From behind the fire wall came the one responsible for the bomb that saved your live. You couldn’t believe who was that. It was Ginko and some short guy who you have never seen before. He was really short and small, dressed in white with a white peace of cloth, everything but the eyes.
The monster headed for them but the fire stopped his attempt for attack. The little guy took out something from his backpack (or something of the sort), putted it in one of the cannons of Ginko. It was leather bag, with round shape, 2 times the size of a tennis bow. Ginko fired it at the monster and it hit him right in the face.
“Better get out of there,” the small man said and giggled with his annoying voice.
Jakotsu and Bankotsu waited not for his warning to leave the place. Renkotsu and Suikotsu followed without asking questions, for they could see in there reaction, the bomb was no ordinary one. As soon as it hit the face of the creature it exploded but it wasn’t filled with powder but with some other dust-like thing. A dark cloud was around the demon’s head and the rest was falling down. It was more like a heavy smoke. You could see how the demon starts to cry bloody tears. The wounds on its back had there edge burned and were causing pain to the creature, which lead to a load cry. From 10 to 15 minutes of crying and suffering the creature fell down dead.
“Gir-r-r-l hur-r-r-t,” Ginko says while he is over you.
“No, Ginko, I’m alright, thanks to you,” you smile with that innocent smile of yours which made him give a sound, showing he is happy.
“What are you two doing here?” Bankotsu asks.
“We came to accept your offer” said the little guy.
“Wise choice.”
The two stalkers had already reported when you came back to collect your reword. You were welcomed with a whole army. Renkotsu mumbled that he expected that to happen.
“What is the meaning of this, old man?” Bankotsu went ahead of the group and asked.
“We never meant to pay you!” he Lord said and made a sign of the army to attack.
“Not paying you said?” Bankotsu made an angry face. “Get this lousy army out of my way!”
…And with one swing he killed the first line of people, which were around 10. The second line jumped but there faith was the same. The third didn’t move from fear. He was one man, yet he slaw 20 people without hesitation. The Lord was stunned as well and ordered everyone to attack at once. Bankotsu took them all down, which were around 100 men.
“What a waste of man power,” you gave a sight.
The Lord, staying all alone in front of the mercenary leader armed only with a katana, which seemed to not have been used for years.
“I will pay you!” he screamed in fear. “I will pay you triple. I can make you my army. Give you all the weapons and armor you ask. And pay you better then any other lord!”
“And what use we will have of you?” Jakotsu asked. “Staying at one place will be boring, right o-aniki.”
“As my friend there said,” Bankotsu smirked, “we don’t need you.”
And with those words he cut off his head.
“Man!!” you gave a deep sigh and look around. You were sitting outside of an inn and everyone was scared to even look at you. The rumors about the death of the Lord spread fast in his lands, it was no surprise. Your cloths smelled of blood and dirt. “Can’t we go in an inn without people been scared of us?”
“Am… no.” Bankotsu says with no expression. “Hey! Inn keeper! Get us more food, and don’t worry about the gold!”
“Yeah, it’s your landlord’s…” you mumbled but Bankotsu hears you since he is next to you. He looks you with the edge of his eyes and a tick of anger runs over his face. Slowly he turns to you with the smile that was no more.
“Are you complaining?” he asks with his manly voice, showing his disapproval of the thought. “You think I was not right to kill them?”
You say nothing while watching in his blue eyes. Your look was not less cold then his, and was hiding your confusion. He was right to kill them, but you didn’t want to admit it. The though of it was making you mad for some reason.
Bankotsu was waiting an answer, and you were not thinking of giving it.
“Fine!” the silence was broke by o-aniki himself. He felt the presents of the waitress that was bringing more of the spicy pork with steamed vegetables. He grabbed her hand after she left the dish and pulled her to himself. The girl lost balance and her eye filled with tears of fear. “You ungrateful little girl!” he kept screaming at you. He took out on of your daggers and putted it to the trough of the girl. She closed her eyes and was hearing only the beating of her own heart which was going to explode. You tried not to react to the action of the leader but you couldn’t hide the surprise he moved so quickly. “I will kill her you think? Do you?” his voice was full of anger. He stabbed the dagger in the pork… “I won’t do it! Because I’m not the guy you think I am!” He got up and let the hand of the girl. She fell on his place which made her open her eyes. Bankotsu walked away form the inn on the way that the crowd made for him. They were all watching and expecting he to kill her and were shocked by the fact they were wrong.
After he was far enough to not hear, the rest of the shichinin-tai turned to look at you at once.
“Now what?” Suikotsu asks while looking at you.
You don’t say anything, get up and walk the other way. There eyes moved from your back to the little waitress.
With Bankotsu’s bad mood, you decide to stay in the inn for the night and try to sort these things out. You were thinking on what happened all day. When you left the boys you were just walking on the streets of the village thinking on what he said, how angry he was and on his words. On the way for your room you pass by Bankotsu’s. You stop for a minute and look at the wooden door. For right, right he was and you had to admit it… to him. You knock on the door but get no answer. There is no noise from inside showing any presents of someone alive, so you try to open the door. It was unlocked and you freely enter to see Bankotsu watching out though the window. You silently entered the room enough to close the door behind you. You look at his back and watch him for a minute. He doesn’t turn to you but you were sure he knew there was someone in since the door and the wood under your feet was making enough noise to wake up the dead.
“O-aniki,” you spoke looking down with your left hand holding your right, showing your shyness. “I’m sorry… I was wrong… I didn’t want to admit it, but you were right to kill them. A deal is a deal…”
He turned to look at you and slowly walked your way. He took your left hand in his and pulled you close to him and kissed you. You didn’t pull back. The kill was better then holding a conversation. It was like the time had stopped and it was only you two. Your mind emptied with any negative feeling.
Suddenly the moment was broken by the annoying noise from the old door. You both turn to see Jakotsu and the waitress.
“Here you go, o-aniki!” Jakotsu says with a smile. “I though you will find liking in this girl…”
“You!” suddenly Bankotsu let go of you and stares at the girl.
The girl was looking down but suddenly looked up as if he called her name. She looked with the same eyes at him.
“It can’t be… Moriko?” he whispers and moves to her, only watching in her eyes. For him, you were no longer there. No one was, only he and the girl existed in his mind.
“Ban-chan?” she whispers and moves away from Jakotsu to Bankotsu.
“Bankotsu” you say with a sharp tone which made him notice the environment around him. “Seems you know each other… Care to introduce us?”
“This is Moriko” he says not believing his own words.
“I think we already got that,” you note. “How come you all of a sudden happen to know the girl that you were to kill earlier this day?”
“Kill Moriko?” he turns to her. “You had to say something, Moriko. I’m sorry.”
“I… didn’t know it was you, Ban-chan,” she mumbles and blushes. “I though you were… dead.”
“Dead? Me? Bankotsu?” he laughs, “I don’t die that easy Moriko, you have to know that.”
“Hey~” Jakotsu suddenly speaks, “Isn’t that your first love?”
At those words Moriko blushes and you feel some strange hater for this girl.
“The very same, Jakotsu. I have so much to talk about…”
“Yes, and that’s why we will leave you alone,” Jakotsu says and pushes you out of the room, and closing the door behind him.
“And why do we have to leave them alone?” you ask Jakotsu when you go outside.
“Moriko is the only girl that o-aniki ever loved. I don’t know why, but he had to leave his homeland and her as well. What things has he said about…”
Jakotsu stops when he sees you are nowhere in sight. After the first sentence you had already went to your room. Some thing was in your heart. Something heavy… Could this jealousy?
They spend the whole night together. You couldn’t fall asleep and didn’t hear her leave. The hate for this girl was growing in with each hour you spend awake.
The word about the power of the band of seven spread from the east to the west, from the south to the north and it planted fear in the hearts of the lords. A decision was made, the band of seven had to be assassinated but by who and how? How many armies they needed, or demons they needed.
Kanuichi, the demon lord, took the challenge and took the path to meet the Shichinin-tai and kill them...
Feel free to share any thoughts with me by PM, or e-mail. Don't ask when the next one will be out. I'm working on it, and it will take some time. Thanks to all who waited for it so long. If you have ideas, feel free to share with me.
