Kunoichi Online- Blade Wars Page 8

  Hikari felt an emotional bond to Mitsubikage- Anger.

  Hikari felt an emotional bond to Mitsubikage- Hate.

  Hikari felt an emotional bond to the virginal sacrifice- Sympathy

  Anger first filled Hikari’s body rage, settling on anger toward the indescribable act that played out in front of her. She became enraged with the immoral display of Mitsubikage. Soon, her emotions settled on hate toward Mitsubikage. She knew that there was nothing she could do at this moment to save the girl, but she vowed to avenge this poor girl’s life.

  “Tie her down on the altar in front of our new creation!” Mitsubikage commanded. Doing as instructed, the hooded figure who held the virgin girl pulled the girl on top of the altar and secured her hands to each corner above her head and her feet to the opposite corners of the altar. The fires burned on the side of her, her skin glowed with the warm light produced by the flames.

  Tears streamed down Hikari’s face, and she tried not to allow anyone to notice. Thank goodness for these hoods that everyone wore. She sniffled and muttered, “Oh dear, these allergies are really getting to me today,” to downplay the emotions that flooded her body.

  “Quiet!” barked the heavyset woman. “Do not disturb this ceremony for some trivial allergies or you’ll be next.” Frightened by the threat, Hikari got herself under control.

  “Yes!” Mitsubikage yelled from the middle of the room. The virginal girl attempted to fight the restraints the best she could but to no avail.

  Mitsubikage turned his attention to the cauldron. “You will be awakened soon. Keep patient,” he said to the cauldron.

  From behind the altar, Mitsubikage yelled, projecting his voice so everyone could hear, “Keepers of the Dark, lend me your ears. I have brought to you this beautiful, verified virgin as an offering. I hope you accept her as your consort, Keepers of the Dark.” Mitsubikage raised his hands and looked toward the ceiling. “Now I will assist in her transfer from this realm to yours.” Mitsubikage pulled from the sword strap from his back a large katana. The katana had a black blade crafted from frozen obsidian minerals; the handle made of pure gold.

  “Virginal girl, meet Soulblade, Token of Eternal Bloodlust. This will ensure a quick passage to the other side as the blade is sharp and strong. It will be fast, that I guarantee.” The restrained virginal girl screamed after seeing the blade that Mitsubikage wielded. “Quiet! I don’t want you to make the Keepers of the Dark upset. They prefer softer consorts,” admonished Mitsubikage.

  Mitsubikage pierced the girl’s wrist and took a chalice that sat next to the cauldron. Once the girl’s writs dripped a steady stream of blood, he filled the chalice. Pouring the contents into the cauldron, he then drank from the chalice, pouring the blood through the mouth slit of his mask. He then poured the blood-filled chalice down the throats of the two hooded figures who stood on either side of him. They each drank from the chalice as he poured the contents down their gullets, the blood dripping down their chins.

  “She is an exceptional virgin,” affirmed Mitsubikage. He returned to the virgin and slit her abdomen from neck to navel with the katana, using a single swipe. The entrails of the virgin emerged from the wound as she screamed in absolute horror. “I told you to be quiet. This will be easier on you as long as you’re quiet.”

  Not yielding to Mitsubikage’s commands, the virginal girl’s screams amplified. “Well, you leave me no choice,” said Mitsubikage. He took the Soulblade, Token of Eternal Bloodlust and with one pass of the sword, he decapitated the young virgin. “Such a shame too. She had a pretty face. Now she’ll be in the realm of the afterlife without a head.” He lowered his head. “What a shame. I warned her not to be so vocal. Ugh. I wish she listened.”

  Mitsubikage went to the backside of the altar. From under the goat mask, he muttered magic words under his breath. The undistinguishable words were audible but Hikari could not make them out. The figure then produced a blue glowing flame between his palms. It grew as the figure muttered more words under his breath. Hikari related this as if he was speaking in tongues at church when she was Ayuka.

  While Hikari’s eyes were fixated on the growing ball between Mitsubikage’s hands, the lid of the cauldron jumped up. It moved again and a slimy, green arm stuck out of the pot. The goat masked figure kept repeating the words, and the arm moved more. Soon, it was lifting the lid of the cauldron up. “It’s awakened!” Mitsubikage shouted. “It’s awakened!” Mitsubikage threw his arms in the air in triumph. “We did it!” The spectating hooded figures erupted in applause. Hikari followed along, looking on either side of her to make sure it was appropriate to clap. Seeing that it was, she softly pressed her palms together.

  The beast I the pot completely moved the lid and stood on the lip of the cauldron screeching like a banshee. It was green and slimy, with muscular limbs and wings like a bat. Two fangs protruded from its snout as the ears of a large door adjusted while it listened to the sounds, taking everything in.

  No larger than the size of a howler monkey, the beast continued to scream the high-pitched shriek that it did when it first made its way out of the pot. “Black harvesters! This is our first step into summoning Amun-Ra without the Sword of Valeria, the Mirror of Purity, and the Jewel of Prosperity. Finding these relics would be a boon for us, but we must move on and develop our rituals to summon Amun-Ra without them. This is our first advancement in this endeavor.”

  The beast took its bat-like wings and spread them. Now the majestic beast was able to be seen. The wings spanned at least five feet as it took flight. It flew toward the ceiling of the room, circling above, shrieking as it had been. Finally, the bald creature perched itself on a brass swing that suspended itself from the ceiling.

  “I will call him Windemere. He will wait for Amun-Ra’s return,” shouted Mitsubikage. “Please go on with your missions and training knowing that we are one step closer to summoning Amun-Ra. I dismiss you.”

  The lines of the cloaked figures filed out the door that Hikari entered. Hikari, behind the heavyset woman, waited for the lines to go before they followed. The heavyset woman made her way into the foyer, “Everyone, please do not wrinkle your robes. I don’t want to spend the next week steaming them as I did for today’s ceremony. Please hang them back up as soon as you take them off.”

  Apparently, the heavyset woman was in charge of the robes and didn’t appear to enjoy her responsibility. “Here, let me help you with that,” said a male voice behind Hikari.

  She turned to see who was speaking to her when she felt two hands grab the shoulders of the robe and pull it over her head. It was not done aggressively, so she was not positioning herself for a confrontation. However, she wanted to see who was assisting her with disrobing.

  After the robe was pulled over her head, giving way to her sight once again, her eyes were met with a very handsome shinobi. He styled his black hair in spikes atop his head. He had the most gorgeous high cheekbones that held his piercing blue eyes. Towering over her, a striped tunic with a long, open neckline hid his muscular chest, revealing the outline of his pec muscles.

  “Well, thanks,” said Hikari, surprised by the help and even more taken aback by the Adonis that stood before her.

  “No problem,” replied the dreamy male shinobi. “My name is Cain. Cain Himuro. I don’t believe we met, are you new?”

  “Yes, I’m new to the clan,” answered Hikari.

  “Pleasure to meet you. What is your name?” Cain asked insistently. “Is this your first ritual?”

  “Ah, yes. My first ritual.”

  “Yeah, this one was a good one. Not every ritual are we able to conjure a creature from the Dark Realm.”

  “Yeah that was exciting,” exclaimed Hikari, not allowing her real thoughts of the ritual to show.

  “What is your name?”

  “Mildred. Mildred Naka,” answered Hikari, knowing full well that she could not give him her real name.

  “Mildred. I like that. It sounds sweet,” replied Cain. Putting his
hand out to shake Hikari’s hand. Hikari pressed her palm in his as she shook his hand.

  Hikari felt an emotional bond to Cain Himuro- physical touch

  “Well, I had no choice in the matter since my parents named me, but thanks.” Hikari blushed, her cheeks turning red from the fluttering butterflies raging in her body.

  “You looked familiar. I think we had a few training sessions together,” started Cain.

  “Oh?” Hikari replied, still wondering who they were mistaking her for.

  “Yeah, you do have a wicked battle swing with the kusarigama.”

  “Well, thanks,” answered Hikari, now knowing that they have totally mistaken her for someone else since she did not know how to use a kusarigama.

  “What are you doing later? Want to grab dinner from one of the vendors in Royal Court?”

  Not wanting to miss an opportunity to meet up with this handsome new acquaintance and going against her better judgment, she answered, “Yes, I should be free just after sundown. I have to work on my sword training this afternoon.”

  “Perfect. I will meet you in the Royal Court, how about by the cart that sells the goblin ramen?”

  “That sounds delicious,” answered Hikari. “I do have to get going.”

  “Oh, right. I do too,” responded Cain. “But I look forward to tonight.”

  “Right, me too,” replied Hikari headed for the door she entered. “See you later.”

  “Later.”

  Hikari burst out of the door she had entered a few hours earlier with her flambéed mackerel eye bun. It forever changed her life from witnessing that ritual. She felt horrible about the sacrificed virgin, but now she knew more about the Clan of the Dark Harvest, information she could use later on. For right now, her one concern was getting back to Erīto.

  6 Chapter Six

  While Hikari made her way to Erito with a sense of urgency, realizing she had completely missed her blade technique class with Hitachi, her attention was diverted.

  “Cough, Hikari. Cough.”

  “Huh?” Hikari said as she passed by a tiny young woman who had a fan in front of her face, an umbrella concealing the top part of her face. Between the red fan, pick umbrella and her made-up face completely covered in white makeup, Hikari had a difficult time making out what this woman was saying, however, she distinctly heard her name being called by this woman.

  Hikari stopped dead in her tracks and approached the woman. Upon getting closer to the woman, the traditional makeup of a make, which featured a base of the white foundation with red lipstick and red and black accents around the eyes and eyebrows became distinguishable. This woman was a geisha. She wore a floral kimono with green and pink flowers on it. The color was not lacking in her attire. Wearing blue and yellow beads in her hair that moved while she moved the fan from her face.

  “I’m not sure if I heard you correctly,” said Hikari now facing the woman.

  “I’m sure you did,” retorted the woman with the fan removed from her face.

  “Perhaps.”

  “Hikari Himukai, your presence is requested.”

  “I’m sorry,” answered Hikari. Not picking up what the Geisha was putting down.

  “We would like you to meet with us,” continued the Geisha. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sho Yuuki and I am a member of the Kanga Clan.”

  “The Kanga Clan,” exclaimed Hikari.

  “Right. The Kanga Clan. It seems you have something that we want.”

  “Oh, and what is that?”

  “You have access into the Clan of the Dark Harvest. Not sure how you got that, but we watched you this morning enter their headquarters. We have decided that we can use your access and use it to stop the summoning of Amun-Ra.”

  “What are you proposing?”

  “We decided because of your access into the Dark Clan, we would like to begin the initiation protocol for you to become a Kanga.”

  “A Kanga?” Hikari said with excitement in her voice.

  “That’s right. You can become one of the chose ones. The ones who have ascended to the top of their practice.”

  “That’s a big deal!”

  “It is. But we believe that you are up for the task and will excel in our clan.” The Geisha put the fan back up to her mouth. “Two hours before midnight, meet me in this spot. Do not tell anyone where you are going. This is of the utmost importance.”

  “Yes. I will be here by midnight,” said Hikari while she nodded. Her realizing what was happening and figuring her career trajectory was going the exact way she had hoped.

  “Very well, see you soon,” Sho said as she turned and walked away. Her demure wiggle seducing all who walked by. She had precisely adopted the Geisha character to cover well.

  Hikari resumed her endeavor of returning to Erito without too much absence, despite she had missed the entire morning. Using her ailing father would be the excuse she would continue to use. Jiro and Rika should have informed Shizue Jonin that she had stayed behind to put the Hildebrandt House back together after the upheaval that occurred in his foyer out of compassion and honor.

  Hikari arrived at the Buddhist monastery and went up the stairs at a rapid pace. Any time that elapsed only made her alibi less and less believable.

  When she reached the top of the stairs, Higashi met her. He had been waiting for her. “Hikari! Where in the world have you been? Shizue Jonin had not seen you since the Hildebrandt House incident.”

  “I helped the keeper of the house put his house back together before visiting my sick dad,” explained Hikari. “It was the right thing to do since we destroyed the artifacts we’re in there.”

  “Yes. It was the right thing to do. I’m glad that you are so loyal. It shows that you are a shinobi of integrity,” said Higashi.

  Hikari felt relief. As Higashi continued, “You’re lucky Rika and Jiro explained your whereabouts to Shizue because he was irate when he found out you were missing.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, they talked him out of blowing a gasket.”

  “I will make sure I thank them.”

  “You have loyal friends there,” reiterated Higashi. “But that does not explain where you were this morning.”

  “I went to visit my father on the way back from the Hildebrandt House,” fibbed Hikari.

  “Interesting.”

  “Interesting?”

  “We sent Shizue Jonin to check on your ailing dad.”

  “And?”

  “And, what?”

  “What did you find?”

  “He has not returned yet. But you missed an important class with Hitachi, the founder of Erito.”

  “I realize,” answered Hikari.

  “He is waiting for you inside his training room,” answered Higashi. “Oh, and it seems there are representatives from the Himitsu Agency here.”

  “The Himitsu Agency? What do they want?”

  “Well, you will find out. They must question you before entering the academic side of Erito.”

  “Questioned?” Hikari challenged.

  “Right. They must question you before we will fully allow you back on campus.”

  “Well, all right. I do not understand what they want to know.”

  “Relax. Just tell them what you know, nothing more. If you can help with the investigation, fine. If not, fine. Oh, and you earned your 10 Honor Beads.”

  Hikari received 10 Honor Beads for her successful mission dealing with Lady Rose.

  Honor Beads: 10

  “Would you like to turn those in to increase your rank?” Higashi asked.

  “I would.”

  Hikari attains the rank of Level 5: Chunin-Gashira.

  Honor Beads: 0

  “Congratulations, you are now a Chunin-Gashira. Over the next few days you will have a troop assigned to you,” explained Higashi. “Now, before we allow you to attend your private session with Hitachi, you will need to answer a few questions for the Himitsu Agency. Just tell them what you know, nothing more
.”

  “All right, I will. Thank you,” responded Hikari.

  “Follow me.”

  Hikari followed Higashi from the top of the stairwell to the foyer of the Erito Preparatory Academy. Before she could enter into the academy, the members of the Himitsu Agency met her. The two government shinobis wore all black from head to toe. Their hair was clean cut, with a step longer than a buzz-cut. They had no facial hair and were unmasked. Their tabs boots were pristine as they had on their designated shinobi attire with the Crown Prince’s emblem embroidered on the shoulders of their uniforms.

  Before Higashi and Hikari reached them, they said, “Hikari Himukai?”

  “Yes,” answered Hikari.

  “We have been waiting for you. What has been your whereabouts since you departed from your troop unauthorized?” one of the Himitsu Agency shinbones asked.

  “Uh, hi,” answered Hikari appearing to be overwhelmed with the line of questioning.

  “And you were where?” the other Himitsu Agency shinobi insisted.

  “Right. I left my troop who headed to the market. Lady Rose and Hashi Jonin had fled when the Senshi Clan attacked us. We fought them off, and on the way to the market with my troop, I felt compelled to return to the Hildebrandt House to assist with the cleanup of the rubble that we left. We had successfully defeated the Senshi Clan, and I did not perceive any threats.”

  “And what did you find when you returned to the Hildebrandt House?” asked the first Himitsu Agency shinobi.

  “I found all the statues and artifacts on the ground. Some were broke, and some just needed to be dusted off from the debris. I saved what I could,” fibbed Hikari, telling what she thought she would see and hoped that they did not already do their homework.

  “And when you left the Hildebrandt House?” asked the other shinobi agent.

  “I went and visited my ailing father. I have a father who is not meant for this world much longer,” added Hikari to her fib.

  One agent turned to Higashi and asked, “Do we have confirmation on that?”