Fan Fiction ❯ Mitsurugi: Samurai ❯ Chapter VI ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Mitsurugi: Samurai
Chapter VI

The tavern was terribly silent. Silent with the attentiveness of a herd of men listening to the story of an old man whose years are left to tell but tales of his long withered life.
“No one knows where the swords came from, none except those in the lands where they were forged. A far away land called Egypt by their gods to bring about the fall of enemies. Then sword went from owner to owner to owner until it reached the hands of the dread pirate Cervantes…, “ Mitsurugi became enthralled with the story. His mind wandered from adventure to adventure that he could have with it. What enemies he could defeat. He wouldn’t even needs a ninja’s stealth or speed to kill a demon. “And so, there he rest in the tavern, devouring the souls of the fools who dare challenge him to be the next wielder of Soul Edge!”
The entire room broke out into applause, then the old man collected some money in his bowl, and left. Mitsurugi had wanted to eat and speak with the old man, but could not find him after the story.

It had been two years since the incident with Kunimitsu. Mitsurugi had quite taking jobs solely for money, he now truly believed in Bushido and its ways, even if there were a few things he found a bit out of place. He had participated in a few battles, but in the end all paid well enough for him to financially secure for a long time. Now he just wandered around, doing what he could to help.

Mitsurugi sat at his table, sipping the tea when he overheard the conversation of some men.
“You know, if they start to get a lot of those rifles in, the samurai may become extinct.”
“Yeah, I know. Bur who would need samurai then? Any man could pick up a rifle and shoot.”
“Indeed. It would be sad, the samurai falling to ruin.”
“Becoming nothing but tales of old.”
Mitsurugi dropped his head and shook. He knew it was true, but his heart wanted to deny it. There was only one way to defeat it’s coming and that was to show that he could defeat it with a sword.
“Maybe, maybe if one could defeat it.”
“Yes, but he’d have to be strong.”
“Maybe the best.”
“And he‘d have to have a mighty sword like…”
“But he’d have to find it.”
“He he was the best, he could find it.”
Mitsurugi left.
**********
Noto Castle, home of a Japanese group of pirates. With them he could sail to mainland Asia without having to pay much or to be checked and questioned. It took a few days to travel up to it, but was worth the walk. He now stood in front of their first gate. He could see scurrying figures and hear faint whispers.
“Is that…?”
“I think it is.”
“Who could…”
“Never mind…”
One of the men poked out his head with a large number of arrows aiming at him from small holes in the top of the door way of the gate.
“What do you want with us, demon?”
“Nothing, except passage to Asia.”
There was a long silence as the man pulled his head back in and conferred with his other guardsmen. There were more whispers.
“If they were going to send one they‘d send a ninja, not samurai.”
“Then you think his story true, about passage to Asia?”
“Might as well be.”
The gate opened and four men appeared with bows aimed at Mitsurugi. Mitsurugi grinned and put his hand on his sword. He quickly took a step and said “Yah!” And the men all fired their arrows, but before they could hit, Mitsurugi had twirled out of the way and sliced down on to two of the arrows then charged the archers as they frantically searched for their arrows, but he stopped right in front of them and placed his sword back in its scarab.
“I could have killed you all just then. Now lead me to your leader.”

Their leader was a large man, burly and hairy. He had an eye missing, but refused to wear a patch and save those who looked upon him the pity.
“Very well, we shall provide passage to Asia, but you must provide me a service.”
“Remember, I follow the code of Bushido and…”
“Yes, yes, I know. It is nothing of harm. I all you need you to do is to guard my castle. My spies have reported that my enemy, Kunimitsu, is sending an assassin to severe my head from its body. But I’m sure the greatest samurai in Japan could hold off a ninja from his way of passage, can he not?”
“He can and will. ,This I swear, your soul shall stay with your body this night.”

The night was cold, and Mitsurugi, now in the garb of the pirate guards, sat in front of the gate sleeping. Or so it appeared. Master Shonto had trained him how to fight a ninja, how the ninja worked, their mind set. He knew a confident and experienced ninja would kill him first, sitting in front of the gate, to show that the murder was not from someone inside. And he was also taught the power of the four senses, those not including sight. He could hear movements, breathes, almost anything from afar and know with good accuracy who or what it was.
Crack…A twig snapping. This ninja was quite confident indeed if he was traveling by ground. He was coming from the left, a sword had been drawn, a jump. Where is he? Where is he going? Is that a footstep above? Air whistling, he was above him!
Mitsurugi rolled to the side and pulled out his sword. His feet were now steady on the ground and his stance was strong.
“In honorable creature of the night! You shall fall to my sword!”
He charged but was left alone as the ninja jumped into the air over his head. This ninja wasn’t a man. Few men are that quick, the size, and have quite a bosom as that.
“You are not a pirate.”
“You’re not a man.”
“How insightful.”
“Indeed.”
The ninja then jumped up and began to twirl in mid air, a strange green glowing substance forming around her. Then she charged downward letting out a high-pitched scream meant to distract its victim from his death. But Mitsurugi wasn’t a victim. He moved to the side and slashed down his blade. He had missed the ninja, but that wasn’t where he was aiming. He had slashed down onto her sword and shattered the inferior blade to pieces.
“Who are that destroys my sword?”
“I am Mitsurugi, and who is this ninja that attempts to kill me?”
“I will not tell.”
“Tell or you will die!”
“You cannot kill me.”
“Would you like to fight again without a sword this time?”
“My name is Taki, of the Hitachi Clan.”
“Hitachi? They are not assassins. They are but spies and demon slayers. Why are you on this hunt?”
“I am in need of sword. My own are weak, as you have proven. And spying doesn’t pay as well as assassination.”
Mitsurugi didn’t like this ninja in particularly, but he knew what a good blade meant to a warrior. He wasn’t sure what it was about her, but he wanted to help.
“Fine then, I shall let you have that man’s,” Mitsurugi pointed up to one of the guards sleeping atop the gate, “He posses a ninja sword now. I saw him sneak into his lord’s treasury to steal it this day when I went to see him. He is a thief and deserves to die.”
Taki didn’t know how to reply. This kind of kindness had never been shown to her before except by Master Toki. And even he expected deeds back from her for his kindness.
“Thank-you.” She leaped to the gate, killed the man by turning his head to far to the right and stole his blade. She then jumped down and looked to the samurai. “Thank you, Miter Yugi.” Then she ran off.
“The name’s Mitsurugi, remember it!” Then he went back to sleep.