The year 1592. The Warring States Era had come to a close, and the nation of Japan was about to become united under one flag by none other than Toyotomi Hideyoshi, general of Nobunaga Oda. After setting up an elaborate citadel in the capital, Kyoto, and and an almost impregnable castle within the city, he began a series of campaigns against China, a nation that was currently in its most powerful and influential age- the Ming Dynasty. However, he ran into trouble... His first landing point was Korea, under the rule of Seonjo, the current king of the Joeseon Dynasty. As Japanese envoys asked for passage to China... the Koreans, who were actively allied with the Ming Dynasty, took it as a declaration of war. Effectively, they were right. Toyotomi had never intended to land peacefully, and the Seven Year War had begun. However, the Japanese forces had overwhelmed the Korean armies on the ground. With their superior firearms technology, they decimated the ranks of the defenders, laying waste to two cities as they pushed toward the capital. With each step they took, the people began to become increasingly worried about the future of their country... The battles on the sea were a different story. Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his coast guard had effectively staged a series of guerilla tactics on the Japanese Navy, and after a series of surgical strikes, had most certainly gained the advantage. The fierce battle of Hansan-do was about to begin... the battle that would decimate an entire Japanese force with only a limited number of ships. It would be a disgrace for one nation, and a source of pride for another. However, it was not going to be Japan's only problem. The Murakami clan's navy had made their decision to rebel against the mainland. They would neither be subverted, nor subdued. They would fight, and continue their proud existance as pirates and men of the sea. With that, the age of blades and battle would resume anew, accompanied by the sounds of rifle shots. And yet, another power was on the move in Japan. The Fu-Ma no Sato, a clan of ninja with supernatural abilities and extreme skill, were demon hunters. They had been ordered to find and collect as many pieces of the corrupt blade, Soul Edge, as possible. However, a recent change in the structure of the clan has taken place, causing a shift in their orders. Toki, their leader, had gone insane... and the ninja are in disarray. Information that was leaked to the clan about the location of certain fragments had shaken them off of one trail and onto the trails of several other warriors around the world. On top of that, a faction of the Fu-Ma ninja grew tired of Toki's actions and planned to overthrow him in a coup. Both factions, regardless of their reasons, collect the pieces of the tainted blade... killing any who refuse to willingly give them away. Chapter 4- Tainted Shadows ________________________________________________________________________ It had been a week-long march from Osaka to nearby Kyoto. Though it was no longer the "capital of peace", there was still something about it that was distinguished, in a way. In any event, the weather was stifling. Summer had not ended just yet- it was only July, and quite early into it. "Gods, but it's hot out here! It's just about evening and I'm still burning up!" Mi-na did not sound too unhappy about it. To her, the heat was a mild discomfort, thanks to the Scarlet Thunder. However, her sentiments were echoed by her other three companions. They needed to do something about this weather before they all passed out. Xianghua was a bit jealous of her friend for being able to survive this fire- storm, but Talim simply accepted it. Anything that was a part of nature, she always accepted. Closing her eyes and smiling to herself, she approached the undaunted Seong prodigy with a smile on her face. "Maybe we need to find an inn or something soon... Xianghua and Kilik look like they're about to pass out." Mi-na nodded as she considered. She didn't have to look behind her to feel Xianghua's stressed state, and knew perfectly well that Talim could sense whether their mutual friend was injured or under stress. "Maybe... I'd think about it, if we weren't being tailed." Talim thought for a moment... then she nodded. "Yes... we have been followed for the past few days, haven't we? I've noticed signs of someone pursuing us. The wind has the echoes of footsteps everywhere... but some of them are much closer, and are much more in time with ours." Mi-na nodded. "We're going to have to be careful tonight. We'll head to an inn and get some sleep in the meantime." Both Xianghua and Kilik said in tandem, "Thank you! You read my mind!" Then they looked at each other and laughed. Mi-na shook her head and smiled warmly. If this went well, she would be able to handle the situation fairly well and not have to get the others involved... She concealed her thoughts from her friends and began planning for the evening as they headed towards a nearby rest stop as the sun set. ________________________________________________________________________ Ten unknown individuals, some of them women, converged and communed silently in a nearby alleyway. "Dammit! They've been on to us the whole time," one of them exclaimed. "Maybe we should just go through with it while we still have the chance- end this quickly!" Another one spoke up in agreement. "He's right... we've been found out without us even noticing. They don't know who we are or whether we're armed or not, but they know we're here. Let's do it now, while they're still-" One of them held up her hand, and the individual went silent. This one was the lead, apparently. "No. We will go with our original plan and attack by nightfall. Their sleep will make their reactions sluggish, perhaps enough so that we may injure and not kill. We may yet be able to do this without completely dishonoring our clan. These individuals do not deserve death simply because they carry the fragments." They nodded collectively. She continued with a grave nod. "However, if the situation becomes complicated... and if we are forced... we will take appropriate measures." They all nodded again, and checked their weapons. For the moment, the various whips, blades, chains, kunai and shuriken were concealed neatly in their clothing, waiting for the proper time of use. They would no longer conceal their armaments once the time came- rather, they would be in full force. Some of them would stick to the shadows, throwing their impliments while the targets were distracted. That is, if they didn't kill them in their sleep or steal the fragments from under their noses. Either way would work, one was more efficient. Neither was honorable, but they had sacrificed honor for loyalty, as well as destroying evil. At least, that was what it used to be. Now, Toki had more power than they could ever imagine from his lust for the shards and the demonds. His word was still absolute for them. And the shards they carried did not lie- the travelers carried four pieces of the Soul Edge with them. They had their orders- convince, steal, or kill in order to obtain the shards of the demonic weapon. With the way they handled their blades, convincing would not work. With the way the one wearing her emerald green, infiltration and thievery would be difficult, but still possible, as long as they did it in a certain order. The girl in red, with brown hair and the zanbato would be first. Then the man with the staff- he had no shards, so he would have to die. Their range would be difficult to overcome in a fight, and would have to be dealt with first in case something went wrong. After that, it would be simple enough to subdue the other two. The plan was quickly set in motion as the sun set, each parting their own way. Within seconds, the alley was clear as if there were no one there in the first place. Minutes later, night had fallen... and the stage was set. ________________________________________________________________________ The inn was still. It was just about midnight, and the moon was high and full. Summer was in its full swing, and as usual, it was slightly cooler at night. Mi-na was, not surprisingly, asleep. Though the heat had not affected her, the journey had. Talim and Xianghua were not in their own rooms, but in the same one as she was, snuggled up to her. As a sort of strategy, they had decided to stay in the same room as a sort of precaution. However, Mi-na's trained mind and senses could feel the sudden malevolence in the air. Their guests had arrived as expected. She opened her eyes and looked at the other two with a fond expression. They did not need to participate in this- she would rather not see them carry any sort of burden. Nor would she tolerate Kilik getting himself involved, unless he needed to. He might have been one of the destined bearers, but he had doubts about himself; self-loathing. Doubt led to indecision, which led to defeat. She could not afford defeat. Not here. Waking up and sliding out of the embrace, with only a slight discomfort from Xianghua before she settled down again, she made sure that her two friends were soundly tucked in before she made her way silently towards the outer courtyard. Moving smoothly and slowly, she stepped wtih her heel first, rolling to the ball of her foot. This movement was done with such grace that it seemed that she was walking in slow motion, and without a sound. And she felt eyes... watching. Waiting. Appearing to do simple observation of her movements from some unknown, far off shadow. She chuckled to herself as she walked to the center of the inner courtyard before holding her weapon as one holds a walking stick, the butt of the weapon against the ground and the blade in the air, shimmering as the moonlight hit it. "Can't you guys be a bit less obvious? I mean, you're supposed to be the best." Mi-na's voice was brimming with confidence, yet her stance showed a wary disposition. Though she had sensed them, it was a slight thing. These ninja, whoever they were, were good. She did not make the mistake of underestimating them. They would not be roused by a mere declaration of them being discovered... so she would try a psychological trick. There had to be a few of them who were brash- highly trained, yet young and eager to prove themselves. They had a hot temper on a short fuse, and one that had a lot of flash and sound, but little to no effect. She would target those first. "This is a complete waste of my time, being out here. If you have no business with me other than sneaking around, then go back to where you came from, before you get-" A whizzing sound was heard as something was thrown. Two flashes of light shone out of the corner of her eye as the shuriken came flying towards her. She made a slight movement to her zhanmadao, shifting the blade in order to block the incoming projectiles. It was done at the last second, seeing as they may have been audible, but the fact that they were denoted that the speed at which they were thrown was immense. But she was faster. She finished her sentence as the two clangs sounded from the sharp weapons hitting her defense. "-hurt. So then, come on out and play, or run along and go back to whatever hidey hole you came from." With that, she waited. That had to frustrate someone- the attack would not have come if she hadn't done her job. Moments later, she heard it. "Damn you!" A young man, barely seventeen years old, appeared to her left side. He had a few more of the shuriken in a bag at his right hip. The hand that was near it shook violently and with frustration. "I'd wipe that smug look from your face... if you didn't have something important to us." He held out his hand, taking a wide stance as he did so. "Give us the pieces of the sword! We'll let you and your people live, and you'll never hear from us again. if you don't, I'll just have to snatch them from you by force. And trust me, doing that would be a pleasure right now." Mi-na almost laughed. He was the one she was looking for, all right. "Is that so? Are you talking about these, then?" She reached into a pouch that she had carried with her as she made her way out to the staging area. As she withdrew her hand... the four pieces of the sword shone a deep crimson in response to her touch. Her soul... they wanted it... but if they wanted it, they had to cut her, not just touch her. She heard the faint whisperings in her head, the promises of power... And put them back again as she caught the young ninja eyeing them greedily. He had heard the voices as well. She had a strong enough will to ignore the temptations- he did not. She looked at him sternly. "You want these? You'll have to take them by force. You have no idea what they can do to you- where they'll lead you. Just head back home... and forget you ever saw them." The young ninja almost growled as if he already had the shards, and someone were threatening to take them from him. "Then pay with your life!" He rushed forward, drawing the four foot long katana from his back as he advanced... And was stopped cold by her right heel slamming into his midsection as she executed a front kick with blinding speed. Her polearm was still held at neutral stance, a scowl on her face. "See? You're getting impatient." He didn't hear, seeing as he was busy flying back for about six feet before rolling on the ground. As he regained himself however, he threw three more of the sharp stars before rushing again, leaping into the air as he reached the halfway point before throwing three more shuriken at her. Mi-na scoffed as she defended herself against the projectiles by quicky twirling her weapon before her, all six stopped cold by her weapon. She wasn't even getting serious yet... He came down on her with his blade extended, just as the throws were finished, only to meet her own blade as he did so and bouncing off of it, stumbling backwards slightly. "Tch... fine! No more playing!" He began charging forward again, his body blurring as he began moving at a frantic pace. He may as well have been moving in slow motion... Quickly shifting her weapon to the 35" long dao, she began fending off his attacks with fluent motion, never using the blade to block. And I mean never. Every strike was dodged, and the ones that were not dodged were interrupted. His frustration and lust for the blade clouded his mind... and within the first minute of the fight, his body bore four fresh, bleeding scars. Thus, the first three moves, which were three horizontal strokes to Mi-na's head, did not follow through past the first one. Mi-na twisted low, settling into a lotus stance while cutting to her left with the broadword. A thin line of blood was etched into his stomach, and he stumbled to his right side as the blade dragged him around. With his stance broken, Mi-na did not hesitate to quickly rise upwards, her left leg curling into a vicious hook kick as she turned her back. The young ninja was sent upwards and backwards with the attack, sprawling to the ground as he had the wind knocked out of him yet again. "You're a joke." She heard the whip lancing towards her and raised her left hand in order to let it wrap around her forearm. Mi-na then twisted her arm again, securing the whip before tugging hard, forcing a woman from the shadows! "And you! Quit hiding and fight!" The young man had regained himself during the distraction and rushed towards her again, this time thrusting instead of shashing. Mi-na deftly parried the strike while turning to her left side, and rammed the back end of the dao into the right side of his jaw, sending the agressor reeling backwards. Meanwhile, the other assailant regained her footing and attempted to drag the Seong prodigy towards her with a violent tug. ...Which she let happen. Mi-na grinned as she used the momentum of the pull to increase her speed, charging towards the woman and jumping into the air, attacking with a flying side kick! Surprised at her sudden advance, the opponent could only raise her forearm as the knife edge of Mi-na's left boot rammed into its target. The attack was blocked, but the sheer force alone caused the ninja to stumble backwards... Which gave her all the time she needed to ram into her opponent's forehead with the back end of the dao! This time, the ninja was sent to the floor quite hard, holding her head in pain as her ears rang with the impact of the blow. And yet they continued coming! The young man that had been utterly rejected was back on his feet again and continued his reckless advance, though his speed seemed to pick up with every time he was knocked down. "You're kinda annoying," Mi-na said as she heard him advance. She also heard something being lit... her eyes widened slightly as she considered the implications of what was about to happen. A flash bomb, or perhaps a live one? It didn't matter; the noise alone would wake her companions, thus forcing them to fight! Not good. She allowed the attacker to rush towards her headlong as he swung his blade downwards in a horizontal stroke, moving from his right to his left in an almost untracable blur. Mi-na deflected the attack, leaned into him with her shoulder, and grabbed the wrist of his weapon arm while wrapping her other arm around a leg. With that, she tossed him over her head, leaning towards the direction of the noise she had heard quite quickly in the hope that she would stop the explosive from being hefted. She did, but only barely. WHAM The young man smashed into one of the ninja in the shadows, knocking them both unconcious. Two down... how many to go? How many more until this was over with? Apparently, many more. A man with a huge shuriken came forth, sighing as he did so. "Idiot... he doesn't know when to learn, does he?" he twirled the massive weapon around his first two fingers, running full tilt at Mi-na as he did so. "Ah, well... let's see what you can do about this!" As he approached, he slammed his palm into the ground, kicking up quite a large amount of dust. There, he stopped. Undaunted, Mi-na watched closely, listening for any signs of an incoming attack. The property damage alone with this weapon could be bad... she had to keep him from using it! Unfortunately as she began running forward, seeing as it would be the only logical course of action at this point despite the risks, the woman with the whip stopped her. The nine-section whip wrapped around Mi-na's neck, gagging her slightly. She had not heard her coming... As the woman's arms wrapped around the Seong prodigy's neck, she purred seductively into her ear. "You know... you fight well for someone your age. If you had been on our side, things would be different. Shame that it'll end here." Indeed, while she was speaking, Mi-na could hear the increasing noise of the giant shuriken as it increased in revolution speed, thus increasing in force. She had to get out of this hold before... ...But she couldn't. Something pinned her to the floor. What was that- it looked like a tanto was imbedded into the ground, in the exact location of her shadow from the moon! This was not good... "Sorry girlie," said a tall, thin man behind her. He was quite well built and healthy, but still looked like he needed a bit of sun. Along with another tanto that was sheathed at his left hip, he was armed with quite a few kunai. One of them was MUCH larger than the rest, with a chain and a counter weight attatched to the end. He was busy whirling the weighted end with expertise. "You can't run from your own shadow... and I'll make it so that statement sticks. Literally." She had to do something- anything- but the moon would not be covered with clouds anytime soon. The whirling increased until it was almost deafening... She couldn't hear much of anythign else as the weapon was prepared to be thrown with decapatating force. The woman with the whip purred into Mi-na's ear again. "Surrounded... outnumbered... and yet you fought on. I commend you. Therefore, I'll make this one last offer. This can all stop when you give us the pieces of the sword in your possesion. I can make these people go away, and you won't have to see us again. Ever. You can be about your way. Just do it... I'm sure you don't want to die, right?" Mi-na grimaced as she thought of the people in Jirisan... those who had suffered at the hands of this catastrophe called the Evil Seed. Its corruption was still evident everywhere she went- during her travels through China, she had battled against an entire army of Japanese pirates who lusted for battle. Wanting to turn the world into their own playground, they wanted the Soul Edge- not to mention her own power on their side. So they had effectively kidnapped Talim and injured Xianghua, leaving her just about helpless to do anything about the situation. She felt miserable. And angry. Talim's cries for help echoed through her mind as she approached the compound, fury and divine retribution on her mind. She made a personal raid through the enemy camp, tearing the opposing forces asunder wtih little more than waves of her hand. Fire and heat and passionate anger swept the forces aside in one night, and in the end... The entire complex exploded in both sound and fury, the image of a phoenix forming in the air from the ambient heat and fire as Mi-na's command of the Flames of Passion spiraled out of her control. Talim was saved, Xianghua was healed... but Mi-na's battle rage had decimated the surrounding warehouses and docks. She remembered... recalled what she had to do to end the ambitions of an entire force. This was not a force... this was a strike team. She would not resort to slaying them all with such uncontrollable rage. Still, she remembered that Talim and Xianghua were still in the building... if she died and they got their hands on the fragments, along with the ones that she knew they had on them, they would probably kill the others as well after being seduced by the shards of tainted metal. No. Hell no. "I won't give the shards up... I won't quit... and I won't die! But most of all..." She tensed her body and gripped the handle of the broadsword tightly, making the steel heat up with a crimson glow. With that, the personal space around her increased in temperature sharply, burning the woman behind her. But still, she would not let go. Indeed, her grip tightened. However, it wasn't over. Mi-na grabbed one of the woman's arms by the wrist, her left hand forming a claw as she clamped down hard. Now then, this was a special manuver... because the grip targeted two pressure points. Mi-na's thumb was digging into a depression just at the base of the palm while her pinky finger was pressed into a spot on her opponent's radial bone, in line with the thumb. Now, a technique like this would take exceptional strength of one's muscles... and Mi-na had been training since the age of ten. But then again, there was something else. The grasp burned through skin and flesh. There was just no defense for it as her fingers dug in sharply, hitting the nerves at their source. Oh, her opponent let go... but not before Mi-na could slam the back of her dao into the ribs. There was a point there too- one that made her opponent reel in pain from three different areas. Her arm was numb. Her chest and stomach were singing with pain. She loosened her grip even further, and the move continued. Throwing the assailant sharply over her left hip and putting her body behind the toss, she threw her weight behind the overthrow and shouted, "I WON'T LOSE!" The woman went flying, crashing into the man within the dust cloud and sending his weapon off to one side, heading for one of the supports. What happened in the next few moments would defy explination, as Mi-na burst from her position in a blaze of speed, the air pressure around her thinning as she moved at a speed far beyond her limits. The thin man atop the roof gaped as the woman took off, breaking the hold that his Soul Dagger had on her with nothing but sheer will. "What the hell is this!? She has spiritual powers, too?" But he would have no time to awnser as Mi-na planted one foot on the wooden vertical beam that the weapon was headed for, launching herself off of it in a spectacular bound. Both hands pressed forward, the tip of the dao pointing towards the ground and the edge outwards. As she made contact with the weapon, a sharp rake of metal bending and twisting can be heard before the weapon falls to the ground. In two pieces. She had cut through steel! "Shit," the man atop the roofs whispered. "She's turned into a demon... No, worse than a demon, for I can't feel anything posessing her. This may have been a bad idea... this isn't possesion. This is battle rage!" Mi-na looked up towards the man on the rooftops, her brown eyes now glowing a lighter color; a fierce hazel. She had not completely shifted, but was just about ready to with any more pressure. As if sensing this, a woman called out. "Enough! Stand down, all of you." Mi-na scoffed, her fighting spirit still showing. "What, you guys can't handle the heat anymore? You started it.. come and finish!" The other five figures appeared from the shadows while the thin man leapt down from the roof. She smirked and shifted her weapon back into the zhanmadao form, grinning widely as she did so. (Just like I thought,) she mused to herself. (Ten of them, and well-armed. Probably sent to take us out and take the shards. Four down, six standing. Piece of cake.) She continued staring towards the group, her eyes filled with contempt. "See, this is why I don't like having trouble follow me. I so want to give these shards to you, but y'see that in anyone else's hands, they'd cause madness. I'm not saying that I'm worthy of bearing these damn things- I don't even hold it as an honor. But I certainly do have the dicipline to move forward, despite what any little piece of crap sword tells me. Anyways... I'm not giving them to someone I can't trust, and right now you guys are on the bottom of the list. So I'm gonna ask once before I send you packing. Who are you, why are you after the shards, and why do you have a few dozen of 'em yourselves?" She stood with her weapon upright in a neutral stance, ready for any attack that came her way. However, none did. It seemed as if the two teams were sizing each other up. She may have been one woman, but Seong Mi-na could take out an entire army with her skills and the power of the Scarlet Thunder. It was all a matter of who moved first. But the woman who had spoken shook her head softly. "Those four fought well... two of them did not even have the chance to move, however. You anticipated our movments before they could even be carried out properly. Impressive. What name does such a skilled individual have?" Mi-na held her head up high, her eyes shining with defiance. Still, she gave her name. "Seong Mi-na. And yeah, you guys do have a style I've seen before, though some of you are most definitely new to me. I fought one of you before, I think. But I have to confirm- do any of you know of a woman named Taki?" The six that were still standing all nodded. "Ah yes, the rouge. So you fought with her many times before, have you?" Mi-na nodded. "She had more honor about her than half of you guys put together. She fought me straight instead of sneaking about and throwing crap at me. But whatever- I can fight on any level, with anyone. I think I've proven that well enough, don't you? Now then, tell me about the shards you have. And make it fast- I don't have much patience right now." ________________________________________________________________________ A still night had fallen over the capital of Kyoto as a meeting was held among the captains of the Fu-Ma no Sato. In an undisclosed location, they were busy discussing the nukenin, Taki, and how best to execute her. A handful had already been chosen as oinin, but had been thwarted almost instantaneously. Even as they sent their best, the attempts on Taki's life were thwarted time after time. They were running low on those who would take the task. "This is absurd... we would be better off searching for the Soul Edge than simply going after a rouge ninja who won't give in. She is just too powerful, and has an unnatural command of Mekki-maru. Not to mention that her abilities have exceeded our own in strength." Another captain spoke up. "Indeed. We already have a few, and those that we have collected were given to us instead of us having to kill for them. But that was just luck- we need more resources in order to get them from those who would not be encouraged so easily." Encouraged meaning able to be stolen from. They all nodded in agreement as the one who spoke turned to master Toki, head of the clan. "Do you have any input, sir? Or perhaps, is your mind already set?" The clan leader remained silent for quite a while. The other members fell silent, one by one, until all attention was focused on him. He muttered something, almost incoherently. "Mekki-maru..." Some of them tilted their heads at this utterance- others simply listened. "Mekki-maru... find it. Find the shards as well. Bring them all to me- every last one. I am quite close to obtaining what I desire. Failure will not suffice on this mission. Please, do as I request." They all stood and saluted, parting ways after doing so. A twisted grin came from Toki's usually serene face as the implications of destruction entered his mind. "Yes... come to me, my child. We will finish this once and for all." Meanwhile... A ninja clad in a dark blue body suit and gleaming armor stood in a forest that was quite some distance from the main temple. She was quite wary as she faced yet another council- or at least, a few members of it. Her demon mask gave away nothing as she began speaking. "I have the information that you are looking for... but I warn you that these shards are not for the faint of heart or for the weak of mind. They are tainted; evil and puissant. I don't need to say this, but I figured you should know. Also... you don't have the capability to defeat Toki. Not yet. I will deal with him myself. I must- I cannot leave him in such a state, if what you've told me is true." They nodded and stayed silent, fearing that their replies might be heard by someone passing by. Even the woman was quiet, her voice a low whisper, barely audible. "Then I will explain. I have thrown my trails off by leaking information about the shards- or at least, the locations that I know. I know of at least three or four others, but they will not be so easy to obtain. One of them should be in China by now, if my information serves me well. Around four more are headed towards the mainland, perhaps in some sort of entourage. Many others are perhaps here in Japan, but I'm not too certain where. There's one in India, in the posession of a pirate from Ryukyu. Many of them are in the West, though the situation there has become highly unstable. I would not travel there if I were you all, but it is where one of the highest concentrations of the sword emanate from. Everything else is dust in the wind for now." They nodded again, and one of them spoke in the same low whisper. "We'll confirm your information much later, but I'll put my trust in you for now. Toki is located in the shrine, just beneath our headquarters. I suggest you be careful around him... these days he grows erratic and unsound of mind. He acts as if he knows not his own strength, and has killed many of our most elite in his anger." The woman had a grave expression on her face. Oh yes, this had to end. "Understood. Don't worry- I'll take care of it. I always do." ________________________________________________________________________ Mi-na's eyes were back to their chestnut brown again as she nodded thoughtfully. An entire treasure trove of these shards were right underneath the mountains, and all they had to do was head over there to purify them. Of course, the shards they still had were tainted and unbalanced, longing to be with their companions. And they almost sang for joy now, resonating with the other fragments in the possesion of the ninja. She realized that they had no way right now of purifying such concentrated evil energy. The aura from just one little shard was massive, and it seemed that corruption spread from it even as they carried them around. The ninja that remained standing here must have had wills of steel, tempered and forged in some way that Mi-na could not understand fully. Nevertheless, she recognized it for what it was and nodded towards them as if her resolve had been hardened. "I'll take those shards from you guys, if you don't mind. I know which side you're working for- you wouldn't have talked to me like this if you were working for Toki's side. But seriously- let us carry them for you. I'm sure you won't need such things when this is over, right?" The six of them considered for a moment. Of course, she was right. And she had already proven herself in battle- any further combat was useless. At this rate, she would defeat them, regardless of what range they fought at. Her battle rage, along with her unique weapon, gave her every advantage she needed to fight on par with any opponent. Still... the leader did sense something dangerous within that weapon. She took the time to address Mi-na about it now. "Be wary of that blade you carry. It requires an iron control of one's emotions- in fact their very soul. If you can't control yourself, it will control you. Just like these shards that we give you now. But just by the look on your face," she added solemnly, "You know plenty about that. Perhaps it has already happened. If that is the case, then turn back from your path and forget the weapon you hold." The Seong prodigy shook her head. Her resolve was as firm as ever. "Thanks... but I think I'll stick with it. My zhanmadao has never let me down before, and I will master it as I have before. If it takes mastering myself, then so be it. I'll be stronger for it. Besides, I don't want to have anything that's happened before... repeat itself because I couldn't do everything that I was capable of. You understand, right?" Mi-na stretched out her limbs, arching her back and closing her eyes as she did so. "Well anyways, I certainly wish you guys the best of-" But when she opened her eyes again, they were gone. A neat pile of ten shards of Soul Edge lay before her feet, shining their tainted crimson aura. It was not yet enough to create another evil blade, but they certainly looked happy to see each other. Along with them was a note, quickly scribed on paper. It said only two words- stay true. She smiled as she finished her sentence. "...luck. Yeah, but you won't need it, will you?" She gathered the shards and placed them in the pouch, took the note and burned it in one of the torches, and shuffled her way back to bed. She was tired through the entire fight. Which meant that throughout the entire battle, her reflexes were indeed slower... had she moved any faster and been in top form, the match would have been far less difficult, with far fewer hits taken on her account. How far could she go? How much longer until she had surpassed even these limits? She had no idea. Nor did she care. She only cared about going back to sleep. However, there were some that did not sleep... A bird. One with black feathers and red eyes. It had heard, seen, smelled everything. As Mi-na yawned and moved from sight, the avian flew off again. This would be remembered for a while now by the bird with jet-black wings... And once it reached its master, it would have quite a tale to tell. To be continued... ________________________________________________________________________ Holy crap. I'm serious. That was spectacular. I pulled that fight scene out of my ass there- I had no idea it would go in that direction. In any event, I was definitely heading to bed when I wrote that part before the final scene- all of that was a flashback of the events that happened prior to the raid at the inn. Oh, and Mi-na had sucessfully warded off the opponents without waking up Xianghua or Talim. Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the Heart and Soul Girl! Rock on! Laters, guys. Remember, feedback good, flames bad.
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