The Blazing Tempest

DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial work of fiction based on the anime/manga Samurai 7. Original copyright of Samurai 7 belongs to Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni, MICO, GDH, GONZO. Absolutely no monetary gain has been made with this work.


THE BLAZING TEMPEST
By Rory V. Pascual (Edited by Saiyukihana)
© Original Version 2001; Samurai 7 Version June 30, 2006


Chapter Forty-Three

Shichiroji's tear-filled eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, his eyelids blinking several times. He was desperate to wake up from this horrible nightmare he found himself in. However, the cold, lifeless body of his lover in his arms only served to jolt him back to reality. He hugged the concubine close to him, as his body was wracked by sobs.

Kissing his lover's lips, he wept, "Kanbei! My beloved Kanbei! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I did this to you!"

There was a flash and a sharp sword was laid over his throat, the blade raising his chin.

"You should be sorry!" the Odalisk snarled in his face. "None of this would've happened if you had not abandoned him fifteen years ago!" Seeing how distraught the Warrior was, the demon pulled its blade back. "I will give you a few minutes to grieve for the love you had lost, while I deal with the Amanushi and his lackeys. Afterwards, get ready to die!"

In his blind grief, Shichiroji was oblivious to the Odalisk's declaration. Neither did he notice it raise once hand, finger pointed to the ceiling. A beam of red light shot out of its finger and burst through the roof, sending chunks of debris falling down on their heads.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Sultan and his companions saw the beam of red light pierce the sky.

Masamune's jaw dropped, tears welling up in his eyes, as he shook his head in despair. He knew what that ominous sign meant. "Kanbei, no!" he whispered, disbelieving. "You can't be dead!"

Suddenly, the shaft of light branched out across the sky, forming a fiery lattice network high above the heads of the soldiers guarding Ain Mehira. All around them, the wind started to build up speed.

As they watched in horror, the net of light fell upon the soldiers, trapping them and their steeds. A swirling column of sand swallowed them up. Screams of agony, both human and animal, filled the air as the brisk particles of sand, scoured their bodies -- their skins peeling away to reveal the grotesque musculature beneath. They shouldn't have survived that infernal onslaught. But they did. When the tornado of sand died down, a collective gasp rose among the troops in terror and disgust, seeing that the soldiers and their horses had been transformed into ruthless marauders of raw, bloody, glistening flesh. Their leader pulled at the reins of his demon steed. As the stallion reared up, the leader waved his scimitar in the air and let out a fierce cry.

"Merciful Allah!" the Sultan mumbled, sweat trickling from his brow, at the sight of that bloodthirsty demonic horde. "Do not abandon us. I pray you!"

With that formidable horde of evil before them, the men were close to retreating from sheer terror.

"ARE YOU CRAVEN COWARDS?" that furious roar pierced through the ghastly cries of the marauders. It was Kyuzo, riding on his stallion with sword in hand, gazing out at the expanse of humanity gathered.

"Inside that Palace, two men are fighting against the Evil One for OUR salvation!" the Bandit Chief declared. "Are we just going to sit here and cower and tremble like frightened rabbits? I MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT! Men fight till the very end! If I fall today, let it not be said that I did not fight like a man! That is the way of the warrior! THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI! Are you with me, men?"

It was the bandits who first answered his call, raising their voices in ululating war cries that resounded throughout the desert. Soon, the Sultan's troops and the Shikimoribito also joined their voices.

Gorobei grinned as Kyuzo rode up to him. "Well done, my friend! I couldn't have put it better myself." The moor looked at the enemy ahead. "What do we do now? The way I see it, we need to get rid of those Nobuseri first.""

It was Heihachi who answered, "That won't be a problem." Turning, he waved to the bandits, "BRING THEM OUT, MEN!"

With exuberant cries, the bandits rolled up the dune ten massive ballistas, already cocked and loaded with huge sharp-tipped logs. These giant engines were fitted with bulky loaders, powered by batteries made by the Shikimoribito, filled with more logs and boulders.

The Sultan was amazed by the bandit's ingenuity. "Incredible! These engines will automatically load again when the logs are fired!"

Kyuzo winked at the eager young man at his side. "Well, my student? This is going to be your first battle. Make me proud, all right?"

Green eyes flashed as he pulled out his katana. "Let's show them what REAL samurai can do! Are you with us, Gorobei-dono? Heihachi-dono?"

The two men nodded, broad smiles on their faces. "But of course!"

The Sultan gaped in shock as the four men dismounted from their horses and slid down the dune. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He watched, horrified, as the courageous samurai charged at the hordes with swords held high.

Then, he heard Heihachi shout, "FIRE!"

At that signal, the bandits let loose a volley of flaming logs at the enemy. Those projectiles struck their targets, causing Benigumo and Raiden to crash into the ground. The Nobuseri that were still left standing did not remain aloft for long. With the agility that the samurai was noted for, Kyuzo's student leaped on the head of a moaning zombie, using it to propel him upwards to a Raiden. In the blink of an eye, the young man had slashed through the armor plating of its chest, causing it to explode. His comrades just as easily destroyed the other Nobuseri.

"We leave the rest to you, my Master!" Gorobei called out to the Sultan.

Realizing that the samurai had rid of them of the more difficult foe, the Sultan waved to the moor. "Yes, my friend! You can count on us!"

At these reassuring words, the four samurai scaled the giant walls and entered the Palace.

~~~~~~~~~~

First step, second step, third step... The Odalisk descended the steps of the dais one by one, its eyes burning with hatred as it stared at the Amanushi and his men. Ukyo and Hyogo had their swords in hand, neither one showing any trace of fear. The same could not be said for Kikuchiyo. Although the expression on his face was wary and alert, his heart was pounding in his chest like a hammer. Yes, he feared the Odalisk, but how could he fight this creature who obviously cared deeply for his friend and lover? When he took a step back, the demon sensed his movement. Turning in Kikuchiyo's direction, the Odalisk snarled at the mechanical samurai.

Eager for battle and blood, that momentary distraction was the opening Hyogo was looking for. With an ululating cry, he charged at the Odalisk, scoring with a gaping slash to the leg. The demon roared in pain as it fell to one knee. Furious, the Odalisk swung its swords at Hyogo, which the warrior easily evaded. With its attention diverted, it was Ukyo's turn to lunge at the demon, plunging his sword in the creature's side.

Kikuchiyo grimaced in dismay. It was obvious to him that the Odalisk had not yet regained its full strength, the only thing driving it was its hatred and grief over the loss of the concubine. Still, it fought back, slashing desperately at its two attackers. Kikuchiyo gripped his sword tightly, wanting to even the fight, but it was fear that held him back.

Then, there was the sharp sound of the staccato clip clop of hooves descending the steps of the dais. A red blur swept past him, heading straight for Hyogo.

A horrendous shriek, an octave that no man was capable of reaching, pierced the air. "LET ME GO, YOU LITTLE BASTARD! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kikuchiyo's eyes widened in shock, seeing Moeru with his face firmly pressed to the insane warrior's groin. No matter how hard he tried, Hyogo could not free himself from the iron grip of the colt's teeth. In agony, the lunatic samurai fell, sitting, on the floor. Still, the colt would not let go. Moeru was shaking his head furiously that his mane flew.

Seeing Hyogo's hands tighten around the hilt of his sword to plunge it into the colt, Kikuchiyo called out, "MOERU, LOOK OUT!"

With a strong sweep of its hand, the Odalisk shoved Ukyo into the far wall, and strode toward the Horseman and the colt. Its large bulk cast an ominous shadow upon the combatants. Hyogo's eyes flew wide at the sight of the demon's raised sword.

At the same time that Moeru bit down completely on the evil warrior's cock, the Odalisk's sword cut through his neck. Sensing the build up of chi, a triumphant Moeru, with Hyogo's bloody member between his teeth, took a few steps back. Pandemonium struck as Hyogo's life force rushed out of his body in a blaze of lightning, smoke and deafening explosions, and was absorbed by the Amesha Spenta Stone embedded in the demon's chest. Kikuchiyo found himself screaming in horror, as the Odalisk opened its mind to the cyborg, allowing Kikuchiyo to witness the merging between warrior and demon, bombarding him with disgusting images of the things that Hyogo had done to the concubine. It seemed like an eternity passed, an eternity of insane visions, that Kikuchiyo thought that his mind would succumb to the lunacy that had plagued the samurai. Mercifully, as the power onslaught stopped, the Odalisk shut down the mental connection between them. Breathless, Kikuchiyo fell to his weakened knees.

As he panted for breath, Kikuchiyo barely heard Ukyo's cry of rage as he charged at the demon. The Amanushi bombarded the Odalisk with a barrage of strong thrusts and swift slashes. In his desire to avenge Hyogo's death, however, Ukyo was unaware that his adversary was slowly being surrounded by an unearthly glow, coming from the power source in its breast. With its powers back at full strength, the demon easily evaded the Amanushi's swipes at it, riling up the evil ruler, forcing him to make that crucial mistake -- to forget that what he was fighting against was no ordinary human, but a creature from Hell.

As Ukyo lunged for a strike, he knocked out one of the Odalisk's swords from its grasp. Before he could crow at his accomplishment, the demon grabbed the wrist of his sword arm, and sent flames shooting through his body. Ukyo screamed in agony, arms flailing wildly, as he stumbled around and around the Throne Room, trying desperately to put the fire out.

What the Odalisk did next stunned Kikuchiyo to the core of his being. With casual ease, the demon approached the burning figure, seven swords held in readiness. With its free hand, it gripped the Amanushi's long hair and jerked his head up. He saw Ukyo's eyes grow round as the demon whispered something in his ear. With the swiftness and precision of a butcher, the Odalisk severed the evil ruler's arms and legs clean from its body. To Kikuchiyo's horror, the demon deliberately left Ukyo's head attached to his torso. The burning limbs twitched spasmodically on the floor, as though searching desperately for the body they were once attached to. With a wave of its hands, the flames died down, leaving the evil Amanushi in charred pieces on the floor, but still alive. Kikuchiyo knew what the Odalisk had done to Ukyo – he had given the demented ruler the immortality he craved.

At that instant that the demon put out the fire, Kikuchiyo's eyes widened in shock, getting a good look at the Stone embedded in its chest. To be certain, he tentatively reached out to the crystal with his warrior senses.

"Oh my God!" the mechanical samurai gasped in shock, confirming what he had seen.

Swiftly, he turned his head in the direction where Shichiroji sat. To his consternation, the Samurai was still seated on the dais, the concubine's body in his arms. In his grief, the poor Warrior had detached himself from the horror of reality.

"Shichiroji! SHICHIROJI!" Kikuchiyo yelled. "For God's sake, snap out of it! SHICHIROJI!"

But there was no response from the Samurai. He just sat there, rocking Kanbei's body back and forth.

"Shichiroji! Damn it! You must listen to me! It's about Kanbei!"

Still, the Samurai remained in that woeful position.

The Odalisk noticed the object of the cyborg's distress. Seeing Shichiroji's pitiful figure, it declared, "Maybe I should put you out of your misery right now." At these words, it strode towards the Warrior, swords held in readiness.

Seeing the difficulty that the mechanical was having in rousing his comrade back to the present, Moeru calmly trotted back up the steps. The colt paused beside the Samurai, breathing warm air on his cheek. He was rewarded by a blink of blue eyes. Before he could retreat back into his world of sorrow and mourning, Moeru let something long and wet fall from his mouth and land on Shichiroji's thigh. As if dreaming, Shichiroji slowly gazed down at the thing that the colt had placed on his lap. A horrified grimace formed on his lips, seeing that it was Hyogo's severed penis. In disgust, he brushed the bleeding thing far away. As he wiped the blood from his thigh, he did not notice Moeru hurry toward the severed member and plop down on the floor beside his precious prize.

At that moment, Kikuchiyo' frantic cries reached his hearing. "SHICHIROJI!"

"Kikuchiyo?" Shichiroji asked, dazed and confused.

But the Odalisk was already upon him. The Samurai could only watch helplessly as the demon raised its swords, ready to deliver the deathblow.

There was a loud crash overhead, as shards of glass from the broken windows rained down upon them. This was followed by the loud clangs of metal against metal.

Shichiroji stared in stunned silence at the four warriors who had placed themselves between him and the rampaging demon. One of them was a boy with laughing green eyes whom he never expected to see again.

"Katsushiro?" he breathed out in shock.

"One and the same," Kyuzo's beloved student smiled back at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the Bandit Chief declared in annoyance. "Are you so determined to die?"

"It would make Kanbei-sama very unhappy to see you like this…" put in Heihachi cheerfully

"…Especially since he's still alive." It was Gorobei who concluded the samurai engineer's words.

Shichiroji squeaked out, "Kanbei's…alive?"

"LOOK AT THE STONE, SHICHIROJI!" the Horseman called out. "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, LOOK AT THE STONE!"

With a roar, the Odalisk hurled the interlopers away, sending them skidding across the floor. Before it could turn to Shichiroji once more, insane laughter coming from the mutilated ruler caught his attention.

The Samurai gazed at the Odalisk, whose broad back was turned to him. It was standing above the burned, bleeding pieces of human flesh that were once Ukyo. To his disgust, the Amanushi was still alive, his eyes blazing with the light of insanity.

"YOU CANNOT KILL ME! DO YOU HEAR ME?" Ukyo laughed madly, taunting the demon. "I AM THE END OF TIME!"

The Odalisk shook its head. "I think not!" It then slowly raised a heavy foot, ready to stomp down on the Amanushi's face and crush it to a pulp.

Shichiroji acted instinctively. Gently laying the concubine's body on the floor, he grabbed his spear and raced down the stairs, taking the demon's fallen blade as he passed by. Putting himself between the Odalisk and Ukyo, he fell to one knee, using his spear to stop the descent of that large foot. With the sword, he granted the Amanushi, though unworthy of it, a final act of mercy by cutting off his head.

The Stone in the Odalisk's chest immediately absorbed Ukyo's chi. A scream was torn from Shichiroji's throat as his mind was connected to the demon's, scorching every nerve in his body, tormenting his mind with visions of the cruelties the Amanushi had inflicted upon Kanbei. Those visions did nothing to expiate the guilt he felt.

Pressing his hands to the sides of his head, his conscience cried in remorse, "I am to blame! It's all my fault! How could I have abandoned Kanbei to that monster!"

To his relief, the telepathic connection was cut, and the frantic whinnying of Moeru reached his hearing. Glancing behind him, Shichiroji saw that Kikuchiyo and the others were being pushed back towards the wall by the Odalisk. Already, his comrades were bleeding from cuts and slashes where the demon's razor sharp blades connected. But the Samurai was still too weak to help.

It was Moeru who hastened down the steps. The brave colt stood protectively before the brave warriors, growling and teeth snapping. In an uncharacteristic move, the Odalisk gently pushed Moeru aside. Undaunted, the little horse trotted back to his defensive position before his friends. Again, the demon nudged him away. This happened several times, until at last the Odalisk straightened, arms akimbo, as it glared down at Moeru. Shichiroji could see the colt's eyes widen, focused on the Stone on the demon's chest.

"If you don't get out of my way, little one," the Odalisk began menacingly, "I will not hesitate to kill you, even though you are beloved by my precious Prince!"

Dredging up strength from the core of his being, Shichiroji quickly got to his feet and ran toward his comrades and the colt with spear in hand. Putting himself between his friends and the demon, he twirled the spear, the sharp tip pointed at the hellish creature. Seeing the Warrior's bravado, the Odalisk crossed its arms over its chest, glaring tauntingly at Shichiroji.

"I will not let you harm any of my friends!" the Samurai snarled in warning.

"So you want to die now, is that it?" the demon queried, the tone in its voice revealing its eagerness to battle with this man who had caused the heartbreak of his beloved. "Let me oblige you, Samurai! It would please me greatly to wet my blades with the blood of the Warrior who had caused my Little Prince much anguish!"

At these words, the Odalisk raised its swords, assuming a position of preparedness for the duel that lay ahead. Now that its chest was bared and the Stone revealed, Shichiroji gasped, seeing at once what had caught everyone's attention.

The Amesha Spenta Stone was glowing with a fiery red light. Within it, flames swirled, evidence of the demon's power. But lying in the center of the Stone, surrounded by a pure white aura, was a tiny, naked figure curled up in a fetal position, sleeping like a child. Reaching out to that form with his Warrior's senses, Shichiroji was immediately rewarded by a most pleasant sensation -- a gentle breath of clear mountain air and flowers.

"He's the champion, Shichiroji! He cannot die so easily until he has fulfilled his destiny!" the Samurai heard Kikuchiyo call out behind him. "Although his soul is trapped inside the Stone, he still lives! KANBEI'S ALIVE!"

"Kanbei..." Shichiroji breathed the name of his beloved between his lips. Though his essence was resigned to rest from the sufferings he had endured for twenty-five years, indeed, Kanbei was very much alive.

Then, from deep within him, the Samurai heard Kirara's voice utter her final prophecy before she died by her former lover's sword. "Like the phoenix, a warrior shall arise from the ashes of broken hope and dreams to battle the Ultimate Evil that threatens to consume the world in darkness. Only by the might of his heart and soul could he vanquish the One True Evil to eternal perdition."

At that moment, Shichiroji knew he had to act. Assuming the same attack position as the Odalisk, he declared, "Are you just going to stand there like a statue? Come! Let's fight!"

With a roar, the demon charged at the Samurai. Standing his ground, Shichiroji lifted his spear, as the seven swords of the Odalisk came crashing down. The impact nearly brought the Warrior to his knees. With a mighty shove, he pushed back the demon's blades and did five evasive backward somersaults. On the last turn, Shichiroji stepped against the wall, using it as a springboard. Leaping above the Odalisk, he scored with a slash in the space between its two heads. Before the demon could turn around, as he landed, Shichiroji swept his spear in a wide arc, creating a huge gash in its belly. However, as he faced it, he saw the wounds he had inflicted, as well as its earlier slashes at the hands of the other samurai, heal rapidly.

Shichiroji gritted his teeth. "This is not good. Now that it has regained its full strength, it's virtually impossible to stop it! There must be a way!"

Again, Kirara's voice, more powerful this time, filled his head until it was ringing with the words. "Like the phoenix, a warrior shall arise from the ashes of broken hope and dreams to battle the Ultimate Evil that threatens to consume the world in darkness. Only by the might of his heart and soul could he vanquish the One True Evil to eternal perdition."

Then, his memory brought him back to that moment when Kanbei made his choice. "I am the Master of my destiny! I am the Master of my fate! No man is lord over me except myself!"

Shichiroji knew that it was the concubine's destiny to battle the Odalisk. But how? When his life force is trapped inside the Stone? When he himself prefers to lie in restful slumber after so many trials? How could he even find the will to fight a malevolent demon, whom he considers his dear friend?

The Samurai's jaw hardened in firm resolve, hands gripping his spear tightly, as he eyed the glowing Stone in the Odalisk's breast.

"Forgive me, Kanbei, but I have to do this," he muttered. "You have to choose once more -- to lie in blissful oblivion or be the champion of all mankind."

With a strong battle cry, Shichiroji charged at the Odalisk, running towards it with the speed and relentlessness of a cheetah. A grin formed on the demon's face as it stood its ground. With his victim coming towards it, one swing of any of its swords and his life would be extinguished.

The samurai and Moeru watched as the Shichiroji rapidly closed the distance between him and the demon. They both could see the Odalisk step back in readiness to deliver the final stroke. It was suicide; there was no way on earth that Shichiroji could escape from it alive.

"SHICHIROJI, NOOOOO!" Kikuchiyo screamed, as he broke into a run with Kyuzo, Katsushiro, Gorobei, Heihachi and an equally panicking Moeru, hoping against all hope that they could save their comrade in time.

Before he could get within reach of the Odalisk's swords, Shichiroji suddenly fell to his knees and slid on the slippery floor. So swift was the move that the demon's supposedly fatal swings missed the top of his head by a mere inch. Stopping his forward motion by bracing his left foot on the floor, the Samurai stood up, right hand reaching up to the Amesha Spenta Stone.

As his hands touched the Stone, Shichiroji screamed to his lover sleeping within, "KANBEI! WAKE UP!"

At that contact, there was a blinding flash of light. Shielding his eyes from the glare, he could hear the Odalisk's roar of fury. Unable to see, he did not notice the demon lift its sword.

"DIE, SHICHIROJI!" the Odalisk screamed. "DIE!" The Samurai could only lower his head, waiting for the end to come.

CLAAAAAASH!

That seemingly deafening sound of sword meeting sword rang out through the air. Despite the spots in his vision, Shichiroji dared to open his eyes. He could see that both Kikuchiyo and Moeru's mouths were agape, staring at something -- someone? -- behind the Samurai. Craning his neck back, a gasp was elicited from his lips.

Shimada Kanbei stood above him, dressed only in his outer robes. The concubine had stopped the descent of the Odalisk's swords with his taisenshatou.

There was a wide grin on Kanbei's lips as he said, "I guess it's my turn now."


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