Hiroku gripped his katana by the hilt as his adversary stared back wide-eyed in utter shock, the sword impaling him through the stomach. Blood spurted out of the man's mouth, his hands struggling to clutch the blade itself.

"You can rot in hell," the Imperial said. The man had brown hair and a thick mustache. He wore the imperial clothes of a colonist from a faraway land — tight white leggings, a black tricorn hat, and a neatly pressed red jacket, now covered in blood.

Hiroku pulled his katana out of the man, who collapsed at his feet. He turned over the corpse and searched the pockets, removing some of the man's belongings. He had been some sort of official in the Imperialist regime, his name was written on the medal. But it didn't matter.

Clank, clank.

A dozen grappling hooks landed on the rails lining the edges of the pagoda. A moment later, ninjas clothed in black joined Hiroku. They had invaded Imperial Tower like silent ghosts in the night, executing their foreign rulers with the stealth of their ninjutsu training.

"That was the last of them," Hiroku said, coldly. He stood up, still holding the foreigner's loose medals before pocketing them. They might be interesting trinkets to tell stories about later on.

"You lead well, Hiroku," a nearby ninja said. "How did you manage to get here so quickly?"

"Keep up," Hiroku said. "Have I not trained you to act swiftly?" Odd, they did not bow when they greeted him nor did they address him as sensei.

"And with a purpose," they said in unison.

"Has the Governor escaped?" Hiroku asked, his tone firm.

"Kitashi executed him," one of the others said.

"Did I not say I wanted him alive?" Hiroku said. "We are not animals." He stared down at the dead colonial at his feet. While he had tried to avoid a fight, even offering terms of surrender, the man had pulled a gun. There was no negotiating with that.

"It could not be helped," a voice said from behind him. Hikaru immediately recognized it as Kitashi, his chief rival.

"Very well then," Hiroku said, shaking his head somberly. "The city is ours then. Edo is restored to from these foreign vermin."

He expected agreement and perhaps a bit of mirth. Instead there was silence. The ninjas, his ninjas closed ranks around him, a dozen of his best men.

"What is this?" Hiroku said, his voice surprised. Never would he have expected —

"I am sorry for this, Hiroku," Kitashi said. "But this is the only way." The man removed his mask, his long hair draped down his back, his eyebrows furrowed. Was it real sadness on his face?

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Hiroku gripped his katana and narrowed his eyes. He knew the charlatan Kitashi for whom he really was, a cunning wanton man who would ruin Edo. A Kitashi Shogunate would force the people of Edo into an iron grip that would push them back into the dark ages.

"Shared power rarely works," Kitashi said, his lips forming a line "Do not worry, your wife and son will be taken care of. You will be celebrated as a hero. I will see to it"

Sakura, he thought to himself. Her warm face flashed before his eyes, her soft eyes and delicate frame. The love of his life. And Kenzo, only four years old. Would he grow up without knowing his own father?

"In fact," Kitashi said. "After I am Shogun, I plan to marry Sakura myself. It's a win-win Hiroku. Your legacy is secured and your family lends credibility to my rule. I hope you see this is for the best."

That rat, Hiroku thought to himself, clenching his jaw. He would never let that traitor steal his family.

The ninjas closed in.

Hiroku unleashed his blade. In a single swipe he cut the throats of three ninjas with the tip of his katana stretched out to its maximum length. The men fell to their knees, blood pouring onto their robes like dye. He winced as they hit the ground — these men had all been his students for years.

The others hesitated, even Kitashi. But it was still nine on one.

"We all attack together," Kitashi said, raising his blade. "Remember, this man cannot rule. Only a Kitashi Shogunate will ensure your survival. If Hiroku lives, you will be executed as traitors." He pushed forward.

Blade hit blade in a flurry of slashes and strikes. Hiroku dodged, ducked, parried, and rolled. It wasn't enough. There were simply too many of them.

Hiroku felled two more ninjas, slicing the throat of one and impaling the other through the neck. Their bodies collapsed in heaps, blood pooling into a puddle with the other corpses.

The remaining ninjas pushed Hiroku to the open ledge of Imperial Tower. A fall from this height would kill any man the instant he hit the ground.

"Surrender," Kitashi said. "Face an honorable death at my blade. You cannot win this. Not even you. There is no way out"

Unfortunately for Hiroku, Kitashi was right. There was no surviving this fight. He'd killed five of twelve but now he was cornered with nowhere to run or dodge. The remaining ninjas were also more skilled than those who had fallen so easily.

But Hiroku would not surrender. He would not go down without a fight.

Kitashi pressed forward, crossing his blade with Hiroku's, the clanging noise resounding through the starry night sky. The others surrounded him, thrusting their blades forward like the strikes of a nest of vipers on a wayward rabbit. There was no room for Hiroku to dodge.

Hiroku reflexively spiked his sword through the heart of one of his assailants and kicked back another. In that instant, Kitashi stuck his sword through Hiroku's back, piercing a lung. Three other slashes punctured his stomach, ribs, and side.

Hiroku stumbled, clutching his chest. Backstabber. Too afraid to face his opponents head-on. Hiroku's lung would already be filling with blood. He gripped the railing, lurching over.

Kitashi was merciless. The adversary walked over to the struggling Hiroku, and pierced his second lung. Suffocation set in immediately. He clutched his chest, coughing up blood, which fell from the ledge of the pagoda like tiny droplets of rain.

"It is over, my friend," Kitashi said. "Please understand that I am truly sorry for this."

"Traitor," Hiroku mouthed, though no air came from his mouth.

"Shogun," Kitashi said. "You mean. History will only know me as that." At that moment, he lifted Hiroku up by the legs and shoved him over the rail.

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