The Truest Test

Part II

by the Legend of the Five Rings Story Team

Akodo Shinichi watched as the war banner of the Khan unfurled on the plain in front of Toshi Ranbo. His mouth hung agape for only a moment before he sprang into action. “Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm! The Unicorn are here!”

Shinichi ran along the edge of the watchtower, calling out all the way, until he reached the large gong installed there. He struck it with a large mallet, three times. He then waited for no more than ten seconds before hitting it two more times. He then stopped and listened. One by one he heard the gongs from the other watchtowers respond with their own alarms. The city was warned, but no one had expected the Khan so quickly.

The Lion warrior ran down the stairs of the short tower where he was stationed, drawing his blade as he burst out from the doorway onto the street at the city’s edge. He held his blade at the ready, and saw that other sentries were gathering along the perimeter as well. He could hear the Akodo shouting in the streets behind him, and knew that they would be there in an instant. As he watched the Unicorn begin to surge forward like the tide, he knew that he would likely die. He did not care, because he knew that his brothers would avenge him, and he knew that he would not die alone.

•

Bayushi Norachai stood outside the Empress’ audience chamber and listened as the gongs died down. He knew the fighting had already begun. The Empress said nothing, taking in the clamor of officers around her without obvious reaction. “If you will excuse me, my lady,” Norachai said as he swept from the room. In moments, he reached the small guard station at the Palace gates, the location he had chosen to co-ordinate the defense of the city. He had dispatched runners as soon as the gong sounded and he now waited their return.

The first, Seppun Saburu, arrived quickly. He bowed and said, “The western garrison is in place, Bayushi-sama. Akodo Shigetoshi-san commands them personally.”

“Thank you Suburu-san. I want constant updates from the west wall. I need to know the instant they engage.”

“Hai, Bayushi-sama.”

As the Seppun bolted away, Norachai resisted the urge to pace. He had underestimated the magic of the Unicorn and the preparation of their defense was the lesser for it. The arrival of the Akodo was a blessing, but many of the clans had not taken Norachai’s warnings seriously when he tried to fortify the city’s troops. “Fools,” he muttered. They had been so worried that he was up to some trickery that they had not seen the danger right in front of them. Now Toshi Ranbo could very well pay the price.

•

Toturi Kurako strapped her daisho on with an economy of movement appropriate for a trained warrior. She glanced at Fuzuke Haruka, the Empress’ attendant of late. “No Haruka, I am not going to join the battle.”

Haruka said nothing but she bowed her head, aware that her thoughts were written plainly on her face.

“The Khan has two goals if he wishes to claim the throne. One is to hold the city and the other is to remove the rightful holder of that throne. If he reaches this room, I will be ready. But for now, Haruka, summon my advisors and my personal guard. I imagine they are on their way in any case. I would have words with them.”

Haruka bowed. “Right away your majesty.”

•

At the city’s western edge, Akodo Shigetoshi rallied his personal guard. “Our brothers hold the line!” he shouted. “They have met the Khan’s charge and held him! His treachery has not touched this sacred city because Akodo blood stands in his path!” He paused for a moment, looking around pointedly and then lifted his blade above his head. “Do our brothers stand alone?”

“NEVER!” The cry was so loud that it eclipsed even the shouts and clamor of the battle a short distance away. “Akodo!”

“Akodo!” Shigetoshi answered. “To battle! Death to the traitor Chagatai!”

The Lion moved forward as if one body, their formation splitting precisely to intercept every advance by the Khan’s forces. Every path into the city, every street and opening, was filled with rank after rank of Akodo warriors. Archer fire sailed from the building tops across the western portion of the city, raining down on the Unicorn forces with unerring accuracy.

At the command of their lord, the Akodo pressed forward. Slowly, the Khan’s progress faltered and stopped. Then, inch by inch, the Lion began to force the Unicorn back from the city’s edge.

•

Empress Toturi Kurako stepped atop the dais and turned to face those who had hastily assembled in her throne room. She surveyed them impassively, and then placed her hand upon the blade on her hip. “You have heard the gongs. The sounds of battle can be heard even here. The Khan has arrived.” She paused for a moment to allow the reality of their situation to sink in. “We have heard of his march for months now. Many of us, perhaps, did not imagine that he would ever reach the city, and certainly not so quickly. But fate will unfold as fate must, and it is our fate to face this battle. Some fear that it means the end of all we have built here, but I know differently.”

There were nods around the room. Some, like Seppun Kiharu and Bayushi Kaukatsu, did not betray even the slightest hint of concern over their situation. Others, like Kurako’s young attendant Haruka, looked as though they were struggling to maintain control of themselves. Still others, like Bayushi Kwanchai and Doji Tanitsu, seemed almost distracted, as if longing to enter the fray.

“This is sacred ground,” Kurako said, her voice rising to fill the room. “It will not be defiled by filth like the Khan and his barbarian horde. We will stand against them, no matter this cost. My husband’s court will not be held by a gaijin traitor, and his throne will not be filled with those not even worthy to speak his name! Kakita Matabei!”

A Crane warrior in brilliant armor stepped forward and knelt. “My Empress?”

“You are the commander of my Empress’ Guard,” she said. “This room is to be sealed. No Unicorn is to set foot within it at any costs. Do you understand your duty, Matabei?”

The Crane warrior drew his blade, the sacred blade Tomodachi, forged by the Fortune of Steel himself, and held it before his Empress in salute. “No Unicorn will touch this room, my lady Kurako,” he said. “Not while I live. Not while one of our number draws breath.”

Kurako nodded. “Kiharu-san, send word to your brother monks. They are not to risk their lives. Our temples can be rebuilt, but we will need their wisdom in the days following this assault.”

“As you command, Empress,” the elderly Seppun said with a bow.

“Kaukatsu-san, Tanitsu-san,” she continued. “See to it that those among the Imperial Court are afforded protection and shelter, if they wish it.”

“As you wish,” Kaukatsu said. “For myself, I will be adjourning to the southwestern audience chamber. I wish to enjoy the spectacle from the balcony. Those who wish to join me are certainly welcome.”

“Empress,” Doji Tanitsu said quietly. “I seek leave to stand with Matabei.”

Kurako looked at her Imperial Advisor curiously. “Are you certain?”

“This throne room is in many ways the only home I have ever known,” Tanitsu added. “I will not see it assaulted while I sit idly by.”

“So be it.” Kurako said. She shifted her swords so that she could take her seat upon the throne. “Matabei-san, seal this room.”

“At once, Empress.”

•

“Fifth reserve company to the right flank,” Shigetoshi ordered as he cut a Unicorn warrior from his horse. The signalmen behind them nodded and ran to enact his orders. He grunted slightly as an arrow struck him in the shoulder, but pulled it out and continued the battle without any further acknowledgement. He flicked the blood from his blade and took a moment to assess the situation.

The Unicorn were somehow not what he had expected. Shigetoshi had faced many enemies in his life, but had never faced the Unicorn. Based on the tales from the War of the Rich Frog, and from what he had heard of the Khan’s march thus far, he had expected brutal, slavering barbarians, just as the tales had always painted Chagatai. These men and women were nothing like that. They were disciplined warriors, each fulfilling their role in the army with clear skill and purpose. They bore the mons of all families, including many Shinjo and Utaku, rather than just the Moto. These were true soldiers. These were worthy opponents.

Shigetoshi would celebrate their memory once their deaths had been secured.

The Akodo lord fixed his stare upon a unit of the White Guard advancing through the ranks of his men and charged, preparing to cut the leader down and rob the unit of its commander. He hefted his blade above his head and roared the Akodo battle cry.

The sky split open and rained lightning down upon the city, sending Shigetoshi and many of his men flying through the air to collide painfully with one another and with the buildings and debris littering the streets. The Lion daimyo leapt to his feet at once, ignoring the pain that wracked his body, and cast about for the source of his consternation. As he watched, a second volley of lightning leapt down from the heavens and shattered several buildings that separated the two main streets into the city. The shockwave very nearly knocked him down again, and he saw even a handful of Unicorn struggle to maintain the composure of their horses. Large pieces of stone and wood rained down on the street, bringing cries of pain from those struck. When the dust finally cleared, Shigetoshi realized with a sinking feeling that the lightning had cleared a massive path through the city’s perimeter, giving the Unicorn an opening between the two largest concentrations of Lion forces. What’s more, the Lion were caught off-guard by the attack, and many units were ravaged by the lightning or the explosions that had followed.

“Shore the line!” Shigetoshi roared. “Do not let them enter!” Even as he shouted them, he knew his commands were in vain. Whatever treachery had been launched against his men, it had not targeted the Unicorn, and they rushed to fill the gap even as the Akodo forces assailed them from both sides.

Shigetoshi felt fury building within him. This was not a Unicorn attack, or else they would have used it long before now. The Lion had killed far too many among the Khan’s front line for them to have waited. No, this was an attack by an outside party, one that had struck from the rear and betrayed the Lion. The Khan had gained entrance to the city, and for that, someone would die.

The Lion lord looked about, seeking any indication of what might have caused the sudden change in the battle’s tide. Atop a large tower, not too far from the battle, he caught a glimpse of men standing, regarding the battle. As if by divine providence, a flash of lightning danced in the sky behind them, illuminating their green armor and kimono.

“Mantis,” Shigetoshi hissed.

•

The sudden peals of thunder and the explosive report of lightning had reached every quarter of the city, including the distant Crane estate. Doji Domotai, Champion of the Crane, had winced at the sound, knowing full well that there was no call for such things on so clear a day. Something new had happened, and in a situation such as this, new was remarkably dangerous.

“What forces do we have within the city?” she demanded.

“Very few,” Doji Nagori reported, his features grim. “Most have been deployed to the front lines. The fighting has grown closer to the city, but is still perhaps an hour away at the closest.” He shook his head. “By the time we send for them and they arrive, I fear the battle may be over, or nearly so.”

“Do it,” Domotai ordered. “If we are fortunate, then they will arrive and the Khan will already be defeated. If the worst comes to pass, then it shall be the Crane who unseats Chagatai from the city.”

Nagori nodded and gestured for a messenger, who left the room immediately. The magistrate paused for a moment, regarding Domotai carefully. “I must point out, Domotai-sama, that in withdrawing troops from the front, we open ourselves to utter defeat by the Dragon. The Lion are no longer present to contain their front lines.”

Domotai nodded slowly. “So be it,” she said. “I will not stand by and watch this city die because I fear defeat by the Dragon. And perhaps… perhaps the Dragon will find that they too have a stake in this.”

Nagori’s eyes narrowed. “You cannot honestly imagine that a conflict of this nature will give us some common ground? A war cannot be ended with another war, my lady.”

“We shall see,” was her only reply.

“Domotai-sama!”

Both samurai turned to see the messenger that had left only moments before standing at the doorway. Before he could speak, an armored Crane warrior brushed past him into the chamber. “Forgive my impertinence, lady Domotai,” he said with a bow, “but I thought it best to report directly to you.”

“Who are you?” Nagori demanded.

“I am Daidoji Gempachi, gunso of Daidoji Yaichiro. My men are at your service.”

“You were deployed this morning,” Nagori said.

“Hai,” Gempachi answered. “We were unavoidably delayed due to a supply problem. At the time I considered it a fortunate matter because I had personal business in a local geisha house, but now I see that the Fortunes smiled upon us. We were not far from the city when the lightning struck, and we returned at once. Forgive my failure to follow orders.”

“You are forgiven,” Domotai said at once. “How many are you?”

“Fifty men strong,” Gempachi aid.

“Fifty men,” Nagori said, shaking his head. “Under the circumstances, there is little that such a force can accomplish.”

“Fifty men is a pittance,” Gempachi admitted. “Fifty Crane, however, is an army. What is your will, my lady?”

Domotai smiled slightly, but it was gone in an instant. “Take your men to the palace,” she ordered at once. “We will marshal our forces there.”

“Hai, Domitai-sama.” Just as quickly as he had arrived, Gempachi and his men were gone.

•

The Shinjo was a skilled warrior, but his strike was an inch too high and an inch was all the advantage that Akodo Setai needed. His own blade swung in to cut the Unicorn samurai across the abdomen, destroying armor and slicing open the Shinjo’s stomach. The man’s katana tumbled out of his hands as he dropped to his knees clutching at his entrails, face contorted in a desperate effort not to scream. Setai quickly reversed his katana and brought it back, slicing off the Shinjo’s head and preserving his dignity.

There was silence after that, and Setai looked around to discover that he and Doji Seishiro were alone in the street. Seishiro was looking at the bodies sprawled before him and feeling the weight of the Akodo’s eyes he looked up at his friend. “Unicorn, here,” he said, rage in his voice. “How could this happen, with the Lion manning the walls?”

Setai shook his head, disturbed by the tone of his friend’s voice. “We’ll know when we get to the perimeter,” he said. “But this would not be the first time the Imperial City has been taken by treachery.”

Pain flashed over Seishiro’s face. “Kurohito meant for this city to become a place of peace, the capital of a new, glorious Empire. I am glad he died before he could see this day.”

Before the Akodo could reply there was a disturbance at the far end of the street and a group of Moto charged around the corner. They stopped for a moment, seeming to study the scene of a Lion and a Crane samurai surrounded by Unicorn corpses. Setai was about to suggest that they back up and force the new arrivals to fight standing on the bodies of their clanmates when Seishiro took a stance with the blade of his katana up and the hilt even with his shoulder. “For the Empress!” he cried out, and charged the Moto. Setai stared for a heartbeat, then sprinted to join his friend.

Seishiro tore into the Moto like a hawk diving on a rabbit; his first opponent died with a single strike. As the Crane engaged another opponent a third man tried to flank him, only to fall to Setai’s blade. The fight dissolved into a confused mass of blood-flecked motion, consuming conscious thought and leaving only training and instinct to react. When Seishiro’s mind cleared again there were two more bodies lying in the street, and there were three bloody Unicorns arranged in a half-circle around him. One of them had the insignia of a gunso on his armor, and after looking Seishiro over he spoke. “Doji-san, you have brought much honor to your house today; the Lords of Death will be certain to reward you. What is your name, so that I can praise you when I tell my lord of this fight?”

“I am Doji Seishiro,” he answered. “And unless your lord is willing to consult a sodan-senzo you will be unable to speak with him.”

The Moto didn’t reply but his eyes flicked across to the man on Seishiro’s center. The soldier gave a loud scream and threw himself at Seishiro, his heavy, gaijin-styled sword raised high. Seishiro swung his katana in and upwards, intending to force the Moto’s blade off to the side, and instead connected with the man as he threw himself on Seishiro’s katana. The Crane staggered backwards, trying desperately to clear his blade of the corpse that now snarled it. The two flanking Moto moved in to attack.

From the corner of his eye Setai saw Seishiro free his katana and give one of his opponents a graceless cut that wounded but did not stop him. Years ago Setai had been a Deathseeker, a berserk warrior living only to destroy himself and his clan’s enemies in battle, until the day his Champion had absolved him of his shame and appointed him to the Imperial Court. As he watched his friend fall under the Moto attack the old, familiar coldness filled his mind and Setai realized that he had never really stopped being a Deathseeker.

The soldier he was fighting froze in astonishment at Setai’s roar of fury and the Lion cut off his head without further thought. He ignored the rest of his opponents–they were all moving slowly, far too slowly to be a threat to him–and sprang after the one who standing over Seishiro’s body, heavy sword raised for the death cut. Setai cut him from shoulder to hip, then methodically set about killing the rest of them. When he was finished he hurried back to where Seishiro lay.

The Crane was bleeding from a gash in his leg and several more in his chest, but he was still breathing. As Setai knelt down beside him Seishiro opened his eyes. “Don’t try to speak,” Setai said. “Save your strength and I will bring a shugenja to treat you.”

“Don’t bother,” Seishiro whispered. “I am cold all over, and it is getting hard to breathe.” He stopped for a moment and Setai could hear the bubbling noises as the other man fought for air. “I will follow my lord soon.”

“Goodbye,” Setai said. He could feel the coldness returning and willed it away.

Seishiro smiled. “The cherries will be blooming soon at Kyuden Doji. You should go see them.” He stopped for a moment to breathe and the smile became strained. “My friend–the pain–”

Setai leaped to his feet and shoved his katana down though Seishiro’s heart. “Goodbye, my friend,” he said. He flicked the blood from the blade and then walked away, coldness settling about him like armor. Somewhere in the city there had to be more Unicorns.

•

Akodo Shigetoshi exploded into a flurry of motion as he assaulted the Mantis leaving the tower. “Traitors!” he screamed. “Treacherous filth!” The first two were dead likely before they even realized that an enemy was upon them. Shigetoshi’s wrath was such that his first strike cut one Yoritomo through the chest and buried itself into a second, killing both before the Lion had even torn his blade free. A shugenja lifted a hand and began shouting a prayer, lightning beginning to flicker around his fingers, but Shigetoshi’s dagger put an end to that when he hurled it across the divide between the two and buried it in his throat. Just to be certain he could contribute nothing further, the Lion warrior ended the shugenja with one swift stroke. He turned to face someone else, but recoiled in pain as something bit deeply into the flesh of his face.

Shigetoshi tore his helmet free and held a hand to his cheek, which had blood coursing down it. He looked for its source, and found a single Mantis warrior. The warrior drew two kama, each forged from steel with no wooden handles in sight, and held them at his sides. His belt held a small number of strange, curved blades that Shigetoshi had never seen before. They looked gaijin in origin. A fearsome helm sat atop the warrior’s armor, strangely at odds with the colors of his clan. “Come, then,” was all he said.

“As you wish,” Shigetoshi hissed. He lunged forward, ignoring the blood flowing down his face and splattering on his armor. He struck once, twice, and a third time, each faster than the last, in a flurry of blows so fast that the eye could not follow them. The Mantis’s steel kama intercepted each one, however, turning them aside easily and then darting out in a rapid counterattack. Shigetoshi hurled himself backwards to avoid being cut open, but the blades still tore at the armor covering his stomach, leaving one of the lacquered plates hanging at an odd angle. “Who are you?” the Lion demanded of his foe. “What name shall I give when they ask me who I have killed today?”

“I am Yoritomo Naizen,” the Mantis replied, “and you will have nothing to tell anyone of our battle, save to tell your ancestors that you were felled by a far better warrior.”

The Lion’s faces twisted in rage. “You are a traitor,” he hissed. “The so-called Son of Storms!”

“Do not call me that!” Naizen shouted. “I have not earned that name! Not yet!”

“And you never shall,” Shigetoshi said. He attacked again, this time with a fury that would have shamed his Matsu cousins. Throughout his assault, he did not relent, and each of his strikes had the same perfect precision for which his family was known. And yet still, the Mantis Champion turned each aside in turn, then suddenly drove his knee upward into the opening in Shigetoshi’s armor.

The Akodo daimyo gasped for breath as it was driven out of his lungs. He hooked his foot behind Naizen’s and threw his shoulder into the man’s chest, driving him backwards but not to the ground. The two separated, each holding their weapons and taking stock of one another. “Why have you done this?” Shigetoshi demanded.

“I answer to no man,” Naizen replied coolly. “Especially not the trained dog of a child playing at Clan Champion.”

“I will spit those words on your grave, pirate!”

“So you say,” Naizen said, smirking beneath his helm. “Is this how the Lion have achieved such a reputation? By exhausting their opponents with boasts and false promises?”

Shigetoshi did not answer, but charged yet again, feinting low and swinging high in hopes of cutting the smirk from the Mantis’s face. He might have succeeded as well, if there had not been a sudden wave of heat that coursed over both men, and an explosive report that dwarfed that of the lightning only a short time ago. The Lion looked at his opponent with hateful eyes, but saw only surprise in Naizen’s face. The Mantis Champion’s eyes widened as he looked upward, and Shigetoshi heard him swear “Suitengu’s wrath,” softly under his breath.

Almost against his will, Shigetoshi followed the Mantis’s gaze and looked up into the sky. What he saw there chilled his blood.

“Fortunes have mercy,” he murmured.

•

The assault of the Khan’s forces into the city created an unmistakable din that echoed throughout the city. Inside his estate, Kaneka knelt in the middle of the room, head bowed in prayer. There was no choice left to him now. His eyes blazed with resolve as he stood up. He grabbed his blades from the sword rack in front of him and strode out of the room.

Immediately, the samurai flanking his door stiffened at his approach. He saluted sharply and eyed the Shogun. Though he did not move from his position, he was heartened by his lord’s appearance; Kaneka was armored for war.

“How many men remain in the city?” Kaneka demanded.

“By the Empress’s order,” the guard replied, “most have already left the city under the command of Danjuro-sama. A scant twenty remain as your personal honor guard, Kaneka-sama.”

            “Twenty will do,” Kaneka said. “The sounds of battle draw close.”

The guard nodded. “It seems the Unicorn have broken through the defenses, my lord.”

Kaneka nodded. “Assemble all my men,” he said.

The guard smiled widely and stepped aside. Behind him, Kaneka could see his men standing in formation in the courtyard. “We are ready, my lord,” the guard replied.

The battle had not reached this deep into the city, but everyone was preparing for the worst. The peasants had cleared the streets and were hiding from the chaos that would surely follow. Kaneka and his men marched briskly through the streets of the Imperial City. They headed toward the sound of battle and their impending death. His men were true samurai, Kaneka mused. Though they faced an impossible task, none of them shied away from their duty. Lightning crashed through the air, threatening doom and destruction to the intrepid samurai, yet they marched on.

Kaneka and his men moved quickly through the city, aided by their time stationed at the Imperial City to rush through the back streets. They soon approached the fields of battle. Kaneka appraised the situation with an objective eye and winced. The defenses had collapsed, somehow, and the Unicorn had overrun their positions. The bulk of the army was moving past the defenses unmolested while a few were engaged in combat against the Lion. Kaneka stopped as he found his target.

“Follow me!” Kaneka shouted. His eyes, bright and furious, seemed to bolster his followers’ souls with strength. He pointed at the Khan’s personal banner, fluttering in the wind. The enemy leader seemed to be only a few hundred yards from their position. “We meet him, and we finish this!”

The formation behind him visibly seemed to absorb the Shogun’s confidence. They raised their heads, gripped their weapons tighter, and grinned fiercely at the impossible odds facing them. When Kaneka broke out into a run they followed right on his heels. They charged across the street, avoiding the thick of battle. The Khan’s banner disappeared behind a building and they followed it, intent on chasing it down. When they passed the building, Kaneka could see his target.

“Chagatai!” Kaneka shouted. The Khan turned his head and stared back at the Shogun. He touched his steed on the neck. The steed came to a halt, and slowly stepped to face Kaneka. A few dozen of the best of the Khol stopped with their lord and fanned out to protect him. They stopped in a half circle in front of Kaneka and his men, their weapons held at the ready for a word from the Khan. Kaneka could feel the men around him tense up. They were outnumbered and nearly surrounded, and the Unicorn were mounted. They refused to stay daunted, and brandished their weapons at their opponents.

Kaneka ignored everything around him and stared at the man he had once called brother.

“You’ve come to find me,” Chagatai replied calmly.

“You knew I would come or you would not have flaunted your presence. I ask you now, Chagatai, end this madness.”

Chagatai looked around him at the chaos of battle. The men surrounding him drew closer to their lord, and Kaneka’s samurai tightened grips on their weapons. “It is too late to turn back, and I will accept nothing short of my goal.”

Kaneka scowled. “Did you believe this scheme would possibly work? All of the world will come to oppose you. Your ambition will lead you to your doom.”

Chagatai narrowed his eyes. “Did you leap into the heart of battle to lecture me, Kaneka? You have spent too much time with the courtiers. You are not the warrior I knew, but a mewling babe, sucking at the teat of a dead legacy. You despised your brother, yet you cling on to his memory as if it will make you the man you were once again.”

“I serve the Empire!” Kaneka shouted. “I serve peace! I serve order!”

“Then save the Empire with the power within your grasp!” Chagatai roared back. “You are the Shogun! You have the strength to rule! None could stand against you, not with me by your side! Join my crusade, and together we can bring the Empire strength it has never known!”

Kaneka shook his head. “I am not that man anymore. I cannot let you engulf this land in war, when it means thousands more will die.”

“Samurai are born to die!” Chagatai shouted. “That is their sole purpose in life! This Empire has grown weak and sickly from the fool that sat on the throne. I will forge this land anew, and if that means more deaths, so be it.”

“You are mad,” Kaneka said slowly. “You will sunder the Empire with your foolish delusions.”

Chagatai spat on the ground. “Then there is nothing more to say.”

“No, there is not,” Kaneka agreed.

Kaneka and Chagatai watched each other without moving, and their men waited for any sign of movement. Time passed, both sides frozen in the moment. The world exploded as a bolt of lightning crossed the air. An arrow flew through the air and ripped through the throat of the Unicorn behind the Khan. The world exploded into combat.

Arrows flew through the air as both sides launched into the fight. Kaneka knew if the Unicorn could get enough room to charge, they could mow him down without a thought. He drew his katana and dashed directly for Chagatai, and a dozen men rushed to back him. The Unicorn charged back, and the two forces met with unrestrained fury. In the middle of the flurry, Kaneka and Chagatai crossed blades.

Kaneka attacked first, thrusting rapidly toward Chagatai’s face. The Khan deftly dodged the attacks and sliced down at the Shogun’s head. He ducked under the large scimitar and slashed up at the steed. The katana cut through the horse’s armor with ease and cleaved through the horse’s leg. It screamed loudly and began to collapse, its crippled leg failing to hold up its weight. Chagatai untangled his feet from the stirrups and jumped off the horse with astounding speed. He rolled on the ground and leapt back up to his feet.

Before he could react, Kaneka was already on top of him. Kaneka pressed his advantage, overwhelming his opponent with a flurry of blows that struck at the Khan’s chest, arms, and legs. The Unicorn warrior met each strike with his own, deflecting Kaneka’s blade enough to pass by his body harmlessly. With each strike, however, Kaneka could feel that he was getting closer.

The fight ended as quickly as it had started. When Kaneka’s next swing came toward Chagatai, the Khan met the strike with his own. He dashed forward with his blade still locked onto Kaneka’s until his blade clashed against the hand guard of Kaneka’s sword. Chagatai twisted and Kaneka’s blade ripped out of his hands and fell to the floor. Chagatai raised an armored gauntlet and punched the Shogun in the face. Kaneka fell with the punch and hit the ground with a loud thud.

Kaneka rolled quickly and grabbed his katana. He rose up to a kneeling position, and with the speed and strength of an iaijutsu strike, he sliced at Chagatai’s leg. He did not have to watch to know the result of his attack. Blood splattered into the air and the Khan fell to the ground. He got to his feet and turned toward his opponent. He flicked the blood from his blade and looked at the fallen Khan. He smiled, but there was no mirth in the expression.

“You were once a brother to me, but that man is gone,” Kaneka said. “Goodbye, Chagatai.”

He readied his blade to finish his fallen foe and raised it above his head. Chagatai waited, his eyes boring into Kaneka’s. Before he could strike, a sudden wail filled the air. It sounded as if the sky itself was screaming in pain. A wave of heat ran over both men, and Kaneka looked up toward the sky. The fighting around the two stopped as everyone looked up at the commotion.

A hole ripped through the middle of the heavens and disappeared. A single man hovered where the hole had been. His orange kimono rippled in the air and his raised hands glowed with fire. The sky lit up with blood red flames as raw elemental power gathered around the flying shugenja. Though he was masked, Kaneka could hear the maddened shugenja’s screams.

“Sezaru,” Kaneka whispered.

TO BE CONCLUDED