Episode 113 Lord Kimura’s Wish

A breeze sweeps by, fanning curtains of rain through the air. A bolt of lightning rips the sky apart. The flash lights up the tall, dark figure of Lord Kimura, who stands calmly before Kunai, Ivy, and Lily.

Kunai takes just a moment to react to the surprise ambush. “Lily!” he shouts, swallowing a mouthful of raindrops due to the persistent wind. “Run away! Go get help! I’ll hold him off!”

Lily glances at Kunai worriedly, before gathering her resolution. She nods. “Very well,” she replies, nearly shouting to make herself heard above the pounding of the rainstorm.

She sprints down the cliff, nearly tripping over the wet mud on her way towards the temple where Bishop Calburn awaits.

Lord Kimura watches her go out of the corner of his eye. He returns the focus of his gaze to Kunai. “You assumed that I appeared in order to capture her, correct?” Lord Kimura says to Kunai. “That would explain why you so hastily sent her away to ask for help.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Kunai growls in reply.

Lord Kimura does not reply immediately. Eventually, he does. “Indeed,” he says in a rather ambiguous tone. He stretches out an arm, collecting raindrops in his palm. Suddenly, he draws his sword. He charges.

Kunai dashes backwards and, without letting go of Ivy, grabs his claw, equipping it once more on his right arm without any sign of reluctance. Before Kunai can draw a Steely, however, Kimura is already past him.

The weight of Ivy’s body leaves Kunai’s back. Kunai turns around in slow motion, just as a gash opens up at the side of his leg. Blood rushes out, mixing with the dank rainwater.

Lord Kimura stands before Kunai in the rain, holding Ivy by the waist close to his side. The expression on Kunai’s face turns from one of surprise to one of outrage. His eyes widen as he sees Lord Kimura with Ivy.

“Give Ivy back!” he gasps, despite the pulsing pain in his leg.

“No,” Lord Kimura replies casually, a smirk traced around his lips. “I really hate to go through all this trouble, but I must have her. I simply cannot allow you to keep her all to yourself, now, can I?”

“Bastard…!” Kunai curses, clenching his hand into a fist. “Give Ivy back! Why do you need her anyway?! You’ve already taken the Phoneme from her…isn’t Lily the one you want?!”

The smirk disappears from Kimura’s face, as he watches Kunai grow angrier and angrier. Myou, Kunai’s claw, appears to glow with a faint, but steady, crimson glow. “Correct,” Kimura replies, “but I also require the services of this lovely young woman as well.”

“Since when did you need Ivy as well, too, you bastard?!” Kunai fumes. “When was she ever in your plans?!”

“Actually, Kunai,” Kimura answers in an icily serious tone, “everything has gone according to my plans all this time. There is nearly nothing that has gone wrong. Do you remember what I told you in my castle long ago?”

Kunai stands still, taken aback by the question for a moment. “In your castle…?” Kunai repeats blankly.

“Yes,” Kimura continues, “I told you back then that my wish was that someday you might become my apprentice and work under me. It has come to fruition at last.”

“Screw you,” Kunai spits in retort, “I have never worked for you, nor do I ever plan to.”

“Oh, really?” Kimura replies softly. “Your recent actions have dictated everything that has happened up until this point. Such that, your actions have helped me achieve my goals. It has truly been a pleasure working with you, Kunai.

“I told you this also, right? The power of that claw in your hands, Myou, depends upon the strength of your emotions. If you are angry, it will respond positively and bestow you with unimaginable power. That was the only way you would have defeated me, and I offered it to you. However, now that you’ve let your dark side go, it seems that your strength alone shall prevail enough to reach me.”

“Bastard!” Kunai curses illogically, unable to think of anything else to say. “Don’t mess around with me like I’m just a toy or a servant of yours! I don’t know what the hell you’ve been planning all along, but I’m not going to let you take Ivy away!”

“Of course not,” Lord Kimura smiles. He raises his sword, the same Blue Screamer brother to Azuma’s blade, just as Kunai charges.

The latter hurls himself straight at his enemy, without a particular plan in mind. Kunai forges an Avenger halfway, and lunges at Kimura, intent on cutting through him, killing him.

However, Lord Kimura merely parries it with a lazy swipe of his sword, knocking Kunai off balance. He falls to the ground, but merely gets back up, despite the bloody wound still burning in his leg.

“Why won’t you use Myou and turn it into a sword like Azuma taught you?” Lord Kimura asks.

Kunai does not reply, but merely charges again. Kimura blocks the attack with his hand, grabbing Kunai by the wrist as he passes and throwing him off his feet. “I see,” Lord Kimura sneers, “it’s not necessarily that you’re reluctant to use it, though I sense that too, but it seems you can’t use Myou.”

Kunai turns around, breathing heavily as the wound in his leg protests vehemently for him to stop. Lord Kimura glances at the limp Ivy in his arms. “When this girl destroyed the dark side of your soul, she also destroyed the part of your soul that allowed you to use your warrior’s skills as a consequence. My, my. The sacrifices we make to save our loved ones.”

“You’re one to talk,” Kunai pants, kneeling because he can no longer stand. Lord Kimura’s eyes widen at the comment for a moment. Kunai starts at the unnerved look in Kimura’s eyes, but he continues on. “Killing your brother Azuma!”

The apprehension and shock leaves Lord Kimura’s eyes as Kunai mentions Azuma’s name. “Ah,” he mutters, “so he told you that, did he? Yes, we were brothers. He was husband to my older sister. And yet…so what?! That was in the past long ago.”

“You can’t blame me for wanting to save Ivy and Lily then,” Kunai growls, leaving his feet and charging once more.

Lord Kimura sighs deeply, a genuine one of despondency. “I suppose it is time I end this,” he says to himself, even as Kunai charges, “there is not much time to lose.”

Kunai rams into Lord Kimura, but it is the latter who pierces his opponent with his weapon. Lord Kimura retracts his blade from Kunai’s body, and allows him to collapse to the floor. Kunai’s blood runs all the way down the length of Kimura’s blade, mixing with the salty, bitter rainwater.

Lord Kimura gazes up at the darkened sky for one moment, even as it begins to clear. The clouds and rain remain, along with the thunder, but a pinkish light emerges for the first time, a sign of the rapidly approaching dawn.

Lily runs desperately towards the temple, her home for so many years. “Bishop Calburn…” she murmurs in between her heavy steps, “he’s just beyond those doors…”

Lord Kimura appears in front of Lily, intercepting her path. Lily freezes, terror in her eyes. She breathes heavily, staring into the dark eyes of her aggressor.

“My deepest apologies,” Lord Kimura whispers into Lily’s ear, “I know you are dear to your brother.” With that, he plunges his sword into Lily’s stomach, enough to render her physically immobile.

Thunder roars in the sky. Sheets of rain blanket the sky. Kunai and Lily’s blood drench the floor, flowing off Lord Kimura’s sword just as the sun rises at last.