Oni: Tale of Four Warriors

Chapter 8: Out of grasp

Koji approaches the fort while he's out of breath and holding on his injury, he takes a deep breath and yells hard as he can "Kurosawa!" Patiently, Koji stands and glares at the figure coming out of the fort door with a smug smile they plastered on their face. Takayuki, looks around and claps briefly as if he is impressed by the amount Koji has slain alone. Koji raises his blade and wipes it clean from blood using the sleeve of his Yukata "I am Masaharu Koji, son of Masaharu Genji! I have slain numerous of your Samurai, and now, it is your turn, Takayuki!" Koji readies his blade while he keeps his eyes glaring on Takayuki. Koji narrows his eyes on Takayuki's hand movement as his opponent begin to grabs his Katana. With a smirk on his face, Takayuki pulls his katana out and draws it before he holds the handle with both his hand and get on his fighting stance.

Slowly, the two Samurai begins to circle each other. Takayuki charges and strikes his Katana from below, Koji quickly skits back and blocks the attack with his own blade. They pushes each other's Katana, gritting their teeth, Takayuki grunts and pushes harder making Koji forced back "You shouldn't have come here, Masaharu!" With his brute strength, Takayuki pushes Koji's katana, making Koji stumbled back and quickly strikes his blade on Koji's right arm, creating a deep wound on Koji right arm. Koji stumbles back and holds on his wound as he falls on his knees. Unable to hold his Katana any longer, the blade dropped on the ground.

Takayuki shakes his head in disappointment as he approaches Koji, "I am truly disappointed. For once, I thought someone would finally be able to give me some challenge." As Takayuki talks, Koji looks up with a glare and gritting teeth. Takayuki sigh and raises his blade "What a disappointment." Koji looks down and about to accept his death, Takayuki swing his blade down but it was shot with an arrow. Takayuki turns toward the direction of the arrow and sees an archer, Yuriko that shot the arrow. Takayuki glares at her, while a dark figure approaches him from behind. Just before a blade could struck through Takayuki's back, he turns around and kicks the figure away. Miyamoto stumbles back and glares at Takayuki "Crow, the demon punisher. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Miyamoto raises his blade and spins before he throws his blade right toward Takayuki's head. Takayuki ducks from the blade, he looks up and sees that Crow has taken Koji and drags him away. Miyamoto pulls his blade that thrusted on a wall, and let go of Koji to let him moves on himself. Miyamoto turns around and tips his straw hat "Pleasure to meet you too General." With that all three of them run saway leaving the fort behind. As they reached back to the village, Koji drops on his knees looking at the ground with a disappointed look. "I failed my people. You should have let me die." Miyamoto kneels in front of Koji and put his hand on Koji's right shoulder "Look, I understand the pain you are in. But right now, your people has not lose their hope and you shouldn't too." Miyamoto pulls Koji's Katana out from Miyamoto's belt and hands it to Koji. Koji looks at the blade before toward Miyamoto. After several seconds, Koji nods and takes the blade and slides it into his belt before Miyamoto pulls him up to stand. "How many hostages has we saved?" Koji asked. Miyamoto walks and looks at the other exit gate, Yuriko steps forward to Koji "We have not saved them all, and I afraid we can't do that now. Their reinforcement is coming." Koji groans and shakes his head before he turns to Miyamoto.

Before Koji could instruct Miyamoto to go get the others, the sound of Horagai fills their ear as it is an alert from the enemy. Miyamoto groans and turns to Koji "It is too late Koji, we must go now if we want to keep the other save!" Koji clenches his fist in anger and turns to walk toward the enemy. Miyamoto grabs Koji's uninjured shoulder and hold him "Not now Koji! We must leave!" "Yuriko steps forward as well "We can't save them all. The Kurosawa must have bit of honor in themselves as well, they won't slaughter the villagers if the villagers don't try anything!" Koji turns with anger "I will not leave my people!" Miyamoto groans and grabs Koji's collar and pulls him close "Listen to yourself Koji! What about the people that we have save?! They need you too!" Koji pushes Miyamoto and shakes his head, clearly in confusion. Yuriko place her hand on Koji's arm "Please Koji, we have to go." Koji looks at Yuriko and nods. All three of them runs toward the red leaf forest.

As they run, a couple of Samurai has follows them. Yuriko rolls on the ground and covers herself behind a tree as she loads her bow with and arrow. She takes aim and shoots some of the Samurai to kill them. Miyamoto stops as well and throws his Kunai right on two Samurai's throat before he grabs Yuriko and shakes his head "We have to run!" Yuriko nods and follows suit. They runs and spins between trees and boulders to lose the Samurai sight of them.

Time passes, the sun is about to set. Three of the warriors hide on the riverside beside the river. Breathing heavily and collecting themselves. Koji holds on his injury as blood has begins to slow down. Yuriko looks at him and tear some cloth on her sleeve before using it to band aid Koji's injury. Miyamoto stands with his blade drawn and walks to check the surrounding. He nods and turn back to both of his comrade and nods "It's clear, we should regroup with Sayaka and the others." Koji and Yuriko stands as they walk closely and carefully.

They begin to reach for the shack before Miyamoto hangs his left arm up to stop them. He slowly approaches theshack and sees 3 Samurai near the shack to check the place. Miyamoto rubs histemple as he begins to crouch toward them. He signals Yuriko to shoot one ofthem before he looks at Koji, about to say something but stops himself. He slowly approaches the three Samurai and raises his blade. As Yuriko shoots her arrow on the Samurai on the left nape. Miyamoto quickly strikes his blade on themiddle Samurai throat, instantly kills them. As he tries to pull his blade hefeels that his blade is somehow stuck on the dead Samurai throat. Before theo ne Samurai left could do anything, Yuriko shoots her arrow on the Samurai neck. Miyamoto kicks the corpse and pulls his blade before he thrust his bladeunder the Samurai jaw and twist it before he pulls his blade out and shakes it.

Koji approaches Miyamoto and shakes his head, "I do not approve of your method. But at least it's fast." Miyamoto sheath his blade while Koji walks and open the shack door, quickly dodges the spearhead from thrusting him. Sayaka startles and pulls her Yari back, her eyes is red and glassy. Koji looks at her with a concerned face "Sayaka you, you've been crying." Sayaka looks down and steps aside, revealing the old man Hikigaya bloody corpse on the floor with a big deep wound on his chest. Sayaka shakes her head and buries her face in her hands "I was, busy treating the wounded villagers. I didn't know one of the villager is a traitor. Uncle tried to defend us but." She whines, crying in her palm as the traitor smirks despite having his hand tied behind his back. Koji grits his teeth and clenches his fist before he marches and grabs the traitor arms and he throws him out the shack despite his injury still hurting him. Koji marches forward and draws his blade, quickly strikes his blade on the traitor's throat past his chest and instantly kills him without any questions. Miyamoto and Yuriko looks down, disappointed that they couldn't be there to do anything as well.

Koji kneels and puts his hand on Sayaka's shoulder, his eyes and heads is down as well. He feels bad that he drags Sayaka with him, thus causing her uncle's life. "Sayaka, I promised. Your uncle's death won't be in vain. He has contributed into saving the life on this land I promise you that. We will avenge his death, together." Sayaka sobbed and nods as Koji kneels sadly, holding her shoulder. Together, they bury the traitor and Old man Hikigaya dead body near the river. Honoring their death with prayers.

Five weeks after the rescue attempt, Koji, Miyamoto, Sayaka and Yuriko stands looking at the sunrise. Koji takes a deep breath "It has been a while now, the Kurosawa dogs has been looking for us for numerous days now. I cannot afford to hide our people, cramping in this shack any longer." Yuriko nods and adds that they need a new camp before Miyamoto and Sayaka nods in agreement. Koji nods and walks forward, silhouetting the sunrise, "Then we should split up to find a spot.Miyamoto, Yuriko. You two will scout over at the Shikoku Province. Sayaka and I will follow suits after a couple days with the villagers. Be sure to fire the signal only when you are in needs, or found the spot. We will be ready, until then. If any warrior is found on the way please recruit them as well. Goodluck." Koji handles a signal cannon ingredient to Miyamoto and Yuriko.