Ice castles were surrounding the little wooden house that lied solitary in the middle of the mountains. The rain of transparent fragments had ceased and the sun was showing his sad and pale face once again. The white layer was high up to the knees, refreshing the fragile feet of a young girl who was crossing with resignation the immaculate ocean. Her face was reflecting the paleness of the celestial star. She moved in short, but decisive steps, wearing leather boots and a traveling suit: baggy, long hakama –male, samurai’s hakama-, simple kimono and over it a cape made of wolf fur. On the shoulder she had her bow with its arrows and at her waist she had a warrior’s sword. Her long, black hair, shining blue – the charming hair of the Asian girls- was swaying in mild waves in the dry wind’s blow, flowing from the pony tail caught with a lace that surrounded her forehead, in the middle of which a blue sapphire was sparkling.
Before entering the ice castle leading to the Shi Kao temple, she turned her head and threw a last look towards the small shelter sunk in silence. She suddenly turned and jumped with the agility of a panther on the snowy branch of an old tree. Then she got lost in the morning mist and among the crystal branches of the forest trees.
"No! I am sure we don’t need any samurai to protect us from the Shogun of Darkness, who ever he might be. Why should he attack a peaceful temple of Buddha?" said with determination in his voice an old man with a face wrinkled by the passing of time, with two big eyes, as if popping out of their sockets and gleaming shrewdly, rising from the tatami.
"Because it is the home of the old mad prophet Shikongan!" plainly answered the young samurai –actually ronin, judging by his clothes- who was sitting on another tatami, calmly sipping his sake.
"Take care how you speak in the holy house of Buddha!" frowned the little creature that seemed to be a Buddhist priest.
"You, even you, can’t deny that he is mad, after all, the whole Japan knows it! And the Shogun of Darkness too…"
"However, it seems to me that I was clear enough: I don’t need a mercenary samurai like you! You are all alike: a pack of cruel stray dogs in search of a master who is to offer you food and money for nothing!"
Unbearing the insult, the samurai rushed at the old man and put his sword at his throat, fixing him with a flame-throwing look. He said:
"Then you should have also known that you have to be ware the cruelty of stray dogs!"
"After all, you don’t want to murder a priest in his own temple!" whined the old man.
"No way! Just that…" the warrior wanted to say, but a knife flew with the speed of a lightning through the air, thrusting itself in the wall besides him.
Both him and the priest turned their eyes towards the door.
"Let him go!" said the beautiful woman dressed in samurai, taking a fighting position and frowning her eyebrows.
"Gyuishiro doesn’t take orders from anyone!" thundered the ronin.
"In the present situation, I advise him to do so!" she replied, with a look telling infinitely more than her words.
Grinding his teeth and with his eyes in flames, he withdrew from the skinny old man, who had recovered from trembling and had taken the arrogant position from the beginning.
"The one who insults Gyuishiro has to taste the sharpness of his sword!" launched the young man, looking at the newcomer.
"I accept your challenge but it has to wait!" said she with dignity.
"And for how long do I have to wait?" he asked, with a slight tone of hypocrisy in his voice.
"As long as it takes to defeat the Shogun of Darkness!"
"Hmm… What do you know about the Shogun of Darkness, my daughter?" said the priest walking towards her.
"More than any of you." she answered sharply.
"I doubt that… But anyway, what wind brings you in our humble temple?" asked again the old man, mysteriously.
"I am looking for Shikongan, the insane prophet!"
The samurai burst in laughter. The skinny old man pierces him with his look.
"You won’t find him here! He left last night for the mountains, to meditate."
"You are lying!" she said plainly.
"Mind your words, my daughter!"
"You are a very rude old man. First, you don’t thank me for saving your life and then you lie to me! I incline to believe I made a mistake when quarreling with this samurai because of you!" she launched, bored and fixing her sword in its scabbard. "I don’t even know why I am still asking you: I was sure you won’t tell me. So, I will go look for him by myself!" and she turned.
"Where do you want to go?" the little man got alarmed.
"I just said."
"What about our fight?" asked the ronin.
"Another time."
"I won’t forget it!"
"Neither will I!"
The woman vanished in the temple’s empty yard.
Since you don’t need me, I will leave. Sayounara!" and he also disappeared on the cardboard gliding door.
When Gyuishiro passed through the impressive gate of the holy building he got surprised by the same skinny little man from the temple.
"What do you want more? Didn’t you dismiss me?" the samurai asked in disgust.
"You can be useful to me in another way!" he said shrewdly.
"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.
"You could help me in the quest for daimyo Soshubei!"
"The master of Shigara!" exclaimed Gyuishiro.
"Exactly!" answered the old man.
"Why are you looking for him? And why do you need me for this?"
"To stop him, naturally…"
"You?" asked the young man, measuring him from head to foot, with a smile.
"That’s why I need you!"
"Hmm… Who are you anyway?"
"I am Shikongan, the one you call the "insane prophet". " he said solemnly.
The ronin looked at him suspiciously, with a strange smile.
"I was sure you won’t believe me. But it doesn’t matter. Do you accept my offer?"
"It’s out of question!" Gyuishiro answered shortly.
"How dare you? You… a poor ronin!"
"I have already told about how things are with the ronins, and I think I don’t have to repeat it to you anymore, because no beautiful warrior woman will come to save you this time. Sayounara!" and he jumped with agility on a tree branch, vanishing away.
While he was moving away, the little man whispered:
"I need him on my side."
Outside, sand-like snowflakes were descending from the sky, while the wind was blowing fiercely. It was a real sand storm, through which you could hardly see yourself. A ronin was difficultly marching through the ivory hills winter. He bravely stood up against the rough wind and stepped with determination.
Hearing the sound of crossed-over swords, he quickened towards the place from where it was coming. He saw as through a mist a group of masked ninjas, wearing the mark of daimyo Soshubei fighting the samurai woman he had met at the Shi Kao temple. Although the attackers were higher in number, her sword was reaping one by one her opponents. But soon, she showed signs of exhaustion ad she could hardly stand up against them. She ground her teeth and tried to resist. But in these moments of weakness, one of the enemies thrust his dagger in her shoulder. She gave a cry of pain and at the same moment, chopped off his head with her sword.
The ronin was observing the fight with great interest, admiring the fighter woman’s skills. But when he saw her defeated by fatigue and pain, he decided to interfere. He jumped off the branch from where he had observed the whole scene and with a fighting yell he thrust his sword in the heads of three ninjas at the same time... the woman turned her look towards him in astonishment, but couldn’t hold on to her feet anymore. Her sight became misty and she fainted.
When she woke up, she found herself in a ruined room, without doors or walls. It only had a roof and a floor. Fortunately, the storm had ceased and the sun was shining faintly surrounded by clouds. She rose to her knees and saw the samurai who had helped her.
"Why did you do it?" she asked, looking at her bandaged arm.
"Because you needed it!" she answered.
"I could have handle it by myself. It’s not me who asked for your help!" she replied.
"Usually, one says thank you!" she reminded her.
"It is you who wanted to save me. I wouldn’t have cared a bit if you let me there and passed over!"
"Yes…" he smiled. "Actually, I don’t care a bit either if you tank me or not. I did what o thought it was right and that’s all!"
"I don’t; understand you! You promised you would fight me for the offence I had brought you, and now you are saving my life. You don’t find many who would do that!" she remarked, standing on her feet and sitting behind him.
All this time he stood with his back towards her, polishing his sword. Feeling her closer, he said:
"What will you do now?"
"I will continue my quest!"
"If you are looking for Shikongan, you should know he was the little man from the temple."
"I knew," replied the woman.
"You knew? How?"
"I know many things you don’t know!" she said plainly.
"It is natural. Those from the Kagero order know a lot!" he launched with a smile.
"What do you know about the Kagero order?" she rushed at him, jumping in front of him.
"Quite enough… but I have no time for stories. I hover to get to Wakayama tonight!" said the samurai, standing up and putting his sword in its scabbard.
"What business do you have in Wakayama?" asked the ninja woman suspiciously.
"I believe the same with yours!"
"Where do you know so many things about me?"
"Few samurais haven’t heard of Setsuna!" the ronin announced.
"But..." she got alarmed.
"The rumor that you have been murdered at Shigara didn’t help you a lot, did it? I assure you that there aren’t many those who can fight like you, so recognizing you wasn’t hard at all. Sayounara!" Gyuishiro said, jumping on the branches of the surrounding trees in that ninja way.
After having crossed the little forest, he turned. He stated in amaze that Setsuna was right behind him.
"What are you doing here?" he thrown.
"I am heading to Wakayama."
"Aha… And why in my company?"
"Because I owe you!" she launched, raising her shoulders.
"I don’t need your help!" Gyuishiro got angry.
"I didn’t even offer it to you! I’m going with you to Wakayama whether you like it or not."
"How long do I have to tolerate you?" he whispered to himself spitefully, continuing his way.
"Long enough" she answered following him.
Arriving at the city gates, they found guards. They got rid of them but one managed to give the alarm.
"Let’s run away!" yelled Setsuna.
"A real samurai doesn’t run when he has to fight!" he replied.
The bulky figure of a man loomed in the darkness of the cold winter night.
"I was waiting for you, Gyuishiro!" he cried.
"Soshubei! So we were to meet again."
"I see you’ve brought help. Oh, but isn’t there ninja Setsuna?"
"She is not my help and I don’t even need her to defeat you!" the young man said.
"We shall see about that!"
"You shall pay, Soshubei, for all the evil you have done!" she shouted also, rushing towards the opponent, sword in hand.
The latter blocked the blow and started running quickly along the walls. Gyuishiro followed him, running in parallels. They crossed their swords again with a deaf sound. Soshubei attacked with fury but the samurai rejected his blow... he jumped on the branch of a tree and from here he threw himself over the master of Shigara, cutting off the arm which was holding the sword.
"Damn you!" he whistled through his teeth.
But Soshubei didn’t let himself defeated and threw a heavy fighting chain to his opponent, catching his sword, like a snake his pray. He was pulling it forcefully but in vain, because Gyuishiro didn’t want to be separated from his sword under any circumstances.
Setsuna, dagger in her hand, rushed the one who had declared himself on the side of the Shogun of Darkness, but the ronin screamed:
"Setsuna, no!"
She stopped, flashing him with her penetrating look.
"You fool! You will die." Said she, admiring his will and resistance.
Beads of sweat were trickling on his fore head, but he couldn’t give up. He started to tire, hand sliding on his sword’s hilt. He caught it better and made a new effort. But Soshubei too was exhausted, because of the blood flowing in waves from the cut off arm.
Setsuna was watching the fight with great interest, because she didn’t want this mysterious samurai dead. But suddenly, her sight became misty again and she had to lean against the wall.
"No! Not now…" she uttered, but in that same moment, heavy, dirty hands drew her backwards. She lost consciousness.
"Setsunaaaaaaa!" Gyuishiro yelled in despair.
The will to go in search of her defeated even the last bead of sweat. With a supernatural force for a man having his hair all wet with sweat, he snatched the chain from Soshubei hand and jumped over him, cutting off his head.
Afterwards, he rushed on the tracks of those who had kidnapped the young ninja woman. The darkness, the fatigue, the burning wounds didn’t mean anything, because Setsuna was in danger and he had to save her. She was his companion. It was his duty to run with all his strength to save her from the hands of the Shogun of Darkness.
On his way, he got into Shikongan, who stopped him.
"I have no time for nonsense! Setsuna has been kidnapped by the Shogun!"
"So you have reconsidered your attitude?" asked the little man.
"No! Get away from my sight, crazy old man!" he roared, hitting the "prophet".
"If money can’t make you change your mind… then this will!" cried Shikongan, piercing the ronin’s hand with a poisonous dagger.
"What are you doing?" yelled Gyuishiro.
"Only I can give you the antidote!" said the old man with a shrewd smile.
"Low midget! I have no time for this. Setsuna has to be saved! My life doesn’t matter…" he cried again, wondering about his own words.
He disappeared like a lightning, leaving the "prophet" with big, amazed eyes. The wound caused by the fool’s poisonous dagger was giving him terrible pains. The venom was dripping through his veins to his entire body. His head was so heavy his feet were getting soft. But what did all these details matter when he had a mission to accomplish?
He continued to run in the night until he reached the seashore. Here he saw an entire army of men embarking boxes and barrels at the board of a huge dimensioned ship. He didn’t doubt even a second of what they were filled with.
He approached cautiously and hid behind some chests. From here he observed that the greatest rumor was coming from a certain part of the ship. He thought they must have kept Setsuna there. But he couldn’t cross the long distance separating him from her without being discovered by the guards. So, he went away from the ship, and arriving at a less supervised part of the shore, he jumped into the cold sea.
He swam under the water until he reached the bottom of the huge ship. He discovered a less guarded deck sector and climbed the ship’s wall with the help of his short sword. His sight was becoming more and more unclear and his hands heavier and heavier. He even began to split blood.
"Damned you!" he whistled through his grinding teeth.
When he finally reached the top, he killed with flash-like movements the guards and wanted to head towards the place in which he thought Setsuna was kept prisoner. But voices and steps were to be heard. He hid behind some barrels, just in time not to be seen by the Shogun of Darkness’ two commanders, Kayaru and Hikojiro. He ground his teeth once more and held to the barrel behind him. He heard a splash and discovered oil. He smiled, as a plan was being shaped in his mind.
"You will pay for your betrayal!" the ronin shouted to the two to the two daimyo.
"Who dares?" shouted Kayaru, but his companion was already heading that way.
When the two approached the place where Gyuishiro was hidden, they got instantly covered from head to toes by the black, greasy fluid.
"Say hello to Soshubei, in Hell!" the young man cried, just before lighting with a burning torch the anxious oil, immediately transforming it into an immense flame which swallowed the two and provoked a great fire on the ship.
Many soldiers ran towards the place, because indeed that was not a thing to be expected. The samurai waited until the guards left the deck where Setsuna seemed to be enclosed and rushed to set her free. There he fought for some seconds with the ones who remained to guard the prisoner’s room.
When he opened the wooden door, he saw her all tied up, sitting in a corner, among some dozens of other people.
"Gyuishiro!" exclaimed the girl, with a glimpse of joy in her voice.
"Who are those people?" he asked, while untying her.
"They are ninjas from the Kagero order, just like me. The Shogun caught us because we knew too much about him and he naturally planned to kill us all. But I am not afraid: I will die among those of my own!"
"Stop saying nonsense! Somebody has to survive, you all have to live so that the entire world would find out who is the Shogun of Darkness and what he wants. You have to fight, you all have to! I will help you," he said, taking her hand in his.
"He is right, Setsuna. But we don’t have the strength to continue. Only you have to go and carry on our work. You also know that but too well!" the others said.
"Yes, I know and still, this doesn’t make the separation easier… But we have no time! The moments are numbered. Good bye! I will never forget you..."
"Leaving so soon?" a voice suddenly asked and Tokara –the Shogun’s right hand- appeared in the door’s frame, surrounded by soldiers.
"Tokara! I had to imagine you’ll stay in my way. But not for long…" she shouted, thrusting her dagger deep between his ribs.
But instead of crying or crumbling, he started to laugh rudely:
"You thought a simple dagger would kill me? Have you by any chance forgotten that I am the second in strength after the Shogun? That I cannot be killed but by the hand of Japan’s greatest samurai and with my own weapons?" and saying this, he caught Setsuna’s hand and lifted her up in the air.
She drew out her sword and cut his hand. She rolled on the deck until she came to the guard’s feet. They captured her.
"Noooooo!" she screamed, starting to fight them, fed up with the revenge she owned to those who had been killed from this dark Shogun’s orders.
Gyuishiro took advantage of the moment when Tokara turned to take part in the battle and rolled between his legs, stealing his sword from its scabbard and fixing the commander against the ships’ wall. He rose and said to him:
"Tell your men to stop fighting!"
"You think you are scaring me? Haven’t you heard that I cannot be killed?.." and he grinned sinisterly.
"I heard that you can be killed, and I am the one who’ll do it!" he clearly pronounced the sentence, with a conviction he wondered himself, but which seemed to live far beyond his voice.
"Stop!" the villain suddenly cried, taken by a strange feeling of anxiety. "Who are you?"
"I am Gyuishiro, a wandering ronin who fights against the army of the Shogun of Darkness. And who will eliminate you, for a start!" and as he told this with a sure voice, he cut his head with his own sword.
Setsuna stroke with her sword all around her, cutting her way through the soldiers to the ship’s edge. She climbed on it and shouted:
"Shogun of Darkness, your throne is shaking! Gyuishiro, let’s go!" and she jumped into the bubbled waves.
The ronin followed her example, but his body, deeply weakened by the perfidious poison cracked and he could not swim anymore. Setsuna called him desperately, but there was no answer. She looked, but she didn’t find.
"Noooooo! Gyuishiroooooo, you have to live, to fight, to come to me….."
Drowned in poison, he was resting on the ocean floor.