Wanderer by Day, Warrior by Night

Learning The Way of The Wanderer

Enzeru walked quickly down the dirt path next to the river, stopping only to drink some of the water. The left side of the path went right into the river, and although the right side was covered in years worth of underbrush, he guessed it had once been a large, frequently used road.

At first all he saw was a river with some trees on the side, but after some time, he could see many small fish darting around rocks as the current pulled them right past larger fish trying to swim against the current. He also noticed movement through the thick trees every now and then. Sounds of animals running or growling were begining to become a regular thing, when suddenly, birds flew up from trees everywhere as anything else hidding behind the wall of trees ran away.

A man came walking up the path twards him. This man walked much heavyer than Enzeru, and was breathing so loud, he wondered how he hadn't noticed him earlyer. The man wore pants that were too big but held up by a thick rope. He had on a loose cloak that Enzeru guessed had many bizzare merchandise dangeling from inside. On his back was an enourmus pack, but what intresed Enzeru the most, was the simple walking stick the man held. He shot a quick glance at Enzeru, but tryed to pretend he didn't notice him. However, Enzeru stared at him until he faded away into the shadows that where begining to cover the trail.

Enzeru decided to try and make a staff similar to the one the man carryed. The resources where slim, so once he found a small rock, he bagan hitting and sawing away at a branch that he thought resembled the one he had just seen. After the small twigs where all broken off, Enzeru found that peeling the bark off made it much smoother.

Now that it was dark, more animals could be heard, rustling around in the forest. At one point, a small creature with dark purple fur acualy came running out from the forest. Right behind it was a slightly larger cat-like animal with a pitch black coat of fur. The smaller one hesitated for a split second at the site of Enzeru, and taking the opportunity, the black animal pounced upon the smaller one and then something clicked inside of Enzeru as a pain inside him suddenly grew worse.

Without thinking, he quickly but quietly ran up behind it and smoothly thrust the black creature to the side with his walking stick, which had suddenly become a weapon. Caught off gaurd, the cat lay on its side for a moment, but before it could get up, Enzeru had delivered a number of blows upon it. The creature was in an akward limp posistion, obviously dead.

He quickly ate the small bit of meat that he could get, and to his relief, the pain he had been feeling slightly eased up.

After a bit more walking (which was beging to become a slow weary trudge), he spotted a few lights up ahead. As he got closer he could make out more and more around the light, untill finaly, he could see a fairly large village. All the buildings where making a slopy circle, the river ran straight through the circle, and built ontop of the river was a fountain at least 10 feet tall. It was a stone statue of a life size man holding a fishing pole, with water streaming down the stip replacing the string. There was also a granite women crouched over with a pot that water came pouring out of. Both of them where standing on a small boat filled with real fish. The boat also had freezing water in it, it was built to keep the many fish fresh for marketing.

Enzeru found it hard to keep his eyes open, but after witnessing the animal killed, he knew he could not rest there. After woundering around the circle of buildings a while, he came across a inn. He walked right, and without paying for a room (he had no money after all) he climbed into a bed, where he quickly fell asleep.

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Demon Giant

Towering waves held the boat at the mercy of the sea, pushing Makoto and Ai farther and farther away from Hell's Isle. Their pushing efforts in seemed to be dwindled to nothing in the pouring rain. Their clothes were soaked, and nothing could be seen but a blur ahead, the lights of the fortress buildings upon the elevated island, a rock that stuck high out from the water like a mountanous plateau. Chances of survival were slim, when a new force of power began to fight against the power of the storm.

The wind!! thought Makoto. He turned around to Ai, who was emitting power unlike that he had ever seen. It was interesting though, the wind patterns were identical to that of Kieto's, although a much greater quantity and no proof of her ever taking on the art of the Mushin.

Her soaked kimono fluttered in the newfound wind, and luminous eyes of anger reached for spiritual roots of long ago. She was the Oracle of Spirit, and she knew it.




Soft rays of morning light tickled his feet, letting him awake to the sound of gulls flying across the horizon over the rising sun. Dry sand below felt warm in the opening dawn, the soothing calm of the ocean, from an altered perspective, they were layingon a paradise.

Makoto looked around him, and although there was no sign of Ai, several pirate ships swam around the island. Massive cliffs that dwindled his size towered over him, teeming with jagged points and various ledges. Had no one seen him yet? He was surprised, but even more so amused, after some hesitation, he carefully began to scale the vertical cliff, there was no way around, as the entire island was elevated above the rocky beaches.




Purest ligth glistened through white curtains that cut into intricate designs of recognized delicacy. Kaizokuou awoke in his master bedroom to the sound of gulls and the smell of good food, yet a strange uncertainty kept him apprehensively aware.

His fears came to life when after dressing, he noticed an unusually tall figure standing outside on his balcony, its long hair blowing in the wind. Of course his first instinct was to grab his katana and ready his cannon.

Immediately after the next wind passed, a fraction of a second introduced the attack and the two plunged straight into battle. Several swings hit nothing but air as he tried to the myterious blur of raw skill. Various style of martial arts were used to dodge and parry the blows, and the great pirate of legends noted them quickly. Yet something gave this unknown figure an aura of darkness, and before he knew it, he was grabbed by the neck and pinned to the wall, his legs dangling in the air.

At last the pirate's adversary could be seen clearly, perhaps the first to ever show him the agony of defeat. He was at the mercy of a veritable giant, an unusually tall man with dying white hair and lanky arms and legs. While they were still coated with muscles, a relaxed sense of confidence held strong among him, and fear was instilled to the heart of Kaizokuou, never before had he been more frightened in his life of dominance. His bony face opened up its eyes to reveal a demonic red that quickly faded to a serious brow. Long pointy fingers playfully tickled his neck, threatening his very existance, when even more intimidating was the other hand, coated with a poisonous darkness that wormed up his arm over the elbow! This demon could kill him in seconds, and he would have to obey whatever it desired.

A low ominous voice broke the silence, a vibrating pulse could be found in the air. "Something prevents me from killling you..."

Kaizo didn't wasn't sure of his reason, but he was definitely relieved. A mischievous smile crossed his face as he added to his odd and rather akward statement. "It is the darkness in your heart... demon blood sleeps within you..."

The legendary pirate was hesitant to answer, but his curiosity overcame. "Why are you here...?" he asked nervously. The demon smiled again.

"I am here upon order of Senshi Nosaku... i assume you've heard of him..."

Kaizo gulped.

The demon threw him across the floor before continuing. "You see... we of the Ootaku were told to eliminate every symbol of power across the land, wreaking inevitable chaos upon the land. This would take any weight on our armies as an adversary, while they focus on their own problems and allow us to complete our ultimate goal..."

"Which is..."

"To unite the mortal and demon realm and plunge the world into darkness!!!"

Kaizokuou, the pirate king of legends, only then awoke to the truth as he witnessed perhaps the most deadly vision of all. The world would plunge into darkness, scattered in ruin, and the will of good would be dwindled.

"For now, i shall continue to observe your actions and determine your fate, as you wreak havoc with your name..."

With that he was gone, and the dangerous wind settled to an akward disbelief. A servant burst into the room, declaring intriguing news. "We have found another castaway!!"




Soaked in last night's storm was a shivering Makoto, thrown upon the floor in the great dining hall, to dine with the great pirate himself. Ai lay unconcious elsewhere in the castle, and Kaizo was eager to hear of his relation to the beautiful girl.

Forced into the seat opposite the hunongous table, where food could only be arranged and served by slaves waiting cautiously to the side for any orders. One false move could mean insant death in the presence of this madman.

Kaizo began to regain his confidence, deciding that the previous event was nothing but a peculiar nightmare, a pointless reverie. Now he could resume his daily work. In order to give a gentle approach to the terror-stricken boy, he decided to put on an act, and not press for answers until later in the conversation.

"I am Kaizokuou, the King of Pirates and the ruler of this island."

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http://www.freewebs.com/paoputreehouse/rohit4.htm
yeah, um, that's Kieto, just imagine him a bit younger...

The Dream Feast

Enzeru awoke with an angry inn keeper yelling at him to get up.

"You come in at midnight, you don't pay a sinlge piece of bronze, and now you think you can sleep all day? Get-UP!!!" she yelled as she tore the blankets from the bead.

Enzeru rolled off the bed and landed hard on the floor. Ashamed and emmbbarassed, he jumped up, looking around at all the poeple who had crouded in the small room to see what all the comotion was about. The inn keeper continued screeming as he picked up his staff and ran.

"Not the frienldyest people." Enzeru muttered to himself as he began pushing through the crowd that had filled the circle of towns. People where fishing in the river, carrying pots full of water to and from the fountain, and just walking from place to place looking for something to do. Little children where chasing eachother around the groups of people talking, which made it very difficult to move about.

The young wanderer finaly pushed out of the croud and continued following the trail he had been on the day before. He looked at the parchment and made a mental note that he was now on his way to town number three; Shigun.

Enzeru was absolutely fascinated by the road leading out of town. It was paved with marble, and parts of it had little balconies held up by thick beams. Being that the town he just came from hadn'y been too great, he figured that Shigun had to be some kind of palace to have a road like this. It was not a rare thing to pass other travellers now, every few minutes one would pass. The path trailed away from the river, and although it was now winding through a very dangerous part of the woods, it seemed to have a fairly safe feel to it. The sun was shining the brightest Enzeru had ever seen it, it was because of the beauty of the sky that day that he didn't notice it coming behind him.
Enzeru carelessly trotted up the road in a rather cheerful way, paying no attention to the danger drawing nearer to him. He looked up at the clouds, then down at the birds, that appeared to be just waiting for something to brake the silence.
He looked back up at the sky, but the endless blue heaven had been replaced by a twisted black starless night. The white clouds had become swift moving purple clouds of smoke. Enzeru spun around and found himself face-to-face with a cloaked slouching figure. Under the heavy hood, all Enzeru could see was unevean crimson eyes. Considering the eyes where a dark shade and where not glowing, the seemed strangely bright.
The single thought he had of being happy was suddenly erased from his thoughts. For one moment, every dreadful memory he had seemed as if it was a heavy burden, and at the same time, none of it seemed to matter. Then something snapped, a door was opened, a new set of memories for this creature to steel had suddenly rushed through Enzeru's mind
He saw clouds, but not from the ground, from up above them. He saw a great city made from golden beams of light. He saw children running and playing in such a free and happy way that it could not have been from this terrible world Enzeru found him self in. Then he saw the red eyes, but Enzeru was now looking up at them from the flat off his back.
He all of a sudden felt overwhelmingly tired. His eyes shut but he knew he could not fall asleep. All the newfound memories he was seeing began spinning, he felt as though the ground beneath his feet was crumbling as the sweet taste of blood filled his mouth. The few seconds of this draggen on so that it felt like hours of torture. Just then he found a memory of of something he would not understand for years. He was sitting at a table. It was very warm in the room, but the warmth was not coming from the fire place. Around the table where four people. Enzeru knew they where there but found it hard to look at them, and when he did, he could not describe any feature of what they looked like. They where all smiling and laughing, he began to feel happy as well. He knew this was not real, and that he must wake up, but he did not want to loose this memorie to the creature as well.
Then it was gone. He was lying on his back with his eyes closed. He felt a sudden rush of anger and sprung to his feet as the drowsiness left him. The "thing" in front of him stumbled back, as though in pain, and Enzeru made sure it would not forget this pain.
He dealed a number of blows before it could evean react to the barrage of strikes. Then the creature relized what was happening, and with a final glimps running through Enzerus mind of the people at the table, everything was back to as it was.

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A Dip in Reality: Mushin's Yoko Kaze

Kieto awoke to the sound of voices, an undying pain in his lower chest. After feeling around however, he noticed that it had been expertly dressed, they had taken care of him after his near death experience. But why? Why did Kaizo choose to let him live? It was darker down underground, where there was a whole dungeon of cells with rusting iron bars and cobwebs in every corner. The previous night had tired the warriors, and word around him everwhere was that they were to fight today nevertheless. The pounding rain had stopped, and through the passage of time most assumed that it was morning.

His muscles were weary and ached, Kaizokuou was an astounding warrior, and though he could've sworn a pirate couldn't be any better, an burning intuition told him that the pirate king was holding back. Of course, the conditions of the fight were pretty much set, and Kieto had never before seen any proof of the man's fighting skillz. So he wasn't hiding behind the power of his army after all. If challenged, he could probably take out an entire ships worth of pirates with ease.Aging floorboard below began to creak, and a figure emerged from the shadows behind him.

"There aren't enough cells down here, it seems we've been thrown together..."

Scars from years of battle and torture told its story on his bare chest and back, he had been whipped and beaten well more than the average man could survive. There was a passion within, something that drove him to outlive the others and survive such a horrid place. Something that pushed him beyond the limits of his body. He was after all beginning to frail, which barely showed over his well toned arms and body. He was a fisherman, Heitai the sailor. And surely enough chained to his wrist was the anchor itself, tossed to the corner of the cell. It wouldn't be difficult for two skilled and experienced warriors to escape such a worn down cell, but they didn't bother, as they knew the real toll was above among the surface of the risen island, high above the sea.

"We could still escape, I assure you that" he suddenly said without any question to answer. He knew what the boy was thinking. After all, he was once his age. But Kieto didn't understand.

"If you can escape, why don't you?" he asked the man as he instinctively turned to the anchor in the corner.

Heitai laughed. It was a soft warm hearted laugh, and Kieto soon came to realize, that the sailor had lost all purpose, either that or he had forgotten his own past after years of being locked up. Slowly the smile faded into a frown, and once more the sailor was lost in the past. He did have a past, but he wasn't sure if it meant anything. Kieto once remembered that feeling, when he wasn't sure if his past was real or not, if it really did exist. Still one thing kept him holding on to a thin thread of memory, the single being that still remained in his heart, the memory of his sister, Ai. Now that they had finally found her, and he knew she was safe and happy, he was content. There was nothing more of the world that he wanted. He had found his purpose, and he would always fight as long as his sister was still alive.

"Well... if I ever did escape... there isn't anywhere for me to go..." he turned around with a surpressed smile. Kieto pitied him, for he had suffered a lifetime of pain and sorrow, stolen from his memory and love, forced to live the life a warrior, hanging by a thread and surviving by the power of his will. He had nothing to fight for, and he still fought on and on, through thick and thin. He would not let himself die a prisoner, and as a young man, Kieto admired that greatly.

"There's nothing left to do, nothing left from my memory, everything has fallen apart... yet there is still the will to live, the will to survive. If i must die here on this wretched island, I shall die as a warrior, not a prisoner starving below ground. I will die when i have met my match in the arena..."

Kieto looked up at the old man, battered and bruised, with a heart of gold and an iron will. Never before had he met such a man, such greatness did not exist in his memory with the exception of his father, who in Kieto's opinion was one of the greatest warrior in the history of men. However after meeting Heitai, the sailor with nothing left but the will to live, he realized, that there is no such thing as the best, for all great warriors go down in the history of men as heroes.

"The real question here is... why haven't you escaped?" the fisherman asked with slyness. He was a step ahead of Kieto, much more experienced in every way. Kieto turned around and chuckled jokingly with a smile

"Me? Heh... I have a favor to return..."






Sol walked through the corridors of the pirate fortress from which he could see far into the horizon, they were several hundred feet above sea level, thanks to the risen island and the colossal buildings of the fortress as well. He trusted Kieto's will to live, and observed the appearance of this strange place. Everything was intricately designed, yet at the same time worn by countless battles. They had a great advantage over those attacked from sea. Towering over them on cliffs and ledges, they could shower any invaders with arrows and give them a horrible death on the jagged rocks along the island. Everyone was talking about the upcoming battle, and how Kaizo spared Kieto the previous night. None of them understood, but there was a reason, and Sol was beginning to become rather curious.

He had many other stories as well, as most of the men had a lot of time on their hands, they already had enough riches and gold to live off of for years to come. Not that it would stop them from more pillage and plunder, but it surely was a good enough reason to relax for a while and defend the fort. One story stood above all, the story of Kaizokuou, the pirate of legends.

Captain Kaizo appeared out of nowhere, and spread pillage and plunder among the seas. People feared his deadly crew and most of all his own skill as an undefeatable warrior. He could not be matched, and although there were survivors, fear struck them till the end of death, their fear lasting througout the waters of the earth. Slowly he dominated the world of piracy, and took his followers to an island he had found in one of his earlier voyages. There they built a giant fortress to stash every last bit of treasure the could find, and live off the goods of their riches. It was the perfect island, a sanctuary for pirates who weren't used to such pleasure and ease. However one of the king's most honorable samurais took it upon himself to crush the evil of this man, and attacked year after year, everytime stronger than before. The fortress was once destroyed, and the man made his most successful attack, and as a result, Kaizokuou lost his left arm in battle, which he later replaced with a magical cannon that harnessed the demonic energy within. But the samurai was never seen again, so Kaizo could never have his revenge. Still after overcoming the threat of this warrior, he was then known to all as the most powerful man among the seas, the legendary pirate, killer of a thousand.

What happened to the long lost samurai? Who was he?





"What do you want with me?!!!"

Makoto threw away the golden wine glass and stood up furiously. It was a bold thing to do, but rather stupid in the presence of such a dangerous villain. Kaizo boiled with anger and retorted quickly.

"I want to know why the two of you are here... you didn't just go sailing through the storm for the damn hell of it did you?!!" he asked sarcastically. In the rising tension of the argument that elevated, the pirate king suddenly drew his sword and slammed it down on the table, which collapsed under his power and sent food spilling everywhere, rolls being soaked in gravys and sauces, sogging up and getting soft with meat that touched the dirt of the ground. As quick as it was drawn the sword was sheathed again, and Kaizokuou leaped high into the air, his gold buttoned coat rustling in the growing wind. He landed with such force that the earth began to succumb to his power, and the dip where he landed tore everything else around him fromt he earth and flung it up to hover over space, Makoto landed on a hard knee to the stomach, and rolled to a stop, unconcious and beaten with a single blow.





Sol watched as people gathered along the side of the humongous arena below them, a giant cylinder canyon. With the people standing around it, it suddenly seemed much bigger than it was before. According to gossip he had overheard earlier, Kieto was to fight first, and he was eager to see what the boy had up his sleeve. There were people everywhere, and for such an inexperienced warrior, there weren't that many choices.

The pirates were ragged inferior creatures, unworthy of the title of a warrior. They fought with no skill, with nothing but blinding stupidity. Their only advantage was that of the sea. However Kaizokuou was different, something about him was oddly intriguing. The two gates opened and the fighters entered the arena. An unworthy opponent, Kieto had some breathing space here.

Unarmed and shirtless on the field, he stood little chance against a skilled swordsman like Kieto. Something kept him confident though, so perhaps there was something for him to count on after all. Kaizo shouted his demands, and the two thrust into battle before the tides of the wind felt its gust.

Kieto took the immediate offense, guided by the winds of the Mushin so that his movements were unpredictable. A barrage of blows were released on the man, but he simply blocked them all with his flaming fists, glowing as if he was holding a torch within. The violet aura around him protetects his skin from the wrath of the blade... I must find some way to break through...

Suddenly Tsubo retaliated with a starting motion of his hand, and a wave of force rippled through the air!! Kieto skidded across the grounded and tumbled over rocky spikes sticking upwards. Just as he bounced back to his feet, he was attacked from above by a growing blade, created by the energy of his aura!! So his weapon is purely energy, this could be interesting...

Kieto held the blade just above his head, and suddenly letting it slide down to the hilt where it was caught again, he threw it to the ground which shattered the rocks and summoned the power of the Mushin. Wind danced around the arena and flowed through jagged edges everwhere, swirling around Kieto and being absorbed by the glowing void of his blade. The power of the wind from there only increased even more, when he suddenly unleashed a deadly attack, a wind slash, the crescent of his sword's path that flew towards his enemy. It was blocked with only a little trouble, but it then knocked him back into the wall, followed by an explosion of debris. Kieto had seen the worst in the minions of Nosaku, and after learning from experience, he left his opponent no time to recover and threw several more wind slashes, which tore away at the rock wall. Kaizo began to growl as his masterpiece began to tear apart. He looked to Kieto threatingly, but the boy had already stopped, smiling in excitement. He enjoyed the fight, and wasn't surprised when Tsubo emerged from the smoke unharmed.

Ancient forms of Mushin were but different adaptations of the Batujitsu, ancestors of the great art of the wind. It was discovered later on in its development that the wind could be unleashed with colossal power if the wind was released with a Batujitsu attack, but the attack also sacrificed a great amount of accuracy, practically impossible to control. Still though who mastered the art found themselves tearing their enemies apart with sheer force of wind. Of course Kieto couldn't perform such a feat, yet he still believed he could at least perform the attack succesfully with some effort. Sheathing his sword, he summoned the powers of the Mushin once more, and the winds circled his feet like a puppy and rose above to create an aura of wind.

Part of the Mushin style was the act of predicting the movements of the adversary through the wind, which told its tale in the future! Tsubo was ready to charge, and he was only getting himself into a mess, ensuring his death. The growth of his energy in the shape of a pole behind him launched him at Kieto at an incredible speed, in which he quickly formed a sword from the violet aura.

Both slashes were to meet at slant, and they quickly assumed their timings and made their move. A flash of light blinded the watchers, and they were left to witness a blurr of clashing swords, met at the slant and grooving into each other. Whoever possessed the more powerful strike would shatter the sword of the opponent and leave his blood on the ground with his immediate death. Yet Kieto had different plans entirely, knowing that his sword couldn't match up against the power of the aura, he slicked his hand to the right, leaving himself completely open!

Tsubo's exuberance was obvious, but he was unaware that this apparent freedom was but a cloak for the delay, for what was to come was something much more. The future had been set, it was inevitable, and as his furious energy wielding blade had barely begun to skim the surface of his skin, a godly gust of wind tore him away from Kieto's flesh and thrust him into the wall at a speed worthy of the gods across the entirety of the crater. It was then that the entire east wall collapsed and a huge landslide resulted in a mountanous explosion of dust and a humongous pile of dirt and rock. Pirates met their unfortunate demise in the destruction of the wall, and with a single attack, Kieto had miraculously killed over thirty men!!!

His body stood frozen in place, until the clearing dust confirmed his loss, and fell to the bended knee, leaning on his katana for support. Never before had he succeeded in such an attack, and his victory was assured in the tons of rubble before them. Of course, Kaizokuou was furious not only at his amazing success but at the damage to his arena. There was only one way to kill the kid without getting his hands dirty. He had to send in the best warrior prisoner to survive the wrath of the tournament.

Kieto had only just begun to relax, when the north gate opened and another contestent looked him with bolded eyes. Before him stood the true legendary warrior of the island. Heitai the sailor...

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((OOC: It turns out i needed more posts then i was accounted for, so i shall post again, to keep the flow of everything and finish up this "pirate saga" HA HA THIS IS THE 50th post!!!!!!!!))
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The Pirate King was stupefied. His army of pirates had been greatly reduced with but a single blow, and he couldn't take the absurdity of it all. He was about to order the prisoner dead, but when he turned to Kieto, he witnessed a stern gaze of hatred, like nothing he had ever seen before. Kieto's eyes were fierce and angry, a burning desire to kill lingered within him, and at that moment, the Pirate King had finally realized, through this young boys eyes, that Kieto was was the true son of a warrior, a warrior that he had once known to be the greatest of Samurais, and at that moment, Kaizokuou was was afraid...

"So then its true... you are indeed a warrior of the Mushin style..." Heitai grinned, he looked to his opponent with amusement.

Kieto's eyes widened in surprise. Heitai was friendly on the outside, but on the inside nothing lurked but the desire to win and survive. He was ready to kill Kieto, despite their somewhat of a "friendship". Instead of questioning the old man's cunning, he thought it stupid to even wonder and remembered how wise he was. He was well in his sixties after all, and living a life within the walls of the crater must have brought him the stories of many different warriors... all that had fallen before him.

"I was once a warrior of the Mushin myself..." the aging warrior added. Now Kieto was astonished.

"Yoko-Kaze, the famed technique that the gods themselves could not surpass, the technique that mastered the power of the winds..."

Kieto frowned.

"I didn't think i would live to see such a technique, and now that i have... i am ever more intrigued to fight you."

Although rather intimidated, Kieto stood strong and bold, placing his palm gently on the hilt of his sword. But for goodness sakes, it was hard NOT to be intimidated when the old man had a freaking anchor in his arms!!! It occured to him as it did before however. Why didn't the anchor snap his wrist when he swung it around? He must have had steel bones that could take on even the strongest of blows. And through his weak frail skin bulged thick muscles that were well experienced in their own use. As a skilled experience warrior with a healthy physical conditoin, Heitai definitely had the upperhand. Everything grew silent, and people watched as he took his stance with his right knee lowering and his left leg straightening out in front of him. He was leaning back considerably, preparing to throw the weight of the anchor. Perhaps it was more difficult for the Heitai the warrior to wield than Kieto had imagined! A vigorous warcry broke the silent suspense, and as soon as the anchor left the safety of his grip, the fight had begun.

Kieto quickly leaped to his side and rolled back up to his feet, the anchor wooshing by him like a train. He began to charge the seemingly vulnerable opponent, but Heitai somehow retrieved his anchor in but a matter of seconds, dodging Kieto's clumsy throw and jumping to the other side of the arena to launch another assault. Kieto slid to a hault and spun around carefully, sheathing his sword once more and taking the batujitsu stance. This time he dodged to the left, and the anchor flew straight into the stone wall, collapsing a good chunk of the arena but killing none. If Kieto continued to dodge the anchor, the arena would soon be reduced to nothing. The pirates were only lucky that it was big, and most of the throws landed on the ground, not reaching the outer walls.

Obviously enough the speed of his throws would still do nothing against Kieto, and after noting Kieto's strategy to rush in after a failed attempt, Heitai decided to try something new. He threw the anchor high into the air, and it took the shape of the arch and started to come down towards Kieto. He simply watched until it was close enough to become a danger, and dashed forward to strike the open Heitai! But just before the anchor hit Kieto's previous location, Heitai wrapped the chain around his arm and yanked with all of his might, and the anchor pulled backwards towards Kieto!! The boy was caught by surprise, but even though the anchor barely missed the might of it striking the ground tossed Kieto from the explosion of rock and debris, skidding across the ground to Heitai who was ready for a swift kick to the side, and Kieto bounced ont he rocks more till he hit a leveling stalactite and fell hard on the ground groaning in pain. Heitai used the extra time to retrieve the anchor, and hurled his weapon with all of his might towards Kieto who lay there helpless.

Suddenly Kieto jumped to his feet and saved himself with a batujitsu wind slash!! The force of the blow left the anchor airborne for a moment as if time had stopped before reality returned and the anchor fell to the ground lifeless. This was his chance, for the two were surprisingly close, and even the sailor were to pull back his anchor, he would have no time to throw it. Kieto knew that once he was on the inside, there were no close range defenses that could save him, although he was amazed that even with such a disadvantage in protecting himself he had survived for so long.

Clutching both hands onto the hilt of the katana, he lunged at Heitai with fury, and watched as time slowed and Heitai pulled back his anchor nevertheless and pulling it under Kieto. Mere inches seperated them, and as Kieto unleashed the power of his blade, Heitai made a sudden leap into the air using a flick of his foot, dodging the blow! Still he had no weapon, when suddenly he let the anchor pass him without catching it and swung it around towards Kieto once more.

BOOM!!!

The large sound of impact rang across the rocky surface of the island, and echoed off the walls of the enormous crater. Heitai landed panting, and watched the raining debris that had flown into the air from the explosion of rock and dirt. The boy held enormous potential, and although he regretted it, it was the only way to survive, it was years since he had given up looking for a way to escape. Not that he had tried very hard anyway, he had no reason to leave, no where to go. He existance was meaningless.

The dust cleared and nothing was left, the blood must have been covered by the tons of earth. But a yell sounded off from above, and everyone looked up, to find who else but Kieto, charging towards the earth at Heitai like a meteor falling from the sky!! A huge boom was followed by a wave of force, the attack was easily dodged, especially thanks to the yell, but Kieto didn't mind. He just wanted to make a dramatic appearance.

He landed on thin Heitai's anchor, and was thrown back moments later, both leaking sweat all over themselves. The odds were still against him, but Kieto knew as a smart warrior that if he could just get in to the range of the sailor's attack, he would gain the upper hand. Of course, this man was beyond skilled, surprising everyone with every move. Sol was analyzing the battle as he observed, it was an interesting clash of skill and power. Sol read Kieto's attack patterns easily, but this Heitai man was unpredictable! Kieto would try something new, and Sol would acknowledge, only to be disappointed when Heitai easily retaliated with a cunning counter-strategy. The poor kid didn't know how much more he could. His wits were matched, he would have to try something totally ingenious and imaginative.

Seconds sagged like hours as everyone watched the two warriors in silence. They were creating a whole battle plan in their head, trying to psyche out the other. Yet both of them were mainly on the offense, and Kaizo was waiting to see something new. Of course he was disappointed with the old man, but Kieto amused him, he was fighting much neater and smarter than the other night in the rain.

Here we are on the home stretch... one more significant mistake from either of them and this battle will be put to swift end! thought Sol to himself. He looked around at the body of pirates, simply amused by the calibur of the fight, they knew nothing of the real world, their eyes couldn't even handle it. But he soon came to realize that he was just denying it, this truly was quite a battle.

Heat rose from the arena and the stink of sweat settled on the crowd in awe. The energy produced by mere human bodies was astounding, and perhaps the only one with demon blood flowing through his veins, Kaizo began to feel it was a worthless advantage. These humans have gone way beyond this limit, their fighting spirit greater than anything he could ever imagine!

At last the warriors took stance, ready for battle.

Sheathed for batujitsu, Kieto summoned the power of the wind with his right palm on his sword. He looked as if he were a god, screaming wind circling his body like a tornado, but the power was put to good use. Suddenly, he disappeared from sight!! The wind exploded and then curved into a path, where he could be found halfway across the arena running faster the the wind itself, falling apart in a desperate attempt to catch up with him. He was crouched down so that he could cut through the air. It was amazing, the world around him was nothing but a blur to him. Only one thing remained clear, Heitai the sailer, who was still standing there waiting for his opponent. A cloud of dust formed from crushed rocks tossed in the air from the force of his dash. Flying into the air they remained a symbol of his power.

Confident as ever, Heitai sent his anchor storming towards Kieto who didn't stand a chance with the clash of their momentum. Though it did seem rather thick-headed of the boy to make such a rash decision, he had made pretty decent choices as of yet. So why did he rush right into the anchor? The answer was made quite apparent only moments later...

Another explosion of wind which drifted backwards was all that could be seen, and the anchor which had lost all of its inertia just flopped in the air and fell to the ground worthless. Heitai was as surprised as everyone else, as Kieto reappeared directly in front of him!!! There was no time to react, the blade made contact, and skidding to a stop in the shadow of the cliff, Kieto turned to watch Heitai fall from the air. A huge slash had ripped trough his torso in a slant, and trailing blood was left behind in the air from which he was tossed. There he lay but a dampened rag.

Finally realizing what ha happened, the pirates roared in approval of the warrior, shocked and amazed at his skill. Sol smirked "Not bad kid... got some smarts there. Wouldn't mind fighting you myself oneday" Turning around he pushed through the crowd out of sight, where some more pirates filled his spot for a better view. Kaizokuou stood frowning however, the only one perhaps, for he was so ready to watch Kieto fall on his knees and beg for mercy. Actually he didn't even mind immediate obliteration!! But now... now that it came to this...

Kieto plopped on the ground and tossed the sword aside so that he could rest against the rocky cliff. Blood rained from his still tightening fist. Never before had he encountered such a warrior, and although he was among the greatest of the world, if not the greatest, his name would never be known to history. Great luck and good judgement brough Kieto the win in this battle, for it was obvious that Heitai exceeded in both strength and skill.

You have finally found your place oh great sailor. I shall spread your name across the land in honor of your death, so let the gods rejoice as you ascend to the heavens of paradise... what the?!

He was gone!! The reaction of the audience was similar, but when he saw them all look up to the sky, he looked to air as well, and hovering above everyone was Heitai the sailor, anchor in hand. It wasn't so for long, however. Heitai's anchor was thrown with exceptional speed with the helping hand of gravity this time, and came crashig down on the earth near the rock wall of the cliff!!!

What followed was a but an eruption of colossal boulders which collapsed upon themselves when the entire cliffside fell. Everyone watched as those unfortunate enough to be over Kieto met thier immediate demise only to fall further more to the depths of hades. The chain remained suspended in the air along with Heitai, reaching into the explosion like the hand of god itself.

Heitai the Sailor looked towards the explosion, and at last, after all those years of battle, he could feel back to before... a childhood untouched and precious......

A crimson bullet soared through the air, emerging from the dust and speeding towards the sailor like a comet. Kieto appeared from this comet, oozing life in torrential rains of blood. Still he held firm to the hilt of his katana and ran the chain of the anchor, that still rested in the cloud of rubble behind. Whatever remaining strenght was there was used in a slash, but falling as he ran on the chain, tore open the old man's side. Ironically enough he lost hold of conciousness and began to fall. The two of them fell, wounded meteors doused in flame and crashed into the earth and soil below.

...so that a boy could embrace the hand of god and touch his holy face...

[Mistress Sheena]

Kana and Mayumi--along with Minoru, arrive to an uninhabited island not too far away from Pirate Island. Kana looks in the eyes of his beloved, telling her that his training will be vigorous and might be dangerous for her to spar with him, and asks if he could spar with her brother Minoru instead. She turns her head to her brother, nodding at him, and Minoru agrees to spar with him, and before Kana starts, he says that he takes no responsibility if he injures him greatly. Minoru raises an eyebrow and just shrugs at the comment.

Kana closes his eyes and travels deep within the depths of his mind, unleashing great power and blood lust that belongs to his demon self. His eyes had transcended from a misty grey to a fiery red, and his hair shot out and flowed with the wind that the energy had been creating and glowed different shades of black, white, and grey, and finally stopped at a dark grey color, as if it was a few steps away from being completely covered by darkness.

Minoru smirks as he witnessed the transformation of Kana’s demon form. And with his guard down, Kana dashed toward him with such great speed it were as if he vanished in thin air, and appeared just to the left of Minoru. Kana swung his blade in the direction of Minoru, but he countered by blocking the strike with his great scythe, which he twirled it around and shoved the pole end of it into Kana’s stomach and it hit him hard, yet Kana didn’t feel any pain, and kept attacking head on, and Minoru sighed and shook his head, and dodged his attack noticing Kana has still not fully taken control of his demon blood.

At that very instant, Kana performed various Zodiac sign seals, and shouted “Thunder Replication!” then he literally multiplied himself what seemed like ten times over, when suddenly they all charged straight at him, with the look of murderous intent in their eyes.

Minoru looked all around his surroundings, and leapt into the air and nearly all of the Kanas ran into each other causing them to explode with 50,000 volts of electricity, in which case caused the blast to travel around a ten kilometer radius. Minoru took in several volts of shock, but not enough to knock him out, and while he landed, one of the two Kanas remaining performed another Kesari Reika technique and shouts “Kagerou No Jutsu!” then suddenly the air around him was absorbed and changed into electrical energy. He touches his index fingers and thumbs together to form an oval like shape, where the electricity flow was being transferred, and flowing throughout his body, giving him a bluish-yellow aura. As this technique was being made ready; Minoru performed a great dash that made him vanish and reappear behind Kana, but he knew this technique all too well, and leapt up into the air and released the large beam of lightning toward Minoru, who looked up and blocked the beam of lightning with difficulty, and the last of the energy had thrown out the scythe from Minoru’s hands, and at that very moment Minoru noticed something different with Kana than when the battle had first started.

[RSC_390]

The silence remained as Kieto pulled himself to his feet, stumbling over his own stride and then raggedly standing up straight. His flesh were torn and his muscle shown through, but the grip on his blade was never before tighter. The warrior stood strong desite his wounds, and the fall brought an aching feeling to his back, but as he looked to Heitai, he realized the power of his attack. The old man pressed his palm against his side, doused in the blood of the wound. He too lifted his weapon into the air, and took stance to resume battle.

At last Kieto began to understand the meaning of Heitai's words. Despite his great injury, he was ready to fight, for the will to live was indeed stronger than anything. Why hadn't he known it before? Throughout both battles he would stand up after every blow, mainly because he refused to meet any demise. He was following the sailor's way of life without even knowing it.

"Why are you just standing there?" Heitai questioned the boy. He grinned when he expectantly found no response.

"You know you have surpassed your limit, yet you still stand there waiting, almost as if you're waiting to collapse in exhaustion."

Still no answer.

"You don't have much time left... why don't you use what little is remaining!!" Heitai's tone of voice rose to an angered impatience. This was a totally different man in the heat of battle. Though still honoring Kieto's presence respectively, he taunted the boy in search of a deeper power, like nothing he ever felt before. A potential that slept deep inside of this boy, and as Master Shen knew from the start, it would take wonders to awaken it.

"I can see it in your eyes... you desire the strength to do the Yoko-Kaze once more... its a shame even though it wouldn't help much in this situation. I admire your bravery anyway, and i must say I am quite intrigued to see you make your choice..."

Silence followed, for whenever he thought of anything, Heitai the sailor was already on top of him ready to extreminate his hope. It was like de-ja-vu, exactly as it was in the beginning of the fight. He needed to think of something unexpected, or something that would allow him to stop an oncoming anchor and prepare himself for attack. Then it came to him on the wings of the wind itself. Holding his sword out vertically in front of him, he closed his eyes and awaited the welcoming comfort of the settling wind, roaring over the rock walls in prelude to the night. Silently in the backround the sun began to set and the shadow of the arena wall grew.

Wind flowed gently through the crater, and during his few moments of silence, everything around him began to take shape. The rocks and their ridges, the flow of the wind, and most of all, Heitai and his anchor. Feeling the current of the wind and the effect the environment had on it, he could envision everything one-step ahead of his eyes. The simple theory of the Mushin is that our eyes view the past, while the Mushin is the presence, therefore those who use the Mushin sensory can feel movements before they even happen, making it easy to fight. Of course the downside is the extreme concentration required.

The duration of the fight had been quite silent, for each moment was just as awe-inspiring as the last, and the loyal audience didn't want to miss a second. All that was left was the faint whistle of this said wind, curving down into the canyon like crater and then swerving out just as fast. The stronger the wind, the clearer Heitai could be seen. Of course the sailor wasn't aware of Kieto's newfound skill in this Mushin stance, and decided to show Kieto that no mercy is shown during battle. The anchor was thrown at full speed, towards a seemingly unaware Kieto with his eyes closed.

The anchor cut through the wind like a warm knife through butter, but the little disturbance in the wind was more than enough for Kieto to see. After training with Master Shen he could feel the flow of wind against his skin better than ever, and every change was told to him in advance. The wind knew the story of the earth, and told it through faithful gusts before it actually happened. This was the advantage of the Mushin style, and slithering around the width of the anchor, Kieto appeared on the other side unharmed. As Heitai tried desperately to make contact with Kieto, he found his efforts were in vain for he could sense the movement of the anchor.

Retreiving his weapon once more, Heitai leaped into the air and flung the anchor into the rocky terrain below!! Kieto searched and searched for the anchor's wherabouts, but underground he could not feel its presence! There was nothing he could do in this situation, and expertly maneuvering the anchor below, Heitai brought it back to the surface below Kieto, catching him totally offguard.

There he stumbled upon himself, and the anchor thrust him into the air and onto the ground, and returning through its path, Heitai recovered his weapon and made his way towards Kieto who lay there, unable to move. It almost seemed as if time stopped. Gulls lay suspended in the air and the ranting pirates above became nothing but a blur. A huge whirlwind of noise swept away into thin air, and silence crept as Heitai approached. Each step made a deafening boom in the silence, sending a jolt of fear into Kieto's heart.

The sun was now setting into the west, falling behind the rock wall, its shadow growing bigger by the minute. Once dark enough, Kieto would have the advantage with the abilitiy to see using the Mushin. However it would still be at least another hour before the sun sank below the horizon, so he was doomed. He struggled to reach his katana, which lay there as lifeless as he, but his efforts were in vain, and a shadow cast its presence over his body. Heitai stood above Kieto like a silhuette, the sun behind him giving him a glowing aura. This was the warrior of legends on this island, and if Kaizo was even stronger... did he even stand a chance?

This man was a symbol of his demise. It was strange though, for only now, at the end of their battle, did everything seem so clear. He had been taught not to rely on his eyesight, but such beauty could not be seen without the vivid color of light. The rusty chain was wrapped around his arm in such away that his fist was almost red under the pressure. His veins were throbbing, and his muscles straining. Heitai was working his way towards senility, and was still able to take him down.

Mushin and eyesight were working together now. The anchor was risen to the air by a swift pull and swung around the silhouette like a rodeo, and Kieto could only smile at his defeat. But a burning passion in Heitai's eyes took away Kieto's grin. This man was ready for an outburst of emotion... who knew what was going through his head. Did the boy fear death? Not even Kieto knew. They just stared into each other's eyes for minutes, letting the audience get dizzy in anticipation watching the anchor spin and spin.

It may have been the flicker of the eye, or the Mushin's potential, but just then, Kieto knew what Heitai was about to.

"NO!!"

Kieto jumped to his feet, forgetting about all of his wounds, and ran towards his opponent as the anchor's pattern reached an end, and a ripple flowed through the chain in its whirlwind motion. Reaching the anchor, Heitai looked to Kieto, but then changed the direction of his attack! Kieto tried to stop him, but his efforts were in vain. THe painful wound in his side caught up to him, and he stumbled over clumsily, his face in the earth

Heitai turned around and threw the anchor at Kaizokuou, taking everyone by surprised and making a direct hit. Not even Kieto had been hit with the anchor straight on. If the pirate king survived this, he must have been immortal.

Everyone watched as the cliffside collapsed, stormclouds of dirt and dust exploding into the air. The reaction was delayed, but everyone turned their weapons towards Heitai.

"He's still alive" the sailor panicked, sweat trickling down his forehad. Kieto didn't believe it.

"What?!?!?!"

Turning around he saw a worn out man. Heitai had gone way beyond his limit, and he was now being paid back overtime for the immense damage done to his frail body. If it weren't enough, a shower of arrows rained on his back, killing him instantly. He fell to the ground feeling just as useless as he did during the rest of his time on the island. His talents may have been underrated, but they still went to waste. Just as he had predicted, Kaizokuou emerged from the dust totall unharmed, only further enraged at this man's treason. Heitai wouldn't have lasted nearly long if not for his demanding will, but he still couldn't defeat this tyrant, and died unsatisfied.

"I am Kaizokuou, the Pirate King!! Perhaps the world can finally realize my wrath! So great a warrior, brought down by a young boy w/ a sword and a few puny arrows."

Kieto burst in tears, laying there practically helpless. A thirst for revenge burned inside of him, and slowly but surely, his strength started coming back to him.

"I can see the vengeance in your eyes... but it shall be no use to you. For you see, it can never ammount to the demon blood flowing through my veins!" The crowd errupted into panic and confusion. Kaizokuou? A demon?!?! They weren't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but they were definitely apprehensive. Perhaps it would be an advantage! With a demon as their leader, they could conquer the land and make the citizens into slaves. Plus this would mean more warriors from a bigger pool to participate in the prison tournaments.

Then it shadowed over them once more, when they realized the potential danger in this ring. Already these two warriors had done good work in obliterating the ring. Heitai was an exception, for he lived for so long and slowly became stronger and stronger, but Kieto was a mystery. If he was so powerful from the beginning, then how did they capture him in the first placed? Logic started to fall apart, for they were all totally oblivious to the plan Kieto and Sol had worked up. Speaking of which, where was Sol? Kieto searched the audience, and Sol was still there, waiting as patiently as he could, for he was anxious to go into battle, so much that he was twitching away from his stern frown. Everyone around him looked the warrior suspiciously, and he could probably kill in a single strike. Yet as a courtesy to Kieto, who wanted to show Kaizokuou his wrath from within, decided it would be best to leave the pawns surrounding him alone.

He waited from a signal from Kieto, but in boredom started to doze off. Now he was wide awake again, for things between Kieto and Kaizo seemed to be heating up! Still he waited for a signal. Kieto looked to him and smiled, and Sol knew that everything was ready. What niether of them knew however, was that Ai and Makoto had snuck onto the island and were being held hostage.

"Let these two be an example to all of you! Those who defy my power shall be killed immediately. I am the king and you are my kingdom!! I have the power to bring you in and nurse you to health, which goes along with the power to slay you. Do not be foolish! Mutiny will lead to your own destruction. Now declare your loyalty to the greatest ruler of all, Kaizokuou!!!" A cheer rang out through the canyon, and once again the pirate's name had been glorified. Those who even thought of mutiny were far too intimidated. Now that they knew he was a demon, he could probably hunt you down before you even act on your idea!

"It seems that you're more backwards than I even thought. The power you have over your men is a weakness!" Kieto smirked as he rose to the bended knee.

Kaizo laughed, and with a few demanding looks the pirates around him joined in the laughter. Suddenly they all started to see the humor in the situation. "Foolish boy, you are but a young warrior, and you have no experience whatsoever in the true world of darkness. And yet you persist on your childish belief. Who are you to judge me?!?!"

"I am Mushin Kieto, son of Mushin Kiro-Han, perhaps the only man to ever defeat you in your prime. We are warriors of the Mushin style, and the winds have guided us both to your tyranny"

"Defeat me? Absurd, i think his status of not being alive is more than enough to prove my victory"

"You give him such negative talk, when he had mercy on your pathetic soul?!"

Suddenly the Pirate King went pale. Kieto stood up and lifted his sword off of the cold earth below. It was still warm from battle, and partially doused with blood.

"His katana was to your neck, and when he saw your fear, he let you go alive. I won't be so kind to you. As a ruler, you have become blind to the world around you, adn thus you were unaware of the greater warriors around you! One of your own damned prisoners!! Kaizokuou, you shall die by my blade and become a legend, but your name shall be clouded to he that is greater than you- Heitai the sailor!"

"I've heard enough of this nonsense. Slay him!" Kaizo ordered with his sword. Kieto simply smiled, his words had instilled feared into the heart of this man, and whatever advantage the pirate king might have had was gone. Bringing the blade to his side, Kieto charged up the sword and unleashed wind slashes in every direction! They were carefully aimed, so that they cut the bars that locked away the prisoners, but didn't hit the occupants themselves! Any arrow or projectile that came near him was shattered by the force of the cutting wind.

He stood there a bit longer, and the warriors around him burst through the cut open bars and helped themselves to the walls. Some were thrown off by bottles and rocks falling from above, but when they reached the top, chaos broke out and a battle had begun. Of course only a few warriors were above ground, the rest were deep in the cellars below, waiting for later tournaments.

Fortunately in the darkness of the coming night, with help from the sun below the horizon, Kieto couldn't be seen as he rushed through the door that led to the lower levels. Also the torches around the island had already been lit, a nice convenience that helped everyone fight. So few in number, it seemed practically hopeless for the prisoners, but their skill was far superior.

In all the commotion, an uneasy pirate spotted Sol reach for his weapon, and attacked immediately. "GET THE IMPOSTER!!!!!" His foolish assault was met in his stomach. The pirate had been impaled by one of the blades on Sol's double saber weapon. From hereSol worked his way through several more slashes, and fell to a crouched position. He seemed dormant for a second, but suddenly jumped into an enemy and started his rampage through the vast army of pirates.

A small shimmer of light warmed the underside of the clouds, drifting them off into the distance. Until sunrise, nothing but the clash of the cutlass could be heard.