Brotherhood
by
Rich
Wulf
Eight
years ago...
“I
am sorry that I must be the one to bear you this news,” Hida Rohiteki said, her
voice grim. “Your mother wished to be the one to tell you, but you know that
this war requires her presence on the front lines.”
Kuon said nothing. He preferred to let his brother do the speaking. Kuroda was better at it anyway; he was more like Father, with a cunning mind and a quick wit. On cue, Kuroda nodded and stepped forward. “Thank you, Rohiteki-sama,” Kuroda said in a quiet voice. Though his expression was calm and controlled, Kuon could tell that his brother's grief reflected his own. Perhaps it was even greater. It was no secret that Kuroda was his father's son while Kuon was his mother's.
“Who did this?” Kuon asked in a
quiet voice. “Who is our father's killer?”
“We do not know,” Rohiteki said.
“Yasamura-sama slew the enemy general and had routed the spirit armies. The
Battle of Drowned Honor was all but won when he was struck in the throat by an
arrow. He died immediately, though his leadership allowed us to seize Ryoko
Owari from the Hantei's army.”
“We do not even know the name of
my father's killer?” Kuon said, fighting back the slow rage he could feel
building inside. “ How can we avenge our father if we do not know who slew
him?”
“We
fight on,” Kuroda said, looking at Kuon with a sad smile. “Father would have
wanted that. Vengeance is not the way of the Crab. Vengeance interferes with
duty. Without duty, there is nothing.” Kuroda gestured toward the Shadowlands.
“Would you step away from the Wall and leave the Empire to its fate so that you
can bury your blade in father's killer?”
Kuon
shrugged. “I am just one samurai, Kuroda. The Wall will not fall without me.”
“All
of us are 'just one samurai,' brother,” Kuroda said patiently, “but when we
stand together, we are the Crab.”
Kuon
locked eyes with his brother for a long moment then finally nodded. He could
feel the rage begin to burn away, as it always did in the face of his brother's
wisdom.
“You are right, Kuroda,” he said
in a sorrowful voice. “You are right.”
Rohiteki
quietly departed, leaving the twins alone with their grief.
•
The Present Day
Hida
Kuon sat in the shadows of a massive watchtower, staring out at the countless
fires that lined the Kaiu Wall. Only three days ago, the forces of the Dark
Lord controlled this tower. Now it belonged to the Crab once more, though the
price had been great. He rolled a wooden figurine between his fingers and
chewed his lower lip, contemplating the battle to come. At the sound of
footsteps, he glanced up, dark eyes glittering in the torchlight.
“Lord
Kuon,” whispered a soft voice.
A
slim figure stepped forward, clad in light armor scarred and scorched from
today's battle. Even here, well behind Crab lines, she carried a long-handled
axe in one hand.
“Konichiwa,
Reiha-san,” Kuon said.
Hida
Reiha looked at Kuon thoughtfully. “Kiyoshi said that you had left your tent.
The guards did not know where you had gone, and they were becoming worried.
I... I knew you would come here.”
“My
brother died here,” Kuon said quietly. He clasped the wooden figurine in his
fist. “In the tunnels below this tower.”
“I
did not think you were one to dwell upon the past,” Reiha said. “Your brother's
soul watches over us from Yomi. Honor him, and fight on.”
“Kuroda,”
Kuon said sadly. He looked at Reiha with a faint smile. “He was always fond of
you, you know. I can hardly blame him. You have the strength of a Crab and the
grace of a Crane. Steel wrapped in silk, a flower growing in the heart of the
Shadowlands.”
Reiha
looked slightly embarrassed. “I thank you, my lord, but poetry does not become
you.”
“True
enough, but I see no reason not to be honest,” Kuon said. “Come tomorrow, we
may be dead. The plans have been laid, the weapons prepared. All that is left
is the waiting - -we should enjoy ourselves while we can.”
Reiha
grinned. “Good to see you acting more like yourself,” she said with a small
laugh. “I will tell the others that you are all right.” She turned and walked
back the way she came, pausing to look back over her shoulder. “I will see you
at the camp, Lord Kuon.”
Kuon
smiled and bowed to her, but his smile faded as soon as she was lost from
sight. His shoulders slumped as he leaned against the wall of the watchtower, a
tormented look spreading across his features. He looked down at the rough
figurine in his hand. It was carved quite clumsily, only vaguely resembling
Fukurokujin, the Fortune of Wisdom. The figurine was badly worn, with one hand
broken off and deep scratches on the face. Even yet, Kuon knew it at a glance.
He had given the same figurine to his brother over one year ago, shortly before
they had departed for Winter Court. After retaking the watchtower he had found
it in a shrine on the top floor. The meaning was clear.
Kuroda
was alive - and he rode with the Shadowlands.
“I
do not envy the decision you must make, Kuon,” whispered a sinuous voice.
Kuon's
tetsubo appeared in his hand in a flash. He stood with the weapon held high
over one shoulder as a thin samurai appeared from nothing. His armor was a deep
blood red and his face was painted with the colors of a berserker. Kuon could
see the stones of the Wall through his feet, and the torchlights behind him
shone through his armor.
“Lower
your weapon,” the samurai said, “I mean no harm.” He extended one hand toward
Kuon. The man's fingers were covered with blood.
“Who
are you?” Kuon growled in a low voice, keeping his tetsubo ready. He felt that
he should attack, or at least call for help, but some instinct told him to be
patient.
“I
am your uncle, Kuon,” the man said. “I am Sukune.”
“The
kagemusha,” Kuon said, eyes narrowing. “The Shadow Samurai.”
“Your
mother told you about me,” Sukune replied.
“She
told me that you weren't a shiryo but you came back from the dead anyway,” Kuon
said. “To me that makes you little better than a yokai, or one of the Steel
Chrysanthemum's spirits. What do you want from me?”
“Stubborn,
aren't you?” Sukune asked, his tone mildly surprised. “You are surely your
mother's son. I have returned to aid you.”
“Fine,
then,” Kuon said. “Find a tetsubo. I plan to attack two hours before dawn.”
“That
is not how I intend to help you,” Sukune said. “A greater battle than this
awaits me.”
“Oh?”
Kuon laughed out loud. “What greater duty has a Crab than the Wall?”
“Fu
Leng has escaped the Realm of the Dead,” Sukune said in a terse voice. “He lays
siege to the gates of Heaven as we speak. He has summoned an army of demons to
fight beside him, an army that makes the one on this Wall look like a swarm of
gnats in comparison.” Sukune threw out one bloody hand in a sweeping gesture.
“I have little time, nephew, so if you are done turning your misdirected anger
against me I would like to help. Look into your heart, boy, you know I am who I
claim to be.”
“I
see,” Kuon said, lowering his tetsubo. “I... am sorry.”
Sukune
nodded slowly. “Good,” he said. “It is as you fear. Your brother Kuroda now
fights in the Legions of Daigotsu. He has become one of the Lost, though his
soul is not beyond redemption.”
“He
can be saved?” Kuon asked.
“Not
his body but perhaps his soul,” Sukune replied. “His will is too strong. He
rebels against the Dark Lord, undermining the effectiveness of his armies
here.”
Kuon
laughed ruefully. “So he let me take back the towers?” he asked, shaking his
head bitterly. “When the day comes that the Horde must let us win the Crab have
truly failed.”
“You
do not see your own strength, Kuon,” Sukune said. “It is precisely because of
your bond with your twin that Daigotsu has been unable to fully corrupt him. It
was a combination of the strength of Kuroda's love for you and the strength of
your armies that allowed you to take back the Wall. Kuroda may have given you
an opportunity, but you were the one to seize it, and I commend you, nephew.”
“Daigotsu
is no fool,” Kuon said. “Even if he had not realized Kuroda would be so
difficult to corrupt, he must know by now.”
Sukune
nodded. “When you face Kuroda again, he will show no such weakness. Daigotsu
has turned his efforts into transforming your brother into a creature of
darkness.”
“Is
there any way to save him?” Kuon asked.
“There
is only one way that Kuroda will ever be freed to find the fields of Yomi,”
Sukune answered. “Your brother must be slain by one with whom he shares a strong
bond. One whom he loves, and loves him in return.”
“So
it must be me,” Kuon said. He paused for a moment. “Or Reiha.”
“Do
you believe she could bring herself to do the deed?” Sukune asked.
“No,”
Kuon said immediately. “She could not kill Kuroda, no matter what became of
him. It must be me.”
“Then hold forth Yuruginai, the Celestial
Sword of the Crab,” Sukune said.
Kuon
set his tetsubo aside and drew the katana from his belt.
“You
have never wielded this sword,” Sukune said, extending one hand toward the
shimmering surface of the blade.
“I
do not feel that I am worthy of it,” Kuon said quietly.
Sukune
smiled. “Self-doubt can be a powerful enemy. Conquer that, and all else will
seem minimal in comparison.” The kagemusha clasped his fingers around the
blade. A golden light suffused the weapon. “I have placed a blessing on this
star-filled steel that will allow you to pierce Kyofu's defenses. All else is
in your hands. Be strong, nephew, the destiny of the Crab lies in your hands.”
“Thank
you, uncle,” Kuon said, eyes fixed upon the shimmering blade.
There
was no response. When Kuon looked up, Sukune was gone.
•
The
camp was still dark as Hida Kuon strode into the tent where his advisors had
gathered. Hida Hitoshi stood in the far left corner, chewing thoughtfully on a
handful of dried fruit. Hiruma Todori, Kaiu Umasu, and Hida Sakamoto sat in a
circle around the low table where the map of the Wall had been laid, speaking
in low voices as they laid out the plan of attack. Mirumoto Hyosuke, the young samurai
the Dragon had exchanged for Hitoshi's cousin, Hogai, watched the lieutenants
with wide, curious eyes. Iuchi Hari, emissary of the Unicorn, paced the room
with a nervous energy, arms folded behind his back. Hida Rohiteki and Kuni
Kiyoshi sat in the far left corner, eyes closed in meditation as they communed
with the kami. Hida Sunao, a comrade of Kuon's father, sat dozing just beside
the door. The old samurai sat up with a start and yawned mightily as he
realized the Crab Champion had entered.
“Sleep
well?” Kuon asked, clapping the old samurai on the shoulder with a chuckle.
Sunao
grumbled something inarticulate in response. Kuon heard something about “too
early.”
“Come
now, Sunao, haven't you lived long enough?” Hitoshi asked with a wry smile.
“With
all due respect, Sunao has a good point,” Hida Sakamoto said. The young officer
rose quickly, running one hand through his short, thinning hair. “We have been
laying siege for three days without any noticeable gains. The men are
exhausted. Mustering this early hardly helps morale. We should at least wait
until sunrise.”
“Agreed,” Sunao grumbled.
“There's time enough to die in the afternoon!”
“You
may yet get your wish,” Kuon said. “If our shugenja are not yet prepared, we
will have to postpone the attack until tomorrow.”
“We
are ready,” Hida Rohiteki said, opening her eyes slowly.
“This
ritual was not easy,” added Kiyoshi. The Witch Hunter's face was painted in
garish makeup, his unruly hair tied in long braids. “The kami are disturbed
since the attack on Otosan Uchi. There has been some profound shift in the
balance of the elements.”
“I
have not sensed its like since Oblivion's Gate opened,” Rohiteki said. “Evil
portents.”
“So
long as the spell works,” Kuon said. “Umasu, where do our forces stand to the
east?”
The
Kaiu daimyo's face was grim. “A messenger just last night reported that we were
pushed back once again. My son set Kaiu Shiro ablaze rather than let it fall
into the hands of the Horde. If we cannot take back the Wall soon, Daigotsu will
continue to extend his grasp into our lands.”
Kuon nodded. “As I thought. We
must retake the Wall soon, or never. Hari-san, where do the Baraunghar stand?”
The
swarthy Unicorn smiled and toyed with an amulet tied around his wrist. “General
Lixue waits at the southern front. Our cavalry is eager to sharpen their blades
on the bones of the Lost. When you are prepared to move, her armies will attack
in perfect synchronicity.”
“She
is nearly two days away,” Hyosuke said. “How quickly can you send word?”
Hari
gave the Dragon a pained look.
Todori
laughed. “Never ask a Unicorn 'how quick,' especially an Iuchi. It's just
insulting.”
“Todori-san,”
Kuon said, sitting across from the Hiruma. “It is good to see you. I did not
expect to find you here.”
“Lord
Masagaro sent me,” Todori said, quickly looking at the table.
“What
is the status of Hiruma Castle?” Kuon asked.
Todori
did not answer for a moment. When he finally met the Crab Lord's eyes, his face
was grim. Kuon could see the pain and exhaustion in the scout's eyes. “We are
under siege,” he said. “The Oni Lord, Shikibu, has turned his attentions to the
castle. Lord Masagaro fears we cannot hold out for much longer.”
The
tent fell silent as all eyes turned to the Hiruma.
“What?”
Hyosuke exclaimed. “Todori-san, why did you not tell us sooner?”
Todori
looked evenly at Kuon. “Because my lord commanded that this information be
given only to Lord Kuon. He asked me to procure a promise, my lord.”
“Ask,
and it is his,” Kuon said forcefully. “By my mother's sword I swear it.”
“That
you promise not to aid us,” Todori said.
“What?”
Hitoshi roared, spitting a cherry pit on the ground. “Ridiculous! We would not
abandon the Hiruma! My armies will march there this very day! We will fight
back the Oni Lord's horde!”
“Yes,”
Todori said, looking back at Hitoshi, “but without your forces here, the Wall
would be lost. My family knows its duty.”
“Damn
you, Hiruma!” Hitoshi said, hands balled into fists.
“This
is madness, Todori,” Umasu said. “We will not abandon your family.”
“Lord
Masagaro has already made his decision,” Todori said, “and Lord Kuon has given
his promise.”
“Damn
you, Hiruma!” Hitoshi repeated, his face dark red in anger. “Let us help you!”
“No,”
Kuon said in a commanding voice. He stood, forcing all those in the tent to
look up toward him. “Todori is right. Shikibu attacks Hiruma Castle because we
lost the Wall. He hopes to distract us. If we abandon the Wall to save them,
tomorrow they will take another castle, another village. The Horde must be pushed
back from the Wall, here and now.”
“We
cannot abandon the Hiruma, Lord Kuon,” Hida Sunao said.
“We
will not,” Kuon said. He turned to Iuchi Hari. “Hari-san. What of the magic you
use to communicate with Lixue. Can it be used to contact others?”
“Of
course,” Hari said.
“Then
send word to Friendly Traveler Village. Tell Yasuki Jinn-Kuen that Hiruma
Castle is in danger. Tell him to arrange to send a unit of troops, as swiftly
as he can.”
“Your
word is my command, Lord Kuon,” Hari said with a graceful bow.
“My
lord, Jinn-Kuen is no warrior,” Hitoshi said. “He is a bureaucrat, managing our
recovery of the Yasuki lands. He has only a few courtiers and merchants at his
disposal. The rest have been withdrawn for this assault. We have no troops in
Friendly Traveler Village.”
Kuon
nodded. “But the Crane do.”
Sakamoto
nodded quickly. “This is true!” he said. “My intelligence reports indicate that
Daidoji Rekai herself recently relocated to the village with a unit of Iron
Warriors in order to keep closer tabs on the Shogun from the safety of the
truce that protects the village. They would almost certainly be able to save
Hiruma Castle.”
A
slow smile of hope spread across Hiruma Todori's face.
“You
would beg the Crane for aid, after what they have done to us?” Hitoshi asked,
surprised.
Kuon
glared down at the smaller man and nodded. “Without hesitation,” he said.
“Would you turn them away and let the Hiruma die?”
“The
Crane are the enemy as surely as the Shadowlands!” Hitoshi shouted.
“Your
priorities are flawed, Hitoshi,” Kuon said in a dangerous voice.
“They murdered your mother,
Kuon!” Hitoshi snapped.
A
loud crack echoed through the tent. In an instant, Hida Hitoshi lay flat on his
back. Kuon massaged the knuckles of his right hand. “My mother died honorably,”
Kuon said fiercely. “You will speak no more of her, Hitoshi. The Horde is our
real enemy. Do not force me to remind you again.”
Hitoshi
looked up at Kuon, his face filled with shame. “I am sorry, my Lord,” he said
with true regret. “I was foolish.”
“You
were angry,” Kuon said, extending his hand to help Hitoshi to his feet. “Anger
is a weapon. Do not set it aside; save it for the beasts that have taken the
Wall. It is time to go to war.”
•
Kuon
stalked across the Wall. The chaos parted as he strode for the base of the
tower. The Crab stepped aside to let him pass; the Horde simply moved away in
terror. His tetsubo dripped blood and ichor from those who had not moved aside
quickly enough. A Lost samurai was daring enough to charge the Crab Lord. A
single blow from his tetsubo left the Tainted samurai's head buried in his
ribcage. The Lost warrior fell dead with a thud. Kuon kicked his body over the
side of the wall and continued toward the next tower.
Overhead,
the sun had not yet fully risen. An eerie darkness covered the wall, broken
only by an orange haze in the east. The fires of the stolen watchtower still
burned brightly, and at the base their commander stood. Kuon was almost
disappointed when he saw the leader of the forces here was not his brother.
Instead it was a nine-foot tall ogre wielding a jagged tree trunk in one hand.
From tales of the battles on the
Wall, Kuon recognized the creature as Kayobun, overlord of the free ogres. The
massive creature stood over the fallen form of Mirumoto Hyosuke, who stared up
at the ogre with a cool, detached calm. Kuon noted that three other ogres lay
dead on the ground nearby. The Dragon had done well before Kayobun had crippled
him.
“You
are a long way from home, Dragon,” the ogre said in a deep voice. “Will your
soul be able to find its way home once I kill you?” The creature lifted its
club.
“Over
here, Kayobun!” Kuon roared. “Your fight is with me!”
The
ogre looked back, lip curling in a sneer. “Lord Kuon,” he said with some
amusement. “I was hoping that I might find you here. We have much to discuss.”
“I
have little to say to you, Ogre,” Kuon said, advancing slowly toward the ogre.
“I
think that Daigotsu chose poorly,” the ogre said. “You are stronger than your
brother, and more clever than he gave you credit. You have done what he could
not. You have retaken three towers, and by the time the sun rises, you shall
have four.”
“Five,”
Kuon corrected. “The Unicorn and the Kaiu attack from the south.”
“Well
done,” Kayobun said with a nod. “I salute you, Hida Kuon. If you will listen to
my proposal, I will let your Dragon pet live. I shattered his leg, but it will
heal.” Kayobun gestured at Hyosuke.
“Speak,”
Kuon said, stopping ten feet from the beast.
“Your
Crab will win the day but the greatest test lies in the last tower, the
strongest and most fortified of the six we took. I think you know who awaits
you there, yes?” The ogre grinned, displaying a mouth full of sharp, white
teeth. “Your bushi will pay a heavy price in blood fighting your way there. But
perhaps we need not fight. I command the loyalty of we ogres, and you have
proven yourself strong. We ogres wish to join you, Hida Kuon.”
“Why
would you betray Daigotsu?” Kuon asked.
“He
has restored Fu Leng. The Dark Father cursed my people with stupidity, treated
us like animals,” Kayobun hissed. “After a thousand years we have only begun to
break the curse. I will not return to servitude!”
“Well
then,” Kuon said. “I accept your offer on one condition.”
“Speak,”
Kayobun said.
“Leap
off the side of the Kaiu Wall,” the Crab Lord said with a sharp nod. “If you
survive the two hundred foot drop, we'll talk.”
A
slow scowl spread across the ogre's face. “You mock me, Hida Kuon. You should
take my offer seriously.”
“No,”
Kuon said. “I will make no deals with the Shadowlands.”
The
ogre roared and lifted its club, prepared to slaughter the wounded Hyosuke.
Kuon was darted forward, laying his tetsubo into the side of the ogre's leg
with a sickening crunch. Kayobun fell against the wall of the watchtower.
Reaching out with one hand, the ogre seized Kuon's throat in its thick fingers.
Kuon grabbed its thumb in one hand and twisted it with a snap. Kayobun shrieked
in agony, a shriek that cut off suddenly as Kuon shattered the ogre overlord's
skull with his tetsubo. A savage cheer arose from the Crab troops when they saw
the enemy leader fall. The other ogres began to retreat as swiftly as they were
able. The Hiruma and Hida bushi battered down the gates of the tower, charging
in with a defiant cry as they took it back in the name of the Crab. Kuon turned
to Hyosuke.
“How
badly are you injured, Mirumoto-san?” Kuon asked.
“It
is broken,” Hyosuke said, looking down at his twisted left leg, “but give me
back my swords and put me in front of the watchtower. I will guard the doors
with the last ounce of my strength, Lord Kuon.”
Kuon
gathered Hyosuke's swords from where they had fallen, scattered out of the
young Dragon's reach, and returned them. “Good luck, Dragon,” Kuon said.
Hyosuke
nodded fiercely.
“We
will not fail!” Kuon shouted, pointing at the next tower with his tetsubo.
The
Crab shouted triumphantly and followed him onward.
•
The
armies of the Crab and Unicorn now surrounded what was often called the Fifth
Watchtower on both sides. Lixue's troops had been equally successful in the
south, and now this tower was now the only one still controlled by the Horde.
Kuon knew the fight would not be easy. The Fifth Watchtower stood closest to
Hiruma Castle, a former stronghold of the Horde. Thus it was the most fortified
of all the watchtowers. The siege engines of the Kaiu rolled forward
inexorably, ready to destroy their greatest creation. The armies of Lost,
ogres, and bakemono fought back savagely. With every step the Crab took,
another brother or sister fell.
Kuon's eyes scanned the armies of
the Lost, looking for any signs of his brother. He could see none. Either
Kuroda was not among his enemies, or he waited within the tower itself.
“The
sun rises, my Lord,” Kuni Kiyoshi said, eyes on the eastern sky. The Witch
Hunter's voice was excited, almost eager.
“Now?”
Rohiteki asked, standing to the Crab Lord's right.
“Now,”
Kuon said grimly.
Rohiteki
made a quick, graceful gesture. In response an aura of swirling fire kami
suffused her body, illuminating the area all about. “Look well!” she shouted,
her voice echoing across the Wall. “Look upon the wall that guards the Empire
from Darkness! Look upon the corruption that has suffused it! We call now upon
the power of those who once fought the darkness beside us, we beg your aid in
this, our most desperate hour! We call upon those who once bore the name of the
Crab!”
Behind
Rohiteki, Kiyoshi and the other assembled shugenja began to chant. In the east,
the sky grew brighter.
“We call upon Osano-Wo, the
Thunderer!” Rohiteki shouted. Above, lightning crackled in the clear sky. “We
call upon the Hida, the Soul of the Mountain!” Beneath their feet, the stones
of the Kaiu Wall began to vibrate gently. “We call upon Kisada, Fortune of
Persistence!” The flames in the torches all about flared brightly, burning with
a pure white light. “We call upon Yakamo! We call upon Lord Sun to burn away
your blasphemous shadow with the pure light of day!”
The
sun appeared fully over the horizon, but the light was unlike any Kuon had ever
seen before. It was pure white, so pure that it hurt his eyes to look at it
even indirectly. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the earth began to rumble.
Rohiteki clapped her hands sharply and joined the others in chanting.
Jade
fire rained down from the sky. Where it struck the Crab, it suffused them with
strength and energy. Where it struck the Horde, it burned. The soldiers of the
Lost screamed.
“Charge!”
Kuon roared, pointing his tetsubo at the final watchtower.
As
one, the armies of the Crab and Unicorn attacked the Fifth Watchtower. Hida
Kuon forged his way to the head of the army, hewing about with his tetsubo.
Three Lost fell with each swing. Kuon's brilliant armor shone with the green
fire of Lord Sun, and his eyes were full of death. Hitoshi and Reiha appeared
at his side, forming an unstoppable wedge that bore directly for the gates of
the Fifth Watchtower.
When
the gates were in sight, the armies of the Lost parted before Kuon. A single
warrior stepped forth, clad in armor of deepest midnight. His eyes burned like
twin coals. Of all those in the Horde, he alone did not seem to be affected by
the fire from the heavens. Kuon knew him at once.
“Kuroda,”
Kuon whispered. “So it is true.”
“No,”
Reiha said, eyes wide. “I saw you die.”
“You
abandoned me, Reiha-chan,” Kuroda said, drawing his obsidian katana with a dull
hiss. “Just as Kuon abandoned me when he charged off to fight the Crane. All of
you were weak. You failed me, Kuon, and you failed the Kaiu Wall. You do not
deserve to be Crab!”
“We
are weak?” Hitoshi retorted. “Look at yourself, Kuroda! You once fought the
Horde, now you lead them!”
“Do
not answer his jibes, Hitoshi,” Kuon said, silencing his lieutenant with an
open hand. “This is not my brother. This is just a demon that wears his skin.”
“If I am a demon, then so are
you, Kuon,” Kuroda replied. “Fear burns at the heart of every Crab. Rather than
let it shackle me, I use it as a weapon. I
am fear! I am Kyofu!”
Kuroda extended one hand, opening
it slowly. Kuon felt a wave of panic well up in his heart. His tetsubo fell
from his hands, toppling noisily on the stones. All around him, he could see
the Crab begin to withdraw, looks of terror painted upon their faces.
“You Crab brag of your connection
to the Heavens,” Kuroda shouted, “but you are not the only one with allies in
Heaven, and for every action there must be a balance. I call upon the power of
the Ninth Kami! I call upon Fu Leng! Extend your hand and punish Lord Sun's
children for what they have done here!”
The green fire of the heavens
ceased to fall. A beam of utter darkness descended from above, eclipsing the
Fifth Watchtower. Kuon watched helplessly as the slate grey stones of the tower
turned shiny black.
“Let
fear wash over you, comfort you, protect you,” Kuroda said in a mocking voice.
“Let it guide you to a safe, dark, place and hide there. The Wall is ours,
Crab. You are no longer needed.”
“No,”
Kuon said, drawing his sword. It shone faintly with the blessing of Hida
Sukune. Kuon felt the false fear Kuroda had inspired begin to fade. He lifted
his blade and charged.
Kuroda's eyes narrowed when he
realized what had happened. He deflected Kuon's attack easily. “You never
practiced enough with a sword, little brother,” Kuroda said, slashing at Kuon's
chest. The Crab Lord dodged away. “You know I was always your better.”
“I
will not surrender,” Kuon hissed, catching his brother's blade on his own.
Sparks erupted from both weapons as the twins stood locked in combat. “I will
free you, brother.”
“Strange,”
Kuroda replied. “I was going to say the same thing.” Kuroda gave a fierce
shove, his strength enhanced by the demon that possessed him. Kuon fell
backward, sprawling across the stones. Kuroda advanced, sword raised high. Kuon
looked into Kuroda's eyes. There was no remorse there, no honor, nothing left
but the Onisu. For a moment, Kuon felt he would give in to despair.
“To
your feet, my lord!” came a sharp cry. “This battle is not yet done!”
Hida
Hitoshi charged past Kuon, interposing himself in front of Kuroda. Reiha
appeared at his side, extending one hand to help Kuon to his feet. The Crab had
rallied, inspired by Kuon's example. Already they were charging into the ranks
of the Lost once more.
Kuroda
advanced slowly toward the three samurai, ignoring the chaos all around them.
“Come then, if you must,” he said. “I am an Onisu, a nightmare given flesh.
What can mere samurai do against me?”
“All
of us are just samurai, brother,” Kuon said, “but when we stand together, we
are the Crab.”
Kuroda
paused. At the sound of his own words, fear flickered in the Tainted samurai's
eyes. Turning quickly, Kuroda ran and leapt over the edge of the Kaiu Wall.
Kuon charged after him, stopping only as Hitoshi and Reiha seized his
shoulders. A spectral steed formed beneath Kuroda in mid-air, bearing him aloft
as he galloped away to the west.
“We
will find him, Kuon,” Reiha whispered. “We will make that demon pay for what he
has done to your brother.”
Kuon
only nodded.