The Lost Shadow

Chapter 1 - Hideaki

"Please! Please spare me!"

A man stood frozen, shivering, eyes wide open staring at a tall dark figure with blood red eyes creeping closer. Stepping backwards the man felt something cold, but soft on the ground. Slowly, he turned his head, he tried not to lose sight of the figure ahead. Behind the man was a body covered in crawlers that were entering and leaving the body. The crawlers were taking out the man's flesh and walking further away. Slowly the bodies flesh started to disappear leaving only blood stains. The sight of a body decaying was enough to make the man trip himself. Remembering that he was also in a bad situation the man turns, but then.

*SCRSHHH*

As the man puked out blood his body felt numb. Not knowing what had happened the man fell to the ground. His hand slowly reached for his stomach, feeling something cold and wet coming out from it. He struggled to move his head but then noticed that a long silver blade had just pierced through his weak, fragile body. Blood started to rapidly emerge from the man's stomach, eventually creating a pool of blood. As the body gradually paled, the man's dark brown eyes started to get darker leaving no sign of life. The man took his last breath, blowing the dust that surrounded him. Finally, the man's eyes were shut. Noticing this, the figure reached out for the blade that pierced the man's body and let out a sigh. While the figure desperately tried to pull the blade out, his hands started to tremble. Not having the strength left to pull the sword out, the figure fell to his knees. Drops of water started to land on the ground only to get faster. Some of the water was mixed with the blood of the man. Then the figure slowly tilted his head up noticing that it was not the rain, but was his tears that were dripping on the ground. The figure clenched his fists together. Pushing off the ground, the figure started to get further away from the man he just killed. After a while, the figure stopped and looked around. The ground that used to have green grass was now blood stained, trees that grew high were now only burnt trunks. The green land was gone. What layed on top of the land were the comrades who fought with him and the man he just slaughtered. All of them perished. The figure slowly shut his eyes that started to burst into tears; falling on the ground the figure was engulfed with rays of light which revealed him. Eyes that resembled blood, long black hair that was darker than night itself, a straight jaw line that was covered with a rough black beard and a small nose. As tears were coming out of his bloody eyes, he clenched his fist and started to punch the ground. "Why? Why am I living the life of a murderer?! This is not why I became a samurai!"

The frustrated samurai got up and continued walking when finally he reached his camp. As he approached his camp he started to smell a very repulsive, but familiar scent. The scent was making him really uneasy so he dashed towards the smell. When Hideaki got there he stopped, his mouth opened up, tears bursted out of his eyes. He fell on the ground and continued to walk on his knees getting closer and closer to the dreadful sight. "HAHAHA! What a pity and he was a pretty good fighter too."

A long black blade was stabbed into a young man. The two men noticed him there and started to move back stepping onto another body. The big, muscular man started to whisper to the other man. "Hey, Tomiichi, isn't that Hideaki over there?"

Tomiichi was a smaller man and less muscular. He replied by saying "Yes, that is Hideaki! What should we do Noritaka?"

In fright, the two men started to run. While they were running they looked back. Noritaka and Tomiichi noticed a shadow getting closer so they started to run faster. Both men ran right into a dead end. With nowhere to run they spotted Hideaki right in front of them. As Hideaki was walking closer to them he pulled out a sword which was stabbed into a man on the ground. Suddenly, Hideaki was pointing the sword at Noritaka's throat. Slowly the sword sank into Noritaka's skin. Then, with a strong tone Hideaki asked a question. "Why?! Why did you kill our comrades?!"

With his eye looking so cold, Noritaka took a big gulp and answered quickly. "Well, they disobeyed us. They did not kill the enemy even though we told them too. We had to punish them."

Noritaka spoke like he was the one to decide whether they lived or not, but Hideaki did not like his tone in which he spoke in so instead of stabbing him; Hideaki, with his fist pushed the wind upward and punched Noritaka in the stomach. Saliva started to spill out of his mouth while he dropped to his knees. Then Hideaki looked at Tomiichi who was crying and trembling on the spot. He went for a punch, but then a bunch of samurais grabbed Hideaki from behind. "Let go of me! What the hell are you doing?! Can't you see that these guys killed our comrades?!"

Hideaki struggled to free himself from the samurais. Then Noritaka got up and started to talk. "Hideaki is lying; we did not kill our comrades, he did. We were just passing by and noticed Hideaki doing all this. We came to stop him, but we were overcomed."

Likewise, the samurais looked at Hideaki and threw him down. Punches and kicks were being launched from each direction. Although Hideaki was not at fault he took the beatings knowing that the samurais were very persistent and were hard to persuade. After, the samurais spat on Hideaki and told him to grab his things and leave. Hideaki did not want to accept it, but if he continued he might just kill all of them out of anger, so he just grabbed his sword and started to walk away from the group. Noritaka walked up to Hideaki and started to pat his shoulder. "When you are gone all of these men will perish just the way your comrades did."

Veins popped out, Hideaki grasped his sword; his pupils turned as red as a river of blood, he then turned and sliced off the head of Noritaka. When he screamed in agony Hideaki's face was already masked with blood. When all the samurais heard this scream they turned to see that Hideaki cut off the man's head. Hideaki had swiftly severed the head of Noritaka only leaving behind a headless body. Hideaki slowly looked up only to see all the samurais glaring at him. However, he did not move knowing that the man that he had just slaughtered was dead. A large man named Daichi, grabbed Hideaki by the shoulders and pushed him towards the bloodstained grass. Suddenly, a smaller man named Kichirou, held down Hideaki's right arm resulting in Daichi holding the left. A foot pushed Hideaki's upper body down and then Daichi started to pull his left arm until...

*Snap* as the arm went numb it fell to the ground. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hideaki screamed in the utmost pain. "You used this arm to cut the head off of your comrade's right? Or was it the other one?"

Daichi's voice was as cold as ice; no emotions. When Hideaki tried to stand up Daichi launched his foot and kicked him in the stomach which brought about Hideaki being hurled into the air. The samurai's then gathered around Hideaki. "Hideaki, you need to leave now! If you do not we will do more than just break your left arm. You are very lucky that we did not kill you for what you have just done."

The cold eyes of the samurais were making Hideaki's heartthrob. As Hideaki tried to get up he then fell back down onto his knees. Blood gushed out of his mouth and his head was showing a significant amount of blood. The samurai's did not show any sign of helping him so Hideaki forced himself to stand up and started to walk away from the samurais. However, when Hideaki was out of sight one of the injured men called out to the group. "P-Please please don't send H-Hideaki away. H-He is not to blame f-for what has just happened. Y-You guys should thank him. He just saved you guys f- *cough cough* from that treacherous Noritaka and his companion Tomiichi."

The half-dead man lifted his hand, shaking, and pointed at Tomiichi who was sitting next to the headless samurai. All the samurais clenched their blades and ran towards the man. The half-dead man took his final breath smiling, knowing that Hideaki will be spared. Tomiichi noticed that the samurais were running towards him with ferocious looks so he tried to get up, but he was too late. A white figure appeared out of nowhere and jabbed his blade into the man's chest. Noticing that the figure was a threat, the samurais stopped. Daichi asked with a hesitant tone. "W-Who are you?!"

Daichi was hesitant, but he wanted to know what or who he was. "What kind of a thank you is this? I just finished this guy off for you."

The figure took one step and was gone. The moment the white shadow reappeared all the samurais were beheaded. "I think your lives will be enough to repay your debts to me."

As the figure turned and looked in the direction where Hideaki was he said something in a sad, but very excited tone. "Get stronger Hideaki. Once you are strong enough I will come for you."