The samurai: the love across time and space

Chapter five: Hannya's Conquest

Outside the Tree of Ages, Ulaz rushed to the scene, urgently calling out to Keith and Shiro. "Keith! Shiro!"

Reacting swiftly, Keith rolled to the side as Kosmo gracefully landed nearby. Keith turned to Shiro, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright, Shiro?"

Shiro nodded, a hint of worry in his eyes. "I'm fine, but what about Hunk and Lance? Are they..."

Before Shiro could finish his sentence, a hand burst through the ground, grasping tightly onto Ulaz's leg. Ulaz let out a panicked scream as Lance emerged from the ground, followed by Hunk, their faces smeared with dirt and determination. "We're here!" Lance exclaimed, a mix of exhaustion and relief evident in his voice.

Stats, weary from the recent battle, stumbled towards the group, adding his voice to the conversation. "Stats... Stats."

Relief washed over Keith and Shiro as they rushed to their friends, ensuring their well-being. The group let out a collective sigh of relief, grateful that their companions had survived the turbulent collapse of the lair. However, their respite was short-lived as their attention turned back to the imminent threat posed by Hannya.

As their eyes surveyed the crumbling surroundings, they witnessed the land surrounding the Tree of Ages giving way to a massive sinkhole. The tree itself toppled over, uprooted by the force of what lay beneath. High above them, Hannya stood, perched upon a pulsating purple orb, carried aloft by a colossal, lone branch that reached defiantly into the sky. She looked down upon the group with a twisted smile.

"So, Keith, thank you," Hannya sneered, her voice dripping with smugness.

Confused, Keith arched an eyebrow. "Thank me? For what?"

Hannya's smile widened in satisfaction. "My mother, Izanami, lost to the blade of Marmora in battle and was sealed away here," she explained. "The blade wielded by Ulaz did not possess the power to break the seal. But the blade that does possess that power... it was passed on to you, Keith."

Keith's eyes widened in realization. "Wait... You used me to break the seal?!" Anger simmered within him as he grappled with the weight of Hannya's manipulation.

"Now that my family's ancient spell has been broken..." Hannya declared, raising her sword high above her head. "I can finally inherit generations of my family's power!"

Without hesitation, Hannya plunged her sword into the orb, causing it to shimmer with a furious glow. Blood trickled from her hand as she cut along the blade, allowing it to mix with the daemonic energy seeping free from the cracked orb. Laughter echoed from Hannya's lips, a chilling sound that rang with a sense of victory.

Lance, perplexed, voiced his confusion. "What is this power?"

Ulaz, his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene, replied gravely. "This is the beginning of the Kurocho Clan's succession ceremony."

Shiro's concern deepened, and she turned to Ulaz with questioning eyes. "What will happen?"

Ulaz's eyes flickered with a mix of fear and determination. "Hannya will absorb the power of her mother and become an even more ferocious daemon," he explained, his voice filled with the weight of the impending danger.

Growing increasingly frustrated from being played like a pawn, Keith clenched his fists. The betrayal and anger burned within him, fueling his resolve to end this ordeal.

As the cocoon sealed behind her, Hannya immersed herself within, greedily absorbing the familial power that had been concealed within the orb. The once-massive orb began to shrink, seemingly drained of its hidden energy, as Hannya's laughter filled the air, a twisted symphony of triumph.