Author’s Note: This is a strange fanfic I wrote late one night. It’s quite different from my previous works as you may see. This story is considered a little disturbing so readers are warned.
Disclaimers: Samurai Troopers and all other related material are © Sunrise/Nagoya TV and the CBS/Sony Group. However, the scenario and other characters not associated with the original Yoroiden-Samurai Troopers anime are my creation.
"Be wary when you find yourself walking down a path towards knowledge--all such roads inevitably lead to madness."
-Erehwon
I am not afraid.
Just outside I can hear the blood curling screams of the villagers. Men, women, and children are being slaughtered without any mercy. I hear the crackle of fire as it spreads from each rooftop of our huts, slowly burning them to the ground. I hear the sounds of armored soldiers going about the place. More screams are heard echoing throughout the valley. This place is doomed.
I cannot help but smile.
I am sitting inside an abandoned storage hut, against the wall just above a small, dirty window. My legs are lying flat on the dirt-covered ground and I can see my creamy colored socks and wooden sandals. I feel something quivering. My eyes journey from my feet and over to the little girl who was sitting on my lap.
Kayura is adorable. She is only five years old, yet is cute as a button. She has nice, soft looking blue-hair. She is wearing a little kimono that I made her and gave to her for her fifth birthday. I admit it goes pretty well with her lovable features. Her blue eyes are filled with tears and I think to myself how sad it was that her parents are now dead. Gone forever. Dead, dead, dead. Forever and ever.
They were nice people, I suppose. I would go over to their house when I was little and they would play with me. Kayura’s mother was like a mother to me when mine died. Her father would make me little toys to play with. Her father and my father were good friends. When Kayura was born, I took it upon myself to assume the role as her “older sister” and help take care of her. Which I did, mind you. For five years I have helped her family.
Her mother and father were dead now. Their lives ended by quick stabs to their heads then a few to their chests. They held one another in a loving embrace as they were being butchered alive. How do I know what they looked like as they died, you ask?
Because it was I who killed them.
When they saw me, they did not know what to say really. Holding the black dagger within my grasp; I was the one to kill them. I was their executioner. It was I who lead the youja to our village. I was bent on revenge-I still am. Towards my father. I want him to suffer. I never wanted to follow in his footsteps. Ever since my mother died, I was forced to undergo mindless hours of training to become the one to lead our people…
No, I do not want this. I want to be a normal girl. I do not want this! Take it back! Die, die, die! All of you die! Just leave me be…
Perhaps this is what drove me to search for the demon lord… He helped me gain the power… The power to kill using this dagger. This sharp, black dagger was the key to victory.
I can still see myself as I used the dagger against Kayura’s father. He was the first one I went after. I drove the blade into his forehead and then quickly did the same into his mate’s head. I went back and forth just to be fair. What got to me was that they continued to hold one another as they fell to the ground and refused to scream like the other villagers. So I kept on stabbing them in the head then made my way down to their necks, shoulders, arms, chests, stomachs… I kept going until both bodies were no longer distinguishable, no longer human. Only a mass pool of torn flesh, bones, and blood.
A pretty picture. A work of art, no?
“Am I going to die?”
I blink. Kayura is looking at me with those virtuous blue eyes of hers. I can feel her trembling in my arms as I hold her close. It was after I murdered her mother and father and put away my dagger that she ran up to me, screaming about how the youja were coming after her. I had made sure I wiped the blood from my arms onto my kimono before taking her away. She nearly went hysterical when she saw the bodies but she did not know it was her parents. But I had taken away before she could say or do anything.
“I will not let you die,” I tell her softly.
It is true. I want Kayura to live. She is only a child but she understands me. Possibly more so than anyone else. Including my stupid father. I must keep her safe. Arago-san said he would let me live. I want Kayura to live too. I can take us away from here. Away from this demon-ridden village. Away from the smell of fire and death. Away from the rotting corpses and burning huts and crops. The two of us can travel to Edo. We can make our living as merchants or kabuki performers… Yes, yes, it’s all perfect now… I like this life.
I like killing.
The door breaks down. I see the blade of a spear having pierced through it. I scramble to my feet, clutching Kayura to my chest. What is this? The youja know I am working for them. There is nothing here. I am hiding nobody but Kayura. Kayura is a child though. They cannot bother us. They should not bother us.
“What are you doing here?” I yell, trying to act as though I know nothing.
Two youja-soldiers come into the hut proceed to look about. One of them eyes me suspiciously but does not lay a finger on me. The soldiers reek of pestilence and death. Inside these armors are no bodies, only black smog. I know because I saw one of the villagers destroy one of these things. The armor would fall apart and black stuff would come out of it.
Amazing.
The other soldier grabs Kayura from me. She screams, “NO! Let me go!”
I nearly become a stark raving lunatic. No! What are those fools doing?! Arago and I had made a deal! I would lead his army into my village as long as I go free! My freedom involves having Kayura with me! He cannot do this!
I run over and tug on the soldier’s arm, pleading for him to give me back Kayura. His response? He backhands me into the back wall and leaves. I slam against the wall hard and slump to the ground. I slowly lift my head up and moan in pain.
“Double-crossers,” I whisper under my breath.
I quickly get to my feet and grab my black dagger that was on the ground. I run outside and witness the chaos the demons have unleashed. Huts were still ablaze and soldiers were roaming the place. A few villagers are still alive, surprisingly. They are trying to fight off the soldiers but they find them overwhelming. They see me and curse very loud. They now know it was me who was responsible for this entire holocaust.
Lifting my head, I see that the skies are gray and cloudy. Uncanny airships filled with dozens of soldiers floated above hundreds off feet in the air. I find it rather enchanting to see them in the sky like this.
Kayura’s scream forces me to look down from the sky. I hurry past a huge pile of bodies that was slowly growing higher and higher. I finally catch up with the soldier who has Kayura. I raised the dagger and drove it into its back. The soldier shrieks and falls to the ground, dead. Kayura is underneath it, crying frantically. Forgetting about the dagger, I kneel down and shove aside the now empty suit of armor. I gather Kayura into my arms and stand up once more.
I hear her sobbing for her mother and father. Will she shut up about them? Why does she need them when she has me? Her big sister! Her protector! Soon, the two of us will be out of this horrible, horrible village. All thanks to Arago the great!
It was he who I turned to for help. He happened to be looking for a way into the Mortalworld. I was the one he needed for this to happen. I struck him a deal-I would take him into the Mortalworld if he would let me grant me the dark power. The power to get revenge. Pure power. It felt nice. Really nice.
An Ankoku Priest appears at the front of the village, stopping me in my tracks. Kayura screams and buries her face into my neck. I hold her close as I slowly back away, turn around, and run back into the village, back into the madness.
More of those priests appear beside me and I find it difficult to move. It is their dark powers they are using on me. They do not want me to live. I can feel my insides turn soft and I feel as though I will collapse any moment now. I feel very ill and want to throw up.
I fall to my knees and drop Kayura onto the ground. I watch as she rolls away a bit, only to be picked up by a youja-soldier. There is a woman running after her but I cannot see if she can reach Kayura in time. Strange blue fire surround me and my body is eventually engulfed.
I watch in fascination as the fire slowly burns my skin and melts it away. Hey, I can see some of my bones! But besides all that… I have been betrayed. For helping the youja, my reward is death. Fitting, I suppose, considering what I have done. Because of me, our clan will be eliminated. I wonder about the safety of the Jewel. Will Arago find it?
Kayura. Sweet, sweet Kayura. Hope you enjoy your little paradise with Arago in his dark empire. Enjoying it without me. How selfish… Haha, this is nice. I can feel myself crying but not in pain for some reason. I feel the fire scorching my face and hair.
Father, sorry I turned out to be such a horrible child. But you really should have let me be. I do not wish to take your place. You can find some other stooge to do your dirty work. Kaosu, you are no longer my father because I hate you. I just cannot help but think of the look on your face when you come back to see all of this? You will never know who caused all this, will you? You will never suspect me, your darling child. Never, never, never.
I start laughing as I feel death wrap its cold, icy arms around my melting flesh. Everyone thinks I am crazy. I am not crazy. I know the truth… The youja are looking at me funny. So what? I am the almighty! I am supreme! I am… dead.