SAMURAI SHODOWN : A DEMON, A SAVIOR, A LOVER

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

 

 

It has been several months since that day... The day when Shizumaru Hisame realized that he's the one who massarced his own village... the one who killed his own parents... He knew that he was never lonely inside... but, he began to doubt himself as he traveled. People shunned him and stood away from him. Shizumaru knew that even though he didn't act like a demon anymore at this day, he would carry on his own sin throughout his life... Only the monk that raised him since he lost his memory was kind enough to provide him shelter and food... However, he could not escape the reach of age, and thus he died of an old age. Left alone once more, Shizumaru left the temple where he grew up...

 

 

"Now I have nowhere to go..." Shizumaru sighed as he walked through the mountain path. But, as he walked, he remembered something, "... Hakana...?" Shizumaru remembered his past... before he wandered and met Haohmaru, he was staying with a kind woman named Hakana. She did not care that he was a demon by himself... or maybe she didn't care anyway ?

 

 

'No matter... her place is the only place I could go...' he thought and he continued his path, heading to the village where Hakana used to live. He dismissed Haohmaru from his mind, knowing that he would be travelling throughout the world and maybe he wouldn't have time to take care of his daily life. All Shizumaru was just a peaceful life... without battle... without blood... without massarce...

 

 

xxxx

 

Kamui Kotan

 

xxxx

 

 

Rimururu was playing in the forest with her ice spirit, Konril. She was really happy as she giggled, pretty ensured that nothing would disturb her. Konril was floating through the forest, and Rimururu happily chased it. However, she wasn't aware of something... that have been watching her... not her sister or anyone... She couldn't even hear some whisper that flew through the woods... "It is her... Let's get ready to capture our target."

 

 

When she chased Konril, suddenly, the ice spirit stopped by itself. "Hey, what's the matter, Konril ?" Rimururu asked her ice spirit, "Tired already ? Well, I'm kinda tired myself ! Let's go home !" But, just when she tried to walk back home, five ninja-like warriors dropped down from the trees and surrounded her.

 

 

"Eek ! Who're you !?" Rimururu gasped in shock and terror, "You... you look kinda nasty !" The ninja leader stepped forward and said, "If you don't want to get hurt... come with us." "I'm not going anywhere !" Rimururu yelled and prepared her knife, "Let's go, Konril !" With that, Rimururu threw several ice bolts to her enemies. All, except one ninja, dodged them all. The one who was struck down with the ice bolt was brought down unconscious. "Well, I have no choice ! Get her, men !" The ninja leader commanded his men, and they attacked Rimururu.

 

 

Even though they're ninjas, Rimururu was even quicker than them. As one of the ninja tried to punch her many times, she dodged them all, and when he launched the final blow, she simply leapt above, and the punch was thrown to the another ninja underling. The other underling then leapt and tried to attack her from the front. But, Rimururu pointed her knife forward, and Konril moved in front of her. "Sock'em, Konril !" Rimururu commanded, and Konril launched a lot of frozen daggers to the ninja, knocking him down with a lot of wounds. "Sorry about that ! Hee hee !" Rimururu taunted him as she giggled... however, her giggle would turn into a gasp of shock...

 

 

Four chains were thrown to her, and they suddenly bound her ankles and wrists. "Attacking from behind...!?" Rimururu said in a shock, as she saw the other two ninja underlings were the ones doing it to her "Cheaters !" The ninja leader teleported and struck Konril down, immobilizing it. "We have captured our target." the leader exclaimed, as Rimururu struggled on the chains that bound her, yelling, "LET ME GO !!" "We must not raise our suspicion..." The ninja leader said as he drew some rope, and the ninja underlings got close to her and threatened her neck with their ninjatos...

 

 

Rimururu couldn't do anything, as the ninjas removed the chains that bound her, and instead, they worked with their leader to tie her up as one of the underlings bent her hands behind and tied them on the wrists and elbow with a new set of ropes. Another underling worked on her feet and tied her legs together on her ankles, her knees and her thighs. The leader tied her body on her waist and shoulder, each forming two to three circles. The ropes that bound her body also bound her arms together, pinning her arm to her body. "Let me go, you creeps !" Rimururu yelled as she struggled the bond, but it was no use. "Cowards ! All you can do is sneak and-Mmmpgh !" She couldn't talk any further as a thick white cloth was circled around her mouth and gagged her. "The voice is done. Now we just need to hide her body as we take her away." The ninja leader said and he pulled out a big bag. The other ninjas held Rimururu and loaded her to the bag, ignoring her muffled screams, "MMMMPPGGHH !!! MMMPPPFFHHH !!!!" As soon as she was loaded and sealed inside the bag, the ninja leader carried it behind his back. "Target captured, let's return." With that, the leader vanished, as the other underlings carried their unconscious companions and vanished as well.

 

 

 

xxxx

 

 

Eventually, Shizumaru arrived at a certain village. He was sure that this was where Hakana lived. However, something was a bit strange... The village was lacking children... Not that the village was filled with adults only, but the amount of children were very little. "What happened here...?" Shizumaru wondered, as he finally came upon a house he recognized... It was Hakana's house.

 

 

"Hakana, it is I, Shizumaru..." Shizumaru said as he knocked the door. But there's no answer. Shizumaru knocked the door again, and said, "Hakana ? Are you there ?" Still no reply. Shizumaru then tried to open the door, but to his surprise, the door was unlocked ! But what shocked him more... was that the house was empty... and the interior was ruined greatly. "What... have happened while I was gone !?" Shizumaru said in disbelief as he shook his head. But it was then, someone called him.

 

 

"Ah, you ! The lady with umbrella !" an old man called him. Shizumaru looked at him, and said, "Sorry, sir... but I'm a boy." "Wha !? Ow, your face looks really feminime, it fooled me !" The old man replied with a little laugh. But Shizumaru didn't take the joke and asked the man, "Grandfather... what happened to this house ? What happened to... the owner of the house, Hakana ?"

 

 

"Hakana...? It has been awhile..." The old man said, with a disappointment on his face. "What happened to her ?" Shizumaru asked, with curiosity on his face. The old man answered with a tale. "She was here, but no more..."

 

 

"Years ago, Hakana left to find her husband... But she never returned ever since that day... After several years, we found out a shocking truth... Hakana and her husband... were eaten by a nasty demon named Kusaregedou."

 

 

"What...!?" Shizumaru said, shocked. He fell to his knees, refusing to believe what happened. "Hakana... is dead !?" Guilt started to overcome Shizumaru. Had he returned sooner, Hakana wouldn't be in dead... "It's... it's my fault... I wasn't there to protect her..." Shizumaru said in sadness, and the old man cheered him up, "Do not blame yourself, young man... there was nothing you could do..."

 

 

"In that case... why does this village... is short on children ?" Shizumaru asked, still remembering the lack of children in the village. The old man sighed and said, "That... has been our village's problem." And thus he started another tale.

 

 

"Two years ago, this Kusaregedou suddenly arrived near this village and another neighboring village. He made his new lair nearby... He would go out and eat our farm animals for his own pleasure, but he was not satisfied with just that.... He wanted to eat humans... as it's his hobby. And so, he threatened to eat our animal farms... unless each week, we sacrifice one of our children... We had no choice but to comply, but the neighboring villagers refused to hand over their children.... and so one night... we heard that Kusaregedou kidnapped the whole villagers of the neighboring villagers and ate them all alive."

 

 

"What...!? That's... just monstrous !" Shizumaru exclaimed, disgusted with how Kusaregedou acted. "We've been living under his terror... until this day... But, we found some solution to drive him away." The old man said. "And what would that be ?" Shizumaru asked, glad that there's a way to get rid of the demon.

 

 

"It appeared that there's one certain girl that Kusaregedou wanted to eat on his whole life. After confirming who she is... our elders sent their best warriors to capture her, and sacrifice her to Kusaregedou, with hopes that he will go away after he eats her..." The old man said, but Shizumaru cut in. "That's just inhuman ! How could you sacrifice her that easily..." The old man sighed and continued, "I'm sorry, young man... But that is our only hope that our village will be saved. It's a dangerous gamble, but we all have decided to bet on it... no matter what the consequence is...."

 

 

".... I see..." Shizumaru sighed and then he asked something else, "... Can I... see this 'special girl' ?" "... Our warriors have returned... We should have her in our field. Come with me." The old man said and he walked away. Shizumaru followed him.

 

 

Eventually, they reached the field outside the village. Shizumaru eventually found the cage, containing the a girl in white-blue outfit, with her hands tied behind her back, and there appeared to be a gag circled on her mouth. She was struggling, but she didn't notice both of them behind her. But, by just seeing her back, Shizumaru could easily recognize who was in the cage... it was none other than Rimururu !

 

 

"No way... Rimururu...!?" Shizumaru whispered in disbelief, and then he said to the old man, "Let's go back to the village ! I've seen enough !" The old man agreed and then they returned to the village, without Rimururu noticing.

 

 

Once both reached the village, Shizumaru's expression changed into anger. "You're all madmen !" He exclaimed angrily, "She's my best friend ! How could you plan to sacrifice her !?" "She is... your friend...?" The old man was surprised, knowing that Shizumaru was a friend of Rimururu. But he shook his head and said, "Unfortunately... she is what was described by Kusaregedou as his primary target to be eaten... We can do nothing..." Shizumaru refused to hear that kind of answer and insisted on, "But, there must be another way !". But the old man shrugged him off once more, "Our village have no other choice for survival... Hate us if you must, young man.... but we have no other choice... I'm sorry..."

 

 

Shizumaru realized that it's useless to insist on this old man... Rimururu... was the best he could ask for a friend... She never cared that he's a demon. Even though he has something evil within him, Rimururu was one of the people that understand him the most, alongside Haohmaru and Nakoruru. Now, Shizumaru have to save her... at all cost... 'The tragedy that befell on Hakana cannot be repeated... especially on Rimururu !' Shizumaru thought. And then he spoke once more with the old man, "Fine... If you still insist on your idea, I'll get rid of Kusaregedou... with my own way." With that, Shizumaru left... in order to devise his plan to rescue Rimururu.

 

 

xxxx

 

 

Eventually, the evening came. Rimururu was getting scared, as it was getting dark. "Mmmmmpphh... Mmmmppphh..." she began to moan in fear, as she shivered both in cold and fear. Her struggles also became weaker and weaker, as she was slowly overcomed with fear. Suddenly, four men in black hoods came to her cage. "The time has come, chosen girl..." One of them said, and the four men lifted the cage on its handles. "Mmmmrrrpphhh... Mmmmrrrpphhh..." As she was being carried away, Rimururu continued to shiver and moan... fearing that she would be put into harm... or even killed, as this men looked really suspicious and spooky. What would happen to her ?

 

 

To Be Continued