Chapter III - Kisan the Bounty Hunter

Part I - Resurfaced

It has been five years since the calamity, but that is all I can recall. I still have recurring nightmares of this event. There was endless suffering, misfortune, grief, and anger. I can recall there being two others apart from me being able to survive such a horrific day. I still don't know who those survivors were but there were a total of seven aside from our leader. My heart still aches in pain even though I still can't remember the faces of these people. Were they my comrades? Friends? Family?... I still mourn for them in my dreams. I remember waking up after a long time had passed. I roamed the desert for many days, weeks, months. I was an absolute empty shell of who my former self was. Till this day all I am able to recall is my name.. Kisan.

After a couple of years waiting for my memories to come back I earned a living by becoming a professional bounty hunter remaining hidden in the dark and my identity being hidden by a mask. Although I'm a bounty hunter I retain my standards, I don't kill the less fortunate, I do not work for evil, I work for the interest of good. Not too long ago I was contacted by a client, the job was a simple find and kill contract. The only information given to me was that the man had terrorized a nearby town, there were a few casualties, some buildings, and houses were burned down in one night. This man had three accomplices, two female and one male. The others could be dealt how I seemed fit but the man who led the others had to be killed. Not long after I suited up, accepted the contract, and departed.

Part II - Devil or Hero

With my ability I would be able to reach the town in no time. "Blood manipulation" is my ability, I'm able to conjure aura throughout my body to manipulate my speed in any direction at an inhumane rate. I use this ability with a combination of fighting arts and weapons to my advantage. This makes me an expert at close combat qualifying me to be such an infamous bounty hunter. Thus making the hunting job boring, I have grown used to winning every battle. Till this day I haven't used more than thirty percent of my power. So now I still await for someone to be stronger than myself, I have a lingering feeling that someone out there that I have met gave me that challenge, was it a dream, imagination, or forgotten memories?. Though these thoughts clouded my mind, I had to focus just a little now since I just arrived at my destination. I looked around for clues and asked around for information. Then I came to meet a certain person in an alley, he was scrawny, pale, with a crooked smile. Though he was a sketchy person he gave me the information that I needed. I set out again heading to some woods that were not too far from the town, and to my surprise there they were a few meters away. I hid my presence and burrowed myself in the trees. After closing the distance by using my fine skills I got close enough to hear my target say "Nikke I want you to take Sam and Krystal, someone followed us here". This surprised me. I had never been spotted while hiding my presence before, and I felt a sensation of goosebumps cover my body. I showed myself and said "Impressive you were able to detect me, but would you not have an advantage with the others assisting you?"Then the man replies "You might be right, but is it not you who should be asking for assistance." He takes a stance, breathes in, shouts "Rage Aura Release." and like a waterfall I feel the aura pour from him, my heart starts to race from excitement. This might be what I have been waiting for and I start to grin, "Yes good, this is what I was waiting for. Someone who Is actually a worthy target." This battle will make me actually use more than seventy percent of my power. I readied my two daggers, but ever so silent the forest grew. Both of us were waiting for the other to make a move. Then a single leaf fell from a tree. Falling for an eternity.

Part III - Triumphant Memories

Then the leaf had finally hit the ground, with no second thought I dashed straight towards him striking and dodging with flowing movement. I thought every strike was precise and perfectly executed, but he was barely scratched and was able to land a direct hit to my abdomen. As I coughed some blood I said " Very well then how about ninety percent?!" I started to let myself get a little more loose and started to strike him with multiple different forms of taijutsu combining it with boxing techniques. Still he was able to take some blows that were supposed to be fatal and return hits of his own. After the exchange of blows, I felt sad. " I almost feel sorry that such talent has to go to waste, but no more fun. One hundred and ten percent : Dancing blades." with all my power and more I rushed him with blades at an extreme speed, but before I could strike I saw him take off a ring. "Looks like I have to take off one of my restraints then." I hesitate for a second but I still manage to strike him, yet to my surprise he catches my blades shattering them into pieces. I'm astonished at such a sight and power not knowing what to do. I froze. He lifted up his arm reading aura to strike my making it the last strike. In my last moments I caught a good look at his face, do I know this person? He looks familiar… "K-Ka…..neoke?...."I felt like a landslide of memories came crashing on my brain leaving me a little bit dazed, and before my last moments as the great aura crashed closer and closer to my face I felt such tranquility that I cannot explain. The raging aura transitioning to such a peaceful sensation it calmed every nerve in my body. Then slowly opening my eyes ready for the skies of heaven I see Kaneoke staring at me with such happiness but yet such sad eyes. " I remember now.. Master Kaneoke. It's been so long hasn't it..?"

Kaneoke replies " I thought you were dead.. And the others? Who else lived Kisan.." I thought to myself who else other than me lived through the calamity… I took myself back. Back to that dreadful day. Our entire clan was on death row for crimes we have been falsely accused of. All of our 7 members were there excluding Kaneoke. We were tied down, exhausted of all our aura to use any of our abilities. One by one each of us were getting executed as Kaneoke watched every dreadful moment of each of his family dying. Then as if an explosion went off we see Kaneoke going berserk. The only ones left are me and Killah, our personal blacksmith, we try to escape in the cause of destruction. But then it was all a blur, just a single ash from a burning fire crumbled in the sky, faded and forgotten. "It looks like the only ones alive are me and Killah". I again stare into his eyes so deep and bottomless in a hidden facade for his despair of the horrid and crude end our family has met. But with a few exchanges in conversation and assessing the current situation we got up and I rejoined Kaneoke and the three others, in search of Killah back at the base.

Part IV - The Family Roots

As we make our way through the forest we discuss our location and how far we are from the Minamoto Household, though it is a small journey it won't be a safe one as I explain the possible bounty hunters coming to kill us off for a large amount of money. We end up splitting paths to narrow our possibility of dangers. The groups were me and Krystal, Nikke and Sam, and finally Kaneoke by himself. Well I couldn't appose, since I glanced at Krystal as we paired and I instantly fell in love. Her eyes were that of a raindrop in the morning dew, lovely and kind yet with such a passion and full of life. And her hair as I thought and interrupted shortly by her soft and harmonizing voice, "We should head out now the others just left, we don't wanna fall behind" and with a fast and short answer I answer "U- Yeah lets go."at that very moment I felt like an utter fool 'U-Yeah lets go?' Who says that? So lame. I wonder what she thinks of me, damn what if I already destroyed my chances with such a lame reply. As we run through a town disguised in our cloaks avoiding any big attention. She starts asking me about my past with the clan and how it was like before the thing called "Calamity" in short , it was a peaceful time, it was the most peaceful and happy time of my life. But as I told her, I had the feeling that she was not satisfied with that answer. So I reminisced about my past and told her about all the happy times we had as a family, And her mother was so kind. She was like a beautiful rose made from steel and had the strongest thorns, looking delicate but yet so fierceful. And from there we chatted all the way through our journey to the Minamoto household. Then we finally got to the mountains where the house was located. We climbed through a couple rough terrains and traveled through some forested parts of the mountains but finally we reached a house. It looked as if it hadn't been inhabited for decades as mother nature had taken its cycle and covered it in vines and moss. Finally once again reunited and greeted by such a decaying yet beautiful house I would call home, it was not small as it had many floors and compared to the size of a couple houses combined. The others get there with no trouble as well. We then walk into the house and hear clanks in the distance of the house, without a word everyone gets on guard. And slowly and quietly walk to the source of the noise. Right when we're ready to ambush any intruder that may lay inside. Me and Kaneoke hear a familiar voice say "So is that how we greet family now?" and there stood a man with dark hair and a soft voice.