Messenger of Light [Haji|Musou]

[Oda Nobunaga]

Haji would have been spending any normal day with Katsumi. It just so happened that one day out of many, during a conversation the two were having, she just disappeared into a strange vortex right before his very eyes. Before he could say or do anything, the moment he blinked, the environment around him changed as well. He would find himself at the shore, his feet buried in the sand, and the cool water rushing up to his shins, before pulling back into the sea. Straight ahead of him, there was nothing but water. If he turned around, he would find a small village that seemed to be bustling with activity.

[Morei Haji]

As I walked with Katsumi, I felt at peace. The words she spoke seemed to soothe my soul temporarily, and it felt as though things might be okay. Everything was a distant memory, or at least, that's what I wanted it to be.

"Katsumi, I.." Before I could finish speaking, a strange light appeared, and it began to suck her in. "NO! KATSUMI!" I reached out for her, but before I could grab her hand, she was gone. I looked around frantically, seeing no trace of her anywhere. What the hell happened? Where was she? This couldn't be happening...

I blinked, suddenly opening my eyes to a completely different area. The sea was in front of me. That same sea I marveled over when Katsumi and I had first arrived at Seto, but I was closer up to it than I had even been. Confused, I turned around to see a village there, but something about it felt different to me...

"Maybe Katsumi is..." I spoke to myself, beginning to head towards the village. Maybe I'd find answers there, or better yet, her. My mind was racing, how did I end up in such a place? Perhaps this village also held those answers... why would I be dragged here of all places?

[Oda Nobunaga]

The closer Haji got to the village, the louder the the bustling place would seem. Once he was halfway between the village and the sea, he would hear the sound of horses' feet crashing against sand, and if he looked, he would see a group of bandits charging into the village, each with blades drawn. There had to be at least twenty of them. He would be able to hear the bustling sounds of the village turn into cries of terror and agony, as the place was pillaged and people were injured.

[Morei Haji]

"Wha...What the hell?!"

It was almost as if the village had completely changed before me, as bandits were running rampant. Without a second thought, I drew my blades and charged into the fray. I would protect the villagers to the utmost of my ability, I vowed to save as many as I could and hopefully drive the bandits off myself. It seemed my search for Katsumi would have to wait.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Immediately upon entering the village, the first thing Haji would see was a young woman being snatched up by a bandit, his spear ripping through her clothes as she was hoisted up onto his horse. He let out a sickening laugh and she screamed, and he seemed to disappear with her, somewhere on the outskirts of the village.

All around him, people were being struck by the bandits and their things were being stolen. Houses were being torn apart. Old men who tried to help their wives and daughters were thrown out to the street and blades were held to their necks. Young men who tried to fight found their hands cut off. Most young women were being cornered by bandits and dragged off to dark areas.

[Morei Haji]

The people were being massacred, and it was a gruesome sight that made me sick to my stomach. The women being kidnapped made me think of Katsumi, but I couldn't single them out and save them just because of that reason. I would help those closest to me first.

Combining my blades into one, I would swing it around as I neared the bandits near the old men, slicing them in non-vital areas while attempting to get rid of their weapons.

"You cowards! Face me!" I would shout, attempting to get all of the bandits' attention onto myself instead of the people around me. I would try to buy time for everyone else, at the least.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Four of the bandits would turn to see Haji once he drew his blades, and any slashes he made, they would parry. Those four men kicked the heads of the old men into the dirt, knocking them unconscious. He now had four men charging toward him, two of which were attempting to ram their blades into his hips, and the other two circling around behind him, charging and looking to cut his legs apart at the knees.

[Morei Haji]

It seemed that I had underestimated these men, and they weren't even fearful of my demonic appearance. I quickly grabbed my conjoined weapon by its blade, spinning my body and bringing the blade around it with me in an attempt to slash at all four enemies as they approached me, the range greatly increased due the blade's length doubling.

[Oda Nobunaga]

The two men in the front would fall, having their throats slit by Haji's slash. The two in the back would duck, one of them tackling Haji to the ground, the other chasing after him. Once Haji was on the floor, the man would try to decapitate him!

[Morei Haji]

I didn't mean to kill anyone, but it seemed that at times, there was no choice. One of the men tackled me to the ground, and his friend came up, trying to cut my head off. I quickly brought one of my arms up to stop the slash, my gauntlets would prevent any damage. From there, I would quickly unattach one of my blades and use it to stab the guy who tackled me in the side, using my other hand to hold onto the katana of the other man. If my stab was successful, I would quickly bring that same blade around to slash at his friend's legs.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Haji would effectively slay the two men attempting to kill him, and he would be able to get to his feet unhindered. It seemed, however, that the people he was saving were more scared of him than they were of the bandits. He looked like a demon, and the first thing he did when he arrived was kill. Yes, he killed their enemies, but he looked like an enemy himself. A few of the people screamed at the sight of him and ran back into their homes.

Haji had to choose now if he wanted to save the young men or the young women.

[Morei Haji]

It was better that the people hide in their homes instead of be out in the open, maybe my appearance was a blessing. That said, the first thing I saw when I looked up were men getting their hands cut off. I quickly charged forward, running by the bandits with my blades drawn. I would slash at them as I passed by, planning on defeating them while running for where the young women were being pulled away into. I wanted to save everybody.

[Oda Nobunaga]

The young men were thrown to the ground as the bandits would defend themselves against the demonic savior of the village. They would strike at Haji's legs at core, while two of the men parried his swords. He would be surrounded by six men. All the while, the women's screams grew louder, and bandits rushed into the homes of the people who ran, throwing them back out into the dirt.

[Morei Haji]

Tch! Damn it! Their numbers were ridiculous. My arm flew across my chest in an attempt to block their attacks as my own was parried. Once more, I conjoined my blades, swinging it around me in a similar fashion as before, only this time I would bring it around a second time, swinging it in a lower arc in an attempt to ward off my foes.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Three of the men successfully countered, but the other three would find their shins horribly injured, and they fell to the ground. Upon completing his slash, Haji would be kicked in the chest and would fall to the ground, all three of the men looking to impale him somewhere on his torso!

[Morei Haji]

Being sent flying back, I would look up to see three of the guys coming at me, ready to stab me in the chest. I would quickly spin my blade in front of me planning on parrying their blows. From there, I would sweep my blade along their legs, planning on disabling them as well. If there was one thing that gave me the advantage, it was my range.

[Oda Nobunaga]

The men were quickly dispatched and they fell to the ground, no longer capable of standing. Haji would be able to see the young men without their hands, and the old folk being thrown across the path. One of the young men ran up to him, seemingly not scared.

"Forget about us, we can't do much anymore. Go help the girls! We can't let anything happen to them!"

He now had to face a moral dilemma. Save the young and old folk who tried to fight, and would now likely perish even after they were saved, from their injuries; or go to save the women, who were likely to only be facing traumatic, emotional damage, rather than life-ending experiences?

[Morei Haji]

I stopped for a moment, unsure what to do. "But..."

They were right. With those wounds of their's, they were just about as good as dead. They would bleed out whether I stayed or not, as there was too much going on for me to tend to their wounds... My fists clenched tightly around my weapon.

"Damn it all! I'm sorry!" I would shout, running after the girls. After witnessing what happened to Katsumi before, I did not want to let that repeat. No one deserved that kind of torture. I at least had to save those who I could.

[Oda Nobunaga]

As Haji began to run, he could hear the men and women behind him getting torn apart and murdered. Their screams would echo in his mind, haunting him as he charged through the village, looking to find the young women who'd been taken by the bandits.

He would first find one girl being dragged into a house by three men. Directly across from her, he would see the same thing, and upon the horizon, he would see several women being lynched.

[Morei Haji]

My fists clenched tighter as I heard those screams behind me, but it was what those villagers wanted me to do. To save those who could still be saved. I wanted to just sit here and break down, but there wasn't time for that. I couldn't let anyone else die.

Noticing three men dragging a girl into a home, I quickly followed suit, bursting into the home and swinging my weapon at the men while they were distracted. I intended to take all three of them out here, slashing at them repeatedly.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Haji took the men out like nothing, wiping them out and saving the woman. She scurried away from Haji though, sobbing uncontrollably. Bruises were all over her arms and legs and face. It seemed the damage was done. He would hear a scream from behind him, as well as laughter from a group of larger men.

[Morei Haji]

Making sure the woman was okay was enough, I had no time to convince her that I was a friend. I quickly turned around, running to where I heard the screams. I quickly ran outside, bursting into the next home, swinging my weapon around in the same manner, planning on taking out any of my foes while they were distracted.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Haji's reuse of the tactic worked, and the men fell like flies. Though, again, the woman seemed terrified, having been in even worse condition than the previous. She was bleeding and wounded, and her legs were broken.

Haji still had no chance to console her. If he looked outside, he would see more women being lynched along the roads.

[Morei Haji]

"Hide somewhere safe... tend to your injuries, I'll get someone to come help you."

I spoke to her before running outside, seeing more women being attacked, lynched before my eyes. I ran forward at their attackers, slashing at some of them while they were busy lynching the women.

"WHAT THE HELL GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DO THIS TO THESE PEOPLE?!"

[Oda Nobunaga]

Haji would find the men rode by on their horses too quickly for him to actually strike them! They only laughed as the women were dragged along the ground, screaming! Their heads and torsos were bleeding, and it seemed like the bandits weren't letting up any time soon. They even stomped their horses over some of the elderly who lay in the streets.