Oni: Tale of Four Warriors

Chapter 25: Umarekawari

A week after the training at Kagesama fortress, all the preparation in terms of army and equipment has been done. Koji put on his new armor, a black yukata and black hakama with a grey pattern of petals. Koji pushes his hakama in his silver greaves. The sleeve of his black yukata also pushed into his silver gauntlets. Koji's chest armor shines a dark black metal with the Masaharu clan crest painted on the middle of its chest and a silver plate protecting his under waist. For more protection, Koji's armor is also provided with silver shoulder plate and sleeve protection, leather gauntlet over his yukata sleeve. Koji wears a black helmet with Masaharu crest on his helmet and a crimson red half nempo of Oni. Koji sheathes his blade slowly as he embraces his new armor.

Sayaka put on her leather gauntlet under her black Yukata sleeve. She wears a silver body plate over her Yukata. A grey Hakama with black petals pattern on her Hakama and a silver plate covering her under waist. Her hakama falls down her ankle and boots, not tucked in. She hangs her Yari on the hook of her armor in the back. Sayaka wears a samurai helmet with a Dark peach oni nempo. Miyamoto armor is almost the same as Koji's except that he does not have a shoulder plates. Miyamoto also wears a dark blue Haori with a moon painted on both its shoulder that has been stitched with a black cape. Miyamoto has paints his straw hat black, and wears a dark blue oni nempo. A black leather gauntlet under his haori sleeve.

Yuriko ties her clan white headband on her head, under her hair ponytail. She let her hair bangs middle part hangs over the headband. Yuriko wears a dark blue yukata with a silver chest plate under her black Haori. Her black hakama tucked in her black greaves, and she puts on her white oni nempo. Four of the warriors gather inside the war tent, before they all put their fist in the middle. Koji clears his throat as they all walk out of the tent, standing front the shogun force they have gathered and the Shinsengumi.

Together The Shogun force and the Shinsengumi marches toward Kyushu Island, Koji ride close with Sayaka and Toshizo, while explaining their attacking strategy. Toshizo nods with agreement, but then he turns to Koji and ask "What about the people on the town? We cannot risk hurting the villagers just to reach the Kurosawa. Our people would be confused." Koji nods, he sigh and then answers "Then we have no other choice. Toshizo, I need you to stay here with the rest of Shinsengumi until you see our signal to attack." Toshizo asks Koji what is his plan, but Koji brushes Toshizo, and tell him to stay clear of the sight for now.

The Shinsengumi forces stays out ofthe path while Koji and his army gets off their horses and sneaks into the village. Toshizo fights his curiosity of wanting to know Koji's plan and stayswith his group close to the village. Miyamoto and Koji walks alongside, Kojiclears his throat as he ask "You think we can do this?" Miyamoto chuckles and pats Koji's back as he says "Do I think a tiny force of barely trained warriors can cut down the strongest clan to ever exist now? Of course not. But we would not know until we try." Koji nods before both of them climbs onto the village houses.

While Miyamoto and jumps straight toward the castle, Koji and goes and find the villagers head around the village. Koji jumps down in front of a Kurosawa samurai and quickly draws his blade straight into a slashes toward the Samurai throat. Blood splatters and sprays on Koji's mask and armor. Koji quickly shakes his blade before sheathing it, and turn to a woman villager before he ask "Excuse me beautiful, can you take me to your village head?" the woman looks at Koji's bloody armor, silently her arm shaken as she raises her hand and points toward a big house at the corner of the village. Koji nods and takes off after he bows toward the woman.

While Koji climbs back on a roof to sneaks toward the village head house, Miyamoto has succeeded in sneaking passes the Kurosawa numerous samurai and barracks at the castle yard. Miyamoto climbs on supply crate and manage to climb over the castle gate and sneaks passes the patrol guard. Miyamoto gets behind another stacks of supply crates, takes his hook out and swings it on the second floor roof. Miyamoto grips on the rope as he climbs toward the roof and sneak into the castle air hole. Miyamoto jumps off the hole and land on his knees, looks up and sigh as he sees six Kurosawa samurai, glaring at Miyamoto. Quickly Miyamoto runs toward the one closest to him, draws his blade and slashes the samurai guts open in the process. Turns and drives his blade right through a samurai throat, before the remaining three samurai can charges toward him. Miyamoto quickly turns to them and slashes his blade fast and swift as wind, cutting all three samurai guts and throat opens. Miyamoto shakes his blades and sheaths it as he continue to sneak toward Nanobu's castle room.

Koji opens the village head home, walks in and finds the village head looking at him with a tanto in their hand. Koji raises his arms and speak "I mean no harm. I'm Koji, and I have a message for you." The man scoffs, lowers his tanto and says "What can I do for you, Koji?" Koji lowers his arms, releases the breath that he was holding before he says "We are here, for the sake of the Shogun, and the future of our land. We are going to end the samurai clan here. So I am asking for you, to aid us in evacuating the villagers." The man scoffs and shakes his while he sheathes his tanto "There is nothing I can do Koji. The Kurosawa will eliminate us if we begin to act suspiciously." Koji clenches his fist and sigh before he says "Monsters... How can they do that?" The man shrugs. Koji then walks forward as he says "We will end the Kurosawa madness. All you have to do is make sure the innocents is out of the battlefield." The man smirks and begins to pace around as he ask "Tell me boy. Besides the general, what makes you think those samurai that serves the clan, is not innocent? And what makes you think, that the Shogun, is innocent?" Koji sigh and looks down, he closes his eyes as he begins to think. Koji then looks up and answers "I don't believe the Shogun is innocent, if anything he is half of the reason why this war even begin. But we all owe him a lifetime debt. If it's not because of him, our land would be crawled by crimes and lunatic. The Shogun, brings law and piece in our land." The man nods and folds his arms as he ask Koji's answer about the first question. Koji sigh and looks at the man in the eye "The Kurosawa samurai wasn't innocent either. Much as I hate general Nanobu, I don't believe that he would instruct such mindless tactics of burning the villages, and kills the innocent. He might be the cause of this madness, but he is pure enough to know that he will not let out such cruel orders. What the Kurosawa Samurai did, it was their own way of conquering the village." The man snorts and nods as he moves toward the door and say that he will aids in evacuating the villagers. Koji smiles under his mask and bow as he promise a great diversion for the villagers.

Two samurai guard is guarding the general Nanobu as he was having a meeting between their general. Two General was sitting on the floor while Nanobu is on the middle corner of the table. Suddenly one of the samurai guard grunts as a blade was strike through his throat. A black figure comes out of the shadow, the last samurai guard draws his blade and tries to strike the assassin from above, but the assassin managed to grabs the samurai's armed hand and thrust a kunai below the samurai chin and throat. The Samurai then falls, the assassin walks closer to light and reveals Miyamoto. Two of the general except Nanobu stands and charges toward Miyamoto with their Katana drawn, the general on the left swings the blade toward Miyamoto, but Miyamoto was able to dodge and swings his blade on the general. The general manages to block the attack and holds his position as the other general charges and swings his blade toward Miyamoto's neck. Quickly, Miyamoto ducks, causing the generals blade to collide. Miyamoto takes the chance and thrust his blade right through charging general's abdomen. One down, Miyamoto turns in time to parry each of the general's attack before he turns around and run toward the wall. The general follows to chase him, but Miyamoto jumps onto the wall and do a backflip, landing behind the general. Before Miyamoto can do another move, the general swings his blade back and cut Miyamoto's left thigh. Miyamoto groans and fall back, the general charges with his blade raised, Miyamoto spins and kick the general's chest. As the general falls on his back, Miyamoto charges and thrust his blade between the general's eyes and pushes it in deep enough to kill. Breathless, Miyamoto walks toward Nanobu with the bloody blade on his hand as he speak "You must be Kurosawa Nanobu. The maniac who causes this terrifying war." Nanobu smirks and nods as he ask "Who are you? And what is it that you want?" Miyamoto points his blade at Nanobu and answers "I am the crow, and I am here with a message from my general."

Koji has signaled Toshizo and the Shinsengumi, together the Shinsengumi and Koji's samurai charges toward the village. Tomoe and her group has set up an explosive blackpowder barrels at the village head house. As it explodes, the village head quickly runs and yells at the villagers to evacuate the village and town quick as there might be a guerrilla attack at the village. The Kurosawa Samurai turns their attention to the main gate of the village and finds the Shinsengumi and the alliance force charges into the village and slain the gate guard of the village. Some of the Kurosawa begins to runs toward the castle to warn about the attack. However, Yuriko and her archers has already taken their position at Tsuboi Riverside. Their arrow struck into the Kurosawa samurai. Some begin to reach to the river bridge but was only met with Sayaka and the spearmen infantry. They stand by the bridge and attacks every Kurosawa that tries to pass through them. Toshizo draws his blade and strikes right on the Kurosawa chest, slaying them effortlessly while Koji does the same beside him. In the castle, Miyamoto slowly approaches Nanobu with his blade pointed as he says "I, Crow from the shogun alliance. Has a message from my general to you, Lord Kurosawa. We declare, war..."