DISGRACE TO BUSHIDO

This is a chapter from Zendragon. It begins the hero Winterus journey to battle the evil lord Zigurashi.

It was night, and clouds hid the moon, the rain falling relentlessly on a darkened village. On the outskirts, a solitary lamp lit the porch and entrance of an inn, casting a small circle of light in the oppressive gloom. Asura, a teenage girl, splashed hurriedly through the rain and darkness towards the inn, holding a broad hemp mat over her head like a makeshift cloak. Her heart pounded in her chest, each step through the mud feeling like a battle against the elements.

A shadowed man stepped out in front of her, emerging from a hidden doorway. She collided with him and stumbled backward onto her backside, but he didn’t move. In a deep, menacing voice, he said, “A word of warning, little doe. Run home. It’s not safe to be out tonight. Hungry dogs are prowling.”

She stared up at the shadowed figure, her eyes wide with fear. “What about you? Are you bad?” she stammered.

“To some, I’m the worst of all,” he replied coldly.

Terrified, she clambered to her feet and sprinted towards the light of the inn in a blind panic. She entered the pool of light and approached the door, casting a backward glance to see if the stranger had followed her. The darkness behind her was impenetrable, a solid wall of night. Inside the inn, the sounds of revelry could be heard, and her fear began to dissipate as she slid open the door, expecting to find farmers and tradesfolk.

Dripping wet, she entered the warm interior and removed her sandals. The common room was spacious and smelled of woodsmoke. Both floor and ceiling were wood-paneled, the walls white paper latticed with thin brown slats. A stone firepit in the center of the room radiated warmth, surrounded by four low tables. Around one table sat five men.

They were all quiet now, their gazes fixed on her like hungry wolves eyeing a tasty deer. Their weapons displayed their status as samurai, and many empty bottles lay scattered around them. She was strongly tempted to dash back outside, but fear of the lurking stranger and necessity compelled her to remain.

A solidly built man with bushy eyebrows and sideburns drew her attention. His eyes were locked onto hers with an unsettling intensity. Without breaking eye contact, he took a swig from his jug of sake and rose to his feet. He swaggered over to her, his leer making her skin crawl. Her instincts screamed at her to turn and flee, but she was paralyzed by conflicting fears and needs.

“Well, well, well, my evening’s prospects just improved tenfold,” he drawled. “I thought I’d be forced to stare at their ugly faces all night, but this is much better.” The samurai guffawed, hurling a few insults back, but he ignored them. His eyes bore into Asura’s. “My name’s Genki.” His manner became solicitous. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? You look cold. I can help warm you up.” His friends sniggered as they resumed drinking. Suddenly, he burst out, “Hoooeeeey! How on earth did a lowly peasant girl get so foxy? Like finding a rose growing in a pile of manure. A girl like you should be rich working as a geisha. All you need is a little training. Let me put my considerable expertise at your disposal.” He leaned over her and braced his arm on the wall behind her. “What do you say, sweetness? Want to become a woman?”

Asura stared at him with alarm bordering on terror. “Please, I’m not interested in any of that. The innkeeper’s wife is the town apothecary. I just came to get some medicine for my mother. She is ill. Let me ease her suffering.”

Genki ignored her words, his gaze lingering lewdly on her breasts through the wet cloth. “There’s nothing I can do to help your mother, but there’s something I can do for you, sweetcakes. Something we’ll both enjoy. What do you say? Want to take your mind off your cares?” He leered insinuatingly, and the girl’s expression turned to horrified dismay.

She didn’t want anything to do with this horrible man. “Please, just leave me alone!” she cried.

He only laughed and took another swig from his jug. He lifted the hem of her short kimono that hung above her knees, and she screamed in revulsion as she pushed his hand away. He laughed again, but there was a dark edge of hunger to his mirth. She tried to leave, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap as he seated himself on a bench. The men all laughed raucously, and one of them said, “She’s gonna get it now.”

Asura cried out to the innkeeper for help, but he hid away in the kitchen in mortal terror, sliding the door shut. She was on her own. She whimpered fearfully as tears streamed down her face. Genki became conciliatory and stroked her hair. “Don’t worry, girly. I only want to have a little fun with you. You’re so pretty.”

She could feel his sex pressing against her and turned her head and grimaced in disgust.  ‘Please, just stop.’ 

Genki hooted with laughter, and his friends all joined in, their voices echoing off the wooden walls. Suddenly, Genki’s mood switched to annoyance. “Why are you being a bitch? I’m a patriot, damnit, a hero! We all fought for you, and now you’re going to repay us.” Genki reached around her and groped her breasts. Asura shrieked in terrified anger and elbowed him in the face. She broke free of his grip and fell to the ground.

The samurai surged to his feet, towering over her, shaking with rage as he rubbed his face where she had struck him. He grabbed her shirt with one hand and raised his other fist, snarling, “You made me spill my wine, you stupid bitch! You could have had the best time of your worthless life, but I guarantee you won’t like what happens now!” He struck her hard, and she cried out as her head rocked back.

Suddenly, the entrance slid open, and the noise of the slashing rain filled the room. The silhouette of a black-clad figure stood in the doorway, wearing a wet hemp cloak and straw cap. He held a scabbarded katana in his right hand. He raised his cap to reveal it was Winteru, and he didn’t seem the least bit surprised by what he saw. He stared at Genki menacingly and said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The samurai backed away, full of sudden dread. Winteru smiled faintly, as if amused, then removed his cloak, backpack, and cap, hanging them on hooks.

Winteru glanced at the girl, who was too stunned to move. Then he stared assessingly at Genki with hard eyes before looking at the other samurai. They glared fiercely at him with naked animosity, but he seemed unperturbed. He moved to an empty table near the door and seated himself on the floor, sitting on his haunches, facing them. He propped his sword beside him but left his short wakizashi blade in his belt. The innkeeper peeked out from the kitchen briefly before sliding the kitchen door shut and cowering in dread.

Without saying a word, the seated samurai rose and adjusted their scabbards in their sword belts, then swaggered over to Winteru. They stood a short distance away from him with arms crossed while Genki insolently swaggered close to him, emboldened by their support. The girl remained frozen in dread on the ground, huddling against the wall as she hugged herself, too terrified to move, afraid of the stranger most of all.

Genki leaned over Winteru, his features twisted in disdain before drawling humorously, “What have we here? A filthy ronin. Smell that, boys, that’s the reek of fear.” He flared his nostrils as if enjoying the smell.

Winteru’s lip curled in a sneer. “Not a ronin, but a shugyosha. And that stench you’re enjoying is entirely your own. Unlike you, I don’t need strength of numbers to feel brave. Accusing me of cowardice just makes you a hypocrite.”

The samurai all brayed with laughter as though he’d said something particularly stupid. One of them said, “Oh, you’re one of those wandering swordsmen, on the path to enlightenment, eh? Dueling with other shugyosha. You must think you’re pretty hot shit.”

The only sign of Winteru’s umbrage was the slight narrowing of his eyes and the grim set of his mouth. “I’m hunting a tiger Mazoku. He’s responsible for the deaths of over two dozen people, including nine samurai. I’ve heard of murders committed near here, human sacrifices. I thought he might be involved.”

The samurai looked at each other, and Genki said, “What’s your name, stranger? It’s very rude not to introduce yourself properly.” Behind his drunken belligerence, Genki seemed perturbed the ronin might be someone to fear.

“Your manners have been poor and your tone disrespectful, yet you criticize me?” He eyed the terrified girl. “You also have no clue how to treat a lady.”

Genki spoke threateningly, “We treat ladies just like the whores they really are, except we don’t pay them a cent.” The samurai all cackled. “There’s a rumor of a vagabond who has been slaying Mazoku across the countryside. He fought Akechi Hanzai at Yomoji Shrine. Was that you?” He waited tensely for the answer.

Winteru ignored his question. His voice rose. “I know all about you so-called samurai and the vile master you serve.” His voice dripped with contempt. “Zigurashi, the coward of all cowards who sold his rotten soul to Akumaru for power. Pity for you he’ll never get it. The devil takes but never gives. Hiroshi will beat him like a dog and claim the Shogunate.” His voice rang with satisfaction.

The samurai all growled angrily as they gripped their weapons' hilts. Winteru remained outwardly composed, but his eyes were fierce. Genki snarled, “How dare you mock our Lord, you gaijin mongrel! You have zero clues who you’re messing with.”

“Oh, I know your kind well. You’re offal who use your status as samurai to bully and harm innocents. You’re a disgrace to bushido.”

“You arrogant little shit! How dare you,” snarled Genki. Then he smiled, “You think you know all about us, but if you did, your bowels would turn to water.”

Winteru rose to one knee, suddenly conveying the impression of tension, of coiled speed. “Maybe you’re the one in deep shit. Better be sure.” His black eyes flashed dangerously.

“Talking tough to hide your fear, eh? So obvious. You thought you could just swagger in and swing your dick around, and we’d all be unmanned by terror, is that right? I’ve got news for you, your small and flaccid manhood doesn’t intimidate us. Did you want her for yourself? Too bad, so sad. Maybe we’ll just cut your hands off and let you watch while we do unspeakable things to her nubile body. That’s the closest you’ll get to her pussy.” The samurai all leered with relish, and drew their swords and raised them above their heads. “So what does it feel like, shugyosha, knowing you’re about to die for nothing? Any last words?” They advanced slowly, creeping forward, clearly savoring the anticipation of the kill.

Winteru smiled wryly, “You’re going to die over pussy, but your ghosts will wish you’d just gone and fucked yourselves instead!” The shugyosha moved like forked lightning, his sword instantly appearing in his hand as if by magic. He parried Genki’s downward stroke with his sword as he surged to his feet, flipping the table with his free hand and hurling it at the samurai, simultaneously disemboweling Genki.

Genki staggered back, clutching his exposed innards, while the shugyosha sprang at the startled samurais and cut the closest one down with a kiai shout. He nimbly pivoted to dodge a sword stroke and then cut down the overextended samurai. He then leapt over the falling body before he spun to face the remaining duo.

He stared at them fiercely, his intense gaze promising murder. The samurai looked momentarily dismayed. Then they looked at each other slyly, sharing a secret, and both grinned like wolves. Winteru seemed puzzled by their manner when the warriors he had cut down staggered to their feet, drenched in blood from their gory, supposedly fatal wounds. Their wounds began to close before his eyes.

Genki grinned savagely through a bloody mouth, “You’re dead right about our Lord being a devil worshiper, but what you didn't know is that he initiated each of us as well.” With that, all of the samurai turned into hideous Mazoku. Their skin looked like it had been flayed from their bodies, exposing the ugly muscle and sinew beneath. They were horned, with blazing yellow eyes and vicious-looking fangs. Genki rasped, “You've made your final mistake, half-breed.”

If they were expecting to terrify Winteru, they were disappointed; he was positively gleeful. “You dumbshits thought you could just rape and murder with impunity because of your mighty lord’s protection, but it’s time to pay the penalty, and I’ve come to collect.” He smiled evilly.

Winteru unleashed a flurry of blows against the nearest Mazoku samurai before finding an opening in his defense and decapitating him. The body fell to the floor and didn’t move. “Hellspawn aren’t invulnerable; I should know after so much practice killing them. That’s right, you swine, I am the blademaster who killed the demon Akechi Hanzai, and countless others. My name’s Winteru, and I’m waging a one-man war against your kind, and you’re all about to join my victims.”

He darted out of range of their attacks, kicked the door off its rails, and retreated outside into the rain. The shugyosha drew his short sword in his left hand, standing in the light cast by the lantern on the inn’s porch. The other Mazoku roared with anger and attacked, and he became a shadowy blur of motion as he spun, hacked, and stabbed, dodged and parried. He wounded their bodies to cause them to lower their guard before dispatching them with decapitating chops or stabs through the heart.

The frenzy of motion became absolute stillness as he stood alone, panting slightly with both swords poised. The last demon grabbed the girl and took her hostage while she sobbed with terror. The Mazoku pressed his sword to her throat. “Drop your weapons or the girl dies!”

Winteru lowered his hands. “I warned her not to go inside.” He looked away and shrugged noncommittally. “You can’t save people from themselves.” With blinding swiftness, he snapped his left hand forward and hurled his short sword like a dagger. He caught the Mazoku between the eyes before springing forward and decapitating him as well.

Asura was splashed by demon blood and was stunned by what she had witnessed. It hardly seemed possible. The blood on her face washed away in the rain. “You have made a powerful enemy tonight of Lord Zigurashi. He will seek to punish you for your effrontery.”

“I dare him to try.” Winteru donned his cloak, hat, and backpack and disappeared into the darkness.