Content Warning : Do you want to continue?
This poem contains content which some readers may find disturbing.
It is unsuitable for children or anyone who is easily offended.
YES
I am over 18 years old, I have been warned and I still want to read this poem.
I am over 18 years old, I have been warned and I still want to read this poem.
NO
I don't want to read this type of content, take me back to the previous page.
I don't want to read this type of content, take me back to the previous page.
deepundergroundpoetry.com
Legend of the Undead Samurai - Part Three
Chapter Four – Tears of the Damned
Part One: Child of the Darkness
It seemed an eternity that Jubei walked… through all manner of weather and difficulties he walked. And along his winding way he was beset by bandits, accosted by merchants seeking his protection from the perils of the road, and petitioned by villagers who had agendas of their own to involve him in. It was typically his way to help and protect the innocent and to fight against the guilty… but he no longer knew who was guilty or who was innocent any longer. Only that he needed to find his enemy and accomplish the task set for him by destiny. In each settlement, he asked of Musashi and was told the same thing by each person he asked… that a man matching the master swordsman’s exact description was seen alone, bound for a lake at the base of Mount Fuji. Jubei knew the lake in question, for he had trained there with his father many times as a child. It seemed ironic to him that Musashi would choose that same location, and it made him wonder if perhaps he was aware that Jubei was seeking after him. A little girl suddenly ran up to him, her round and sweet face smiling… and her manner pleasant. This occurred outside a checkpoint manned by soldiers from Edo, who guarded a path through the foothills of Mount Fuji. The child was simply adorable, wearing puffy trousers the color of crimson, a white tunic with long, wide sleeves… belted at the waist with a red obi… and a beautiful lotus in her hair. Her wooden sandals clacked along as he went. “Master Jubei!” she called out: “Master Jubei! I have been looking for you for weeks now. I bring you a message you must hear.” But the Yagyu swordsman was wary even of children in this day and age. “What is this message, and who sent you to deliver it to me?” The little girl was clearly out of breath from running, and she bent over to catch her breath before smoothing out the folds of her trousers and standing back to speak again. “Oh… master Jubei, you do not know how far I have come! All the way from the castle on the mountain, where my master, Amakusa, waits for you.” Jubei recognized the name from the odd parchment he carried. “Shiro Amakusa?” he asked, his single eye glaring with determination. The little girl smiled broadly, as if she were discussing a favorite toy. “Yes! That is the very man. Oh, and he is such a beautiful, beautiful man too! You must meet with Shiro… master Jubei… once your business elsewhere is complete. He saw you, during your fight at the temple… he was watching you through the crystal you broke… and he has taken a liking to you. He would employ you, if he could, to work in his service.” Jubei rubbed his chin thoughtfully, contemplating how he might set a trap for his enemy. “Yes, I see… well, tell your master then that I would be most happy to meet with him and discuss the terms of my service to him. But first I have something I must do. Once I am through with that, then I will seek him out at his castle and render unto him his due tribute.” The little girl giggled mischievously, her grin suddenly very sinister indeed. “Fear not, master Jubei! I shall accompany you on your current journey, and when it is completed I shall lead you aright.” She then fell in next to him as he walked along. It began to rain, and neither of them had been dressed well for the weather. “Damn!” Jubei cried out, “I should have purchased a heavy cloak or a hat at least… and you, child, we will need to get you as well to someplace dry, where we can wait this miserable weather out.” Both had prepared for lighter weather, which was foolish since this time of year it could change drastically and suddenly. They were welcomed in the wooden halls of the checkpoint building itself, since the Yagyu clan was in good standing with the guards at this particular location. Outside, the rain took a turn for the worse and it began to thunder as well. Lightning could be seen crashing down outside in the distance, as the little girl looked out a window. Jubei simply sat on the floor, resigned, and waiting. “Why do you want to kill him, Jubei?” the child asked him. “Kill whom?” he asked her in return. “My master, Lord Shiro Amakusa. You know, that storm out there is caused by his tears, which fall because of the wrongs done to him by the Shogun at Shimabara.” Jubei thought about that terrible place… about Shimabara, and the massacre that was perpetrated there. He then sighed, and said as honestly as he could: “I heard about what happened there, and I am sorry for it. But your master has shed the blood of one who was close to me. One most dear to me! And I would see that blood avenged, to tell you the truth. How did you know that I…?” and the girl explained: “I can see into peoples’ hearts and souls, and I can read their emotions. Your heart is bitter, your soul is twisting because of your anger, and your emotions are violent but restrained by you code of honor.” And everything she said was true. Jubei knew that. The rain was letting up. “Come, little girl… we are going to face a demon today. I want you to see the outcome, and if I die in battle I want you to report the outcome to your master!” And so the guards let the pair pass through the gates of the checkpoint building without too many questions save for the usual ones asked of all travelers. Jubei paid the required toll, as well, though he had very little money left after doing so. The day became far brighter, though still there was a certain foggy gloom to the hills… and the pair made for the lake where Musashi was. Jubei tried to put that thought from his mind. A rough and rugged path ascended the hills to where the lake was, bringing one nearer and nearer to the base of the mountain itself, where its’ skirts first began to climb. A solitary wolf howled in the distance and ravens flocked upon a dead rabbit near the edge of the trail, pecking it apart bloodily. Evil omen after evil omen!
Part Two: Duel of Two Masters
The water of the lake lapped against the sandy shore, which was perilous in places because of the recent rain. Standing upon some rocks was Miyamoto Musashi. He looked wild and unkempt, his hair stringy and wet from the rain… his unshaven beard long and tangled upon his chest. He wore no armor, preferring a simple black Hakama and Kimono. In his hands were two keen swords, one a great katana and the other a simple wakizashi. He eyes were sunken and seemed terrible, and his voice was deep and hollow sounding as he spoke. “I see you approaching. I know you seek my life. Come, then, if this is your desire. Come, and die!” he spoke thus as Jubei and the little girl drew near at last… at which point Jubei unsheathed his own katana and made ready to face the undead master. Now monster. “Do you know who I am, master Musashi, and why I have come in search of you?” the Yagyu swordsman asked, to which the undead man replied: “I know, for my master has told me what he saw within the crystal. That is why I chose this place for our duel.” Jubei laughed, exclaiming: “Great smiling Buddha, did everyone have to learn of my fight in that accursed temple!” and as he said this, Musashi leapt at him: as their swords clashed loudly together. The little girl, meanwhile, made her way up some rocks and produced a flute… which: she began to play a somber tune on. It was a tune most familiar to Musashi, for his wife… whom he often neglected as he went out to fight his legendary duels… had played it for him many times of old. He had seen this child in the company of Amakusa and the others he now held company with… but how she knew of that tune he could not fathom. This distracted him and he nearly fell to Jubei’s blade on several passes because of it. “Child, how did you learn that melody you play?” he asked as he fought on, trying to rebalance himself and prepare his next moves. “My name is Otsu, and I was your daughter, born to your wife whilst you were away… as you were so much! I was born amidst sorrow and my life was as darkness. My mother could not hope to raise me alone, so she sent me away to be raised by the legendary blacksmith Muramasa, who was her lover when you were gone. You never knew, did you my father? Well, there is much you did not know! Muramasa was a wicked man and when I turned thirteen years old he tried to force himself on me. Struggling on the floor of his smithy with me, he accidentally broke my neck and killed me. I died with regret, for I regretted that my mother had to give me up because you could not be home with us. I died with this melody… once a lullaby my mother played for me to ease me to sleep… stuck in my mind and my heart. Do you like my music, father? Good! I hope it serenades you to Hell.” Musashi knew now where it was Amakusa must have found this girl. He brought her back to life while he was away on a mission to a nearby village, and had only met her in his master’s company but recently. He had always been away it seemed… whenever important things and terrible things had happened in his life. His heart regretted that bitterly… perhaps most bitterly of all. Jubei could sense that Musashi was hesitating as they clashed, his blows losing their vigor and might. Musashi noticed this too, and redoubled his efforts to slay his opponent. The two chased one another all along the length of the lake’s shoreline, Musashi hacking and slashing to and fro as Jubei parried each of his monstrously strong attacks. Otsu kept playing her flute, and the sound of its’ melody was driving the undead swordsman more and more insane by the minute. He could picture her death in his mind’s eye… the death of the little girl he never knew he had… and he seethed with hatred for himself. “If I had only been there!” he screamed, trying to channel that anger into the means by which he could vanquish Jubei Yagyu. He nearly sliced off a good portion of Jubei’s hair with a swipe of his wakizashi, but the Yagyu swordsman was too quick and only lost a few strands. “That was almost my head!” Jubei shrieked, and saw an opportunity to strike when the monster had spun around to deliver another katana blow. When Musashi’s back was to him during the spin, Jubei lunged, ducked, and sunk his own blade katana deep into the legendary master’s spine. The undead swordsman screamed… not so much in agony but in frustration at his failure to see this attack coming, as well as frustration at every failure of his life. Otsu smiled… for she was about to gain her revenge against the man whom she had always felt had abandoned and betrayed her the most. Jubei was pushing his sharp sword upward through Musashi’s body, tearing through organs, blood, tissue, and bone as he went. The shock was so horrific, that the old master could no longer hold a grip on either of his blades. His large katana was the first to drop to the ground, but he stubbornly hung unto his wakizashi… for the short blade was simpler for him to wield under such dire circumstances. So he attempted one final stab downward at Jubei’s head. Otsu then stopped her playing to warn Jubei of the imminent danger that she could see coming: “Jubei, look out! He is about to kill you!” she screamed… at the top of her young lungs… and Jubei heard her. He heard her and he spun out, withdrawing his sword as the undead swordsman struck and missed… embedding his wakizashi deep into his own leg instead of his enemy’s head. Jubei seized the moment and beheaded the monster with a lightning-fast swipe of his sword. Musashi’s weight sank him deeply into the wet sand, which proceeded to swallow him.
Part Three: Castle of the Devil
Shiro Amakusa knew that any moment now, Jubei Yagyu would be coming for him. The castle he had made his own was a gift from his ally, Lord Yorinobu, who had left it in his care as part of the terms of their agreement. The place was opulently appointed with many of the things that Shiro liked a great deal, such as art and statuary from the exotic lands of the West. Lady Hosokawa reclined on a European couch, combing her long hair whilst gazing into a hand mirror… as Shiro was just as “busy” spending time with his latest resurrected ally: the former Ninja Kirimaru. “When I retrieved you from the place of your death, young man, I knew what I would find in your heart. For you died regretting being able to protect your brother and sister Iga Ninja from me. But you see, I only had them slain because it was Iga Ninja who helped Miyamoto Musashi to enter Harano castle so that my people could be slaughtered to the last. An eye for an eye… a tooth for a tooth, as the saying goes. Surely, since you know how codes of honor and revenge work… you no longer hold this against me? After all, it is I whose compassion and mercy raised you from death. I never hated you personally, nor sought to slay you yourself. Only the Iga, and only for the reason I have explained to you.” So Kirimaru thought deeply on this, as he looked at the beautiful, almost feminine being before him… this angel who had been the first sight he saw after coming back from the dead. There was wisdom in Shiro Amakusa’s words… after all… Kirimaru had not seen this man at the attack on his village. And the two who perpetrated that attack seemed to no longer be here. In fact, he had not seen at all them since coming back to life! Perhaps Amakusa no longer employed such butchers. That was what the young Ninja thought, as he decided to serve his new master. Kirimaru was more beautiful himself since being brought back from the brink of doom. His face was perfect, flawless, angelic to behold and only slightly less feminine than Shiro himself appeared to be. His slender body was free of any scar, wound, or injury… even old ones he had suffered in his early days as a Ninja. His long dark brown hair cascaded to the middle of his back… freed of the restraining topknot he used to wear. Instead of his cumbersome combat clothes, he now wore a green silk Hakama and a matching Kimono… both richly embroidered with golden cherry blossom patterns. He moved about, and liked the feel of his new garments. “I forgive you, master, and I do not care who you are or what your reasons are for what you have done. If you can care even for a hated enemy with this much tenderness... then I would be happy to serve you even unto Hell itself!” Suddenly, the young Ninja felt Amakusa’s arms around his waist as his new master embraced him from behind. Shiro kissed Kirimaru on the neck, softly, tenderly, lovingly, as he whispered in his ear: “You have no idea how much tenderness I am capable of, beautiful Kirimaru. Let me show you… and as for Hell… neither of us shall serve there. Nay, instead, we shall rule both in Hell and here on Earth!” Both men were standing on a floor inscribed with a massive pentagram drawn in human blood and decorated with countless seals, sigils, and words of power written in Latin. Kirimaru knew nothing of what any of it meant, and Shiro cared not for at the moment he was in love. In love with this beautiful young man whom he had saved from the grave. They sank amidst countless soft pillows that were heaped about the floor all about them, and they giggled and kissed with seeming innocence. Even as they made love with the utmost lack of innocence and the sheerest ferocity! Mori Soiken walked into the great hall of the castle where all this was taking place… and he smiled. “I seems you have found your soul’s true mate, Lord Shiro. I am happy for you.” But Lady Hosokawa was bored and sighed. “Yes, I am certain he has. But what of me! I too have needs, cravings, and desires… I too seek love, and was made promises by our Lord that I would be given whatever my heart yearned for.” At which Mori rubbed his chin as he thought to himself how he might be able to grant the lady’s wishes. “No, Mori! I have no desire for you. Rather… I think I shall join our Lord in his sport.” And with that, she walked over to where Amakusa moved up and down upon Kirimaru’s bent over form. She removed her garments, knelt down, and caressed him from behind much as he had caressed his young lover not long before. She licked his right ear playfully, and whispered: “When you are through playing with the boy… come, and please me!” And that day, Grace Hosokawa would experience physical pleasure for the first time since her rebirth. Mori watched the lusty spectacles before him, stroking his hardening member. He would have to take pleasure from their pleasures… and that, for him, would need to suffice. What began as mere sport soon became an orgy, and whilst this was taking place the pentagram on the floor began to glow with a fiery illumination. Shiro Amakusa smiled, in the midst of countless ecstasies he indulged in… for this would please his dark and terrible deity. This would give him greater power. And with that power, he would bring such chaos to the land that surely even the great and powerful Shogun himself would be forced to his knees by it. Kirimaru giggled. Lady Hosokawa moaned. Shiro laughed. And within Hell, the Devil was moved.
Part Four: Dagger and Mountain
Jubei and Otsu made their way up the old road that led to the castle. The wind was howling and blowing with a growing ferocity that would have humbled anyone with less determination. “When Lord Shiro came to Muramasa’s smithy to retrieve my remains and give me my life back…” Otsu explained… “He managed to get my former guardian to make for him one last weapon in exchange for Shiro keeping silent about what Muramasa had done to me. My master knows things. He can see things others cannot, after all. So the great blacksmith feared him and created for him a simple dagger. It was his finest creation, and in the course of making it… the great smith died, his heart failing him. With his dying breath, he told my master: ‘If: you meet either God or the Buddha… then with this dagger, you will be able to kill even such a divine being. There is no other blade like it, so guard it well.’ The forging of that blade was conducted just after I woke up from being dead, and so what I tell you now is what I witnessed myself firsthand. Lord Shiro wanted to keep that dagger on his person at all times, for with it he would be able to send any of us whom he had raised from death back to Hell once again if we betrayed him or questioned his will. About a day later, as Shiro and I were traveling back to the castle where you and I are now headed, I… kind of… seduced him into lying with me. You see I now know something of lust and desire, having been a victim of it, and so I figured why not use it to my advantage for a change. Shiro is a lonely soul, and so was easy for me to manipulate. As he and I made love, he was not watching where he had cast his garments, and where the dagger had been thrown. When we had finished our sport and he lay there quietly with his eyes closed in ecstasy… I got dressed and retrieved the dagger, hiding it in my Obi before he knew what had transpired. It just looks like any plain old dagger of similar sort, and so it was easy to switch for one I had taken from Muramasa’s smithy unseen.” Jubei realized the power of such a weapon, and he asked the little girl: “But why do you tell me of this? What is to stop me from taking it from you now that I know of it, and mayhap using it to kill first you and then your master!” But Otsu shook her head, smiling, as she replied: “You forget, master Jubei, that I can see deeper than you realize. I know what you would do… and I know what you would never do. You would never harm a child, unlike all the other men I have known in my life… my wretched father included.” And Jubei nodded his head in earnest agreement. Otsu took out the dagger to show him as they journeyed step-by-step, closer and closer to the castle where Shiro Amakusa awaited them. “Do you see this, Jubei? When the time comes, I intend to be the one to grant my master peace. He deserves peace, and I think I have fallen in love with Lord Shiro! So I want to be the one to deliver the final blow. Fight him if you must, and kill the others if you have to. But grant me my wish! That is all I ask of you in return for my leading you to his lair.” Indeed, as they went along, Jubei realized he never could have found this remote place even with the parchment’s directions… that were, he had also realized, very deliberately cryptic after a certain point. Probably because Amakusa intended for his allies to rely upon previous knowledge of the place in order to reach it. It was Otsu whose knowledge of this area enabled him to come even this far. Countless trails and roads crossed these hills and this section of the mountainside… and only this one particular way was the correct route. The castle was far too high up, and too enshrouded in fog, to be seen from a distance, and so was invisible after a fashion. Jubei could have wandered for days or even weeks… without ever finding the right way to get there. “I will grant you your wish if I am able to, child. I can make no better promise to you than that.” Otsu put the dagger away and shrugged her shoulders, resigned. “Very well, master Jubei, but you will not be able to end Lord Shiro’s life without my help. He is not like the others, and cannot be slain by that sword you carry. You will find that out, when you meet him in combat. I just hope he does not kill you before you see the truth of my words!” After that exchange of knowledge, the pair walked on in deafening silence, with Otsu pointing out the way before them and where it branched off down certain paths to the left or to the right, but always upward. The occasional bird of prey could be seen or heard in the cloudy, fog-enshrouded sky, but otherwise this was a silent domain of stark natural beauty. “Mount Fuji is as ancient as the land itself.” Jubei mused, and Otsu nodded her head in agreement. “They say it is a domain for gods and spirits.” She added, and they both realized that at the moment it truly was a place where spirits could be found. Spirits of the dead, given flesh by darkness to live again. “He is not an evil man, you know.” The girl said, of Amakusa. Jubei sighed, having heard enough of this man’s supposed virtues and certain vices. “I do not care, how good or how evil he is. I hate him for what he did, not for why he did it!” And Otsu could see that her traveling companion was a very stubborn, prideful man who… once set to a certain goal… could not ever be dissuaded from it. In short, he was perfect for her to use as the means to grant her beloved Lord Shiro peace. She smiled serenely, contentedly, and Jubei knew that smile was a very manipulative one.
Part Five: Death to the Dead
The undead had dressed, prepared their weapons and their plans, and made ready for the arrival of their enemy. Shiro Amakusa knew Jubei had arrived when he heard Otsu at the castle gate, calling for him. Mori came down to open the gate for her, and as soon as Jubei and the little girl came through the entrance… Jubei had cleaved Mori’s head from his shoulders unceremoniously. “Well done, Jubei Yagyu!” a voice called out, and the swordsman saw down the old hall before him the familiar form of his dead friend, Kirimaru… wearing the splendid green silken garb he was given previously. Jubei was aghast and could not believe his eyes at such a sight. He screamed out: “No! It cannot be you… I saw your dead form… I buried it myself.” But the young Ninja smiled almost playfully, enjoying his former friend’s discomfort. “What you buried, my master found. What you thought was dead, he made live again. He is a god, and I am his beloved son. I will defend him to the death. Prepare yourself… old ‘friend’!” And so did Kirimaru’s defiance echo loudly through the stone and wood of the castle’s richly appointed halls. “Such fine carpeting you have here…” Jubei mocked… “Soon it will be decorated, but not with embroidery. With your blood!” and no sooner did he say this than the two deadly warriors clashed. Kirimaru wielded a katana of similar make to Jubei’s own, and the two men were evenly matched in skill and speed. The young Ninja leapt over the occasional blow that Jubei aimed at his feet and legs, foiling his attempt to slow or immobilize him. Jubei dodged swipes that should have slit his throat or disemboweled him… only narrowly avoiding a gruesome fate. After several minutes of this deadly play, each of them was bleeding from wicked slashes and cuts, none of which were deadly but all of which burned with the hot pain of fresh wounds. Kirimaru was known for his fleetness, and he kept running back, always a step away from Jubei’s katana… but never too far. It seemed, as they fought their way through hallway after hallway… that Kirimaru was deliberately trying to lead his former friend somewhere in particular. Back to the great chambers where his master awaited them! And Jubei took the bait, focusing only on bringing his friend the peace that Amakusa had stolen from him. Otsu ran after the embattled pair, keeping her dagger hidden from sight, but her hands ready to retrieve it. Soon, the three had ended up exactly where Kirimaru wanted them to: Amakusa’s chambers. The massive pentagram was still glowing, and Shiro Amakusa himself knelt in the middle of it, with Lady Hosokawa’s arms wrapped around him in much the way a lover might be held. Hosokawa wore her most elaborate robes for this single, important occasion, and Shiro wore a diaphanous white gown in the European style, which shimmered in the light of the many lanterns that illuminated the scene. Its’ many layers prevented the otherwise sheer fabric from actually being able to be seen through. The long black tresses of his wig seemed like tendrils of darkness, and his face was both beautiful and calm. Around his neck, Shiro still wore the old cross pendant with the bullet hole in it… his only adornment. Into the hole, he had in recent days mounted an emerald that sparkled with its’ own inner fire. “How dare you interrupt our prayers!” cried out Hosokawa, but Otsu was bounding towards her with murder in her eyes. “You bitch! Get away from Lord Shiro, he is my beloved not yours. I will kill you for him!” and an amused smile broke up across the seemingly entranced Amakusa. He opened his eyes and watched as the two women who had come to love him fought over his affections. Even knowing he was so loved… still, he felt lonely, empty, and sad. Even feeling thusly, he smiled, refusing to show his true inner turmoil. His heart turned to Kirimaru, whom he had come to regard as his soul’s mate, and he was afraid for the young man’s life. Even so, he dared not break his concentration. Too much depended on it now! Jubei and Kirimaru fought like two lions, whilst Lady Hosokawa and Otsu fought like cats, each pulling the other’s hair and clawing at the other’s face. Otsu did not want to betray the location of her dagger, preferring to allow Shiro to believe he still held it on his person. And surely enough, he was holding the false dagger in his left hand and a copy of the Bible in his right. In her struggle with Hosokawa, Otsu knocked over a statue of the archangel Michael, which smashed into pieces on the floor. Meanwhile, Jubei and Kirimaru came to fight before a massive mural depicting the Last Judgment. Each man held his blade at the ready, and sized up the other. At last, they both charged one final time. Both swung as they passed by the other, and only Jubei Yagyu was left standing. Kirimaru grasped his throat, and soon after blood gushed forth as his head came away from the stump of his neck. Jubei did not allow himself to cry for his friend a second time. Instead, he smiled, knowing that the young Ninja was at peace once again. At the same time as Kirimaru’s second death, Otsu led Lady Hosokawa behind the couch where the lady had been reclining so much of late… and thus hidden from Shiro’s sight… she quickly produced the true dagger and plunged it into the noble lady’s left breast, which killed her almost instantly. Grace Hosokawa’s final expression was one of surprise and disbelief, that a simple little girl like this could be the one to actually destroy her. Otsu crawled away to catch her breath, as Jubei turned to face Shiro Amakusa. The pentagram seemed almost ready to erupt into flame, and the look on Shiro’s face was one of a transcendent madness mixed with a pain that he was trying desperately to hold back. “Welcome, Jubei! I have been waiting for you to get here.”
Part Six: The Demon Within
Jubei walked over to the center of the pentagram, his sword ready to strike. “Get up you coward! I will not kill a kneeling man… not like this.” And so Shiro stood up as gracefully as any lady of the Edo court might. He still held the false dagger and Bible, and prepared to strike the blade through the book. He laughed: “Once I complete this unholy ritual, it will unleash upon this world all that you call the Devil. Then, the world will end… only to be reborn… in my image instead of God’s!” Which struck a kind of primal terror into Jubei’s heart. The swordsman had faced mortal opponents and even undead ones… but there was something unnatural in the extreme about this man. Or was this a woman? And whatever it was, it made Jubei as frightened as a child. “I do not know this God or yours, or your Devil. I have heard of them, to be sure, but I do not know them. Why should I fear the unknown!” at which Shiro plunged the blade into the book, his laughter a cackle as he declared: “Because they know you, Jubei, and your own personal Judgment Day has come to pass!” and no sooner had the Bible been pierced than the flames within the pentagram flared and rose up from the ground where before they had been chained by arcane forces. The room was suddenly burning up, and Otsu was shrieking with fear as she tried to avoid being burned by the ensuing blaze. Only the middle of the pentagram was safe, and she dove into it, in time to witness what could possibly become the end of the world. The little girl produced her dagger again and tried her best to strike Amakusa with it. “For you, my love. I bring you the peace I know you crave!” she cried, and Shiro deflected her blow with the pierced Bible in his hand. However, when the true dagger crafted by Muramasa met the sacred tome… a horrifying thing happened. Shiro’s form was obscured: by a nimbus of green flame-like radiance, which seemed to change and to transform him into… something else entirely. Six black wings of pure shadow erupted from his back, and his eyes glowed solid blue with no white in them at all. A terrible halo of emerald light seemed to surround his head, burning his wig apart and revealing his shaved head beneath. He was by now wholly androgynous in every way beyond how he had been… as well as wholly hermaphroditic… having become an angel of frightening power: the living vessel for the fallen archangel Lucifer herself. Her tremendous spirit was now fully within him, joined to him, called by him, and this combined being had the power to rouse the dark deity itself: the deity mortal men and women sometimes called Satan. The green nimbus faded to nothing, and Shiro / Lucifer… stepped from it, his voice blended with her own in perfect harmony. “Oh, sweet little Otsu… you have no idea what it is you have done this time, do you? Allow me to show you!” it said. With supernatural speed, the angel picked up Jubei by the neck and threw his katana away from him. He despaired as he heard it clatter to the floor in the distance. All around them the castle burned, and it was just like the final death throes of Harano Castle all over again. “This is the second time I have stood within a burning castle. Only this time… I intend to walk away.” The angel stated, with grim resolve in its’ voice. Otsu noticed the Bible on the floor at the angel’s feet, with both daggers stuck in it. “Which one is the true one?” she mused, whilst Jubei was held in Shiro’s death grip, gasping for air. He would be dead soon if she did not act and do something! Then… she noticed that one of the two daggers was cracked along the blade, whilst the other was not. Only the true dagger would not crack like that! The angel that used to be Shiro never noticed quiet little Otsu sneaking over, pulling out the true dagger, and preparing to plunge it into the being’s back. It never noticed… until it was too late. The angel’s loud, shrilly piercing shriek was like nothing Jubei had ever heard before. It was beyond terrible, and as the angel dropped him to the floor, he covered his ears to block it out. Lucifer had left Shiro’s body, which slumped to the floor… blood pouring from his back. The pentagram had gone cold, even as the castle still burned. Jubei knew that soon it would be unsafe to remain… but he waited to make certain that his enemy was vanquished for good and not simply defeated for now. Otsu was sitting atop her fallen master, her legs around him as she straddled him. “Kirimaru was never your true soul’s mate, my master. I was… and so, only I could bring you peace.” This she said quietly to him, and he caressed her face tenderly, lovingly, as he replied: “I know, gentle Otsu! That is why I had to bring you back. That is why I allowed you to keep the true dagger, which I bade Muramasa to forge… and that is why I embrace you now. I allowed myself to doubt that which I knew always to be true, having let Kirimaru’s beauty blind me to yours. Even as I doubted and cast aside God! But my eyes are open fully now… even though presently they shall close forever. And I see that you are the true angel here. Take me home, now, my angel… I am ready to go back to Hell!” And so with his final, fading strength, Shiro Amakusa sat up, wrapping his arms around the young girl, who clasped him in her own. She withdrew the dagger from his back and plunged it into his heart… after which she withdrew it and buried it up to the hilt in her own heart. “We die the second death together, my love! Let God forgive us, and reunite us both in Heaven.” And so they perished in one another’s arms. Jubei wasted no time… escaping the burning castle just as it came crashing down, forming a great and terrible pyre. Lord Yorinobu’s ambitions were thwarted with Shiro Amakusa’s passing. The Devil would not be raised today, and life would go on as it always did.
Epilogue: The Curse of Amakusa
Jubei had kept the cross necklace that he snatched from Shiro Amakusa’s neck before leaving the castle. The emerald had fetched a good price, but nobody ever seemed interested in buying the necklace itself, or even the just the cross, separately. He could not even pawn it off on any of the foreign traders… not even in Edo itself. So, he kept it for a keepsake and never thought of it again… until a year had passed. It was now May 11, 1646, and he had returned to his family’s home in Nara Prefecture because of word he had received of his father’s impending death. He arrived at the house late in the afternoon, and moved aside the sliding paper door panels to enter his father’s study, where the older Yagyu was seated calmly and quietly. Not dead, but not seeming very alive either. “My son, I see that you have come home to visit your father in his final hours.” He rasped, his voice betraying his ill health. “Yes, father. I came as soon I got word.” The older man then looked at the cross necklace that Jubei was wearing around his neck. “You wear my master’s sign, I see!” his hoarse voice croaked, and that is when Jubei noticed the man was dead but still talking. “Oh yes, Jubei! My Lord Shiro and the Lady Otsu came to me not six days previous… and they granted me eternal life. I was near death, you see, and I had no wish to let such a chance slip by. I would have died with regret… for I regretted never having fought you one last time in battle.” Jubei wept for his father, but he knew that this creature was no longer the father he had known. “Very well then, father! Let us fight, then. One final time.” And at once, the old man unsheathed the katana he had across his lap… leaping to his feet with all the skill he possessed in his younger days. Jubei unsheathed his blade to meet the attack, and the two of them clashed like titans out of some ancient legend. Jubei did not understand how this could have happened. He asked: “How could they have come to you, father… they are dead… I saw them both burn!” but the older man was quick with his retort: “They came in spirit, my son… on their way to the next life. When I have passed on, so too will the curse of Shiro Amakusa have passed from our land once and for all. Otherwise, I must fight on in their name until I am no more!” Dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events, Jubei declared: “Very well then… if it will end this horrid curse forever, then I will gladly dispatch you to join them beyond!” and so the battle was joined in earnest, as the two greatest swordsmen of the Yagyu clan met in a duel to the death. Swords cut through paper doors and wooden walls, as each man sought to end the life of the other. Each man’s katana clashed so hard against his rival’s that sparks shot out… though neither weapon so much as shook in its’ wielder’s hand. The house retainers and servants thought that the elder Yagyu had gone insane in his final moments, and in some manner perhaps sought an honorable death in combat with his son… rather than to pass on quietly as was expected for him to do. No one saw this coming! “You were weak, father, to allow this to happen to you!” Jubei taunted, as he found an opening and drove his blade into his father’s heart. The older man lashed out and struck for Jubei’s chest… but the sword only succeeded in cleaving asunder the cross that hung on Shiro’s old necklace. The cross broke apart, just as the older Yagyu dropped his katana and expired, dead for the second time. It would be said that he died only on that day, and legend would say that he perished at his son’s hands for reasons unknown. But Jubei knew, and he cast the broken necklace away, glad in his heart to see the last of it. “The curse is broken, father. I have kept my promise to end its’ menace.” Those were the last words he spoke to the older man, before letting the servants come in to tend to the body. Never again would Jubei or anyone hear of Shiro Amakusa or his awful vengeance. And indeed, it seemed that the great rebel had at last found peace. In the years following his father’s death, Jubei Yagyu lived in Edo… where one day he chanced to walk past a certain garden of cherry blossom trees. He swore that he saw Shiro Amakusa sitting on a bench there, smiling blissfully whilst kissing what appeared at first to be a beautiful woman, but whom he realized was in fact a beautiful man. That man was the very spitting image of Kirimaru! Both seemed content and not wishing harm to anyone, and so Jubei left them to their tryst and went on his way… smiling.
Part One: Child of the Darkness
It seemed an eternity that Jubei walked… through all manner of weather and difficulties he walked. And along his winding way he was beset by bandits, accosted by merchants seeking his protection from the perils of the road, and petitioned by villagers who had agendas of their own to involve him in. It was typically his way to help and protect the innocent and to fight against the guilty… but he no longer knew who was guilty or who was innocent any longer. Only that he needed to find his enemy and accomplish the task set for him by destiny. In each settlement, he asked of Musashi and was told the same thing by each person he asked… that a man matching the master swordsman’s exact description was seen alone, bound for a lake at the base of Mount Fuji. Jubei knew the lake in question, for he had trained there with his father many times as a child. It seemed ironic to him that Musashi would choose that same location, and it made him wonder if perhaps he was aware that Jubei was seeking after him. A little girl suddenly ran up to him, her round and sweet face smiling… and her manner pleasant. This occurred outside a checkpoint manned by soldiers from Edo, who guarded a path through the foothills of Mount Fuji. The child was simply adorable, wearing puffy trousers the color of crimson, a white tunic with long, wide sleeves… belted at the waist with a red obi… and a beautiful lotus in her hair. Her wooden sandals clacked along as he went. “Master Jubei!” she called out: “Master Jubei! I have been looking for you for weeks now. I bring you a message you must hear.” But the Yagyu swordsman was wary even of children in this day and age. “What is this message, and who sent you to deliver it to me?” The little girl was clearly out of breath from running, and she bent over to catch her breath before smoothing out the folds of her trousers and standing back to speak again. “Oh… master Jubei, you do not know how far I have come! All the way from the castle on the mountain, where my master, Amakusa, waits for you.” Jubei recognized the name from the odd parchment he carried. “Shiro Amakusa?” he asked, his single eye glaring with determination. The little girl smiled broadly, as if she were discussing a favorite toy. “Yes! That is the very man. Oh, and he is such a beautiful, beautiful man too! You must meet with Shiro… master Jubei… once your business elsewhere is complete. He saw you, during your fight at the temple… he was watching you through the crystal you broke… and he has taken a liking to you. He would employ you, if he could, to work in his service.” Jubei rubbed his chin thoughtfully, contemplating how he might set a trap for his enemy. “Yes, I see… well, tell your master then that I would be most happy to meet with him and discuss the terms of my service to him. But first I have something I must do. Once I am through with that, then I will seek him out at his castle and render unto him his due tribute.” The little girl giggled mischievously, her grin suddenly very sinister indeed. “Fear not, master Jubei! I shall accompany you on your current journey, and when it is completed I shall lead you aright.” She then fell in next to him as he walked along. It began to rain, and neither of them had been dressed well for the weather. “Damn!” Jubei cried out, “I should have purchased a heavy cloak or a hat at least… and you, child, we will need to get you as well to someplace dry, where we can wait this miserable weather out.” Both had prepared for lighter weather, which was foolish since this time of year it could change drastically and suddenly. They were welcomed in the wooden halls of the checkpoint building itself, since the Yagyu clan was in good standing with the guards at this particular location. Outside, the rain took a turn for the worse and it began to thunder as well. Lightning could be seen crashing down outside in the distance, as the little girl looked out a window. Jubei simply sat on the floor, resigned, and waiting. “Why do you want to kill him, Jubei?” the child asked him. “Kill whom?” he asked her in return. “My master, Lord Shiro Amakusa. You know, that storm out there is caused by his tears, which fall because of the wrongs done to him by the Shogun at Shimabara.” Jubei thought about that terrible place… about Shimabara, and the massacre that was perpetrated there. He then sighed, and said as honestly as he could: “I heard about what happened there, and I am sorry for it. But your master has shed the blood of one who was close to me. One most dear to me! And I would see that blood avenged, to tell you the truth. How did you know that I…?” and the girl explained: “I can see into peoples’ hearts and souls, and I can read their emotions. Your heart is bitter, your soul is twisting because of your anger, and your emotions are violent but restrained by you code of honor.” And everything she said was true. Jubei knew that. The rain was letting up. “Come, little girl… we are going to face a demon today. I want you to see the outcome, and if I die in battle I want you to report the outcome to your master!” And so the guards let the pair pass through the gates of the checkpoint building without too many questions save for the usual ones asked of all travelers. Jubei paid the required toll, as well, though he had very little money left after doing so. The day became far brighter, though still there was a certain foggy gloom to the hills… and the pair made for the lake where Musashi was. Jubei tried to put that thought from his mind. A rough and rugged path ascended the hills to where the lake was, bringing one nearer and nearer to the base of the mountain itself, where its’ skirts first began to climb. A solitary wolf howled in the distance and ravens flocked upon a dead rabbit near the edge of the trail, pecking it apart bloodily. Evil omen after evil omen!
Part Two: Duel of Two Masters
The water of the lake lapped against the sandy shore, which was perilous in places because of the recent rain. Standing upon some rocks was Miyamoto Musashi. He looked wild and unkempt, his hair stringy and wet from the rain… his unshaven beard long and tangled upon his chest. He wore no armor, preferring a simple black Hakama and Kimono. In his hands were two keen swords, one a great katana and the other a simple wakizashi. He eyes were sunken and seemed terrible, and his voice was deep and hollow sounding as he spoke. “I see you approaching. I know you seek my life. Come, then, if this is your desire. Come, and die!” he spoke thus as Jubei and the little girl drew near at last… at which point Jubei unsheathed his own katana and made ready to face the undead master. Now monster. “Do you know who I am, master Musashi, and why I have come in search of you?” the Yagyu swordsman asked, to which the undead man replied: “I know, for my master has told me what he saw within the crystal. That is why I chose this place for our duel.” Jubei laughed, exclaiming: “Great smiling Buddha, did everyone have to learn of my fight in that accursed temple!” and as he said this, Musashi leapt at him: as their swords clashed loudly together. The little girl, meanwhile, made her way up some rocks and produced a flute… which: she began to play a somber tune on. It was a tune most familiar to Musashi, for his wife… whom he often neglected as he went out to fight his legendary duels… had played it for him many times of old. He had seen this child in the company of Amakusa and the others he now held company with… but how she knew of that tune he could not fathom. This distracted him and he nearly fell to Jubei’s blade on several passes because of it. “Child, how did you learn that melody you play?” he asked as he fought on, trying to rebalance himself and prepare his next moves. “My name is Otsu, and I was your daughter, born to your wife whilst you were away… as you were so much! I was born amidst sorrow and my life was as darkness. My mother could not hope to raise me alone, so she sent me away to be raised by the legendary blacksmith Muramasa, who was her lover when you were gone. You never knew, did you my father? Well, there is much you did not know! Muramasa was a wicked man and when I turned thirteen years old he tried to force himself on me. Struggling on the floor of his smithy with me, he accidentally broke my neck and killed me. I died with regret, for I regretted that my mother had to give me up because you could not be home with us. I died with this melody… once a lullaby my mother played for me to ease me to sleep… stuck in my mind and my heart. Do you like my music, father? Good! I hope it serenades you to Hell.” Musashi knew now where it was Amakusa must have found this girl. He brought her back to life while he was away on a mission to a nearby village, and had only met her in his master’s company but recently. He had always been away it seemed… whenever important things and terrible things had happened in his life. His heart regretted that bitterly… perhaps most bitterly of all. Jubei could sense that Musashi was hesitating as they clashed, his blows losing their vigor and might. Musashi noticed this too, and redoubled his efforts to slay his opponent. The two chased one another all along the length of the lake’s shoreline, Musashi hacking and slashing to and fro as Jubei parried each of his monstrously strong attacks. Otsu kept playing her flute, and the sound of its’ melody was driving the undead swordsman more and more insane by the minute. He could picture her death in his mind’s eye… the death of the little girl he never knew he had… and he seethed with hatred for himself. “If I had only been there!” he screamed, trying to channel that anger into the means by which he could vanquish Jubei Yagyu. He nearly sliced off a good portion of Jubei’s hair with a swipe of his wakizashi, but the Yagyu swordsman was too quick and only lost a few strands. “That was almost my head!” Jubei shrieked, and saw an opportunity to strike when the monster had spun around to deliver another katana blow. When Musashi’s back was to him during the spin, Jubei lunged, ducked, and sunk his own blade katana deep into the legendary master’s spine. The undead swordsman screamed… not so much in agony but in frustration at his failure to see this attack coming, as well as frustration at every failure of his life. Otsu smiled… for she was about to gain her revenge against the man whom she had always felt had abandoned and betrayed her the most. Jubei was pushing his sharp sword upward through Musashi’s body, tearing through organs, blood, tissue, and bone as he went. The shock was so horrific, that the old master could no longer hold a grip on either of his blades. His large katana was the first to drop to the ground, but he stubbornly hung unto his wakizashi… for the short blade was simpler for him to wield under such dire circumstances. So he attempted one final stab downward at Jubei’s head. Otsu then stopped her playing to warn Jubei of the imminent danger that she could see coming: “Jubei, look out! He is about to kill you!” she screamed… at the top of her young lungs… and Jubei heard her. He heard her and he spun out, withdrawing his sword as the undead swordsman struck and missed… embedding his wakizashi deep into his own leg instead of his enemy’s head. Jubei seized the moment and beheaded the monster with a lightning-fast swipe of his sword. Musashi’s weight sank him deeply into the wet sand, which proceeded to swallow him.
Part Three: Castle of the Devil
Shiro Amakusa knew that any moment now, Jubei Yagyu would be coming for him. The castle he had made his own was a gift from his ally, Lord Yorinobu, who had left it in his care as part of the terms of their agreement. The place was opulently appointed with many of the things that Shiro liked a great deal, such as art and statuary from the exotic lands of the West. Lady Hosokawa reclined on a European couch, combing her long hair whilst gazing into a hand mirror… as Shiro was just as “busy” spending time with his latest resurrected ally: the former Ninja Kirimaru. “When I retrieved you from the place of your death, young man, I knew what I would find in your heart. For you died regretting being able to protect your brother and sister Iga Ninja from me. But you see, I only had them slain because it was Iga Ninja who helped Miyamoto Musashi to enter Harano castle so that my people could be slaughtered to the last. An eye for an eye… a tooth for a tooth, as the saying goes. Surely, since you know how codes of honor and revenge work… you no longer hold this against me? After all, it is I whose compassion and mercy raised you from death. I never hated you personally, nor sought to slay you yourself. Only the Iga, and only for the reason I have explained to you.” So Kirimaru thought deeply on this, as he looked at the beautiful, almost feminine being before him… this angel who had been the first sight he saw after coming back from the dead. There was wisdom in Shiro Amakusa’s words… after all… Kirimaru had not seen this man at the attack on his village. And the two who perpetrated that attack seemed to no longer be here. In fact, he had not seen at all them since coming back to life! Perhaps Amakusa no longer employed such butchers. That was what the young Ninja thought, as he decided to serve his new master. Kirimaru was more beautiful himself since being brought back from the brink of doom. His face was perfect, flawless, angelic to behold and only slightly less feminine than Shiro himself appeared to be. His slender body was free of any scar, wound, or injury… even old ones he had suffered in his early days as a Ninja. His long dark brown hair cascaded to the middle of his back… freed of the restraining topknot he used to wear. Instead of his cumbersome combat clothes, he now wore a green silk Hakama and a matching Kimono… both richly embroidered with golden cherry blossom patterns. He moved about, and liked the feel of his new garments. “I forgive you, master, and I do not care who you are or what your reasons are for what you have done. If you can care even for a hated enemy with this much tenderness... then I would be happy to serve you even unto Hell itself!” Suddenly, the young Ninja felt Amakusa’s arms around his waist as his new master embraced him from behind. Shiro kissed Kirimaru on the neck, softly, tenderly, lovingly, as he whispered in his ear: “You have no idea how much tenderness I am capable of, beautiful Kirimaru. Let me show you… and as for Hell… neither of us shall serve there. Nay, instead, we shall rule both in Hell and here on Earth!” Both men were standing on a floor inscribed with a massive pentagram drawn in human blood and decorated with countless seals, sigils, and words of power written in Latin. Kirimaru knew nothing of what any of it meant, and Shiro cared not for at the moment he was in love. In love with this beautiful young man whom he had saved from the grave. They sank amidst countless soft pillows that were heaped about the floor all about them, and they giggled and kissed with seeming innocence. Even as they made love with the utmost lack of innocence and the sheerest ferocity! Mori Soiken walked into the great hall of the castle where all this was taking place… and he smiled. “I seems you have found your soul’s true mate, Lord Shiro. I am happy for you.” But Lady Hosokawa was bored and sighed. “Yes, I am certain he has. But what of me! I too have needs, cravings, and desires… I too seek love, and was made promises by our Lord that I would be given whatever my heart yearned for.” At which Mori rubbed his chin as he thought to himself how he might be able to grant the lady’s wishes. “No, Mori! I have no desire for you. Rather… I think I shall join our Lord in his sport.” And with that, she walked over to where Amakusa moved up and down upon Kirimaru’s bent over form. She removed her garments, knelt down, and caressed him from behind much as he had caressed his young lover not long before. She licked his right ear playfully, and whispered: “When you are through playing with the boy… come, and please me!” And that day, Grace Hosokawa would experience physical pleasure for the first time since her rebirth. Mori watched the lusty spectacles before him, stroking his hardening member. He would have to take pleasure from their pleasures… and that, for him, would need to suffice. What began as mere sport soon became an orgy, and whilst this was taking place the pentagram on the floor began to glow with a fiery illumination. Shiro Amakusa smiled, in the midst of countless ecstasies he indulged in… for this would please his dark and terrible deity. This would give him greater power. And with that power, he would bring such chaos to the land that surely even the great and powerful Shogun himself would be forced to his knees by it. Kirimaru giggled. Lady Hosokawa moaned. Shiro laughed. And within Hell, the Devil was moved.
Part Four: Dagger and Mountain
Jubei and Otsu made their way up the old road that led to the castle. The wind was howling and blowing with a growing ferocity that would have humbled anyone with less determination. “When Lord Shiro came to Muramasa’s smithy to retrieve my remains and give me my life back…” Otsu explained… “He managed to get my former guardian to make for him one last weapon in exchange for Shiro keeping silent about what Muramasa had done to me. My master knows things. He can see things others cannot, after all. So the great blacksmith feared him and created for him a simple dagger. It was his finest creation, and in the course of making it… the great smith died, his heart failing him. With his dying breath, he told my master: ‘If: you meet either God or the Buddha… then with this dagger, you will be able to kill even such a divine being. There is no other blade like it, so guard it well.’ The forging of that blade was conducted just after I woke up from being dead, and so what I tell you now is what I witnessed myself firsthand. Lord Shiro wanted to keep that dagger on his person at all times, for with it he would be able to send any of us whom he had raised from death back to Hell once again if we betrayed him or questioned his will. About a day later, as Shiro and I were traveling back to the castle where you and I are now headed, I… kind of… seduced him into lying with me. You see I now know something of lust and desire, having been a victim of it, and so I figured why not use it to my advantage for a change. Shiro is a lonely soul, and so was easy for me to manipulate. As he and I made love, he was not watching where he had cast his garments, and where the dagger had been thrown. When we had finished our sport and he lay there quietly with his eyes closed in ecstasy… I got dressed and retrieved the dagger, hiding it in my Obi before he knew what had transpired. It just looks like any plain old dagger of similar sort, and so it was easy to switch for one I had taken from Muramasa’s smithy unseen.” Jubei realized the power of such a weapon, and he asked the little girl: “But why do you tell me of this? What is to stop me from taking it from you now that I know of it, and mayhap using it to kill first you and then your master!” But Otsu shook her head, smiling, as she replied: “You forget, master Jubei, that I can see deeper than you realize. I know what you would do… and I know what you would never do. You would never harm a child, unlike all the other men I have known in my life… my wretched father included.” And Jubei nodded his head in earnest agreement. Otsu took out the dagger to show him as they journeyed step-by-step, closer and closer to the castle where Shiro Amakusa awaited them. “Do you see this, Jubei? When the time comes, I intend to be the one to grant my master peace. He deserves peace, and I think I have fallen in love with Lord Shiro! So I want to be the one to deliver the final blow. Fight him if you must, and kill the others if you have to. But grant me my wish! That is all I ask of you in return for my leading you to his lair.” Indeed, as they went along, Jubei realized he never could have found this remote place even with the parchment’s directions… that were, he had also realized, very deliberately cryptic after a certain point. Probably because Amakusa intended for his allies to rely upon previous knowledge of the place in order to reach it. It was Otsu whose knowledge of this area enabled him to come even this far. Countless trails and roads crossed these hills and this section of the mountainside… and only this one particular way was the correct route. The castle was far too high up, and too enshrouded in fog, to be seen from a distance, and so was invisible after a fashion. Jubei could have wandered for days or even weeks… without ever finding the right way to get there. “I will grant you your wish if I am able to, child. I can make no better promise to you than that.” Otsu put the dagger away and shrugged her shoulders, resigned. “Very well, master Jubei, but you will not be able to end Lord Shiro’s life without my help. He is not like the others, and cannot be slain by that sword you carry. You will find that out, when you meet him in combat. I just hope he does not kill you before you see the truth of my words!” After that exchange of knowledge, the pair walked on in deafening silence, with Otsu pointing out the way before them and where it branched off down certain paths to the left or to the right, but always upward. The occasional bird of prey could be seen or heard in the cloudy, fog-enshrouded sky, but otherwise this was a silent domain of stark natural beauty. “Mount Fuji is as ancient as the land itself.” Jubei mused, and Otsu nodded her head in agreement. “They say it is a domain for gods and spirits.” She added, and they both realized that at the moment it truly was a place where spirits could be found. Spirits of the dead, given flesh by darkness to live again. “He is not an evil man, you know.” The girl said, of Amakusa. Jubei sighed, having heard enough of this man’s supposed virtues and certain vices. “I do not care, how good or how evil he is. I hate him for what he did, not for why he did it!” And Otsu could see that her traveling companion was a very stubborn, prideful man who… once set to a certain goal… could not ever be dissuaded from it. In short, he was perfect for her to use as the means to grant her beloved Lord Shiro peace. She smiled serenely, contentedly, and Jubei knew that smile was a very manipulative one.
Part Five: Death to the Dead
The undead had dressed, prepared their weapons and their plans, and made ready for the arrival of their enemy. Shiro Amakusa knew Jubei had arrived when he heard Otsu at the castle gate, calling for him. Mori came down to open the gate for her, and as soon as Jubei and the little girl came through the entrance… Jubei had cleaved Mori’s head from his shoulders unceremoniously. “Well done, Jubei Yagyu!” a voice called out, and the swordsman saw down the old hall before him the familiar form of his dead friend, Kirimaru… wearing the splendid green silken garb he was given previously. Jubei was aghast and could not believe his eyes at such a sight. He screamed out: “No! It cannot be you… I saw your dead form… I buried it myself.” But the young Ninja smiled almost playfully, enjoying his former friend’s discomfort. “What you buried, my master found. What you thought was dead, he made live again. He is a god, and I am his beloved son. I will defend him to the death. Prepare yourself… old ‘friend’!” And so did Kirimaru’s defiance echo loudly through the stone and wood of the castle’s richly appointed halls. “Such fine carpeting you have here…” Jubei mocked… “Soon it will be decorated, but not with embroidery. With your blood!” and no sooner did he say this than the two deadly warriors clashed. Kirimaru wielded a katana of similar make to Jubei’s own, and the two men were evenly matched in skill and speed. The young Ninja leapt over the occasional blow that Jubei aimed at his feet and legs, foiling his attempt to slow or immobilize him. Jubei dodged swipes that should have slit his throat or disemboweled him… only narrowly avoiding a gruesome fate. After several minutes of this deadly play, each of them was bleeding from wicked slashes and cuts, none of which were deadly but all of which burned with the hot pain of fresh wounds. Kirimaru was known for his fleetness, and he kept running back, always a step away from Jubei’s katana… but never too far. It seemed, as they fought their way through hallway after hallway… that Kirimaru was deliberately trying to lead his former friend somewhere in particular. Back to the great chambers where his master awaited them! And Jubei took the bait, focusing only on bringing his friend the peace that Amakusa had stolen from him. Otsu ran after the embattled pair, keeping her dagger hidden from sight, but her hands ready to retrieve it. Soon, the three had ended up exactly where Kirimaru wanted them to: Amakusa’s chambers. The massive pentagram was still glowing, and Shiro Amakusa himself knelt in the middle of it, with Lady Hosokawa’s arms wrapped around him in much the way a lover might be held. Hosokawa wore her most elaborate robes for this single, important occasion, and Shiro wore a diaphanous white gown in the European style, which shimmered in the light of the many lanterns that illuminated the scene. Its’ many layers prevented the otherwise sheer fabric from actually being able to be seen through. The long black tresses of his wig seemed like tendrils of darkness, and his face was both beautiful and calm. Around his neck, Shiro still wore the old cross pendant with the bullet hole in it… his only adornment. Into the hole, he had in recent days mounted an emerald that sparkled with its’ own inner fire. “How dare you interrupt our prayers!” cried out Hosokawa, but Otsu was bounding towards her with murder in her eyes. “You bitch! Get away from Lord Shiro, he is my beloved not yours. I will kill you for him!” and an amused smile broke up across the seemingly entranced Amakusa. He opened his eyes and watched as the two women who had come to love him fought over his affections. Even knowing he was so loved… still, he felt lonely, empty, and sad. Even feeling thusly, he smiled, refusing to show his true inner turmoil. His heart turned to Kirimaru, whom he had come to regard as his soul’s mate, and he was afraid for the young man’s life. Even so, he dared not break his concentration. Too much depended on it now! Jubei and Kirimaru fought like two lions, whilst Lady Hosokawa and Otsu fought like cats, each pulling the other’s hair and clawing at the other’s face. Otsu did not want to betray the location of her dagger, preferring to allow Shiro to believe he still held it on his person. And surely enough, he was holding the false dagger in his left hand and a copy of the Bible in his right. In her struggle with Hosokawa, Otsu knocked over a statue of the archangel Michael, which smashed into pieces on the floor. Meanwhile, Jubei and Kirimaru came to fight before a massive mural depicting the Last Judgment. Each man held his blade at the ready, and sized up the other. At last, they both charged one final time. Both swung as they passed by the other, and only Jubei Yagyu was left standing. Kirimaru grasped his throat, and soon after blood gushed forth as his head came away from the stump of his neck. Jubei did not allow himself to cry for his friend a second time. Instead, he smiled, knowing that the young Ninja was at peace once again. At the same time as Kirimaru’s second death, Otsu led Lady Hosokawa behind the couch where the lady had been reclining so much of late… and thus hidden from Shiro’s sight… she quickly produced the true dagger and plunged it into the noble lady’s left breast, which killed her almost instantly. Grace Hosokawa’s final expression was one of surprise and disbelief, that a simple little girl like this could be the one to actually destroy her. Otsu crawled away to catch her breath, as Jubei turned to face Shiro Amakusa. The pentagram seemed almost ready to erupt into flame, and the look on Shiro’s face was one of a transcendent madness mixed with a pain that he was trying desperately to hold back. “Welcome, Jubei! I have been waiting for you to get here.”
Part Six: The Demon Within
Jubei walked over to the center of the pentagram, his sword ready to strike. “Get up you coward! I will not kill a kneeling man… not like this.” And so Shiro stood up as gracefully as any lady of the Edo court might. He still held the false dagger and Bible, and prepared to strike the blade through the book. He laughed: “Once I complete this unholy ritual, it will unleash upon this world all that you call the Devil. Then, the world will end… only to be reborn… in my image instead of God’s!” Which struck a kind of primal terror into Jubei’s heart. The swordsman had faced mortal opponents and even undead ones… but there was something unnatural in the extreme about this man. Or was this a woman? And whatever it was, it made Jubei as frightened as a child. “I do not know this God or yours, or your Devil. I have heard of them, to be sure, but I do not know them. Why should I fear the unknown!” at which Shiro plunged the blade into the book, his laughter a cackle as he declared: “Because they know you, Jubei, and your own personal Judgment Day has come to pass!” and no sooner had the Bible been pierced than the flames within the pentagram flared and rose up from the ground where before they had been chained by arcane forces. The room was suddenly burning up, and Otsu was shrieking with fear as she tried to avoid being burned by the ensuing blaze. Only the middle of the pentagram was safe, and she dove into it, in time to witness what could possibly become the end of the world. The little girl produced her dagger again and tried her best to strike Amakusa with it. “For you, my love. I bring you the peace I know you crave!” she cried, and Shiro deflected her blow with the pierced Bible in his hand. However, when the true dagger crafted by Muramasa met the sacred tome… a horrifying thing happened. Shiro’s form was obscured: by a nimbus of green flame-like radiance, which seemed to change and to transform him into… something else entirely. Six black wings of pure shadow erupted from his back, and his eyes glowed solid blue with no white in them at all. A terrible halo of emerald light seemed to surround his head, burning his wig apart and revealing his shaved head beneath. He was by now wholly androgynous in every way beyond how he had been… as well as wholly hermaphroditic… having become an angel of frightening power: the living vessel for the fallen archangel Lucifer herself. Her tremendous spirit was now fully within him, joined to him, called by him, and this combined being had the power to rouse the dark deity itself: the deity mortal men and women sometimes called Satan. The green nimbus faded to nothing, and Shiro / Lucifer… stepped from it, his voice blended with her own in perfect harmony. “Oh, sweet little Otsu… you have no idea what it is you have done this time, do you? Allow me to show you!” it said. With supernatural speed, the angel picked up Jubei by the neck and threw his katana away from him. He despaired as he heard it clatter to the floor in the distance. All around them the castle burned, and it was just like the final death throes of Harano Castle all over again. “This is the second time I have stood within a burning castle. Only this time… I intend to walk away.” The angel stated, with grim resolve in its’ voice. Otsu noticed the Bible on the floor at the angel’s feet, with both daggers stuck in it. “Which one is the true one?” she mused, whilst Jubei was held in Shiro’s death grip, gasping for air. He would be dead soon if she did not act and do something! Then… she noticed that one of the two daggers was cracked along the blade, whilst the other was not. Only the true dagger would not crack like that! The angel that used to be Shiro never noticed quiet little Otsu sneaking over, pulling out the true dagger, and preparing to plunge it into the being’s back. It never noticed… until it was too late. The angel’s loud, shrilly piercing shriek was like nothing Jubei had ever heard before. It was beyond terrible, and as the angel dropped him to the floor, he covered his ears to block it out. Lucifer had left Shiro’s body, which slumped to the floor… blood pouring from his back. The pentagram had gone cold, even as the castle still burned. Jubei knew that soon it would be unsafe to remain… but he waited to make certain that his enemy was vanquished for good and not simply defeated for now. Otsu was sitting atop her fallen master, her legs around him as she straddled him. “Kirimaru was never your true soul’s mate, my master. I was… and so, only I could bring you peace.” This she said quietly to him, and he caressed her face tenderly, lovingly, as he replied: “I know, gentle Otsu! That is why I had to bring you back. That is why I allowed you to keep the true dagger, which I bade Muramasa to forge… and that is why I embrace you now. I allowed myself to doubt that which I knew always to be true, having let Kirimaru’s beauty blind me to yours. Even as I doubted and cast aside God! But my eyes are open fully now… even though presently they shall close forever. And I see that you are the true angel here. Take me home, now, my angel… I am ready to go back to Hell!” And so with his final, fading strength, Shiro Amakusa sat up, wrapping his arms around the young girl, who clasped him in her own. She withdrew the dagger from his back and plunged it into his heart… after which she withdrew it and buried it up to the hilt in her own heart. “We die the second death together, my love! Let God forgive us, and reunite us both in Heaven.” And so they perished in one another’s arms. Jubei wasted no time… escaping the burning castle just as it came crashing down, forming a great and terrible pyre. Lord Yorinobu’s ambitions were thwarted with Shiro Amakusa’s passing. The Devil would not be raised today, and life would go on as it always did.
Epilogue: The Curse of Amakusa
Jubei had kept the cross necklace that he snatched from Shiro Amakusa’s neck before leaving the castle. The emerald had fetched a good price, but nobody ever seemed interested in buying the necklace itself, or even the just the cross, separately. He could not even pawn it off on any of the foreign traders… not even in Edo itself. So, he kept it for a keepsake and never thought of it again… until a year had passed. It was now May 11, 1646, and he had returned to his family’s home in Nara Prefecture because of word he had received of his father’s impending death. He arrived at the house late in the afternoon, and moved aside the sliding paper door panels to enter his father’s study, where the older Yagyu was seated calmly and quietly. Not dead, but not seeming very alive either. “My son, I see that you have come home to visit your father in his final hours.” He rasped, his voice betraying his ill health. “Yes, father. I came as soon I got word.” The older man then looked at the cross necklace that Jubei was wearing around his neck. “You wear my master’s sign, I see!” his hoarse voice croaked, and that is when Jubei noticed the man was dead but still talking. “Oh yes, Jubei! My Lord Shiro and the Lady Otsu came to me not six days previous… and they granted me eternal life. I was near death, you see, and I had no wish to let such a chance slip by. I would have died with regret… for I regretted never having fought you one last time in battle.” Jubei wept for his father, but he knew that this creature was no longer the father he had known. “Very well then, father! Let us fight, then. One final time.” And at once, the old man unsheathed the katana he had across his lap… leaping to his feet with all the skill he possessed in his younger days. Jubei unsheathed his blade to meet the attack, and the two of them clashed like titans out of some ancient legend. Jubei did not understand how this could have happened. He asked: “How could they have come to you, father… they are dead… I saw them both burn!” but the older man was quick with his retort: “They came in spirit, my son… on their way to the next life. When I have passed on, so too will the curse of Shiro Amakusa have passed from our land once and for all. Otherwise, I must fight on in their name until I am no more!” Dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events, Jubei declared: “Very well then… if it will end this horrid curse forever, then I will gladly dispatch you to join them beyond!” and so the battle was joined in earnest, as the two greatest swordsmen of the Yagyu clan met in a duel to the death. Swords cut through paper doors and wooden walls, as each man sought to end the life of the other. Each man’s katana clashed so hard against his rival’s that sparks shot out… though neither weapon so much as shook in its’ wielder’s hand. The house retainers and servants thought that the elder Yagyu had gone insane in his final moments, and in some manner perhaps sought an honorable death in combat with his son… rather than to pass on quietly as was expected for him to do. No one saw this coming! “You were weak, father, to allow this to happen to you!” Jubei taunted, as he found an opening and drove his blade into his father’s heart. The older man lashed out and struck for Jubei’s chest… but the sword only succeeded in cleaving asunder the cross that hung on Shiro’s old necklace. The cross broke apart, just as the older Yagyu dropped his katana and expired, dead for the second time. It would be said that he died only on that day, and legend would say that he perished at his son’s hands for reasons unknown. But Jubei knew, and he cast the broken necklace away, glad in his heart to see the last of it. “The curse is broken, father. I have kept my promise to end its’ menace.” Those were the last words he spoke to the older man, before letting the servants come in to tend to the body. Never again would Jubei or anyone hear of Shiro Amakusa or his awful vengeance. And indeed, it seemed that the great rebel had at last found peace. In the years following his father’s death, Jubei Yagyu lived in Edo… where one day he chanced to walk past a certain garden of cherry blossom trees. He swore that he saw Shiro Amakusa sitting on a bench there, smiling blissfully whilst kissing what appeared at first to be a beautiful woman, but whom he realized was in fact a beautiful man. That man was the very spitting image of Kirimaru! Both seemed content and not wishing harm to anyone, and so Jubei left them to their tryst and went on his way… smiling.
Published 18th Aug 2012
| Edited 27th Aug 2012
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 3
reading list entries 1
comments 4
reads 1108
Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
19th Aug 2012 00:00am
Dear Writer. You employ such a huge amount of will and imagination into these pieces. These days I don't normally speak here unless I'm spoken to first, here I will gladly make an exception. VERY WELL DONE
19th Aug 2012 4:27am
Thank you, my friend! I am highly honored that you made such an exception for me, and your praise is very much appreciated. I am happy you took the time to comment, and to let me know how much you liked this epic of mine. Many, many thanks!
Anonymous
27th Jan 2013 7:18am
Jessica, I am awed by this telling of what you lived during your life as Shiro Amakusa... yes, I know who you were back then! I was there, too, when Hara Castle fell. I didn't know if I should tell you, but now you know... I knew you then also, as I seem to have in many other lives. You are glorious still! Such a beautiful and talented lady you are. You humble me, truly! :)
27th Jan 2013 8:57am
My dear Laurie, it was my pleasure to relate the story of these events for people to read! I know I knew you before, many times over, and I'm gald to have you here with us again, this time on DUP. I'm happy you find me so beautiful too! That makes me smile, lots. Be well, Starsoul! :D
