and hurricane of sword began to move but sword were coming from that hurricane .

“ Hey , Asakawa girl , Isn't she wake up ? “

Ishikawa shout but she didn't response .

Asaki run to the house where Yumi was sleeping . She start to wake her up .

She start to shake her ,shout her name —

“ Yumi-chan , Wake up . Yumi-chan , Yumi-chan —

She didn't wake up .Then she realize —

“ Yumi-chan is DEAD —

How ? When ? Why ? She was inside the whole time then how ? Her tear start to flow .

Did the enemy did to her ? But there is not any kind of marks or intention of killing on her body .

Then Why ? What should I do ? What should I do ? What Should I —

“ Asakawa girl , hey , Asakawa girl —

Come out already with Yumi . “

Asaki take the dead body of the Yumi outside and shout “ Ishikawa - san , Yumi - chan is dead —

But didn't expect his reaction to be that , he is smiling and said , “ It's fine . Don't worry . She will be fine . “

Yumi dead body on Asaki hand start to float in the air , her body was cover in the blue like aura . Her body was moving like she was dancing in the air . Her hand were doing different sign but she don't know what was that sign for .

She finally openly her eyes but eyes change into blue . It look like she is just a different person . She just waving left hand and whole hurricane of swords vanish in air .That was great shocked for Kiki though . If anything have to be said about her in short , she look like Goddess that reign the battlefield .

Asaki was shocked .

“ Now , just break the seal already , Hinamuzke . “

Hinamuzke ?

“ Pure the Impure , Impure the pure , Seize the light and Perish that darkness — “

Enchant , Spell and Sutras —- All written in her right hand start to glow —

“ Eight - Diagram Lotus Seal — Release . “

Shape of lotus with eight petal glowing brightly —( where Ishikawa standing )

And in that short moment Ishikawa was in different area or protal or it was realm .

In that realm , everything was red . Sky , land , even the moon . But there were swords , many swords , hundred or thousand .

Ishikawa walk , walk and keeping walk untill he saw the twin swords that was at top of corpse mountain ( probably people kill by the twin sword ) .

There was a red lake ( probably lake of blood ) . He walk toward it but corpse pulling him down . He walk , stepping in their head , chest , body . He climb of to the top .

Finally he saw twin sword but it was in chain . He touch it said -

“ After a long time , we are together - Kurayami — Karu-sa . “

“ Now , It time to eat . “

He pull out the sword , rays of light . And —

He got the twin sword — right sword was long but left was little short like the topof the blade was cut by someone — with chain on the hilt .

“ Wow , Fancy update you got there . “

Said Kiki .

Asaki was amazed but Yumi fell down ,

and sleep . She was alive and all her sutras vanished along with the blue auras .

“ Now time for final blow to end , what do you say , Ronin ? “

Ishikawa didn't answer but something was wrong about him .

“ Something is off “ Kiki thought but —

Now final string — Kaizeki Kaizen — Rakujin —

Corpse of the dead soldier merge and become the gaint soldier with sword and axe .

“ Rakujin , My final ace —

Kiki cough the blood —

“ Its look like I have reach my limits —

Infront of a such fearsome monster , Ishikawa was calm but — calm was before the real storm .

Rakujin , attack the huge axe at him — but he didn't move . He take his left sword said —

“ Karu-sa “ and block it .

“ Impossible , such a small sword able to stop Rakujin axe — Impossible —

“ Rakujin , attack untill he die . “

Rakujin , gone insane and attack him non-stop but nothing happened .

“ Now , my turn —

He take his right sword and said —

“ Eat , Kurayami —

The written sutras start to glow — strike with one swing cause heavy explosion —

Whole place was damage with that power . Whole house was gone with nothing to left . Kiki, whole left hand was gone . Rakujin whole body was blow away with nothing to remain .

“ Bastard , Ronin — he had —su - such a th—thing under his sleeve huh — I really underestimate him —

Infront of her eyes — Some people start to show up —

“ What is this ? Memories — Flashback — oh That right what they called it — Last Moment .

A girl was smiling — “ That right , That me . Now it make me wonder when did lose my smile —

Older woman with her hand over the girl and man who was with her —

“ Mom , Dad , right ? My dad was samurai chief in the village . My mom was a kind woman .Both of them were respect person on my hometown but —

“ After the war , my hometown was in famine . So the feudal lord of my hometown order my father to ask the farmers and other people on the town to donate on the famine . Many people contribute their saving , money , jewellery — some gave rice , some gave maize . Everyone help in their way only because they trust my father and mother.“

“ But Feudal lord greed end everything I have . Feudal take the people money and say that he never order my father to collect the donation . My father remove from the post in the blame of take money for personal use . Everyone in the village start to believe that .Vilagers start to harassed my father and mother . Both father and mother was hated by the villagers .

“ Man pride is precious than his life that what we say right . I think that why my father and mother decide to kill themself . But there was one mistake they did . They couldn't kill me too . Their only daughter .

“ What a pitiful song , it is indeed .Untill I met Toshizu Arai . Then , that when I became ture demon . Toshizu Arai taught me about sword and shikikiri . After that I took revenge on the feudal lord and villager . I don't regret or feel guilt at all . I killed many people , woman and children . I was a demon after all but even after kill so many people only thing —

I miss was the smile , happiness and peace that I had then . I don't remember when did I lose that . I still search it for that . “

Ishikawa was standing — and said , “ Last word ? “

Kiki lying on the ground breathing her last breath .

She said , “ Hey , Ronin You have kill many people , right ? Have find the peace in that ? “

Ishikawa pause — and said , “ Sword can only give you blood , but cannot give you peace . How much noble your thought may be but sword can only give you death .After all human are closest to become the demon . “

With that she smile and said , “ I see , that what it is . “

Her last smile , her last breath , his sword and the strings all broken .

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