The Blademasters Vol. 1

Chapter 11: "Shadows.."-Kaito

Gah!
I grabbed at my chest with my right hand and was leaning against a tree on my left.
I was heading towards Fort Chimera alone but there was a problem.
After the events in town i had to leave quickly because a certain problem was arising.

"What's wrong? It hurts right?"

I heard a voice to my right and quickly slashed out with my kodachi.
Nothing was there but i knew what was happening.
Then the voice spoke out again.

"Isn't it okay to let it go?"

This time it sounded like it was behind me so i quickly turned around and slashed out again.

"SHUT UP!"

I screamed and i was breathing hard.
This damn curse.
What was happening was my shadow magic and bestial instincts were trying to take control.
Though this problem used to be easy to contain i had managed to temporary seal it for the past 8 years.
At first i dealt with the problem as a kid by running off and disappearing but Kira almost discovered me too many times.
In order to prevent him from finding out I used a technique my father told me to use only if i was certain that it was necessary.
It seals the curse but i feel the effects all at once after the seal breaks.
This curse was the Wolfheart family's curse.
At a certain time every month each member from the Wolfheart clan will start to enter a form of rage that controls both the mind and body.
This curse helps us gain power but it also was a test our ancestors accepted.
Can we resolve ourselves not to abuse our powers and use it well or fall to it and harm those we care about?
This rage has taught our clan to be humble as well as strive for a better path.
Though not every generation has done so.
There are the cases of members having to be eliminated by the clan because they fell to the power and enter a state of becoming power hungry.

"Why not just let it rage for once? It always will stop after a little."
"NO!"

I covered my ears and shook my head.
Its true that the rage form is temporary but each time it consumes some of your sanity and slowly makes you crave power.
I will not be one of those the seek only power!
After shaking my head i quickly ran forward.
My shadow aura was no longer able to be attained and surrounded my body.
AH!
I can't suppress it with my power sealed.
On my right hand was my mother's ring, I quickly took it off and the magic i contained burst out.
My hearing also became better and so id my sense of smell.
The power i sealed was flowing throughout my body and i felt some relief.

"This power is great, but don't you want more?"

The voice came back.
Each time it switched from a voice that was hard to figure out what gender to the bewitching voice of a female.
Really, something new.
This new change made me hesitate a little.

"What's the matter Kaito?"

The voice changed again and then there was an illusion of a black haired girl in front me.
She was very cute and seemed to be only a year younger then me.
Her eyes were dark brown and she had her hair was styled into a pony tail.
She was wearing a kimono from the east.

"Nii-chan what's wrong?"
"Le..na?"

I asked half dazed and she approached me.
NO!
I quickly turned and dashed off towards Fort Chimera and desperately tried to shake off her voice.
My little sister, I would do anything for her and I would even gain any power to protect her.
But this power is not what i need and I can't let her see me in a rage form.
I remember a long time ago that i entered the rage state once and fought my father.
I was only six yet my power had increased to that of a warrior that could even rival my father, a legendary hero of the east.
That day after he barely beat me i vowed i would never let this rage take over again if i could help it.
As i was starting to run the voice suddenly changed into another person's.
It was a voice i had become accustomed to.

"Kaito, why can't you just rest?"

I stopped and standing in front of me was Ashely.
Standing next to her holding her hand was Koyuki.

"Papa, can you rest? Wouldn't i be more safe if you had that power?"

I could only look at both of them.
I realized i would also do anything for Ashely and Koyuki it was a given i would do anything to protect her as well.
This power would help me right?
It comes at a small cost it seems too..
I stopped thinking and shook my head., I looked down and dashed towards Fort Chimera nonstop.
The illusions and voices continued and I was now crying as i covered my ears.

"Somebody help me!"

I said this in such a low voice as i continued on.
After running so long i stumbled into a camp and looked around.
There were ten men surrounding a camp fire and the were armored.
They looked at me in surprised and I realized it was night time.
The men were Renegade troops.

"Quick kill him, he might be a scout!"

They all quickly rushed towards me.

"Ara, what a bother."

The voice clicked in my head and i felt a craving to kill.
To taste blood.
I quickly drew my katana and charged towards them.

"Die."

The first attacker seemed to be moving in slow motion so i quickly side stepped and casually cut his throat.
An arrow was flying towards my head so i quickly back stepped a little and caught it in my mouth.
I looked past the charging soldiers that attacked me all at once.
There swords all slashed at me and i quickly disappeared from the spot and was in front of the archer.
I took the arrow and quickly stabbed him through the head.
After doing that i turned towards the other eight and they stared at me in horror.
I took this chance and dashed forward and slashed another across the throat and kicked another.
Two of them tried attacking me at once from both sides but they were moving so slow.
I slashed the one the right with an overhead strike and as my blade was moving down i quickly maneuvered the force to spin right.
After spinning around so fast i cut off the head of the other one.
The person i had kicked down i quickly went over to them and stabbed them as the struggled to get up and the remaining four seemed to be trembling.
I stepped forward and three of them charged towards me with expressions of fear.
It seemed force.
One had a spear and thrusted forward while the other two beside him attacked with swords and the last one behind them had an arrow notched.
I side stepped the spear and stabbed the one on my right.
The one on the left tried to stab me with his sword but i knocked the slow sword aside without any fear and grabbed him but the neck and thrusted him in front of me.
The spearman had recovered and tried to stab me again but instead got his own ally.
The man was in shock and without waiting i stepped forward and slashed him three times.
Overhead followed by and upward diagonal to his right shoulder and horizontal to cut off his head.
I looked towards the archer and he shot off his arrow.
The arrow moved so slow so i caught it with my left hand.
I stood for a second to watch his shocked expression and then quickly used shadow magic to appear before him and stab him.
As he fell down and i heard the girl's voice again.
Not my sister's, Koyuki's, or Ashely's.
An unknown but bewitching female's voice.

"The blood seems tasty."

I looked at the blood on my blade, then i looked forward at an armor chest piece one of them might have been polishing.
There standing covered in blood was a young man with a creepy grin with blood on his face.
He was smiling at the carnage around him.
Ah!
I fell to my knees and shook my head again.
I wasn't in rage but i was close to entering it.
This strong blood lust was new and I'm pretty sure that the last time i check, none of my ancestors were a vampire.
Though the blood looks like it belongs to prey so it seems a bit appealing..
No,no,no!
Damn this curse!
I put my mother's ring back on and continued a distance to get away from the blood.
The smell was so tempting and my bestial instincts were coming back faster in this form.
After getting a certain distance away i fell forward and curled up into a back and tightly covered my ears and closed my eyes.
The voices still continued.
Power,power,power.
STOP!
Please, stop...please...