In the dawn of Feudal Japan, four powerful families asserted dominance over the country. Through their wealth, power, and influence, they soared over the commonwealth and even the government as the most prominent entity. For decades they lived in peace, prospering from one another's traditions and trade, only for fiery conflict to arise at the drop of a hat. Ever since that fateful day, Japan became a theoretical warzone. The four families spent all the money they could muster on powerful Samurai and Shinobi to fight for them. Hidden mostly from the public, their conflict was as brutal as it was secret. Blood was shed under the dusk of night, and in the day, life would continue as if nothing happened. This bitter feud would never cease to end, as it's battles still take place in the current year, 2020. But before we go to the present, we must explore the past...
Tokyo, Japan // 東京、日本
A very, very long time ago
In a quaint forest, far from civilization
Shishimaro Kagemori enjoyed the simple things in life. He found the most enjoyment in perfectly lukewarm green tea. Sitting among the cherry blossoms during their first bloom. Hiking the beautiful mountains that surrounded his landscape. But one thing he found the most comfort in was polishing his blade after an intense battle. He relished in the sensation of stroking a wet cloth against the silver weapon, making it shine and glimmer in the light. He'd point out the small scars and cracks in the blade and recall the battles that caused them, and those slain honorably by it.
And with his great sword, he laid under a Cherry Blossom tree, surrounded by nature and it's calming presence. His mind tended to drift off as he stared endlessly into the sky. The clouds danced in his head, painting vivid pictures of peaceful waterfalls and joyous springs. The rich smell of grass and nature around him was intoxicating, a sensation he could never get enough of. And in the blissful silence he emerged fully conscious, for the sound of footsteps approached.
Shishimaro's keen hearing dictated someone not far away, maybe a few feet left of him. He didn't bother to turn and face whomever approached, but continued to enjoy his peace. And soon enough, a figure appeared. He wore a large and prestigious red Kimono with shiny gold lining, and a sword at his hip. He was a lighter skinned man with little hair upon his head--a feature he hid with his matching color Jingasa that was quite large in size. The hat's brim was so long, one from eye level could not make eye contact.
At his hip, two magnificent gold and red katana sat, bound to his body by a pure white rope.
"Horiuchi...it's been some time. What brings you here?" Shishimaro said smoothly, taking in the air with each small breath.
"Shishimaro. Always a pleasure to see you. I've come to visit. I tried to reach you at your home first...but your wife told me you had gone out for the day. So sure enough...I remembered our little spot."
Shishimaro couldn't help but smile. The two had been coming here since they were children.
"I see. Well, what can I do for the great head of the Shimazu clan?"
"Please, Kagemori. Although we've risen to be the most rich of the four families, I like to maintain my humbleness."
"Ah, because a bright red and gold kimono imbues nothing but the most sincere humbleness."
Despite being good friends, the two could have sharp tongues towards one another. It was one of their many traits that not only fueled their friendship, but their red hot rivalry.
"You and that mouth of yours. It's part of what brought me here today, old friend. I've come to test my strength as your rival."
The thought of an action packed fight sent joyful shivers through Shishimaro's body. He lived to fight.
"Well, I'm glad you cut to the chase this early. If you hadn't, I would have took you out for tea and rambled about the crime issues amongst the commoners for hours. This...is already much more interesting. But if I may ask, why the sudden approach?"
"Despite my duties as head of the clan, I am always seeking greater strength and glory in battle. My heart longs to fight strong opponents, and I can think of none stronger than yourself. I know you're the only one who can truly push my limits and help me discover even more power."
"It seems you've come to the right place. You know I can never turn down a challenge, especially one from someone as respectable and powerful as yourself. I'll take you on...but let's make this a bit more interesting, shall we?"
Horiuchi took a second to process this.
"What are you proposing?"
"How about we place a wager on this battle. If you win, my clan will be in debt to you, and we will save you and your family from a tough bind when called upon...given it relates to battle. But if I win, your family will employ my clan of Samurai until the end of time. How does this sound?"
Horiuchi smiled.
"It sounds like a deal." He said as he drew his blades. Shishimaro followed suit, retrieving his ocean blue katana from the grass below as he slowly slid it out of it's sheath, it's shimmering steel blade reflecting an almost rainbow aura in the sunlight.
The two took fighting stances and nodded, and in that very instant, an explosion of clashes rang out. Faster than the speed of sound, the two charged at each other, with each strike of their blades causing a shower of sparks to shoot about. Each hit and consequent block brought about a new angle they would flash into, swinging high and low in a desperate struggle to land a finishing blow. Although they fought with great intensity and seriousness, neither's intent was to kill.
This back and fourth went on for a few moments, but the two quickly grew tired of this. With a solid smack, the two propelled themselves backwards, their feet dragging up against the grass and dirt. Without so much as a sweat, the two stared each other down intensely.
"I see you're as sharp as ever, Kagemori." Horiuchi said, catching his breath with a slight smile.
"Time hasn't worn on you at all. We haven't fought for years, yet I already feel your strength as equal to or even better than before...amazing."
"And to think...we haven't even used our spirits yet..."
"I was just getting to that!" Shishimaro held his blade in front of him calmly, taking a deep breath as the air around him coiled and twisted smoothly, wrapping around his blade. A blue sheen was now visible on the sword.
With a sudden charge, Kagemori bursted forward with great intensity, his pursuit blocked by a massive stone wall arising suddenly between him and his target. Still connected with the blockade, the rock shattered about the environment with a violent explosion. From the rubble Horiuchi initiated a counter attack, shooting forward at mach speeds. Able to deflect the advance in a split second, the three blades clashed intensely, the shockwave of the attack creating a massive crater in the ground beneath the two.
Struggling to break free, the two warriors grit their teeth with fierce expressions, sweat beginning to roll down their brows. Kagemori broke the struggle with a backward dash, flicking his sword forward as a thin outline of air shot towards Horiuchi. Quickly reacting to this, the dual bladed Shinobi deflected the blast, sending it straight through a mountain adjacent to them. With a small twinkling crack, the mountain split in half, creating less chaos than expected--the entire top part was cut into oblivion.
"That was quite the attack. Perhaps I'll return the favor!" Horiuchi shouted, concentrating his spirit into his katanas. Thick brown rock began to engulf the blades. He then jabbed them both into the ground, sending a line of burrowing rock through it, chasing after Kagemori.
The Samurai reacted by flashing through the forest at mach speeds, the line quickly chasing behind him. At the end of the pursuit, Shishimaro was backed up against the mountain he had just split, and in a sudden flash, a new one shot up from the ground to replace it. Notably made of light brown rock, it stood out like a sore thumb among the rest, but it managed to make the split one behind it look ordinary. Towering over the rest of the mountains surrounding it, this giant creation seemed to break the clouds from down below.
"Tch...don't tell me that got him..." Horiuchi grunted, looking up at the mountain's peak. Slowly at the very highest point, the figure he awaited emerged. Among the clouds and beautiful blue sky, surrounded by the warmth and light of the sun, he stood with a blue kimono with great beautiful waves stitched into it. His long dark blue hair, which was once done in a tail behind his head, flowed down past his shoulders. Complementing this was his deep blue eyes and thin facial hair that stubbled around his lip and cheeks. And under this kimono, his ripped upper body could be seen, now torn from the upper body by the impact he sustained. Throwing whatever scraps of cloth attached to his chest aside, Shishimaro exposed his bare chest, covered in fresh bruises and scars.
"Horiuchi mustered all of this to defeat me...this is beyond impressive. He must really want to win this wager..." Shishimaro laughed to himself.
Despite being so high up, Horiuchi was still able to make out his laughing expression. He drew his blades back seriously in response, preparing yet another intense maneuver. It didn't take long for Shishimaro to spot the red shinobi out of the army of trees and notice his stance. Making no haste, Kagemori prepared an attack of his own, holding his blade in front of him as the air began to twist and coil around the sword. This quickly grew in size and intensity as the sun began to become shrouded before the clouds, turning the scene from bright to gloomy instantly. The puffs of cotton in the sky clumped together above Shishimaro, twisting and funneling into a giant gust of air that formed at the tip of his sword. The gust quickly evolved into a rippling tornado, it's size easily rivaling the mountains below.
Horiuchi prepared his counter attack by lodging his blades in the ground yet again, creating massive earth walls that surrounded him in a castle-like structure, building in size and thickness by the second. Only a minute passed and the two were locked in a staredown, waiting for any sort of movement.
"Here goes..." Shishimaro murmured, thrusting himself off the mountain as he began to barrel towards the ground.
Horiuchi prepared for impact as the earth walls grew bigger, shielding him within it. Knowing the impact would shatter the structure, he designed it with jagged walls and sharp protruding edges that would remain after impact.
The twister followed the warrior down as he descended onto the stone fortress. As he got closer to the ground, the trees and grass around him would be sucked into the vortex, creating an even bigger mass of air and clouds. Finally, the moment of truth came. With a loud crash that could be heard around the planet, the violent storm collided with the fortress, splitting it into a million pieces as both men were consumed by its monstrous appetite. The tornado ravaged through the forest, claiming tree after tree, kicking water into it's body, and spinning the sharp fragments of Horiuchi's structure within itself. It would continue to swerve and travel along the forest for ten minutes before finally dying down, releasing the clouds back into the sky as the dust finally began to settle.
In the wake of the chaos lied a destroyed and torn forest. Near a great waterfall that was now dry, the two men could be seen among the wreckage, littered with cuts and other wounds. Steadily they breathed, carefully not moving as to avoid wounding themselves further. With a heavy breath, Shishimaro slowly spoke up.
"W-Well...I think it's s-safe to s-say..."
"Let's...call...it...a draw..." Horiuchi croaked, his swords dug into the ground on each side of him, similarly to Shishimaro's, which was stuck in a rock beside the two.
"I suppose that's fair. Neither of us can move...but yet we both survived...undefeated."
"I don't want to kill you, Kagemori. This fight is over. But this wager of yours is not."
"H-huh!?"
"We made a promise. Because neither of us won today, and because I don't expect us to fight again for a long time...let's let our kin handle this."
"You're saying...you want our children to fight?"
"Yes. And if they too reach a stalemate...then their children will fight. And so on...and so forth..."
"With our families being so close in power physically...I doubt we'll ever see a conclusion to this in our lifetime."
"I promise. One day...you and I will produce successors that will achieve even greater power. And when they do, they'll use it not only to win this agreement of ours...but the war we've now gotten ourselves into. Don't you agree?"
"If anyone will bring an end to the Clan War...it'll be our children. Mark my words, Horiuchi, mark my words."
The Shimazu leader smiled as he gazed up at the sky, which had returned to a sunny blue.
"And so our legacy begins."
Spade Publishing Presents
A Light Novel By Rodrigo Lopez
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