Kotetsu spent the rest of his day tending to the various bruises and small cuts present across his body. Eventually, night fell.
Kotetsu made his preparations for sleep. He folded his washed robes, opened his futon, and spread himself out flat on its surface. His right hand grazed something cold, and his head automatically turned to take in the sleek form of his sword. Kotetsu lightly ran his fingers along the handle, before letting the hand fall away. He barely had time to register that he was falling asleep before his mind was pulled under the waves of fatigue.
The familiar forest rose before him. Kotetsu didn't even flinch as the swaying branches appeared to reach for him, before pulling back suddenly in a breeze he never felt. His feet automatically brought him to the camp entrance that he could find with his eyes closed shut. The stars above shifted away as day broke like a forest fire. Decrepit wooden buildings sprouted about him, replacing the forest.
Kotetsu idly walked along the cobbled road between buildings, not bothering to observe his surroundings. A scream rang out as he rounded the final corner. Looking down, he found the overfamiliar tar flowing around his feet. He didn't even attempt to look up, instead opting to keep his focus on the smoky black tar. At first, he was unsure where the imagery of the tar came from. But he knew now that the tar represented his inability to act, his mistake. The thick oily substance continued to pull him down to what would surely be his doom. Kotetsu accepted that this was his fate as the tar rose to his knees.
"KOTETSU!!"
Kotetsu felt a jolt, like falling flat on his back. He reflexively started to look up, before immediately trying to squash the impulse by jerking his head down. It was too late. He had seen… Kotetsu felt his eyes widen as he brought his view back up, forcing himself to stare at the scene that had gone unchanged every night for the last year. To his astonishment, it was different.
There lay his sword, mere feet away from his body. The handle stuck up out of the tar, slowly revealing more of itself as it appeared to climb out of the dark liquid. Looking up even further, Kotetsu saw that Teruo still struggled with Sochua the monster. A horrific feeling bloomed in his gut and worked its way up to his chest: a feeling of hope.
Kotetsu bodily flopped himself forward, the tar having sunk him nearly to the pelvis. His arms stretched forward, trying to grasp the sword that he knew could change everything. He squirmed, shifted, and slid, fighting for control from the oozing tar that inexorably pulled him beneath its surface. The fingers of his right hand barely skimmed the handle, shooting panic and glee up and down Kotetsu's body. Putting all of his weight on one side, Kotetsu risked completely sinking in the tar as he stretched his right arm to the point of near dislocation. He gripped the handle with all of his strength, and a surge of adrenaline shot through him.
Then, Kotetsu felt his body fall completely beneath the tar. Holding his breath, Kotetsu poured all of his focus into the death grip he had on his sword. The tar pulled at his skin and hair as he passed through it. Until, suddenly, he was being pulled up by the sword. His head broke through the surface and he gasped, unsure of how he hadn't woken up yet from the sheer terror. Unable to open his eyes, Kotetsu felt his body leave the tar entirely, his feet suddenly touching nothing as the sword brought him into the air. A blast of hot air whooshed over his body, until his feet touched solid ground once again.
Kotetsu opened his eyes, and… was unsure of where he was. Somehow, he had let go of his sword. There was no feeling of tar on his skin. And to top it all off, his father, Masato Hyuuga of all people, sat in front of him. A very young Masato. His father's long black hair fell loosely around his shoulders and back, rolling down his elegant grey robe customary to the Hyuuga clan. His discerning white eyes were exactly how Kotetsu remembered them.
Then Kotetsu noticed their surroundings, finding the inside of a building. Kotetsu and Masato were sitting at a table for two, a single empty cup between them. Loose crumbs of what Kotetsu thought might have been bread littered the tabletop. Other adults sat loosely around the establishment, either by themselves or huddled together, taking sips from mugs much larger than the pitiful cup at their own table. Something pulled Kotetsu's head to the entrance, where a young man entered the building.
Kotetsu's mind felt muddled as, for some reason, he rose to his feet. Masato did the same.
A conversation seemed to ensue. Words came out of Kotetsu's mouth, though he did not think about saying them or attempt to say anything at all. Though surprising as that was, more than that was the subject of the conversation.
"Hoku… Kouga Hoku? General, sir. I am here to bring a report." The young man began. Kotetsu's head nodded for the young man to continue.
"Sir, the Kingdom fell under attack. It began this morning. I was told to come find you. I have orders, but I need to tell you-"
"Slow down, take a deep breath. Relay your orders." A voice that was not Kotetsu's came from his lips.
Kotetsu reeled from the realisation of what he was dreaming about. Even though he knew the story of his mother and father saving Masato and baby Kotetsu, he had never dreamt about it before. The dream played out exactly how he remembered the story. Somehow, he was living it from the perspective of… His actual father, Kouga Hoku. The dream was strange, however. It would not allow him to look around, or say anything, or change any action. It was as if he was stuck in his own head. Or rather, his father's head.
A tall woman with long blonde hair weaved into a braid entered the building, kicking the doors open. Emerald green eyes stared directly at Kotetsu- no, Kouga. She carried a bundle in one arm, and a bag with the other. Her name came to Kotetsu instantly, ringing out loudly within his head.
"Reika."
"I have to get her out of here."
A thought, like a wave of force, smashed into Kotetsu from beyond his own mind. Something instinctual came to Kotetsu, a feeling he simultaneously had known all his life yet had never felt. An understanding blanketed him as the scene continued to play out. Somehow, this was neither a dream or reality. The thoughts that swirled outside of Kotetsu's mind were not his, but Kouga's. He wondered if this was a memory.
"It was a bloodbath, Kouga. It was practically an army of Samurai. They all wielded blades made of black stone, ebony, and could move with blinding speed. I am almost positive they possess Kekkei Genkai…"
Reika spoke words that Masato had never repeated, further solidifying Kotetsu's suspicion. Kotetsu listened to his mother's voice, the voice he had longed to hear all his life.
While listening to Reika, Kouga did something strange. Kotetsu felt a shift within his father's body that was mind boggling to his thirteen year old self. Kouga commanded an amount of Chakra that dwarfed Kotetsu's entire reserve, forming a sort of complex structure that seemed to repeat beneath the skin across his entire body. Kotetsu had no explanation for what its purpose could be.
Looking further within, Kotetsu found his father's Chakra reserves. His own supply was a mere candle flame when compared to the massive bonfire of Kouga's reserve.
"...There was no time to evacuate anyone. It was your second who came and brought me to the tower after the main walls had fallen. I had only grabbed a few things… Kouga, we must go back. There are others, we can regroup-"
"No. This is my decision. We are going to get you and Kotetsu out of here. I am not putting either of you in danger."
Kotetsu could recite it word for word by this point. Kouga turned to look back, spotting Masato. That's when Kotetsu spotted the peculiar handle of his sword, which was slung over Masato's shoulder.
"Masato, would you give us a hand? My family needs a place to stay while I check out what happened."
Masato smirked at Kouga.
"Should I assume that my clan will be paid for this service?"
Kotetsu missed the next few seconds as something unsettling brewed in his mind. When Masato had originally told Kotetsu this story, he said that Reika came in carrying Kouga's blade. This time, Masato carried the blade. A thought swirling outside and around Kotetsu's mind came closer, letting Kotetsu hear the words of his father.
"...I left my sword by the table. I never leave home without it."
Kouga turned and ushered the group out of the building Kotetsu now knew was a bar. Kotetsu braced himself for what would come next, suddenly unsure of what would happen when the fighting began.
Masato's voice came like a brick.
"Eight o'Clock, coming in behind the bar! Kouga!"
Kouga whipped around, his perspective changing in an instant to face the threat. The threat that, after being called out by Masato a mere second earlier, Kouga could now sense. Kotetsu experienced a feeling like dozens of tiny prickles across his body. The strongest sensation came from right in front of him, the direction of the bar.
"Masato, my swo-"
The bar suddenly exploded in a violent spray of wood shrapnel as a red glowing spike of something lanced straight for Kouga's chest. Kouga couldn't react in time, and the red hot tip of lava attempted to spear right through his chest. The complex Chakra structure Kouga had erected earlier caught the brunt of the attack, leaving the spike of magma frozen in the air. Kouga reached up and slashed an arm through the liquid hot rock, nullifying the heat with his own Chakra.
At the same time, the presence that created the magma came speeding around the spear, thrusting out one leg with blinding speed. Kouga casually brought one arm up and absorbed the kick. The impact still sent Kouga sliding backward for several feet.
With the spear of magma gone in a flash, Kouga's enemy stood before him. The man was adorned in full Samurai attire, lined with shadow black plates that hung off of one another creating sleek horizontal ridges. The armor was drenched in darkened blood from a slaughter that took place mere hours earlier. The samurai's similarly black and red helmet completely covered his face, leaving only two black horns protruding from either side of the helmet. The samurai had two sheathes, one over his shoulder and the other slung to a belt. The sheath at his belt was empty.
"Kouga Hoku." The voice of his enemy croaked. Kotetsu felt a familiar fear wash over him.
At Kouga's feet was the body of the young man from earlier, the courier. Kouga's thoughts swirled again. The man's name was Genta.
The samurai made a show of inspecting Kouga's body.
"Did you lose your blade, foolish Cinder?"
Kouga accidentally glanced toward the retreating form of Masato and his wife- Kotetsu's mom- Reika. He spotted the sword bouncing on Masato's back. Kouga snapped his attention back to the samurai, seeing the man staring off at the two escapees. Only Kotetsu heard the one word response that Kouga whispered to himself.
"Shit."
Suddenly, a plan snapped into place, and Kouga began running for the retreating pair while keeping his focus on the enemy at his back. He barely made it two steps before the samurai moved- exactly as Kouga wanted. It was a gamble, he understood, not knowing if his enemy would move for him or the two ahead. Luckily, the samurai appeared to be prioritising one goal right now.
Moving with incredible speed, the samurai left Kouga minimal time to act. Twisting with all his might, Kouga sent a punch rocketing into the samurai's chest, releasing a burst of power and sending the man flying in the opposite direction. Kouga felt a surge of excitement, shared by Kotetsu. Kotetsu had always wanted to know how his father fought. Suddenly, the samurai froze in mid air, his body twisted awkwardly from the force of Kouga's punch. Both Kotetsu and Kouga's excitement instantly dissipated in the face of this new development.
The samurai casually drifted down from the air with his body orienting upright. The moment his feet touched the ground, he vanished from Kouga's vision, leaving an eruption of dirt rising where his foot had contacted. But the samurai could not escape from Kouga's senses. Turning to the side where he felt the samurai, Kouga was too late to stop his next move. Suddenly, the samurai slammed his entire body into Kouga, sending him flying backward through a building.
Kouga's training kept him conscious as sharp wood broke and splintered against his skin from the sudden force exerted on him. With the samurai's strength and Kouga's preparations, he should not have been forced back like that. It was as if the samurai had transferred his own momentum to Kouga.
Kotetsu knew most of what happened next, though he did not expect to actually feel some of the pain his father was going through. His attention was constantly drawn to where the scorching hot magma attempted to burn through Kouga's chest. Matching that was the pain stretching across the front of Kouga's body, given to him by the samurai using his own body as a battering ram.
Kouga extricated himself from the falling farmhouse. He moved behind, outside and down the line of buildings, standing where he could sense the samurai, who stood within reach of Masato and Reika.
Knowing Masato still had his sword, and knowing that the samurai would do something drastic if he knew that Kouga was awake, he had to think through a new plan. Making his decision, he raised two fingers with his left hand, and lowered three fingers with his right. He had practiced a series of techniques with Masato in the past. Masato would surely have his Byakugan active by now and could see Kouga. He had to trust his friend.
Readying himself, Kouga took another precaution as he prepared his fire release technique. He needed his sword. However, he could still make use of its current position. So, focusing on nothing but the sword, Kouga sent out a request.
Kotetsu was stunned as, instead of hearing, he could feel the stream of thoughts as they passed through his father's mind. More than that, he could sense what Kouga sensed, taste the blood in his mouth, hear the distant screams of fleeing villagers, and feel the late summer sun beating down on his body. Kotetsu observed that the next scene also differed from Masato's retelling.
Kouga released a massive wall of fire, barely watching as it consumed the homestead before him and ramming into the unsuspecting form of the samurai. Kouga's attention was elsewhere, watching his red blade unsheathe itself from Masato's back. Swinging up in the air without apparent need of anyone holding it, the sword clashed with the samurai's ebony blade before the black stone edge could reach Masato's head.
Kotetsu's head swirled on seeing the blade, his blade. Though… it was not his blade. At least, not yet. He had no clue why the blade was red instead of green. None of it mattered as suddenly, Kouga jumped in to clash with the samurai. A cylindrical wall of water had appeared where Masato and Reika stood right as Kouga's wall of fire appeared, and Kouga could sense the two still inside the cylinder. Kouga's blade had been knocked back behind the water after completing its task of delaying the samurai. Kouga just needed to distract the samurai long enough for Masato and Reika to leave, then he could reach his fallen sword and….
Kouga and Kotetsu felt the blade re-enter its sheath. Reika had already exited the water with Masato not far behind. Kouga had no time to experience anger or panic as his attention was completely drowned out by the samurai. Kotetsu, however, had plenty of time. The fight in front of him blurred together as he pieced together the unfortunate situation.
Masato had lied.
The first time, Masato failed to give Kouga his blade. That could be attributed to the sudden encounter.
But… the second time. Masato had no excuse. In one flash, the fight had devolved from strategy to survival. And Kotetsu knew that Masato took it. The last sight Kouga had of the fleeing Hyuuga, the sword was once again present in its sheath on his back. Had he not known? How could he not have? Kouga had shown Masato the blade before, so Masato knew of its power, its importance.
A new feeling came to Kotetsu. And just like that, he knew betrayal.
"Coward."
Kotetsu couldn't speak the word. But he recited it in his mind.
Kouga and the samurai backed off after a particular exchange. Kouga took several steps back, nearly stumbling as several wounds made themselves known across his body. Kotetsu felt a chill crawl up his spine as the samurai spoke.
"Coward."
The samurai stood to his full height, several cracks appearing along his armor where Kouga landed solid hits. The surrounding village lay in ruins from their prolonged struggle, fire and destruction dotting everywhere.
"I will kill you, in the end. I will get what I want." The samurai rasped through clenched teeth.
Kotetsu experienced another feeling. Something primal. The difference this time was that he had already felt it before. It made him want to run away.
Kouga's spirit did not falter at the samurai's proclamation.
"And just what are you looking for?" Kouga asked between gasps.
Kouga could not see the samurai's face. But, his next words brought the image of a smiling madman to mind.
"Everything within your blade. Every second of knowledge. Every memory, every lesson your ancestors ever learned. I want all of it…"
The samurai took a deep breath, clutching his ebony blade with both hands.
Kouga interrupted the samurai.
"You can't get those. They're locked away within the sword, only the wielder may access them. You're chasing a worthless goal."
A malevolent chuckle escaped from behind the mask.
"We'll see."
Kouga prepared for the sword strike he knew was coming. The samurai seemed capable of speeding and slowing himself down to an incredible degree, but the sword was a different matter. Being made of ebony meant that it was impossible to imbue or affect the sword with Chakra. That meant the samurai had to take his time between each swing, which is something Kouga could predict. Kotetsu felt Kouga pour all of his focus into his hands. Kotetsu wanted to warn Kouga not to attempt what he was about to do, but he was stuck observing through Kouga's eyes.
The ebony blade sliced forward, straight for Kouga's neck. Kouga's hands came up in a resounding clap- capturing the black stone blade between both palms. The samurai failed to react in time as Kouga twisted his arms, snapping the blade in half and stabbing the sharp end straight into the samurai's mask. Black shards rained down from the shortened stub of the blade as Kouga drove his half right through where the samurai's face should have been, becoming dismayed as a crack of air signaled the samurai retreating with speed.
Kotetsu was utterly dumbfounded at his father's display. Not only being able to grab the black blade without apparent damage, but also breaking the stone. Kouga launched the blade forward with a mighty throw to where he sensed the samurai. A crunch echoed out in the distance, followed by a short howl. Kouga glanced down at the slight burns that now adorned both hands.
Kouga thought to close the distance to the samurai, but found it already vanishing as the samurai slid his way. With the samurai's sword gone, all Kouga had to do was outpace the murderous man. It was not as impossible a task as he first thought. That is, until the samurai revealed his next weapon.
Pulling something from a pouch, the samurai lashed out with a scalpel, its edge made of smooth yellow stone. Kouga recognised the dangerous material almost instantly. Even more so being bound as it was to the samurai.
"Jadestone."
The word echoed out like a tiny bell in Kouga's head. Kotetsu almost missed the errant thought of what the material was as it passed through Kouga's mind. His attention was more focused on the dangerous samurai attempting to kill his father. Even knowing the material, he was unsure of its significance.
Kouga had brought his arm up in a defensive posture expecting a normal blade at first. Instead, his arm was slashed open by the crudely sharpened scalpel. Kouga took a step back as the tiny blade did more damage to his Chakra defences than the earlier ebony sword.
Kotetsu had once again been left in shock. The inconsequential wound felt more life threatening than all of the samurai's previous attacks combined. Kotetsu could sense a tiny piece of Kouga's life, and his overall control of Chakra be cut away by the single attack. He had no other way to describe it at the moment.
The samurai flickered back and forth, drawing precise lines with the scalpel's edge along Kouga's body. The samurai's attacks avoided intact clothing as that would only impede his assault. Blood spilt as time and again, the scalpel found its mark. Jadestone's properties were perfectly suited to splitting Kouga's protections. There was a second's hesitation between each slice, letting Kouga feel the last attack before a new cut sprouted somewhere on his body.
There was a secondary effect occurring, preventing Kouga from executing a proper counter attack. Every time Kouga made a move to dodge an incoming attack or land a punch, his actions seemed to carry him much further than intended or he simply failed to move at all. The jarring effect coupled with the consistent damage led to a sense of helplessness.
The cuts alone were not enough to kill Kouga, however. Both he and the samurai knew this. Kouga waited to see what the samurai would try next, as that may be his only opportunity to shift the situation in his favor.
The opportunity came as the samurai backed off after slicing a line up Kouga's back, peeling skin away with the strike.
"You may now die, cinder."
The samurai's menacing statement was met with an abrupt clap of his hands, and the swift weaving of several handsigns. His body favoured the left as a clear cut was visible along his right side, from Kouga's earlier sword throw. Kouga did not attempt to interpret the technique. All he needed was a chance to weave his own.
The samurai vanished in an explosion of splintered wood and dirt as Kouga finished his own technique, a sphere of fire expanding out from his entire body to cover every direction. The jadestone had completely cut through his internal defences. Those were nearly impossible to recreate in the short amount of time, especially with his weakened Chakra control, which is why he opted for offence instead.
In the time it took the sphere to expand, the samurai got behind Kouga far beyond its reach. Kouga had no time to turn as something drilled straight through his back and out the left side of his chest. Kouga watched the rotating bullet of hot magma fade from view as it moved beyond the flaming sphere, which dissipated as Kouga's focus was severed.
Kouga vaguely felt the impact as his body collapsed under its own weight. Despite the burning hole where his heart should be, his skin ran ice cold. Lying on his back, Kouga could only stare straight up into the red summer sky. His view was obstructed as the samurai stood over him.
"It is not only the experiences I want." The samurai spoke from some far away place. He looked down at his right hand and the scalpel it contained.
Kotetsu had simply tried to endure the pain alongside Kouga. But now, with the pain vanishing, he could focus once again. He noticed the strange shape of the scalpel, and realised it was… boiling.
"I desire the secret to creating cinder steel." The samurai spoke in a soft undertone, watching the minuscule amount of jadestone that was the edge of his scalpel disintegrate into dust. Golden yellow motes reflecting the sun fell to create a sight that was strangely beautiful.
Kouga's rattled breathing was barely audible beneath the soft wind passing by his head. His eyes grew heavy with exhaustion. Kotetsu was utterly helpless as the terrifying memory played out with him trapped in a dying body. A few short seconds later, Kouga stopped breathing.
"No."
The word reverberated in Kouga's head, battering against Kotetsu like heavy rainfall.
There was no breath. Yet, Kouga's eyes shot open. There was no feeling against his skin, no pressure, no heat or cold. Kouga willed the body to move, and it did. The samurai stumbled back with a shocked yelp as Kouga rose from his back to his feet in one swift motion.
Kotetsu felt the sensation that Kouga had experienced. The feeling of Chakra rushing up and down his whole body, spreading to his limbs. The amount of Chakra had not changed. Nothing about Kouga's body had changed. Kouga was simply not done fighting.
Kouga lashed out with one uncoordinated arm, nearly catching the samurai off guard.
"...Why aren't you dead?" The samurai asked with curiosity.
Kouga and Kotetsu wanted to know as well.
"...No matter. You will leave this world, eventually. I shall give you the opportunity to leave with your loved ones, cinder."
Before Kouga could make another useless attack, the samurai moved straight at him- straight through him. Kouga's body was caught like a leaf in a hurricane as the samurai carried Kouga's body through kilometers of branches, bushes, scraped along whole trees and through saplings. Kouga's view was pointed down from the pressure, where he could see the samurai's hand pushing almost through his chest. If he could still feel it, he bet it would hurt. The last of Kouga's senses were overwhelmed by the maelstrom.
Eventually, Kouga's vision began to return. Pine trees stretched up and over him, blotting out much of the evening sky. Muddled voices spoke in the distance, too quiet to make out. Slowly, his hearing came back into focus.
"...you hurt? Is the child okay?" Kouga caught the voice of Masato. His hearing kept tuning in and out, leaving him with bits and pieces of what was happening. He took a slow breath so as to speak.
"Masato."
The single word came out somewhat crooked, and Kouga focused on forming the words he wanted to speak.
"Would you please bring me my sword?"
Then, Kouga began to push himself up off the ground. He could not feel the dirt beneath his palms, so it took him a few tries to get into the right position. Eventually, he could see the samurai, Masato, and Reika. Reika lay on the ground with a bundle between her arms. Those protective arms clung to Kotetsu, promising no further danger. Kotetsu, seeing his own mother like this, nearly broke him. The same pain ran through Kouga's mind. Those emotions were stamped out as an idea pushed itself to the forefront of his psyche, catching Kouga's attention.
"Honey- Remember what we practiced a week before you had our son?" Kouga continued, fully aware of the murderous samurai standing between them.
The samurai glanced from Kouga to Reika, allowing Kouga to perform a series of handsigns in his lap. They were subtle and quick, necessary as the samurai turned back to Kouga after a moment. Kouga stood to his feet with slow deliberate movements as he watched Reika give the small bundle that contained Kotetsu to Masato. Then, Masato retrieved the blade from his back, walking slowly to Kouga, making a circular path around the samurai.
When Masato got within reach, his body froze as his eyes locked on the hole in Kouga's chest. Kouga was not focused on Masato. His attention was drawn to the small bundle that moved in the Hyuuga's arm. The tiny dirt-splotched face of Kotetsu stared back up at him, tufts of white hair framing vibrant green eyes. Kouga felt his determination bolster. He would do what must be done.
The samurai watched with statuesque stillness from slits in his mask as Kouga carefully raised his right hand and grasped the handle, pulling on it until the red blade was just barely visible. With that contact, he sent his final most essential request to the blade. Then, he let go of the sword, watching it vanish back into its sheath, before roughly pushing Masato away.
"What do you think you are doing?" The Samurai spoke in clipped words.
Masato looked dumbfounded down at the blade in one hand and the bundle that was Kotetsu in the other.
"Masato, please watch over our child." Reika said from the opposite side of the samurai, where she had moved while Masato and Kouga interacted.
"You are all fools. I no longer pity you."
Kotetsu knew what would happen next.
The samurai burst into flames as he slammed into an invisible wall, the pressure of his attempted escape pulling on Kouga's Chakra at a precipitous rate. The samurai was flung backward, landing awkwardly in the middle of the invisible prison that now encapsulated him. The barrier might not last long at all.
"YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
The samurai rolled helplessly on the ground, his plated armor melting to his skin.
Kouga vaguely heard his wife's final words.
"Protect our son. Protect Kotetsu. Please… run."
He watched Masato's horrified expression as he turned and fled. Kouga's final request to his sword rang out in his mind.
"Bond to my son. Become Kotetsu's blade."
Kotetsu couldn't tell if minutes or hours had passed. He had grown numb to the samurai's screams when the barrier finally fell. Kouga dropped back to the ground, his body lacking the physical energy to hold itself up. Reika's body did the same, almost all of her Chakra having been pressed out. The samurai stood still, having used his own skill in fire Chakra to nullify some of the heat. The melted armor restricted his movement awkwardly as he painfully hobbled toward Reika.
"You… took my chance, Hoku…" The samurai choked out.
"But I will get… another."
He reached one hand down to the fainted form of Reika.
"I will show you what I must do."
His hand squeezed her throat. Blood trickled down her neck. Reika awoke suddenly, a silent scream attempting to escape from her mouth. Her hands came up in a futile attempt to push the samurai away.
Kouga and Kotetsu could only watch in silent terror as the samurai ripped the tongue from her throat, crushing the neck and ending Reika's life instantly. Pulling back his helmet for the first time, the samurai's face finally became visible.
Matted black hair sat atop a pale face now riddled with burns. Skin broke and flaked away as the samurai opened his mouth… and ate the tongue.
Blood dribbled down the samurai's neck and into the melted plating. Gradually, the samurai limped toward Kouga.
The last thing Kouga Hoku saw was the bloodied hand of the samurai approaching his throat.
—
Kotetsu awoke with a silent scream. In those final moments, Kouga could feel nothing but the sensation of a hand prodding against his neck, despite having lost all feeling of touch earlier. Kotetsu could not shake the feeling of something gripping at his neck, causing him to choke as he reached up to rip away nothing. After a few seconds, he remembered how to breathe, sucking in several gulps of life-giving air. He clutched the sword in one hand close to his chest. Grabbing the handle, Kotetsu pulled to reveal the shining green metal that he had always known. The sight of the sword- his sword, pulled Kotetsu down from the ledge of delirium, for the moment at least. He slowly lowered the sword until it lay flat in front of him.
A noise like rustling caused Kotetsu to flinch. The sound came from somewhere outside his tent. Focusing on steadying his movements, Kotetsu pulled his kimono on and after a hesitation, slipped the red shoulder guards around his arms. His hand reached out for the tent flap, then froze. Turning, Kotetsu made a split decision and plucked his sword off of the ground.
The faint moonlight seeped in through the tent flap as Kotetsu carefully split the fabric apart. His eyes were immediately drawn to movement from one side of his tent. Twisting and stepping out of the tent, Kotetsu stood before the source of the rustling. His entire body seized and a prickling sensation rose up his spine.
There, mere feet away, stood the samurai clad in his blackened and scorched armor. Kotetsu could barely make out fine details, but he didn't have to as the image of the samurai sat fresh in his mind. The soft patter of liquid hitting the ground brought Kotetsu to witness the puddle of dark blood accumulating under the samurai's right hand. A sound brought Kotetsu back to the samurai's mask, causing his brain to lock up.
"Kotetsu."
With one word, Kotetsu turned and fled as fast as he could. Pumping his legs with maximum force, Kotetsu rushed around tents, dodged fence poles, and leapt over fire pits. Shadows flickering around and above him caused Kotetsu to panic, nearly stumbling as he ran for the entrance.
A vague figure leaning against the entrance posts caught his attention. Not taking any chances, Kotetsu instinctively forced a rush of Chakra into his legs and performed a giant leap up and over the entire entrance, landing haphazardly somewhere outside the camp among the pine trees, resuming his sprint. A sound like heavy foot falls stomped up from behind, getting closer with each step. Kotetsu glanced over his shoulder to find the samurai gaining distance.
A familiar sensation overloaded Kotetsu's mind, and he reacted without hesitation. Reaching down with his right hand, Kotetsu extracted the sword from its sheath. Stomping his left foot and pivoting, Kotetsu spun and swung the blade at the approaching samurai.
That's when the overlapping vision of the samurai faded. In its place was Atsuo, raising his left arm across his body as he attempted to slow down. Kotetsu could not pull back the swing. There was no resistance as the blade began its cut into Atsuo's left hand, through the bone, and out the elbow. Blood spilled like a geyser as a scream unlike anything Kotetsu had heard ripped itself from Atsuo's throat. Kotetsu didn't even notice when his face and chest was speckled in his brother's blood.
Standing for that single moment, Kotetsu was left speechless by his own act of cruelty. Atsuo clutched at his left arm, falling to both knees, unable to do anything but scream. The sound of yelling adults somewhere behind Atsuo forced Kotetsu into motion, where he realised what had just happened- what he had just done. They would never forgive him for almost killing one of their own. That series of events flashed through his mind, bringing Kotetsu to one conclusion. For the second time, Kotetsu turned away and fled his home.