Sitting atop a foothold overlooking a massive forest surrounded by a ridge on both sides were the samurai. Each clad in horrifying menpō and colorful armor. They had been fighting for weeks agains the New World Order.

The New World Order came from another country and only had one goal. They wanted everything. Complete control of everyone.

Waiting for the sun to rise you could hear the soft whispers of samurai amongst each other. Talking about their families, friends and favorite foods.

As the sun starts to top the tree line, it casts light on the battlefield. Tens of thousands of men stood poised and ready to march.

The forest had been theirs for hundreds of years. Gifted from the mother of all Oni, Mazārito. she swore an oath. An eternal protector in her stead. Someone to always watch over their land.

At the front of the battalion were two flag carriers. Each holding a separate flag. One solid black with a shield on it. The other white with a dragon eating it’s own tail. Between the two mounted on a solid black mare was the Daimyo. Kenji, he is feared amongst his own. His mask, not that of an Oni but of Tengu. Clad in red and gold. He lie in wait for the sun to shine upon his enemies.

As the sun began to cast light on their feet a rumble could be felt through the ground. It shook so hard that the gongs were rattling.

“LISTEN!!!! Today separates the boys from the men, the weak from the strong. Let no enemy take your head and show you dishonor. Still your blades. Strike at their weakness. Behead their Queen! CHAAARRRRGE!”

The battalion now drawing their blades and screaming what could be their last battle cry as the sun finally revealed their enemies already at the base of their foothold.

In the back of the battalion a lone man screams.

“Today I will earn immortality! I will become a legend! Fear not for I am all you need, Matsumoto shall behead anyone who stands before my Emperor, for glory, for love, FOR HONOR!”

Matsumoto breaks formation. Sling in hand, ominous clay pot in the other. He lights the wick, loads it in the sling and let’s it rip.

Matsumoto had filled the pot with tar and gunpowder. The explosion sent boiling hot tar everywhere. As the enemies screamed Matsumoto drew his sword and dropped his sling. Matsumoto pulls out his menpō and slides it in place. Screaming a loud menacing chuckle that sounded like a deranged demon he holds his tachi up to the sky.

“I shall give you a name. To honor our unavoidable victory. I shall name you Ki Jin. May your power fester and your anger flow. Fill me with the power of the Oni and come to life by drinking the blood of my foes.”

Matsumoto turns toward the enemy climbing their foothold. Their armor a simple iron scale, clad with black tabards lined with a golden embroidery and a golden hammer in the center. The symbol for the New World Order. Matsumoto turns and looks at his people. The colors of samurai armor vary from red, green, and blue to white, gold and black.

Matsumoto poises and charges towards the enemy. Most on fire from the tar. Screaming in pain and agony. He begins slicing and jabbing his enemies.

The daimyo watching as Matsumoto single-handedly took on the enemy forces attacking their foothold.

“This land. It belongs to us! The samurai! Gifted by the Oni! You shall now know fear.”

Matsumoto can be heard screaming demonically as he taunts and tortured his enemies. He did not go without injury. Blood seeping from the seams in his armor show he had taken his fair share of blows.

“MEN! Do you intend to watch your brother do the work for you?” The daimyo shouts. His face white like he had seen the devil.

He turns to face his men only to see their faces equally as horrified watching Matsumoto clear the way.

“Is Matsumoto the only one with ears! Get your blood out of your cocks and march!” The daimyo shouts.

The samurai finally snapping out of the daze one at a time. Each equipping their own menpō, each screaming their own demonic battle cry as they charge their enemy. Smoke bombs, explosives, flaming arrows and many more tools for murder began flooding the battlefield with no regards as to whom it hit.

Matsumoto now standing in the clearing his army had forced, begins to pant. He had no idea how much blood he had truly lost.

He began laughing maniacally. “Ki Jin… is this not the most fun. On the brink of life and death only the strong truly pull through.”

His eyes now locked to the blade unable to be peeled away from its edge.

“I see… I too want more…. The fun… there’s nothing else like it. Let’s go Ki Jin.”

Matsumoto took caution to sling the blood from the blade before sliding it into the sheath. Turning and staring at the battalion commander Matsumoto’s eyes became serious.

The daimyo reading his thoughts without a word being spoken.

“You have awoken that blade, and now it thirsts for your enemies blood….. I have no quarrels. Go and have your fun. However, the sun sets soon and we do not want to lose the foothold. If you want to go that bad. You will have to go yourself.”

The daimyo turns and gives signal to prepare camp. Matsumoto clutches Ki Jin.

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“Sir! If I may… spare me some black powder and tar along with pots and rope.”

The daimyo pauses to answer.

“The oni need no permission from us humans. Do as you must.”

The daimyo struts off on his horse towards camp.

Matsumoto went to gather the supplies he needed for his night raid. Bombs for disorientation and dealing with groups, his bow, arrows, poison, tar, black powder and many other things. As he was heading down the foothold he decided to offer respects to his commander.

As he did so a voice could be heard in the darkness.

“You know… going in alone is suicide.”

Matsumoto finishes paying respects and turns to face the voice.

“A worm can not become a snake. No matter how hard it tries. It still has no brain. I am a dragon. I was born to consume and destroy. They can do me no harm. Now…. Ishikuro please. Go sleep.”

Matsumoto begins walking toward the enemy encampment. Footsteps follow behind.

“You may be an Oni. But you’re not invincible.”

Ishikuro now certain that Matsumoto is a demon god. He could feel the odd energy pouring out of him. Seeming to be strongest coming from his sword.

“KILL HIM! HE KNOWS TOO MUCH!”

A demonic whispering yell cried out from the sword.

“Ki Jin. Silence or I will break you.”

Matsumoto glances at the sword. Then turns to Ishikuro. His armor didn’t stank out much. Black armor red leather straps. His helm was barely fit to his head.

“Ishikuro. You know too much. I knew the stench of shit seemed to follow you. Keep your nose out of other peoples business.”

Matsumoto pulled a different menpō. This one black. The mouth smiling, the teeth jagged like a demons. Books dripping off the lips.

As he puts it on his armor changes. What was a shabby gray is now black and glossy. Cherry blossoms and a tree painted onto the armor. He let out a laugh that echoed for miles and drove fear into even his own armies heart.

“So I was right. You are a true Oni.”

Matsumoto turns and looks at Ishikuro. He reaches up and breaks the fake horns off his helmet. Real demons horns began growing in. His sclera became black and his iris’ golden like honey his pupils looked like hallways with rays of gold rays going inward.

His voice seemed like six different voices overlapping each other.

“It matters not. Worry for yourself. Retreat or die by thy enemies hands. Expose me and die from the fire in my soul.”

Matsumoto stares at Ishikuro awaiting his response.

“You’re not the only special one here.”

Ishikuro pulls out his menpō. It looked weird. Almost like a clown.

“The Oni may have driven my kind to near extinction…. However, we’re both survivors now. None of that truly matters.”

Ishikuro pulls his bow and walks towards the woods. Matsumoto follows. He wields a javelin with a rope wrapped around it.

As they entered the woods Matsumoto began throwing the spears he had in different directions after lighting the ropes.

“They have been hollowed. They contain red fire, and oil. Once the burn and ignite it will spread and stick.”

He chuckles as his plan begins to take place. Ishikuro glances around.

“But. We just entered the woods. They are on the other side….”

Ishikuro stares in questioning disbelief.

“Well. We had to walk quite far it’s true. They are just now in range. Give it a moment.”

Matsumoto leaned in waiting for the sound to fill the woods.

Not long after he leaned in explosions began going off. There were twelve in total. Each in a different precise location than the last.

Then came the screams. Because it has oil and red fire, even in water you burn as it spreads. There is no putting it out. It will consume your body, soul, and bones.

“Ahhhh a melody to the soul. It plays so harmoniously.” Matsumoto begins dancing about.

Ishikuro believes he is now in the presence of a true demon. I mean who in their right minds uses the screams and cries of their enemies as waltzing music.

“What do we do now?” Ishikuro asks.

Matsumoto immediately stops dancing and locks eyes with Ishikuro. His eyes became serious, they could almost cut a person in half.

“Now we fight like demons.”

Matsumoto lifts his head up. Mask on. And let’s out a shrill. Like nails on a chalkboard it sent shivers down spines. It echoed off the ridge lines and mountains around.

Matsumoto begins climbing a tree.

“They will be escaping death very soon, and they will come this way. You may want to move or hide.”

Ishikuro takes off and begins climbing. Matsumoto now positioned above their only route begins weaving hand signs and speaking a demonic language.

“Ishikuro. Do not look at me from this point on. You will lose your mind if you do. I prefer your sanity intact.”

Matsumoto’s shadow depicted him growing extra arms, getting larger, and hair sprouting longer as his horns also grew.

“Ki Jin….. what do you think you’re doing? Quit being lazy.”

The tachi began to glow purple. The. The blade became black with a pink edge. Growing an additional half foot in length. This sword meant business.

“Ahhhhh welcome to the party friend. Ishikuro! Stick with the bow. Nothing shall get past me.”

As he says this the screaming began to get closer. Right as they were below him Matsumoto dropped out of the tree and took the first persons head. Holding it above his own and drinking the blood as it pours out still on fire from the red fire.

“I have come for your heads. Of course saying that means your souls are mine aswell.”

Matsumoto drops the head and begins walking forward. The men who were just trying to escape the fire turned and began running towards it. They would rather be burned alive than die as their comrade.

“Ishikuro! Why are you not firing!?

Matsumoto stood frustrated readied Ki Jin and with one step ended fifteen enemies.

“If you can not loose even a single arrow… go home. You’re not needed here.”

Slinging the blood from Ki Jin, Matsumoto takes a lunging position. As he lunged forward he used the air off Ki Jin to punch a hole I. The fire. As he did three arrows whistled by his head.

On the other side of the flame lay three bodies each with an arrow in the head.

“Atta boy! Daddies proud!”

Matsumoto smirked as he quickly pushed through the gap in the fire.

Ishikuro drops from the tree he was in. “Bastard. I’m not a kid. And you’re not my father. Idiot.”

Ishikuro takes off through the fire as well.

On the other side Ishikuro seen bodies lining the forest floor. Each missing random body parts. Most prominently the head. He gathered his thoughts and raced after Matsumoto.

As he cleared the forest and made way to the center of the enemy encampment he seen Matsumoto once again drinking blood. It’s always chilling to Ishikuro. It never changes that is a sight no one should ever get used to.

Matsumoto was drenched in blood. It was running down every crack and crevice in his armor.

“I lost so much blood. It’s nice to replace it.”

Matsumoto says as he slowly turns his head and affixes his demonic gaze on Ishikuro.

It was at that moment that Ishikuro knew that he was in an entirely different league. No wonder the Oni were able to eradicate the fae and elves.

“Mat….sumoto…..”

Ishikuro is unsure if he is actually the same person that he as prior.

Matsumoto turns back to his enemy and locks eyes. The general of the outpost standing in the middle of the camp terrified. Looking for anyway to escape. The fear has taken over. The blood absent from his face.

Matsumoto readies his sword and takes a lunging pose.

“I will give you one chance. Commit seppuku. Be honorable.”

Matsumoto still ready to attack waiting for the enemy leader to comply. As he is waiting the leader turns to run.

“They always run. Don’t they understand? Do they have no honor? They dare turn their back to me?!?”

Matsumoto takes one step and is no longer in Ishikuros sight. Ishikuro is glancing around. Trying to locate him.

Then the all so familiar sound rang through the air. The thud of a limp body slamming the ground.

“He tried to run. I had no option.”

Once again caught drinking the blood of his enemy Matsumoto offers up a portion for his mother.

“Ishikuro. Let’s head back and report in. There’s nothing left for us here.”

Matsumoto reaches up and removes his menpō his armor and aura return to normal as he does. Ki Jin returns to his normal size as well once sheathed.

On the way back Ishikuro had been fidgeting. It’s a bad habit of his. When he is lost in thought, or trying to think through something it causes him to fidget.

“What is it Ishikuro?”

Matsumoto asks in an annoyed dry tone.

“Matsumoto is a last name, Oni what is your name?”

Ishikuro had been watching Matsumoto since they joined the Great Lord Raishu’s army. He always acted funny. His flexibility, strength, and just raw lust for battle seemed inhuman.

“Hikaru… Hikaru Matsumoto.”

He turned to walk away having answered the question he seen no need to continue to coddle Ishikaru.

“How… how long have you been around Hikaru?”

Ishikuro is looking at the ground. He doesn’t want to make eye contact.

“Mother told us a story once. She said we have always been here. Since the dust that filled the galaxy before even the planets existed….. we Oni we’re here.”

Matsumoto clutches Ki Jin.

“Let’s get some sleep. It’s been a long night Hikaru.”

As the two of them entered the camp on the foothold everyone goes wild seeing Matsumoto coated in enemy blood.

“Men! Save your strength. Cheer not for me but for our declaration of victory tomorrow.”

Matsumoto turns and walks to the daimyos tent. Unwilling to disturb the daimyo due to noises from within the tent, Matsumoto pulls the enemy commanders head out and placed it by the door way.

He proceeds to return to his tent and wash his armor to prepare for bed.

The following morning a shrill was heard through the camp. Followed by the loud laughter from the daimyo.

“That bastard did it. Men prepare a feast! Victory is ours!”

The daimyo Kenji held the head of the enemy commander high as the samurai cheered in victory.