Kenshin No Mezame

[Kaori]

A lone warrior walked into a temple, there on a high throne sat a man, the man on the throne wore black armor with a matching black helmet, both of strange, yet advanced design, while the lone warrior wore simpler armor made from iron and leather plates, as well as a helmet that covered his entire head and had a sword in a sheath on his left hip.

"Welcome." said the black armored man on the throne, "It has been many centuries since a mortal has dared challenge me. I commend you for your bravery. Tell me, Hero... what do you call yourself? " he added.

"I am the voice of freedom! And I will end your tyranny and bring peace to this land!" answered the lone warrior.

"Mwa-ha-ha! A bold reply - and one of the most entertaining I've yet heard. You will do nicely. Begin!" With that, a warrior came forth from the shadows, he wore white armor and was taller than the lone warrior.

The lone warrior drew his sword and assumed a battle stance, his opponent did the same, the warrior in white swung his sword vertically at the lone warrior, only for the lone warrior to parry it, the lone warrior countered with a swift horizontal slash, grazing the warrior in white, however, the white warrior countered by disarming the lone warrior, with no weapon, the lone warrior was at the mercy of the white warrior.

"Enough." said the man in black armor, "You are a cunning warrior, and fight with strength and skill. We have found our catalyst." he said as a blade appears in his hand as if by magic ,"The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The God Killer. It took me millennia to find this, to unravel its secrets. Finally, after all this time, I can begin..." with that, he stabbed the lone warrior, an eerie light came from sword as it stabbed the lone warrior, the fallen warrior then lay limp on the ground after the black armored man drew the blade from him.

"The blade has tasted your blood, and now contains your essence, your prowess. Ah... a strong bloodline indeed, your progeny will serve me well." said the black armored man with a satisfied tone, he then turned to face his white armored subordinate, "Continue to seed the legends. Call upon me when the bloodline has matured again, and I will return. In the coming storm, this blade is our only hope of dominion." with that he left the white armored warrior to dispose of the fallen warrior's body......

-100 years later-

A lone warrior stood on a hill overlooking a temple, the very same temple that had taken the lives of the lone warrior's fathers, "Father, I will avenge you" said the lone warrior, the lone warrior then proceeded down on a path to the temple.

[Kaori]

The lone warrior walked into the temple, there on a high throne sat a man, the man on the throne wore black armor with a matching black helmet, both of strange, yet advanced design, the man known as the God Emperor, the immortal ruler of the land of Owari, the lone warrior slayed many of his champions to get to him.

Out of the shadows came forth, a white armored man, he was taller the lone warrior, it assumed a battle stance, and the lone warrior replied by assuming the battle stance as well, both warriors dueled, the white warrior attacked with a barrage of strikes, however the lone warrior blocked them all, as the white warrior prepared another strike, the lone warrior found an opening and thrusted under the white warrior, stabbing him.

The white warrior fell limp on the ground as the lone warrior looked at the God Emperor, "Most impressive, you defeated my champions.", said the God Emperor as he jumped down from his throne, "Now you must face the true test, Prepare to meet your doom!" said the God Emperor as his blade, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi appeared in his right hand, Both of them assumed battle stances, they swung their swords at each other, only for their blows to meet each other, it went on like that for quite a while until the God Emperor disarmed the lone warrior, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi disappeared from his hands as he extended his right arm, "Of all those who dared to face me, you are the first to prove worthy." said the God Emperor.

"So, I offer you a choice, noble warrior - join me, and learn the true meaning of power. You need not perish this day." offered the God Emperor, the lone warrior was stunned by this offer, however, the lone warrior remembered the deaths of the previous warriors to have fought the God Emperor, the blood of many men in the lone warrior's family was shed fighting this tyrant, the lone warrior picked up the sword the God Emperor disarmed, the God Emperor was shocked,"Impudent child! How dare you refuse the will of the Gods! You will now feel the full power of my wrath! ", with that they resumed fighting, the God Emperor then struck the helm of the lone warrior, the helm fell off, revealing a youthful face and and long black flowing hair, "What sorcery is this?! A woman?!" exclaimed the God emperor in bewilderment, however, the Lone warrior managed to disarm the God Emperor and used his own weapon to stab him, "Gwaugh... Impossible! I am... Immortal...! You... (cough)... you don't know what you've done. This world contains.. far greater danger... than you could imagine. (cough)... They'll be coming for YOU now..." said the God Emperor as the female warrior looked on, "it's over" said the female warrior, she had done the impossible, she had slain one of the God's.

[Kaori]

God's Death didn't do much to change the lives of the people of Tsubasa village in Owari. In fact, most of them didn't even know their deity had been slain.

Those who did, however, took advantage.

"There is nothing at all to worry about," Ashikaga said, raising his hands as he stood on an improvised stage made from two carts. He was flanked on one side by a Youkai, a hulking creature that only shallowly resembled a man. Youkai are creatures under the command of the immortal's and their subordinates, Youkai came in many types, but this one had deep violet skin and arms as thick as tree trunks.
"You've always paid your taxes to me, and I've passed them along," Ashikaga continued, speaking to the gathered crowd. "Now I'll keep them myself, and I'll be your lord. It will be good for you to have a leader who is more local."
"What of the God Emperor?" Someone called from the nervous crowd. Things had been the same in Tsubasa Village for centuries. They worked themselves ragged to meet their quota, and were bullied into giving up almost everything they had for the tax collectors.
"The God Emperor has no complaint regarding this arrangement," Ashikaga said
Members of the crowd grumbled, but what could they say? Ashikaga had Youkai and soldiers and, supposedly, the God Emperor's blessing.

A stranger stepped up to the edge of the crowd. The air tasted wet and smelled of minerals; Tsubasa village had been built inside a massive cavern. It had a large grinlike opening a hundred yards across at the front, and thousands of stalactites hung from the ceiling; many were so thick that three men holding hands wouldn't be able to reach around them.
Only stumps remained of many of the gargantuan rock formations, however.
A hundred enormous chains hung down from the cavern roof, their tops bolted to the stone. The town's men climbed those chains each day and strapped themselves to the ceiling, where they mined for the precious minerals the God Emperor demanded.

The location of buildings in the town shifted month by month, moving out from beneath where the miners worked. Even still,most people, men, women, and children wore a helm to protect them from falling bits of rock. "Why now?" one of the braver men called. "Why make us have a local lord, when we've always been able to pick our own leaders before?" "The God Emperor needs not explain his ways to you!" Ashikaga yelled. Instead of a helm, he wore his cap and a rich silk costume of orange and gold. The townspeople stilled. To disobey the God Emperor was death. Most didn't even dare question. The stranger rounded the crowd's people, passing between dangling chains with thick black iron links. Some people gave her looks, trying to peer at her face, which was lost in the cowl of her deep hood. Most dismissed her, assuming she was one of those who had come with Ashikaga. They got out of her way as she walked toward the center of the crowd, where the former tax collector continued explaining his new rules for the town.

The stranger didn't shove or push; the crowd wasn't pressed together so tightly that she needed to. She passed one of the thick chains and hesitated, reaching out and resting her fingers on it. Woven into that chain were ribbons of blue, remnants from the festival that had occurred here a week before. Fallen flower petals, now wilted, still lurked in some cracks and corners. Some of the buildings had even been repainted. All for the Feast of the Sacrifice, a day that came only once every two decades. ". . . So, of course, there can be no questioning my authority,"
Ashikaga said. He pointed toward the front of the crowd, to the man who had asked the question earlier. "Wouldn’t you say?", "Yes... yes, my lord," the man said, shrinking down. "Excellent," Ashikaga said. "Let's see you beaten and be on with our day, then." "But, my lord!" the man said. "I—""Questioning again, I see," Ashikaga said. He waved curtly. "A price must be paid. You will remember to whom you belong." Youkai began to descend upon the townspeople. There was
variety to the inhuman monsters in skin, shape, and color, some with claws, others with eyes that burned. They shoved among the people, grabbing young women from their families, including the daughter of the outspoken man. "No!" the man said, trying to push the Youkai away. "Please,no!" One Youkai—lean like a wolf, with bony knobs on its skin and a face that appeared burned, hissed, then raised its sword and swung down at the man. A clang rang through the cavern. The stranger stood there, arm extended, sword blocking the Youkai's attack. The townspeople, the Youkai, and Ashikaga all seemed to notice the stranger for the first time. People pulled back from him in a ring.

Then they saw the sword.

That sword. Long and smooth at at one of the sides, with a distinctive set of three diamond shapes in its center... it was a symbol every child in the land was taught to recognize. A symbol of power, of authority, and of rulership.

It was the God Emperor's own weapon.

The Youkai was so surprised that it could do nothing but gape as the stranger spun the weapon and impaled the creature through the throat. The stranger moved in an eyeblink, ripping the sword free and dashing forward, cloak trailing behind her. She grabbed one of the chains, moving with practiced familiarity, and swung on it. She swept to a pair of Youkai who were towing a young woman toward the stage. The two fell easily. These were not the champions of the God Emperor's temple; they were simple brutes. The stranger left them gurgling in their own blood. Ashikaga started yelling, calling for his soldiers. He raved and ranted, pointing. Then he cut off, stumbling back as the stranger grabbed a chain and pushed forward, swinging up and landing with a thump on the wagons. The purple-skinned Youkai struck with a thick-headed mace, but the God Emperor's weapon, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi itself, flashed in the air. The Youkai looked with befuddlement at the stump of his mace. The head thumped to the floor of the cart. The Youkai's corpse followed a moment later.

Ashikaga tried to leap from the cart, but fell to his knees as the vehicle shook. As he rose, he found the blade at his neck. "Call them off," the stranger said in a soft voice. "Youkai!" Ashikaga cried. "Release the people and stand back! Stand back!" The stranger’s hood had fallen behind, revealing a silvery helm that covered her entire face. She waited as the monsters retreated to the edge of the clustered townsfolk. Then she raised her blade, dripping with blood from the monsters she'd slain, and pointed toward the mouthlike opening into the town. "Out. Never return." Ashikaga obeyed in a scramble, falling to the ground as he climbed from the cart, then dashed at a full run out of the cavern, his Youkai falling in around him. The cavern fell silent. The stranger finally reached up and peeled her helm from her head, exposing long black hair with ribbons and a youthful face. Kenshin. The Sacrifice. The woman who had been sent to die. "I have returned," she told the townspeople.

[Kaori]

"She wasn’t supposed to win," Master Seigan hissed. Kenshin could hear them talking in the other room of Seigan's hut. Kenshin sat quietly, holding a small cup of tea in one hand. Chrysanthemum tea, a very healthy tea. A warrior's tea. It tasted like dishwater to her."Well," Master Shanna said, "we can't exactly blame her, can we? For living, I mean?" "She went to fight the God Emperor," Master Hayate said. "We sent her to fight the God Emperor." And Kenshin had gone, just as her father and her grandfather had gone. Dozens had been sent over the centuries, always from the same family. A family sheltered, protected, and hidden by the people of the land. The Sacrifice, it was called. It was how they fought back. The only way. They'd live beneath the oppressive thumb of the God Emperor. They'd pay nearly all they had in tribute, would suffer the brutality of men like Ashikaga—who, up until his power grab, had been only a simple tax collector. But they would make this one act of rebellion. One family, hidden. One warrior each generation, sent to show that the people of this land were not completely dominated. The Sacrifice didn't need to win. He wasn't expected to win. He wasn't supposed to be able to win.

"Hell take me", Kenshin thought, looking down at her cup. "Even I didn't expect to defeat him". Kenshin had gone in with the dream that maybe, if she were incredibly lucky... She'd get a single cut on the God Emperor, make the tyrant bleed. Instead, she'd slain one of the Immortal's. The other room fell silent, then the whispers continued, softly enough that she couldn't hear "I really did it", Kenshin thought. "I'm alive." It was only now beginning to sink in. She looked down, then pointedly set the cup aside "And that means I never have to drink this trash again!" Shee stood up, smiling. She had dreamed of what might happen if she actually killed the God Emperor. She hadn't dared hope, but she had allowed herself those dreams. She'd imagined triumph, celebrations. She'd imagined exulting in her victory. Oddly, she didn't feel exultant. Instead, she just felt free. Being the Sacrifice had dominated everything she'd ever done, But that was done with. Finally. Finally she could figure out who she was, the person she could be when she didn't have this terrible duty weighing her down. She hesitated, then fished a small woodbound book out of her pocket. Her mother had given it to her and told her to record her thoughts each night as she traveled to the God Emperor's Temple. Her mother and she were among the few in the town who could read. The Sacrifice had to be literate, Kenshin wasn't certain why, it was merely tradition. She hadn't considered it an arduous requirement; reading and writing had come easily to her. The logbook was empty. Kenshin had never written in it, and felt foolish for ignoring her mother's suggestion. She hadn't been able to force herself to do it. She'd been marching to her death, determined to avenge her fathers who had fallen to the God Emperor's blade. Not by killing the creature, but by fighting him, by proving that, despite what he may think, the world was not completely his. Kenshin's mother had included a charcoal pencil with the book. Kenshin raised it and turned to the first page. There, in bold letters she wrote one sentence: I hate Chrysanthemum tea

[Kaori]

The door opened, and Kenshin turned to face the town's elders, Master Seigan stood at their forefront, a short, bald man with a round face and red ceremonial robes now faded with age. "Kenshin," Master Seigan said. "We were wondering... What it is you intend to do next." Kenshin thought for a moment. "I intend to visit my mother," she said. "I'd assumed she'd be in the town, as it's midday. I should have gone to her hut first." She lived outside of the main cavern, in the open air. "Yes, yes,” Master Seigan said. "But after that...?" "I’ve given that a lot of thought, master," Kenshin said, tucking away the book. "And... Well, I've come to a decision." "Yes?" "I’m going swimming." Master Seigan blinked in surprise, then turned to the other elders. "After that," Kenshin continued, "I'm going to eat a Kabocha pie. Do you realize I've never tasted Kabocha pie? I was always on too strict a diet to eat the pies during festivals. A warrior cannot afford such frivolity." She rubbed her chin. "Everyone says Kabocha is the best type of pie." I hope I like it, she thought. I'd hate to have spent all of these years envying everyone else for nothing. "Kenshin," Master Seigan said, stepping closer. His eyes flickered toward the corner of the small room, where Kenshin's armor lay piled, bundled inside her cloak, which doubled as a pack. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi rested against the pile. "Did you really do it? You didn't... Just sneak in and steal his sword, did you?" "What?" Kenshin said. "Of course not!" The fight flashed in her mind. Sword against sword. The God Emperor's voice, commanding, dismissive, yet surprisingly honest. It had been an unexpectedly honorable dual, after the ancient ideal. "And the others?" Master Seigan asked. "The other six members of the Pantheon? You killed their leader. Did you face the others?" "I dueled some captives in the dungeon," Kenshin said. "I think they might have been important, but they didn’t look like members of the Pantheon. I didn't recognize them, at least." Master Seigan glanced at the other elders. They began shuffling, uncomfortable. "What?" Kenshin demanded. "Kenshin," Master Seigan said, "you can’t stay here."

[Kaori]

"What?" Kenshin demanded. "Kenshin," Master Seigan said, "you can't stay here." "What? Why not?!" "They'll come hunting you, child," Master Seigan said.
"They'll come hunting for that." He looked toward the sword again. "All Immortals covet the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi," Master Shanna said from behind Seigan. "Everyone knows that." "They'll be angry," Master Hayate said. "Angry at you, for what you've done." "We can't let you remain in the town," Master Seigan said. "For the good of us all, you have to go, Kenshin." "You're exiling me?" Kenshin said.
"Hell take me... I saved you. I saved all of you!"
"We appreciate that," Master Seigan said. Several of the others didn't look like they agreed. Just a week before, these people had toasted her bravery. They'd sent her off with a feast and fanfare. They'd praised her and lauded her. They didn't want me to win, she thought, looking into those hostile eyes. They're afraid. They spoke of freedom, but they don't know what to do with it. "You should go quickly," Seigan said. "We've sent word to Lord Ashikaga, inviting him back." "Him?" Kenshin demanded. "You'd serve that rat?" "Our best hope now," Master Hayate said, "is to look cowed, placated. Dominated. When the other gods come searching, they must not find a town in rebellion." "It is the best way, Kenshin," Master Seigan said. "You’ve been slaves so long," Kenshin spat, "you don't know how to be anything else. You are fools! Children!" She was shouting, she realized. "After all of these centuries, time after time feasting and dreaming, now you throw it away! Now you throw me away!" The elders shied back before her rage. They seemed frightened of her. Terrified. Kenshin formed fists, but then found her rage evaporating. She couldn't be angry at them. She could only pity them.
"Fine," she snapped, moving to pick up her gear. "Fine, I'll go."