《Brink》


 Chapter 1: Everything Changed With A Girl

    "I had that dream again last night. It was dark, and I could hear people screaming at me as if I was in serious danger. When I turned to see who was screaming, I was stabbed through the chest. I felt the pain and the warmth of my blood coming out of my chest when I heard someone whisper in my ear, stating that giving me power was a mistake. As I started turning my head to see who it was, he twisted the blade and kicked me to the ground. I looked up to see who my killer was, but I just couldn''t make him out."


    Kane slammed his locker shut and started walking to the classroom right next to it. "My name is Kane Muramasa; I''m 18, a senior in high school, blond hair, and green eyes. This dream that I have been having started when I began seeing things that other people can''t. I''m not exactly sure what they are, but they look like clear dots that fly like flies around certain people, and when I get close to some of these people, I get a really weird sensation. I guess you can say it feels like a killing intent."


    He sat down at his desk and looked out the window. "Good morning, Kane!" someone yelled into his ear. "Ah, good morning, Toshi. Has anyone ever told you that yelling into someone''s ear that loud could cause them to go deaf?" Kane scolded him.


    "Keep it loud. Oh, how''s your sister feeling since the accident?" Toshi crossed his arms and put on a large smile. "She is doing much better now that she is home, and she is under the care of yours truly," he said, pointing at himself with his thumb. "So what are you doing aft...?¡±


    He was interrupted when a piece of chalk hit both him and Kane on the head. "Stop talking and get ready for class, you two!" the teacher said, pointing her ruler at them. "Yes, Ma''am!" they yelled, standing at attention, then sat down and took out their books.


    Fifteen minutes into class, Kane got bored and started looking outside, down towards the ground floor. He started looking at the tennis courts, where classmates played tennis, then at the pool, where he saw the girls'' swim team doing laps. Finally, he looked at the front gate where something caught his eye ¨C a girl sitting at the gate, staring at him. "Who is that?" he asked himself, trying to focus on her a bit more.


    "MISTER MURAMASA, AM I BORING YOU?" the teacher yelled. Kane stood at attention again. "No, ma''am," he answered. He sat down, grabbed his book, and took one last glance at the gate. "She''s gone," he whispered. The bell rang and got his attention; he grabbed his books and placed them into his bag.


    "Hey Kane, let''s go on the roof and eat lunch today; you seem a little out of it for some reason," Toshi requested as he poked Kane in the shoulder. Kane looked at Toshi and looked at the gate again. "Yeah, alright. I guess I need some fresh air," he replied, rubbing his eyes.


    Kane sat down and placed his lunch next to him. "You know something, Toshi?" he asked as he looked at him, not surprised that he had a mouth full of ramen already. "There was a girl at the gate during class, and it looked like she was just staring at me the entire time."


    Toshi swallowed the mouthful of food and looked at Kane. "It sounds like someone has a crush on you, buddy," he said playfully with a smile on his face. Kane looked at the ground. "Would you shut up!" he said angrily. "No one has a crush on me," he closed his eyes. "And besides, I''ve never met her." He opened his eyes and was shocked to see a black cat sitting on the metal fence behind them, staring at him.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Toshi, do you see that cat?" Kane asked, pointing at the cat. Toshi swallowed another mouthful of ramen and looked. "It''s a cat, so what," he replied, shoving another scoopful of ramen into his mouth. ¡°No, I''m serious; I swear that cat is staring at me!" Kane said as he turned to Toshi. "Look at it." He pointed and looked back at the fence. "Where did it go?" he started looking around, but no sign of the cat. "Maybe you scared it away," Toshi replied with a cookie in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s about time to go back to class anyway. Let''s go. We¡¯ve only got one more hour before we are done for the day."


    The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. ¡°Hey Kane, what are you doing this weekend?¡± Toshi asked as he slapped Kane on the back. Kane stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± He replied walking out of the school. ¡°I will let you know when I find out.¡± Toshi and Kane exited the school gate. "I''ll see you tomorrow, Kane!" Toshi yelled as he started running home. "Yeah, see you tomorrow," Kane replied as he turned the opposite direction and started walking home.


    "Who was she, and why was she staring at me?" he asked himself. In a train of thought, he missed his turn and kept walking. He looked up. "Where am I?" he looked around, seeing nothing familiar. He turned around and stopped in his tracks because he saw a girl wearing a dark cloak standing in front of him. He focused on the girl, hoping to get a better look. "Were you the girl that was staring at me this afternoon at the school?" he asked her. He stared at her for a short while, then suddenly she started running towards him. "It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? I finally found you." She stopped in front of him. "Um, sorry miss, found who?" Kane asked. She stared at him with her big blue eyes. "I found you silly; you are Kane Muramasa, are you not?" she answered with a big grin on her face. He looked at her confused. "Me? How do you know my name? I''ve never met you." She started walking around him. "I''ve been watching you," she said as he started getting that sensation again. When she got back around to the front of him, he could see the clear dots flying around her. "You can see them, can''t you?" she asked. "See what?" he asked angrily. "The Pyreflies, dummy," she replied with a grin. "So what, and why have you been watching me?" he asked as she snapped her fingers. Kane looked at her confused but almost instantly saw a small group of dots turn into a small bag. "I was part of the Sentry, and you, Kane Muramasa, I need your help."


    Kane looked at her even more confused, more amazed at the fact that she made a bag appear out of nowhere. "Pyreflies are kind of like our helpers, so to speak. They are attracted to our power, the sensation you feel when you get near them is called Instinct," she explained as she reached into the bag. "Not everyone can control them like some of us; they feed on our power to survive, and in return, they help us. Not everyone who can control them uses them the right way." She continued as she pulled a sword out of the bag. Kane jumped back, thinking she was going to attack him with it. "What are you going to do with that?" he asked a little nervous. She looked at him confused. "What are you talking about?" she said as she tilted the sword broadside, showing a small engraving on the blade just above the hilt that read MURAMASA. "Whoa, hold on a second. Just because it has my name on it doesn''t mean it''s mine. I can''t......." He was interrupted by someone laughing behind him. "So this is where you brought the MURAMASA BLADE. Shame on you, Kitty. You know the rules; we are not supposed to disclose any of our information to mere trash such as this kid. Now that you have broken that rule, I have to kill you both. A shame really, I was quite fond of you, Kitty." Kane turned around to see a large man with white hair standing behind him, holding a large battle hammer over his shoulder. "Ready to die?"

 Chapter 2: The Darkness Inside

    Kane snapped out of his fear and stepped in front of the girl. "What do you mean by that? What did we do to you?" he asked angrily. The man shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing at all; rules are rules, and she knows that. Now then, it¡¯s time for you to say farewell to this world," the man replied as he started running towards them.


    "She got you involved; blame her for your death, boy!" Kane took a defensive stance. "Stay behind me," he said as he got ready to defend her. "Get out of the way; you will die if you fight him," she said as she pushed him back. "Stand back."


    Kane angrily argued, "How are you going to fight? You don¡¯t have a weapon; you¡¯re the one that''s gonna get yourself ki..." He stopped as he saw claws come out of the tips of her fingers. She started to charge at the man. "I won¡¯t let you harm him or have the blade," she yelled. "You¡¯re going to fight me, Kitty? I¡¯m going to enjoy this," the man said as he swung at her with incredible force.


    The girl jumped over him, dodging the hammer; she landed on the ground and slashed his back with her claws. "Ugh, you witch!" he yelled as he swung backward, catching her off guard. She took the hit and flew straight towards Kane, landing on the ground by his feet. "Miss, are you....." he stopped; she coughed up blood.


    "The sword," she whispered. "Get the sword and run." Kane looked at her. "That''s not happening; you need medical hel....." He stopped as she grabbed his hand and looked at him smiling. "Just get the sword and run; I''ll be alright," she whispered. Kane looked into her eyes. "I''ll be back for you." He turned around and grabbed the sword.


    "FINALLY," he heard a voice in his head and blanked out. His body went limp while still holding the sword in his hand. "What do you think you¡¯re doing with that sword, boy?" The man said as he started to charge at Kane. "Someone could get hurt, you know." He swung his hammer. "Now Die!" The hammer stopped as if it hit a solid wall. Shocked, he saw Kane''s hand had blocked it with his bare hand.


    "WHAT! Impossible, how did you?" He tried to move the hammer away, but it would not budge. ¡°Let go of my hammer, you brat.¡± Kane looked at him. ¡°A brat, huh?¡± he replied in a malicious voice. ¡°I don¡¯t like that tone you have. Maybe I should get rid of your little toy and teach you a lesson!¡± Kane squeezed and shattered the hammer.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "What are you going to do now, big man?" Kane asked, laughing. The man looked at Kane¡¯s eyes; his iris was slowly turning black, his pupils turning blood red. Kane swung the blade in the blink of an eye and cut the remainder of the hammer''s pole about an inch away from the man¡¯s fingers. "What is this? Who are you?" The man said as he jumped back to get some distance.


    Kane lowered the sword. "Who am I, you ask?" Kane replied as he vanished, leaving nothing but a dust trail. The man looked around but couldn¡¯t find him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked. Kane leaned in towards the man''s ear. "I''m your worst nightmare," he whispered into his ear as he stabbed the man through the chest.


    "Impossible," the man said as he dropped to the ground. Kane swung the sword downwards, flinging the blood off the blade, started walking slowly towards the girl on the ground. "That''s impossible," she said. "How did he get so much power?" she struggled to say, coughing up more blood. She watched Kane as he got closer until he was right on top of her.


    "How did..." she stopped as he brought the sword up ready to swing. "Because of you, I''m free!!!" He said maliciously. She looked at him. "What do you mean?" She asked as she looked into his eyes. "No, you¡¯re not Kane. What have you done to him?" He looked back at her. "Oh, he is still here, but he can¡¯t see or hear you. Now I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s time for you to die." He said as he swung the sword.


    "NO," she screamed. The blade stopped mere centimeters from her neck; she looked up and saw what looked like severe pain in his face. "AAAAAAAAAAAA" he screamed. "NO, leave me alone!!!" He jumped back grabbing his head. "I''M FREE, even if you put me back, I will get out again, and I WILL have this body!!!" He went silent and fell to the ground. He opened his eyes and stood up, tossing the sword to the side, and looked at the man¡¯s body.


    "What the hell just happened?" he asked now looking at his hands, then quickly realized something. "Where¡¯s that girl?" he asked as he looked behind him and spotted her. "Are you alright?" he asked as he ran to her and knelt by her side seeing more than just her coughing up blood. "You¡¯re seriously hurt; let me take you to the hospital." he went to pick her up. "NO. I''ll be fine!" she said as she tried to get up but fell back down grabbing at her side in pain.


    "No, you¡¯re not, now hold still," he said forcefully as he picked her up and put her on his back hearing what he thought was ribs grinding together. "Fine," she said in pain. "On one condition." he looked at her. "Put the sword in the bag and take it with us." He nodded and walked over to the sword, picking it up. "What is this thing exactly?" he asked as he placed it in the bag and looked at her, noticing that she was unconscious.


    "I''ll ask another time; first thing is first. I need to get you to the hospital." he placed the bag under his arm and ran towards the hospital.

 Chapter 3: The Story Unfolds

    Kane burst into the hospital, urgently shouting, "I need medical help!!!" A nurse hurried over, eyeing the situation. "What¡¯s wrong with her, sir?" Kane, with a frown, replied, "What do you mean what¡¯s wrong with her?" as he gently placed the girl down. "Look at her; she''s..." He halted as he noticed all the wounds on her body had vanished. "I don''t understand; she was bleeding all over the place." He continued examining her, "You''ve got to believe me; she was hurt, I swear."


    The nurse shot him an annoyed look and retorted, "When your girlfriend is pregnant, then come to me. This is a hospital for the sick and injured, NOT FOR CLOWNS AND JOKES!!" She turned and stormed off. Kane, bewildered, looked at the girl, wondering who or what she was. "Who is this girl?" he mumbled as he picked her up, left the hospital, and headed home.


    Carrying her, Kane mulled over the mysterious events¡ªthe Sentry, the sword, and the girl''s identity. Upon reaching home, he opened the door, calling out, "Hello? Is anyone home?" Silence followed. "Guess not; they''re never home," he muttered. Kane carried the girl upstairs and into his room. "Just lay here for a while; I won¡¯t let anything happen to you again," he assured her, gently lowering her onto his bed and placing the bag on his desk. He walked out, closing the door.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Kane questioned himself as he walked outside. "UGH, this is such a huge pain," he exclaimed, rubbing his head vigorously. Looking back at his door, he turned around, hands in his pockets, and left his house. ¡°Maybe I can figure something out if I go back there,¡± he thought as he walked to the scene of the fight to gather more information.


    Arriving, Kane found the man''s body he had killed was gone. "What the?" He ran over to where the body was, discovering only a puddle of blood and small bloody footprints leading into the woods. Scanning, he spotted something shiny in the rubble of what once was a battle hammer. Kane ran over, picked it up, and examined it. "What is this? It looks like a golden ball or something." He glanced around one last time and headed back home. "Maybe she can tell me what this thing is."


    Arriving home, Kane noticed the light in his room was on, and the shadow of the girl moved around. "She''s awake," he murmured as he ran to his room and opened the door. "Are you... okay?" he asked, his face turning red. "AAAAAAAAAA! Get out, you pervert!!!" she screamed, throwing objects at him. He slammed the door shut and stepped back, trying to calm down. Leaning on the wall next to his door, Kane tossed the golden ball up and down. After a few seconds, the door opened. "It¡¯s safe to come in now," she said.


    Kane walked into his room to find her wearing a pair of his boxers and a slightly oversized T-shirt. "Who said you could wear my clothes?" he asked, slightly angry. She looked at him, "Well, my clothes were torn, and besides, it''s your fault for leaving me here all alone," she said playfully, turning to the window.


    "That still doesn''t give you the right to... What is that?" Kane asked, pointing to something coming out of her backside. She turned and grabbed it, "What, this? It¡¯s my tail, why? You got a problem with that?" she asked angrily. He waved his hands out in front of him, "No, not at all. I''m just curious to know why you have a tail." He looked at her head, noticing a pair of cat ears as well. "Do you have some sort of fetish for cats or something? What¡¯s with the cat ear accessory?" She looked at him with a strange look on her face that then changed to a small smirk. "Okay, I know you have some questions. I will answer them on ONE condition." She let go of her tail and walked closer to Kane. "What¡¯s the condition?" he asked nervously, taking a step back.


    She got as close to his face as she could and answered with a smirk, "You have to help me take down the Sentry!" He looked at her with a scared and confused look on his face. "You can¡¯t be serious; I don''t even know what the Sentry is, let alone why that man attacked us." She looked into his eyes, "Just where did you go when you left me here?" She stepped back and crossed her arms, "You went back to where the fight was, didn''t you?" He nodded, "Did you see anything odd?" She asked, getting back into his face. He stepped backward and fell into his desk chair, "Tell me, was IKADA still there?" He looked back at her, "Ikada?" he asked. She began to get angry, "YES, IKADA. He is the man that attacked us." He looked at her with a stern look, "He wasn''t there anymore when I arrived, all I saw were some small footprints heading towards the woods. As I searched some more, I found this in the remains of his weapon," he said, pulling out the gold ball he found.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She snatched it out of his hands and looked it over, "You said you found this in the weapon''s rubble?" He nodded as he looked back at her, "Yeah, is that a problem?" He asked. She glared at him, "YES, it''s a problem; you should have brought this to me as soon as you got it!" He leaned back in his chair, "Um, Sorry?" She got back in his face, "SORRY? Do you even know what this is?" He scratched his head, "I just thought it was a gold ball of sorts." She stepped back with an appalled look, "A Gold ball?" She held the item in front of her, "This, KANE MURAMASA, is an essence orb." He looked at the orb, "An essence orb? What''s that?" He asked as he reached for it.


    She pulled it back, "An essence orb is the essence, or power, of the weapon compressed into an orb-like form. When this orb matures, it can turn into a number of things, depending on the carrier''s actions and morals. It''s a rare occurrence to find one after a weapon is destroyed." She handed it back to him, "And since you were the first one to touch it, you have to hold onto it." He grabbed the orb and examined it, "Now, as for my question. Will you help me take down the Sentry?" She asked as she stared deeply into his eyes.


    "I... Uh..." He stuttered as he stared back, "Fine, I will help you take down this Sentry organization thing," he replied, looking at the orb. "BUT," he added, looking back at her, "I have no clue what to do." She stepped back and sat on his bed, "That''s what I¡¯m here for; I need your help because," she looked down and mumbled, "You have much more strength than I do." She looked back up, "After what I saw this afternoon, I have no doubt that you¡¯re the one that can help me." She looked to the side with a depressed look, "Besides that, I can¡¯t fight well." There was an awkward pause until she jumped up with a serious look, "You''ve accepted my condition; now ask your questions." She demanded as she pointed her finger at him.


    He looked back at her surprised, "Um.......... ok. I have several questions, if that¡¯s ok." She looked at him with a weird face and laid down on the bed, "Yeah, I guess it¡¯s alright," she said cheerfully. "Ok," he said, "Who are you? What are you? What¡¯s with the tail and ears? What is this Sentry Organization? What happened to me when I touched that sword? What is that sword? Why can I see these Pyerflie things? And what do I have to do to help you?" She sat up and looked at him, "Yeah, you''re right; you did have several questions. OK, for starters, my name is Kat. I used to work with the Sentry before they started doing terrible things. I am a Makyo, and I can change into a cat, hence the reason for my tail and ears. The Sentry was essentially an organization that protected the human race and the races in the Sentry from extinction. As for what happened to you when you touched the sword, I can¡¯t answer that; that sword was in the Sentry for many years. It belonged to the man that formed the organization; he had immense power and controlled the Sentry with it. But one day, he inexplicably died, and the sword awaited its new owner. Millions of people tried, but no one was able to awaken it. It was only last year ago that the Muramasa engraving appeared on the blade. I don''t know what it really is. Pyerflies are an entity that feeds on our emotions and strength, and in return, they assist us in several ways. Only people who have power can see them, and for you to help me, I need that power you possess." He stared at her for a second, "Wait, me, power?" he asked, "I''m sorry to burst your bubble, but I don''t have any power. I''m not sure what happened this afternoon, but none of that was me. All I remember is grabbing the sword, hearing a voice, and blacking out." She looked at him surprised, "You heard a voice in your head?" she asked him, "I never expected this." He looked at her confused as she continued, "The sword must have acted like a key and awoke your dormant strength and power. It must have released it all at once for you to lose control like that." She looked at him with a questionable look, "What happened when you touched the sword after the battle?" He looked at his hands, "nothing." She laid back down, "humph, must have been a spur of the moment or something," she said as she pulled the covers over her, "But for now, let¡¯s get some rest; we have a long day tomorrow." He quickly looked at her, "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" he asked surprised, "and why do you get to sleep in my bed?" He stood up when she didn''t reply, only to find out that she was already fast asleep, "Ok then, never mind," he said angrily as he pulled out a blanket and pillow from his closet and laid them on the floor, "I still don''t know what I can do to help," he thought to himself as he laid down and fell asleep.

 Chapter 4: The Bringer Of Death

    "Kane, wake up! They''re here. Hurry and get dressed," a voice whispered to Kane. He opened his eyes, only to see a black cat on his chest. "Hurry, we need to go now!" the cat urged. Startled, Kane jumped up. "A talking cat?" he exclaimed.


    "SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT!!!" the cat hissed angrily. "It''s me, Kat." Kane calmed down. "Don''t scare me like that," he said. "What''s the hurry? It''s 4 in the morning," he added, glancing at his alarm clock.


    "They''re here, right outside," Kat whispered urgently. "We need to get out of here, NOW!" Kane quickly put on some clothes and grabbed his sword. "Where are we going?" he asked, peering through the blinds.


    "GET AWAY FROM THAT WINDOW!" Kat scolded quietly. "The back door. Hurry before they find us." They bolted downstairs toward the door. "Wait a second," Kane said, pausing in front of the kitchen. "Something''s not right." He cautiously entered, sword at the ready. "Hello?" he asked, turning on the lights.


    The lights revealed a woman standing by the door, holding a butcher knife. "Mom?" Kane asked, lowering his sword.


    He looked at her, "Mom, you have to get out of here; it''s not safe," he told her, moving closer. "I¡¯m sorry, Kane, but I''ve been ordered to kill you," she mumbled, tears streaming down her face. Kane''s hairs stood on end as she attacked.


    "Mom, what are you doing? Stop this!" Kane yelled, blocking her attacks. "Kane, what¡¯s the hold up? We need to leave now; they heard you," Kat urged, scratching his mom to distract her. "Let¡¯s go." Kane looked at his mom. "I''m sorry," he said, pushing her to the ground and running out of the kitchen.


    Halfway down the hallway, Kane stopped. "Wait, Kat," he said. "We can¡¯t go anywhere." She stopped and turned around. "What do you mean? Why not?" she asked.


    "Because, they¡¯ve already begun the attack," Kane replied, drawing his sword and getting ready. "How do you know that? Let¡¯s get out of he..." She was interrupted as the wall was blown away.


    "There you are, Kane Muramasa!" a young female voice yelled. The dust cleared, revealing a girl standing on a roof, holding a scythe. "You¡¯re going to die for what you''ve done to Mr. Ikada."


    "Wait, you¡¯re... why did they send you?" Kane asked. Kat looked up at the girl. "Her name is Letum, the bringer of death. Be careful, Kane!" Kane looked at Kat. "What are you talking about, be careful? I can¡¯t fight."


    Kat twitched her tail, "What are you talking about? What about yesterday?" She asked angrily. Kane looked at the sword. "That wasn''t me." He turned and looked up at Letum. "But that doesn''t mean I can¡¯t try, though, right?" He brought the sword up by his face and got ready.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Are you two done talking?" Letum yelled as she leapt down towards Kane, holding the scythe over her shoulder. "Ready or not, time to die!" Kane took a defensive stance, preparing for the attack.


    Letum swung her scythe, creating a shockwave. Kane jumped to the side, narrowly dodging it, and dashed towards Letum, swinging his sword. "You think you can hit me?" Letum asked as she jumped into the air and swung her scythe again, this time connecting with Kane''s sword, tossing it into the air.


    "Are you really the one who caused Mr. Ikada so much damage?" She asked, putting the blade of her scythe around his neck. "I refuse to believe that a weakling like you did that." She pulled the blade onto his neck, cutting into his skin. "I should kill you right now, just to be sure."


    Kane looked down at the ground and whispered, "I guess I can¡¯t protect anyone." Letum looked at him with an odd face. "What was that?" she asked. "I¡¯m really going to die now; I haven''t even lived my life yet." He continued to whisper.


    "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???" a voice echoed in his head. "I''m not about to let you die because you can¡¯t defend yourself!!!" A strong wind came from Kane¡¯s still body. "What is this? Where is this wind coming from?" Letum asked.


    Kane looked up and opened his blood-red eyes. "What the......." She jumped back. "What is this, you¡¯re not the same person I was fighting! WHO ARE YOU?" Kane stood up and let out a malicious laugh. "You¡¯re the second person to ask me that. I''ll tell you who I am as you enter the other world." He said, staring at her.


    "WHAT WAS THAT???" Letum asked as she dashed at him, readying her scythe. Kane turned around. "Please, little girl, be careful with that; someone might get¡ª" Letum swung her scythe and hit nothing; Kane disappeared. "Where are you, you son of a....." she got cut off as she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. "hurt," Kane said as he let go of her shoulder. "Farewell, little lady." He walked off. "This isn''t ov......." she said as she started to turn around and fell to the ground. "What?" she looked down only to find her feet severed and screamed in pain. "How could you? I''m a young woman; you¡¯re not supposed to hurt me!" Kane turned around. "Hurt? No, I meant to kill you; I merely missed and cut your legs. Call your comrades; I''m sure they can help you back onto your feet." He laughed, walking to the destroyed house, picking up the sword in the process.


    "You''ll pay for this, you bastard, mark my words; you''ll pay," Letum said as she twisted a knob on her scythe and vanished in a plume of smoke. Kane sat down next to Kat. "What in the world was that? I could have sworn you were going to die there for a second. What happened?" she asked.


    Kane looked at her with his green eyes. "I don''t know; I heard that voice again, and I blanked out." He said, feeling the back of his neck and looking at his hand full of blood. "Don''t worry," she said, changing back into her human form. "I have medical supplies." She snapped her fingers and grabbed her bag. "Thanks, Kat," Kane said, turning to look at her. "I really appre......." He fell over, bleeding from the nose, after seeing that she was naked. "Kane, are you okay? I have something for that nose bleed to, hang on." Kane sat up and put his back to her "No its fine Kat, but can you do me a favor?" he asked her "Sure, what is it?" she replied as she was patting his neck with a cloth. "Could you put some cloths on?" He asked. "Huh?" she said as she looked at herself "AAAAAAA, you pervert!" she yelled as she hit him with a rock.

 Chapter 5: A Fateful Encounter

    Kane stood up. "Ok, now where are we going, and what are we going to do about my house?"


    Kat stood up and looked at him. "I will take care of the house," she said as she raised her hand, sending a large amount of Pyerflies at it. "They will fix what has been broken. As for where we are going, you need training before we can go against the Sentry. We are going to see Vox; he can train you to fight and how to control what is going on in your head."


    She said as she jumped onto his shoulder in cat form. "We need to head east," she pointed. "It¡¯s a long way away. Are you ready?"


    He threw a bag onto his other shoulder and looked at her. "Ready as I''ll ever be," he replied and began walking. He stopped when he heard something coming from the house; he turned around only to see his mom standing in the rubble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± he turned around and continued walking.


    He looked at his watch. "6:00 am, that''s the time I meet Toshi around the corner," he whispered.


    "KANE, you ready for school?" Toshi said as he ran out from the corner and looked at Kane, "Um, dude, what happened to you?" He asked as he looked at Kane''s tattered clothes and cuts.


    Kane looked at himself then back at Toshi. "Long story. I''ll tell you later. OH, inform the teachers that I won¡¯t be back in school for a while. I''m going on a, uh," Kane said as he looked at Kat, "Trip to see an ill family member."


    Toshi threw his bag over his shoulder. "OK, in that case, how long are you going to be gone for?" he asked.


    Kane looked at Kat again, who was acting like a normal cat and not paying any attention. "A couple of weeks, I guess. Don''t worry, I''ll call you when I get there and tell you how they''re doing," Kane replied scratching the back of his head smiling.


    They walked to the end of the road together. "Take care of yourself, Toshi. I''ll see you when I get back," Kane said as he turned the corner.


    "I''ll be waiting for that call, dude. Oh, and would you like me to say goodbye to Rose for you?" Toshi asked, laughing.


    Kane stopped and turned around. "Well, um." He stuttered. "Tell her to call me after class," Kane replied with a slight blush on his face, turned around, and started walking a little faster. "Yeah sure thing. See ya when you get back," Toshi yelled, waving goodbye.


    Kane arrived at the train station and got on the train. "So, who is this Rose person?" Kat asked curiously as she hopped into the seat.


    Kane turned his head and looked out the window. "No one, don''t worry about it," Kane replied.


    Kat jumped into his lap. "She''s your girlfriend, isn''t she? Awe Kane, I would never have guessed you would have a girlfriend, that''s so cute."


    Kane pushed her off of his lap. "NO, she''s not my girlfriend! She''s just a friend," he said as he looked out the window.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I want to know more about Rose; you will have to introduce me when we return, IF we return," she said.


    Kane looked at her awkwardly. "What do you mean IF?" Kat looked at him with a stern look. "Your training is going to take a while, and it is very intense. I''m not sure if you''ll be able to handle it."


    Kane looked at her with a slightly concerned look. "Heh heh heh heh, if I''ll be able to endure it? Thanks for telling me!!!" he replied angrily, he crossed his arms and sat back against the seat. "So who is this guy we are going to see anyway?" Kat laid down and curled up. "You''ll know when you see him," Kane scratched his head. "I''ll know him when I see him huh." he said to himself looking around the train.


    Kat whacked him with her tail. "He''s not on the train, so stop, get some sleep, it''s a long trip," Kane looked at her then leaned on the window. "I don''t think I''ll be able to sleep with all that has been going on," he said looking out of the window watching trees go by. "I wonder how long I''m going to be gone for," he asked and himself fell asleep.


    "Excuse me, Sir. May I sit here?" a man said as Kane opened his eyes.


    "If you don''t mind sir, may I sit here?" Kane looked at him and looked around at several open booths. "No. There are open booths everywhere. Go sit in one of them," Kane demanded as he looked outside again.


    The man sat down in the seat in front of him. "I''m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that, Mr. Muramasa." Kane quickly turned towards him, frightened. "How do you know my name?" he asked.


    The man opened his bag and started reaching inside. "I know a lot about you, Kane Muramasa. Possibly more than you know about yourself," The man said reaching deeper into his bag. "I know about your fight with Ikada and Letum. I even know about your childhood."


    Kat woke up and looked at the man then at Kane. "Who is this man Kane? Do you know him?" she asked with no reply.


    Kane didn''t take his eyes off of him. "How? Who are you? Tell me!!!!!" The man stopped digging in the bag and looked at Kane. "Oh, you''ll know in due time, but in the meantime," He pulled out an ancient-looking box and opened it, Kane reflexively guarded his eyes but nothing happened and slowly let his arms down only to see the man handing him a sandwich. "Let¡¯s eat."


    Kane reached over and grabbed the sandwich and looked it over. "Don''t worry; there is nothing wrong with it." Kane looked at the man surprised. "Sorry, I''ve had some weird things happen to me lately." he explained and took a bite. "Now, who are you?"


    The man finished his sandwich. "I''m a member of the Sentry, my name is Doc. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you." He replied holding his hand out.


    Kane reached over and shook it. "How do you know me?" He asked letting go.


    The man reached into his bag again, pulled out a small cylindrical tube and opened it up like a scroll. "I''ve been watching you for many years. I had my suspicions that you''d be the one to awaken the sword." Kane looked at Kat. "Do you know who this is?" he asked.


    Kat thought for a second. "No, I don''t recall his name or his face," she replied. The man leaned down and looked at Kat. "How intriguing, a talking cat. When, might I ask, did you learn to talk?" She looked at him with a dull look. "I''m a Makyo, you moron." She told him.


    Doc sat back up. "A Makyo huh. I thought they were extinct. You must be one of the last then. Am I right?" Kane looked at Kat as she sat there looking down. "Yes, I am the last of my kind," she said with a very sad tone of voice, "but that doesn''t mean...." she was interrupted when the lights on the train went out. ¡°They are here, Kane be ready," Doc ordered.


    Kane stood up grabbing his sword. "Who is it this time?" he said looking at Doc.


    "Keep your guard up Kane, you will see soon enough." Doc said reaching into his bag again.


    Kane turned around. "Why can¡¯t I just get a break?" he complained holding his sword up.


    Doc pulled out a crossbow from his bag. "Stop complaining and be ready!" The train came to a stop and the rear door burst open. Doc and Kane got behind anything they could find, ready to fight. "Now where are you? I know you''re here, I can smell you!" a deep voice grumbled.

 Chapter 6: Rose

    Kane took a look over the chair he was behind and saw nothing. "Where is he?" he mouthed to Doc and sat back down behind his cover. Doc pointed to his eyes and pointed to the front of the car. "Now, run now!" he yelled as he started firing crossbow bolts. Kane took his advice and ran to the door; he stopped and looked back. "What about you?" he yelled.


    Doc kept firing. "Don''t worry about me; I''ll be fine, just run." Kane jumped out of the car with Kat on his shoulder. "You''re just going to run?" she said.


    Kane looked at her with a smile. "No, I have a plan." Kane ran towards the front of the car and climbed to the roof. "Ok, what is this plan of yours?" Kat asked, hopping off of his shoulder.


    Kane pointed towards an opening in the roof. "I''m going to help him!" Kane crept over towards the opening and peeked inside, looking for the thing that was attacking Doc. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shine then disappear. "What was that?" he asked himself as he looked around and couldn''t find a trace of Doc.


    Kane dropped down into the train car. "Doc, you there?" He whispered, waiting for a reply. He took a step forward and heard something behind him; he turned around as fast as he could with his sword at the ready but saw nothing. He stepped backward and heard the noise again, but still couldn''t see anything. "Die, Muramasa!" he was suddenly flung across to the other end of the car.


    "KANE!" Kat yelled as she ran over towards him. "Kane, are you ok?" She stared at his motionless body with blood coming out of his mouth. "Kane? Come on, stop playing around. You need to get up." She said as her eyes started tearing up. "Kane, KANE!" She yelled.


    Kane opened his eyes; he was no longer on the train. It was dark and he couldn''t see anything. "Where am I?" He asked, looking around. "What is this place?" He heard laughter behind him and turned around to see what it was. "Who''s there?" He looked around, trying to find where the laughter was coming from.


    "You seriously don''t know where you are?" a malicious voice said in his ear. Kane jumped away from the voice and turned around. "You¡¯re on the verge of death, kid. You took that blow full force. You don''t have ANY power to do anything, kid!" the voice continued. "If you had power, what would you do with it?" Kane looked at his hands. "I want to protect my friends," He replied and looked back towards the area the voice was coming from.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "KANE!" He turned trying to find out where this new voice was coming from. "Is that what your heart desires?" He turned back towards the voice. "Yes. I want the power to protect my friends," he answered. "KANE!" He turned again trying to find this new voice. "I shall grant you this power, BUT in return, you must do something for me." He turned back to the voice again. "And that would be?" Kane asked.


    "In due time, kid, in due time. In the meantime, take the blade and strike down your enemies." Kane felt something in his hand and looked; it was his sword, but it felt somewhat lighter. "KANE! KANE! KANE!" He opened his eyes to see Kat bawling her eyes out. "Please, get up." He slowly got to his feet.


    Kat stared at him. "I''m ok, Kat, and I know what to do," he said in a calm voice and looked down at the other end of the car. "I can see him," he said as he gripped the sword. "No, Kane, you¡¯re too injured to fight. We''ve gotta run," Kat yelled.


    Kane looked down at her, gave her a quick smile, and slowly walked towards the other end of the car. "Back for more, eh?" This big man with scars on his face said. "This time you die," he said as he swung a spiked club. Kane smiled and vanished as the club came inches away from him. "What just happened?" Kat asked and watched the man slowly start to appear in front of her.


    "Who...?" she stopped when she saw him starting to bleed through a clean cut through his abdomen. "I''m sorry... Koya sir, I couldn''t kill... Muramasa," the man stuttered as the upper half of his body fell to the ground. Kat saw Kane behind the man with blood dripping from the sword.


    Kane turned towards Kat and gave a smile and thumbs up. "Kane, I don''t..." she stopped as he fell to the ground, she ran over towards him. "Kane, are you ok?" she asked but stopped when she saw that he had passed out.


    Kane opened his eyes and looked around. "Where am I?" he asked, seeing what looked like a bedroom, and saw Kat lying on the side of the bed sleeping. He sat up and grabbed his side due to pain when he looked he saw that he was wrapped up in bandages and in his boxers. "Kane?" He looked over at Kat as she sat with her eyes wide open. "Are you ok? I was worried."


    He let go of his side. "Yeah, I¡¯m fine, 100%," he said as he flexed his bicep and cringed in pain. "You''re lying," Kat replied as she saw through his tough act. "It¡¯s my fault. If I hadn''t disobeyed the rules you would still be fine," she stated as she started to cry.


    Kane placed his hand on her head. "Don''t be so hard on yourself; it''s not your fault. You needed help and I was the one the sword chose." She looked up at him with eyes full of tears. "Stop crying, I''m fine. Really," he said in a soft voice. She lunged towards him and hugged him, "Calm down, Kat, seriously I¡¯m fine," Kane said cringing in pain. "Oh, you¡¯re awake," said a female voice around the corner. Kane looked up. "Rose?"

 Chapter 7: The Unexpected

    The woman smiled. "How are you feeling, Kane?" Kat let Kane go and looked at Rose. "So this is Rose," she said as she stood up and walked over to her. "It''s nice to meet Kane''s girlfriend. I''m Kat, Kane''s um... partner," shaking her hand vigorously. "Kat, that''s not...." Kane yelled as his face turned red. He looked at Rose as she looked back at him, smiling, then a face like she just forgot something. "You two must be hungry; let me get some food for you," she said as she ran out of the room.


    Kane looked at Kat. "Ugh, why did you have to say that? She isn''t my girlfriend." Kat walked back over to him and sat on the bed. "Why not? You two would be great together." Kane looked back at her then looked down. "It¡¯s a little complicated." Kat stood up and got in front of Kane. "What do you mean, complicated?" Rose came back into the room. "I have fresh eggs and bacon," she said as she placed three plates on the table and sat down next to Kane with a wide grin. "It''s complicated because of my father," she said, answering Kat''s question. "My father blames Kane for my mother¡¯s death." Kane looked away as Kat looked at him.


    "I''ll be right back," he told them as he stood up and left the room. Ten minutes had gone by, and Kane hadn''t returned. "I''m going to find out where he is," Kat said as she placed her plate down. Rose stood up. "No, I know where he is. I''ll go and get him." Kat watched Rose as she left the room.


    "So because Rose''s father blames Kane for her mother¡¯s death, they can''t get close," Kat said to herself. "Wait," she stood up. "If that kid back then was Kane, then that means..." Rose walked out of the house into the backyard and towards a single large tree. "Kane, I know you¡¯re up there," she yelled up the tree. "Don''t think I have forgotten where you like to hide when you''re upset." Kane looked down from the top of the tree. "Wow, you really went all the way to the top this time, huh?" Rose yelled up at him. "Come down here; I want to talk to you." Kane stood up on the tree branch he was laying on. "I''m coming, I¡¯m coming," he replied as he started walking towards the center of the tree. "What is it you want to ta...." he stopped as he heard the branch begin to snap. "Um Rose, I think I may be down faster than I thought," he yelled down as he tried to steady himself. "Why''s that?" she yelled back. "Because the br...." he stopped as the branch began to give way under his feet. "This is going to hurt," he said to himself. "Look out below!" he yelled as the branch snapped; he hit several branches on the way down.


    Rose stepped back. "Oh my god, Kane, are you alright?" she said as Kane hit the ground. Kane sat up, amazed that he was still alive. "Well, that was unexpected," he said as he looked up the tree to see all the branches he had hit. Rose ran over to him to see if he was injured and was amazed that he landed with no scratches. Kane looked at Rose. "I''m fine, somehow." Rose let out a sigh of relief. "I don''t want you going up there anymore. I don''t want to see you hurt again," she said, starting to cry. Kane placed his hand on her head. "I''ll be fine, so don''t worry about me." She looked into his eyes. "You mean it?" He removed his hand from her head and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, there''s nothing to worry about. Honest," he replied with a smile when suddenly she lunged towards him wrapping her arms around him. "Please don''t do anything stupid." He began to blush. "I promise," he said, placing his hand back on her head.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Kane and Rose started walking back to the house when they were stopped by Kat at the door. "Kane, get away from her," she yelled as she pulled out her claws. Kane stepped in front of Rose. "Why? What¡¯s wrong, Kat?" Kane asked confused. "She''s my friend." Kat tossed the breakfast plate in front of Kane. "Would a friend poison another friend¡¯s food?" Kat yelled as she pointed at the food on the ground. Kane looked at the food as it started to dissolve into the ground. Kane turned around and looked at Rose. "Why did that plate of food just dissolve into the ground?" Rose threw her arms around Kane. "Don''t listen to her." She looked up at Kane crying. "I didn''t do it because I wanted to. My father made me do it." She said holding Kane tighter. "Kane get away from her," Kat yelled as she moved into an attack stance. "Get away from her now." Kane looked back at Kat. "Calm down, she was forced to...." he stopped, and Rose squeezed tighter and tighter. "Rose, let me go, I can''t breathe," Kane said gasping for breath trying to free himself. Rose looked deep into Kane''s eyes. "Please don''t hate me for this." She said as she began to tighten even more. "KANE," Kat yelled as he started to turn blue, she ran down, cut Rose''s arm, and was surprised that there was no blood. "What!" she said as she cut deeper only revealing mechanical gears. "She''s a doll?" She ran behind the Rose impostor and shoved her claws deep into the neck. Kane gasped for breath and fell to the ground as the doll released him and dropped. "What happened? What was that?" Kat walked over to him and helped him stand up. "That wasn''t Rose, it was a Doll. A mechanized lookalike used for battle, assassination, and murder. This one¡¯s target was you, disguised as someone close to you so you would let your guard down. The person who made it shouldn''t be too far." She explained. "They were targeting you because you are...." she stopped when she heard someone walking behind them clapping. ¡°Bravo, bravo Ms. Kat.¡± A skinny man with dark hair interrupted. "We can''t have you spilling the beans this soon in the game now can we?" Kane looked up at the man with an angry look. "Why are you here Domenic? Where''s Rose?" Kat turned and looked at Kane. "You know him?" Kane stood up catching his breath. "He''s Roses'' father."


    Kat ran as fast as she could back towards the house hearing the sound of gunfire. "Please be safe," she whispered as she got to the house. She walked up to the door and opened it only to jump back in surprise. "I should have known," she said angrily bringing out her claws. "Oh my, aren''t you feisty," another Domenic doll came walking out of the door. "Are you ready to die for real this time?" he said as he drew his pistol pointing it at her. She took a battle stance and felt a little pain. "If it''s just a doll, I''m sure I can take you out!" She said ready to fight. "Oh? You can take me out? What if there were more?" he said smiling as more dolls started walking out, pointing their pistols at her. She looked around and dropped to her knees. "I''m sorry, Kane, this looks like it¡¯s over for me." She closed her eyes and heard the firing of the guns and a heavy wind. She opened her eyes, surprised she was unharmed. She looked around only to see a vortex of wind around her. "What the?" she asked herself. "For crying out loud, I have to save the stupid cat?" a young female''s voice behind Kat. She turned around. "Why are you here, Letum?" she asked. "Don''t get the wrong idea Kat. This wasn''t my idea, I said we should just sit and watch you die, but he didn''t want that," Letum replied angrily. "He?" Kat asked, "She means me!" a man''s voice said behind her. She turned around and gasped. "Surprised to see me, Kitty?"

 Chapter 8: Death and Life

    "Well, well, Mr. Kane. Why are you worried about this little girl? What is she to you? Why should you care what happens to her, WHEN YOU LEFT HER MOTHER FOR DEAD!!!" He yelled as he pulled a gun on Kane and fired. Kane fell to the ground with a bullet wound to the chest. "KANE!" Kat yelled as she dropped to the ground trying to stop the bleeding. Kane looked at her and grabbed her hand. "Kat, run, get out of here before he gets you too," he said as his hand went limp and fell to the ground. "Kane, don¡¯t you die on me. You promised to help me remember? Please, get up," Kat said crying with no response. "No, please." She placed her fingers on his neck, looking for a pulse but couldn¡¯t find one. She stood up and looked at Domenic with a dark glare. "Oh? You¡¯re going to transform?" Domenic asked as he watched Kat start to change. Her ears started to grow larger, tail began to thicken with fur. "You¡¯re going to pay for what you¡¯ve done to him," she threatened Domenic in a demonic voice as she lunged towards him with her claws ready to kill.


    Domenic dodged the first swing as she attacked. "So, this is a Makyos¡¯ true form? You seem to be lacking in the power department, little lady. You¡¯ve gotta do better than that." Kat became angrier, kicked his feet out from under him, and jumped on top of him. "I hope you suffer as you die at my hands," she growled as she dug her claws into his neck. "DIE!" There was a loud pop from behind her, causing her to let go of Domenic and jump away. Kat looked around but saw nothing. "Ha ha ha," a metallic voice came from Domenic. "You think I¡¯d be that stupid to leave myself in the open? THINK AGAIN!" he yelled as he blew up and sent Kat flying into the tree. Kat stood up coughing up a bit of blood. "Son of a¡­" there was another pop in the distance. Kat jumped to the side as a bullet hit the tree. "I got you now," she growled as she ran in the direction the bullet came from.


    There was a noise that sounded like cracking and movement in Kane¡¯s shirt. There was a small pop and a golden glow that came out of his shirt pocket and rested itself on the bullet wound in Kane¡¯s chest and began to glow brighter. A moment went by, and Kane took a deep breath and coughed. "What happened?" he asked himself as he sat up grabbing his chest. "I was shot, I died, didn¡¯t I?" He stood up looking at his chest seeing nothing but a small scar where he was shot. "How?" There was a loud bang heard in the distance as a barn was destroyed. "What the hell is going on?" He stood up hearing more popping noises in the distance. "Kat!" He ran inside the house and grabbed his sword. "I¡¯m coming," he said as he ran towards the noise. He got halfway there and heard a loud crash then nothing. "That can¡¯t be good," Kane said as he ran faster. He arrived at the scene of all the noise only to see what he had feared. Domenic was holding Kat in the air by her hair; her body was limp and lifeless, her ear was in tatters and tail was cut. Domenic moved her to the side to look at Kane. "Oh Kane, you¡¯re still alive? How very, unfortunate," he said as he tossed Kat to the ground by Kane¡¯s feet. "A shame really, I was beginning to have fun."


    Kane knelt down beside her. "I thought you were dead," she managed to say as her eyes began to tear up. "I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get here sooner," Kane picked her up and set her onto a pile of hay. "You did great," he said as he put his hand on her head. "Get some rest, I¡¯ll take care of Domenic." She smiled as her eyes closed, and her head fell to the side. Kane stood up and walked back to the open area. "You won¡¯t get away with this, Domenic," he said as he pointed his sword. "Today, you die!"


    Domenic pulled out a pistol and loaded a magazine. "I sure hope you make this fun. I didn¡¯t even break a sweat against that feline!" He pointed the gun at Kane. "Are you ready to die again, boy?" Kane jumped towards Domenic with a downward swing. "Not this time, Domenic," Kane yelled as the sword hit the steel of the gun. "Oh so feisty, what drives you to fight? Is it your beloved Rose?" He brushed Kane¡¯s sword to the side and pointed a second pistol at Kane¡¯s face. "Or is it that dead cat over there?" Kane jumped backward as Domenic pulled the trigger, the bullet grazing his cheek. "Oh, you''re fast, but how fast are you?" Kane pointed his sword at Domenic. "Do your worst, I will cut you down no matter what you do." Domenic laughed, loaded ammunition into his weapons, and pointed his pistols at Kane. "I hope you¡¯re ready," he said as he fired three shots from each gun. Kane jumped to the left, narrowly dodging the shots. "You¡¯re going to need to aim a little better if you¡¯re going to hit..." Kane was interrupted as he was shot in his leg, arm, and shoulder from behind. Kane fell to the ground. "What the..." Domenic started to laugh. "Did you really think that I couldn¡¯t hit you just because you¡¯re fast? Think again!" He stated as he pointed his guns at Kane again. "Any last words before you die?"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Kane stumbled to his feet and smirked. "Yeah," he said as he shrugged off the pain. "Try that again." He took one step forward and vanished. Domenic became surprised and took a defensive stance. "Very impressive boy," He said scanning the area for movement and sound. "Where are you?" Domenic started moving forward still on the defensive until he heard something and stopped. "Think you can hide from me forever?" There was a distant voice that echoed. "I¡¯m not hiding." Domenic followed where the voice was until he was over a large hole in the ground, he looked down pointing his guns into the hole and laughed. "No, indeed you¡¯re not." Kane was hanging onto his sword that he stabbed into the hole a couple of feet down. "Now do you have any last words before I kill you, boy?" Domenic took aim declaring victory. Kane looked up and smiled. "Don¡¯t count me out yet, look behind you." Domenic still aiming at Kane. "You think I¡¯m falling for that old trick? Think again." He pulled the trigger and narrowly missed Kane. "WHAT!!!" He looked at his arm only to see it was impaled by three claws. "Miss me?" a female voice asked. Domenic looked back. "You! You¡¯re supposed to be dead." He yelled as he grabbed his arm. "Hasn¡¯t anyone told you? Cats have nine lives!" She told him as she lifted him up and threw him into the barn. Kat knelt down and pulled Kane out of the hole. "I thought you were dead. What happened?" Kane asked surprised. Kat looked at him. "I could ask you the same thing," She said as she started to cry. "He shot you in the heart. I saw you die." She began to cry more and change to her normal childlike form. "I didn¡¯t know what to do." She jumped at Kane wrapping her arms around him. "Are you really alive?" she asked. He pulled her away in front of him. "I am alive, and I don¡¯t plan on dying anytime soon."


    The sound of a gunshot ripped through the air. "Isn''t that sweet? A cat falling in love with her pet, too bad it''s not going to last long," Domenic stated as he pointed a rifle at the two of them. "Birds of a feather, die together!" Kane pushed Kat to the side as Domenic pulled the trigger, narrowly missing the two of them. "Kat, get out of here! I can handle him," Kane yelled as he brought his sword to the ready. "But you''re hurt, you''re going to need my help," she yelled back as she brought out her claws. Kane ran towards Domenic. "GET OUT OF HERE!" he commanded. Kat stood starting to cry again. "But," she yelled as she began to run into the fight. Kane slashed and missed Domenic as he jumped out of the way. "No buts!" he said as he got his footing to jump and attack again. "Just go, You can help me by going back to the house and waiting for me there. Please Kat, that''s all I am asking. I promise I will come get you when I am finished with him, and when I am done, we will go see Vox together." Kat started running towards the house. "You promised me. Remember that." She said crying as she ran towards the house. Kane brought the sword to the ready again and looked at Domenic. "Now, where were we?" he asked as he got ready to attack. Domenic pulled out his pistols. "Are you ready for round two, boy?"

 Chapter 9: New Allies

    Kat stood up, watching a large man with white hair standing on top of three of the Domenic dolls.


    ¡°Ikada? Ikada, is that really you?¡± she asked, stepping back. ¡°I thought Kane killed you.¡±


    Ikada smiled. ¡°Me? Die? Ha, that¡¯s a good one. It¡¯ll take a lot more than that to kill me. Where is that damned kid, by the way?¡±


    Kat looked down. ¡°He is fighting the real Domenic as we speak.¡± She looked up with a stern look on her face. ¡°Why are you here? You didn¡¯t come back for revenge, did you?¡±


    Ikada¡¯s smile went away. ¡°I will answer that later.¡± He started walking and stopped right in front of Kat.


    ¡°For the time being, however,¡± he said as he grabbed her and threw her into the air. ¡°Letum, take her to safety!¡± he yelled, turning around as the vortex of wind died down.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell m¡­.¡± Kat was interrupted as she was caught by Letum in midair and started flying away from Ikada. ¡°Just shut up, you stupid cat,¡± Letum angrily told Kat. ¡°We were banished from the Sentry after we lost. You know what they do to your banished, right?¡±


    Kat looked at her, then looked down. ¡°It''s death,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right; I thought you of all people would understand that,¡± Letum replied.


    Letum landed a good distance away and threw Kat to the ground. "Ouch, that hurts, you know," Kat said, standing and rubbing her butt. "Shut up, you stupid cat. I brought you here because Mr. Ikada wanted me to," Letum sat down, laying her scythe next to her. "This is all your fault, you know. If you hadn''t taken that damn sword, everything would still be the way it was," Kat sat down next to her. "Were you really okay with what the Sentry has turned into? What they have done?" Kat asked.


    Letum scooted away from her. "I don''t really care! Where Mr. Ikada goes is where I go!" she replied angrily. Kat looked at her. "You really look up to him, don''t you? How long have you two been together?" Letum looked back at her. "Why should I tell you?" she stood up, grabbing her scythe. "It''s not like we''re allies!" Kat stood up. "I know that but....." she was interrupted due to a large explosion where Kane and Domenic were fighting. "KANE!!!" Kat yelled as she started running in their direction.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "You both will die if you try to help him, you know," Letum told her as she shouldered her scythe and started walking in the same direction. Kat stopped. "I have to do something. I can''t just stay here and do nothing." Letum stopped right next to her. "It''s the orders that Mr. Ikada gave to me. To take you to safety," she said, looking at her. "You have to stay here." Kat fell to the ground as Letum punched her in the gut. "I will help him."


    ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got, you damned robots?¡± Ikada yelled, grabbing a Domenic doll by the face and crushing it. ¡°I¡¯m not even breaking a sweat.¡±


    The remaining five dolls stepped back. ¡°Well now, this is a surprise. I would have thought you two had been put to death already. You must have had a little help, tell me, who was it?¡± One doll said, drawing its weapon and firing.


    ¡°And why should I tell you?¡± Ikada replied, dodging the shot and crushing the shooter. ¡°Oh? Keeping secrets now?¡± Another doll said, jumping out of the way. ¡°That¡¯s not like you big guy, after all the missions we¡¯ve been on, you¡¯re still not going to tell me?¡±


    Ikada stepped back and smashed his fists together. ¡°Beat me, and maybe I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he said, raising his hand into the air, causing a group of Pyerflies to group up and vanish, leaving a large battle hammer in his hand. ¡°But I doubt you¡¯ll even be able to make me break a sweat.¡±


    The last four dolls looked at each other then back at Ikada. ¡°Very well then. I hope you¡¯re ready,¡± they all said in sync. One doll shoved its hands into the back of another and ripped it in half. ¡°What are you planning?¡± Ikada asked.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see,¡± it said as wires sprang out grabbing the three dolls and engulfed them. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this,¡± Ikada thought to himself, bringing his hammer up, ready to attack. ¡°You¡¯re strong enough to take my dolls out one by one, but what if they combined themselves into something else,¡± a metallic voice came from the wires as it started to grow.


    ¡°Prepare yourself for my ultimate doll!¡± the wires stopped growing and began to take shape. ¡°What is this? What did you do?¡± Ikada yelled lunging forward ready to swing his hammer.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong enough to take my dolls out one by one, but what if they combined themselves into something else,¡± a metallic voice came from the wires as it started to grow. ¡°Prepare yourself for my ultimate doll!¡± the wires stopped growing and began to take shape. ¡°What is this? What did you do?¡± Ikada yelled lunging forward ready to swing his hammer.


    ¡°You think that because you have his face, you¡¯ll catch me off guard?¡± Ikada said standing up. ¡°I said it before. It¡¯ll take more than that to kill me!¡± he pulled the axe away as the dust fell. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn, DIE!¡± he swung the axe cutting the machine in half. The machine fell to the ground. ¡°Victor, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said turning around picking up his hammer. ¡°Now where is that damned kid?¡± he said as he started running towards Kane and Domenic¡¯s fight.

 Chapter 10: Lily

    "Are you getting tired yet, boy?" Domenic said as he shot several rounds. "I¡¯m not even breaking a sweat."


    Kane jumped out of the way, dodging the rounds. "I could ask you the same," he said with a smirk.


    Domenic stopped. "I think it might be high time to stop holding back," he said, throwing his pistols at Kane and grabbing a large rifle off his back, pointing it at Kane. "This time, you die for real."


    Kane stepped back, bringing his sword to the ready. "Give me all you¡¯ve got."


    Domenic pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. "Oh, believe me. You won¡¯t survive this one."


    Kane started to hear a high-pitched screech and took a step back. "Oh? You can hear it, can you? That¡¯s fine, this will be the last thing you hear." There was a click as a large blast came out of the end of the rifle. Kane got ready to jump out of the way, but it was too late. There was a loud explosion.


    "Ahahahaha," Domenic started laughing. "Too bad for you, boy." He turned and started walking away when he heard a loud gust of wind and stopped. "I should have guessed you would show up." He smiled and turned around only to see Kane engulfed in a vortex of wind. He looked up. "Letum, my dear. You¡¯re looking well. How are your legs?"


    Kane opened his eyes and was amazed he was still in one piece. He looked up. "Why are you here? Why did you protect me?" He asked Letum.


    She looked down at him angrily. "It¡¯s got nothing to do with you, now shut up and get ready, he¡¯s not done yet." She said as the wind died down. Kane got ready to attack again. "Are you sure about that, boy?" Domenic asked, pointing his pistols at Kane¡¯s feet.


    Kane stopped and looked at the pistols. "Heh." Domenic pushed a button on his rifle causing the pistols to aim and fire at Kane. There was a loud ping as the bullets ricocheted off of metal. "As if I¡¯d let this skinny prissy ass kill you," Ikada said in front of Kane. "I¡¯m the one that¡¯s going to kill you!" Kane looked at both Ikada and Letum. "Why?" he asked.


    "Ahahaha, why indeed," Domenic said laughing. "Well, boy, with this turn of events, I think it¡¯s time for a strategic retreat." He whistled, causing his pistols to return to him. "Until next time, boy, I bid you adieu." He fired at the ground, causing a large smoke cloud to appear. The smoke slowly vanished with no sign of Domenic.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Kane walked over to Ikada. "Thanks, I don''t know what I would hav....." He was interrupted as Ikada punched him, sending him flying into a nearby wall. "Shut up, you stupid brat! We didn''t do this for you, now shut up!" Ikada yelled. Letum ran over to Ikada. "What do we do now, Mr. Ikada?" she asked.


    Kane stood up. "Where''s Kat?" he asked. Letum looked at him. "That stupid cat? I left her over the..." She stopped when she saw Kat running in their direction. "She should still be knocked out cold, what gives?"


    Kat ran over to Kane. "Are you alright? You''re not dead again, are you?" Kane looked at Kat. "I''m ok, a couple scratches but I''m fine." He said, grabbing his sword. "If it wasn''t for this, I wouldn''t even be here." He brought the sword in front of him. "I don''t know what it is about this thing, but when I''m holding it I feel like someone is fighting alongside me." He looked at the sword. "What is this th...." He stopped as the sword broke in half. "Um.... I think we have a problem."


    Ikada¡¯s mouth dropped. "Impossible, it broke?" he said, grabbing Kane by the shirt and lifting him. "What did you do?" Ikada demanded. "The Muramasa blade should not even be able to break." Letum grabbed the other half of the sword. "Well, this thing''s no good anymore." She added. "Not necessarily," a man''s voice chimed in from behind them.


    Kane looked back. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re.¡± Ikada dropped him. ¡°You know this guy?¡± Kane looked at Ikada then looked back at the man. ¡°Yeah, he was on the train with us. Um¡­. What was your name again?¡± The man smiled. ¡°My name is Doc, but that would be a lie.¡± He said.


    Kane and Kat looked at each other perplexed. ¡°If Doc isn¡¯t your real name, and then what is it.¡± Kane asked. The man smiled again and snapped his fingers, causing a large amount of Pyerflies to cover him and slowly vanish, showing a young girl that looked no older than 12. ¡°My name is Lily, and it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet the four of you, I¡¯ve been waiting.¡± Kat looked at her and gasped. ¡°Are you THE Lily?¡± she asked.


    Lily walked over to her. ¡°Yes, I am, and you must be one of the last Makyo,¡± she replied. Kat looked at the other three. ¡°This is Lily, Vox¡¯s granddaughter.¡± Lily looked at Kane with a large smile. ¡°Yes, my grandfather was Vox.¡± Kat knelt down. ¡°Was?¡± she asked. Lily grabbed her hand. ¡°He passed away some years ago.¡± Kat stood up. ¡°How are we going to train Kane to now?¡± Lily walked over to Kane. ¡°I will be training the four of you,¡± she told them.


    Kane looked at her. ¡°No offense, but how is a 12-year-old going to train us?¡± Lily punched Kane in the stomach. ¡°12?¡± she asked angrily. ¡°I am in my 30s, thank you very much!¡± Kane keeled over in pain, holding his stomach. ¡°My apologies, ma¡¯am.¡±