Nobunaga Oda drew his sword and lunged at Katsumi. She expertly sidestepped the attack while drawing Hasahe. With the sword, Katsumi slashed at Nobunaga, but he put his armored shoulder into the attack. He didn’t feel much of the blow.
< “ Hasahe activates when I am in possession of it.”> Oda bellowed. < “You are powerless.”>
Katsumi rolled away from a slash from her opponent. < “ I will stop you here.”> She said.< “Your crusade to conquer Japan is at an end!”>
She then attacked him with a defiant battle cry, but Nobunaga caught the sword with his gauntleted hand. < “I don’t think so.”> He hissed.
He then stabbed her in the stomach; the blade piercing her armor and it came out of her back. When he pulled the sword out, blood sprayed everywhere as Katsumi fell to the ground…..
~
When the room became white again, I stood up. < “I have to do something!”>
< “I have foreseen it!”> Minoru said. < “It shall come to pass.”>
I looked into his eyes. < “Not this time.”>
I ran out of the room. I had to find her before she confronted Oda! I ran through the panicking people in the Imperial grounds. It might be hard to find her in all of this chaos.
Suddenly I heard the clashing of swords and the whooshing of airborne arrows. A fight had broken out between a handful of Imperial guards and Oda’s soldiers.
I would have loved to see the fight but since this was real, I ran around it.
< “Katsumi! Where are you!!”> I yelled. All around me, buildings were being set on fire and bodies were flying to the ground. Chaos.
I ran passed a Guard who suddenly grabbed my arm. < “ The southern gate! I saw her run toward the….down!”> He suddenly pushed me to the ground as a sword struck at where my head would have been. An enemy soldier had seen the guard…but he tried to kill me as well!
As they started to fight, I noticed that the Guard was wounded. It looked like he was going to lose…I looked around for something to help him with. I grabbed one of the many fallen arrows on the ground and waited for an opening….
Oda’s soldier swung at the guard, but the gaurd ducked out of the way. There! I stabbed the soldier in the side and he howled in pain. The guard lunged and the sword hit it’s mark. He went down hard….
The guard turned to me. < “She is my friend. Boy, we must find her-> Suddenly, multiple arrows struck him all around his body. As he struggled to stay on his feet, he gave me his sword and told me to go. < “ You must save Katsumi now….”>
With that he fell to the ground. As the soldiers who shot the arrows ran toward us, I ran in the direction of the southern gate. As I did so, I ducked arrows that flew over my head and all around me…missing me by inches.
As I ran, I gripped the sword and tried to calm down. I knew what I had to do….If I didn’t act now, Katsumi was going to die. I knew the basics of sword play ( I took a class a while back, but I dropped it….I didn’t know that I actually needed to use a sword!)
I know that I’m not as good as either Katsumi or Nobunaga….but maybe I could help change the horrible future that I saw in the white room. That’s when I saw her. She stopped running when she got to the gate….no!
< “Katsumi!!!”> I yelled.
She turned and ran to me.
< “Bryan! What are you doing-
< “Nobunaga is going to kill you! Minoru showed me!”>
Katsumi’s face almost went pale. < “ What ever you see in the white room comes true.”>
I took her arm and started to pull. < “If that’s true then we have to go!!”>
She looked at my sword. < “That’s, Daisuke’s katana.”>
< “He died helping me find-BOOOM!!!!!
The gate erupted into a huge wall of fire, sending Katsumi and I flying onto the ground.
To my horror, we both saw a figure walking through the flames…. Nobunaga Oda.
When his eyes fell on Katsumi and his sword, he smiled.
Katsumi jumped to her feet.< “It is to late Bryan…. there is no use in running now.”>
Nobunaga Oda drew his sword and lunged at Katsumi. She expertly sidestepped the attack while drawing Hasahe. With the sword, Katsumi slashed at Nobunaga, but he put his armored shoulder into the attack. He didn’t feel much of the blow.
“This looks familiar.” I muttered. I drew my sword and remembered how Katsumi died.
< “ Hasahe activates when I am in possession of it.”> Oda bellowed. < “You are powerless.”>
Katsumi rolled away from a slash from her opponent. < “ I will stop you here.”> She said.< “ Your crusade to conquer Japan is at an end!”>
This is it….
She then attacked him with a defiant battle cry, but Nobunaga caught the sword with his gauntleted hand. < “I don’t think so.”> He hissed.
Nobunaga jumped back from Katsumi as I brought the sword down where his head was.
Nobunaga’s eyes lit up with fury as he touched the bloody scratch on his cheek.
< “Who are you!”> He screamed.
Oh my God! I just injured Nobunaga Oda!!!!
I smiled despite my predicament.
< “You know how to wield a weapon?”> Katsumi whispered to me.
< “Not really.”> I whispered back. < “ But I know how to bluff.”>
< Nobunaga!”> I yelled. < “My name is Bryan; slayer of five trillion men. Leave this place and you will be spared.!!”>
For a second, Oda’s eyes were still lit up with hate, but then it disappeared. His eyes were now filled with…amusement?
< “ If we never met, you might have done very well in the theatre…..but your stance is all wrong and I can feel thatyou are not very strong.”> He laughed.
Suddenly his face twisted in anger. < “Do you think you can trick me? You are sadly mistaken!”>
I barely blocked Nobunaga’s attack, but it was fiercely strong; I was thrown to the ground because of it. He swung at Katsumi…but she wasn’t there!
Katsumi stabbed through Oda’s back. The sword pieced through his armor.
Suddenly he turned around with monstrous speed and connected an open palm strike to Katsumi’s face. The sound of his glove to her face was a horrible crack and Katsumi was thrown to the ground…. and she didn’t move.
My eyes widened…… Katsumi!
Nobunaga reached back to Hasahe’s hilt (which was stuck in his armor). I then ran my sword into his exposed left ankle! He yelled, but pulled his sword out of his back. I tried to crawl away but Oda, turned to me (still yelling). He lunged at me and I screamed…..but nothing happened. When I opened my eyes, Katsumi was laying on top of me, blood coming out of her mouth.
< “I wish we had more time.”> she whispered.
Oda pulled his sword from her back. < “That’s really rather pathetic.”.> He spat.
< “To weaklings, trying to kill me…the true lord of all Japan! You never had a chance.”>
I looked behind him. < “Oh yeah? How about now?”>
Oda looked back…to see about 20 guards aiming arrows at him. He pointed his sword at them and yelled.
The guards started to of the arrows at him. Oda started to spin his sword around, deflecting some of the arrows! But they kept coming and he was soon taking hits.
Suddenly his sword started to glow and Oda swiped his sword in the air.
I gasped as a red shock wave came out of the Hashae as he did the motion.
All of those guards were thrown to the ground. But many other guards came running to fell their places. Wounded and beaten Nobunaga turned to me.
< “You got lucky boy.”>
He then disappeared. Wow…he actually had powers! I thought that was all legend….
I got up and looked over Katsumi. She had a huge slash mark on her back.
I told the guards to try and help her…. and they said only one man could.
~
< “I cannot save her.” > Minoru said. < “My power is reserved only to save the emperor.”>
< “ Please! She dieing!”> I pleaded.
< “I am sorry Bryan. There is nothing-
< “Do it.”>
I spun and saw Emperor Ogimachi, looking at Katsumi laying my arms, unconscious.
Minoru’s eyes widened and he shook his head.
< “Lord please. I can only do it once in my life! I refuse to use on anyone but you!”>
Ogimachi stepped forward, his eyes growing dark. < “Are you defying me?”>
Both Minoru and I stumbled backward. Man this guy wasn’t Emperor for nothing.
Minoru nodded. < “Okay lord. I will do it.”>
I gave Katsumi to him and he carefully laid her on the floor. He knelt in beside her and began to chant, putting his hands together in front of his chest like he was praying.
He then placed his hands on her stomach and an intensely bright light erupted from his chest. The light went down through his arms and into Katsumi.
She suddenly sat up, gasping. All of her wounds disappeared and she fell back down and sighed. She turned her head to me and smiled.
I sighed in relief and smiled back at her.
Emperor Ogimachi put a hand on Minoru’s shoulder. < “I know that was hard for you, but I have made my choice. I know that you can never save me. What ever happens to me happens.”>
Minoru nodded. < “Yes sir.”>
I ran to Katsumi and embraced her. < “I thought I was going to loose you.”>
Katsumi smiled again. < “I am glad you fought for me Bryan. I am in your debt.”>
< “You fought for all of us.”> Said the Emperor. < “We owe you immense gratitude.
Anything you want shall be given to you”>
< “Wow thanks!”> I beamed. < “But all I want to do is go home.”>
< “I will gladly transport you home.”> Minoru said.
I turned to Katsumi. < “Can you come with me?”>
She looked at Ogimachi and he nodded.
< “Okay! Lets go!”> I said.
~
I was back on the bed in the antiques shop.
The old man jumped back, startled. “I sent you away!”
I jumped up from the bed. “Well I’m you son of a …..hey….I’m talking in English again!”
Katsumi arrived in a flash of light behind me….she was in a dress, looking as buetiful as ever. She got up and looked around. “Is this your home?”
She suddenly looked puzzled. “Hey…I’m talking strangely.”
“It’s English, my language.”
“Oh.”
I turned to the old man again. “You’ve got some explaining to do pal!”
“You didn’t go to Japan?” He asked.
“ Well yeah…. but I went to feudal Japan! I almost died!”
“Oh? Sorry, I haven’t practiced in a while.”
I was in shock. That was it? An Accident? You have got to be kidding me!!
I must have been making a pretty intense face, because he took a step backward and scampered, “B-but you made a friend r-right?”
Katsumi stood up and put a hand on my shoulder. “ Yes, he did.”
I sighed. “Okay, okay. I forgive you.”
Oh my gosh! I almost forgot!!!!
I ran into the main area of the shop and looked at one of the many clocks.
I was gone for a few days…my parents must be worried sick! They…..hey, only a few minutes have passed.
“ The person who sent you back, sent you back a few moments after I sent you away.” The old man said as he walked to me. “No one will ever know that you leaved.”
Oh….good.
The old man’s face brightened. “Would you to like to go to modern day Japan? I think I got this down.”
Katsumi smiled. “My home so far in the future…we must go!”
I just got back! Jeez….
I smiled. “Maybe later…Katsumi….I kinda wanted to show you around my home and stuff.”
Katsumi smiled back. “Of course. I got a little hasty….my country in the future.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
I turned to the old man. “Maybe I could risk dying some other time.”
“Well.” He said. “When your ready, you know where I am.”
“Okay.” I answered. I reached out to Katsumi. “Shall we?”
She smiled, took my arm and we walked out of the store….
The end
