The Storm of The Tribes

Chapter 2: The Spark

the figure in white is standing in front of Kazuo, in the middle of the street. Kazuo has his helmet in-between his hands, and he is grimacing. "I know what you are. You were never what you were supposed to be." Kazuo tells the figure. "Neither were you." The figure tells him back. Kazuo puts his helmet back on, and unsheaths his Nodachi. He slides his right foot back, pushes his left one forward, and points his sword at the figure. The figure draws his wakizashi, and stands ready, with his feet planted symmetrically.

Kazuo charges at the figure, going for a stabbing motion. The figure redirects Kazuo's blade with the edge of his, and strikes him with the hilt of it. Kazuo's lip is bleeding, but he doesn't care; Although it wasn't painless. Kazuo rushes towards him again, and goes for an overhead slash. The figure ducks under it, and punches into the weak point of Kazuo's chest armor. Kazuo doesn't let it phase him, and he swipes the figure's left shoulder. Drops of blood start trickling down his shoulder.

The figure grabs Kazuo's wrist, twists it, and kicks him back with an unnatural amount of force; The wind binding through the air with Kazuo. The people around gasp, and the horsemen act unsurprised. The figure takes out five shuriken, and throws them into the air. He then puts his hand out, creating a surge of wind around the shuriken. Kazuo drops his eyebrows into a ferocious gaze. The figure launches the shuriken at Kazuo. As Kazuo is running, he knocks each individual shuriken out of the air, with sparks emerging off of each strike. He charges at the figure. The figure braces by putting his blade in front of him. Kazuo strikes the figure's blade, and pushes him to the ground. He attempts to strike the figure while he's on his back, but he blocks it. In a clash, the two peer into each other's eyes. Kazuo opens his mouth, and ruthlessly exhales a flame onto the figure's hands. He pushes Kazuo's blade away, and smothers his hand in the dirt around him. All the people around start to scream, and hide in their homes.

Kazuo puts his foot on the figure's stomach. He then raises his Nodachi into the air, with the point aiming down at the figure's chest. He then stabs the figure, with a remorseless smirk on his face. He then pulls the blade out, and sheaths it. He crouches down to the figure's level. "You've failed. Now rest. Father." Kazuo whispers into his ear. He then gently takes off the figure's mask, revealing his grey beard, and bald head. He closes the figure's eyelids.

"Father!!!" Akio yells. He starts running over to him. One of the horsemen gets off his horse, and stands in the middle of the path. Akio thinks nothing of him, but he's quickly reproached, with a quick fist to his jaw. Akio falls to the ground, staring at the horseman. The horseman walks back to his horse, and mounts it. Kazuo gets back onto his horse, and he starts to ride away. As he sees Akio, he abruptly stops. He delivers a cold gaze towards Akio. He then starts to ride away.

Akio starts to shed tears, as he walks back into Daisuke's shop. Mother is shedding tears as well. "What happened!?" Daisuke exclaims, quickly peering up from the counter. "Father..... He's gone." Akio tells him. Daisuke pauses for a second. He picks up one of his pans, and slams it onto the floor. "Damn it! I could've... I could've done something!" Daisuke roars. Akio sits down at a table, with a questionable stare on his face, peering at the floor.