The Legend's Behind the Mask "Swordsman's Era"

Chapter 12: Conflict

The northern leaders were assassinated by their own shadow guard swordsmen. They were Shira's previously, but now they're merely the heads' guard. 

They were in a river near the north wind village's wall. The shadow guard swordsmen stood there, looking down at the lifeless heads they used to revere but now don't.

Their blade was dripping with blood. They were both dressed in a mask, a dazzling dark kimono, and a coat that blended in with the darkness. 

There were two of them in total. They could hear and feel the ground trembling as they gazed down at their heads, which were dead cold on the ground. 

"I didn't think they were really a traitor; if I had known they were a traitor in the first place, I should've killed them on my own," the shadow guard swordsman stated in a sinister voice as he swung his sword in the air and gently slid it back into his sheath in his left waist.

"Yeah, me too, good thing I sent a message to the Generals through the messenger swordsmen inside the village, I can't believe they've ordered the armies to leave the village, they've brought a couple of guard swordsmen with them, I believe we've killed an innocent army, Garuki," the other shadow guard swordsmen said. He was conversing with the other shadow guard swordsman, Garuki. 

"Who cares... They'll die either and I'm sure after this, the conflict will occur, or possibly a real conflict will occur in the other villages, I've deployed a messenger swordsman to the east and west and south, saying I've killed the heads of the north meaningly if I really did kill them means there's a traitor, they know that I don't bluff," Garuki said in a high dark voice as he looked at the other shadow guard swordsmen in his right a distance away from him. 

"Let's join the army, Garuki, I've sensed a—" the other shadow guard swordsmen interrupted him as he turned around and saw a darkening shark gliding in the shadows and speeding towards him. 

He grunted, leaped up, and swerved to escape the shadowy shark shape on the ground. He avoided the shark, which is now approaching Garuki. He took a scary stance, drew his sword, and bowed. As soon as the dark form shark reaches him, he swings his sword and slices it into countless pieces. 

"Oh! That was a fine swing of a blade!" exclaimed an unknown voice behind Garuki. He cautiously turned around as the shadowy figure shark he had slashed vanished and returned behind him. 

"Who are you? State your name!" Garuki exclaims as he kneels on his right knee and points his black sword with his right hand at the unknown in the distance who is clapping. He heard the other shadow guard swordsmen behind him place their hands on the ground. 

"Kaminari! Stay there!" Garuki said to his fellow Shadow guard swordsmen behind him who is named Kaminari. He stand menacingly and looked around. He draws his light black blade and his blade has the pattern of lightning and thunder. He holds it with both of his hands and stares. 

"The surroundings appeared safe... And that unknown almost ate my feet, good thing I jumped high enough, that shark is capable of jumping high, also a good thing it didn't or else I would've unleased that beast technique, I'll do it as a last resort," Kaminari thought as he slowly began to walk towards Garuki's left side while holding his sword in both hands. 

"Oh me? I'm just a Dark Shira Swordsmen, nothing special," he said menacingly, displaying his dark aura around him, his dark blade in his right hand, and shadow sharks around him. In his left hand, he held a baby shadow shark. It was on the top of his palm, directly in front of his kimono.

"What the hell?! Who is this Dark?! He's holding a Shadowy shark in his hands, how could this be possible?!" Garuki exclaimed as he saw the Dark strike the ground menacingly with his blade. 

"Should we talk first?" he asked, as the ground beneath the shadow swordsmen's feet became completely shadowed and seized their feet. They cannot move as they try and try it until they look down. 

"Shadow paralysis?!" Kaminari exclaimed as he looked down and noticed the shadow gripping his feet. He stands menacingly, just like the Dark Shira Swordsmen do in the distance. 

"These two are capable of undoing my sword style technique, it was a shadow paralysis technique that when I lost my concentration they become not like a statue standing there, I got to be careful, after all, they're the Shadow Shira Swordsmens, their trouble meaningly," the Dark Shira Swordsmen thought as he let go of the baby shadowy shark on top of his palm. It swims in the shadowy area on the ground, and a circle encircles them all.  

"What do you want from us? Tell me!" Garuki replied, his gaze fixed on the Dark Shira Swordsmen in the distance. He notices him because his eyes have expanded and turned bright black and shining.

"Why did you kill the heads? Based on what they're wearing, they're the heads, I disagree with killing them, but since you've killed them, I'll spare your lives, and I have more questions for you both, why are you here? Instead of being in the shadows?" The Dark Shira Swordsmen asked menacingly. With his eyes and aura, he demonstrated his menacing Dark aura and killer intent. 

"Why would you want to know? How funny! A Dark Shira Swordsmen asking why we killed them, you have no business with our doings, if you want a fight, we will give you a fight that you can't handle or imagine," Garuki replied, revealing his red dark aura and glowing bright white eyes. Kaminari has bright yellowed hair, whereas he has dazzling silver hair. 

"My name is Inkina, and I'm just wondering! Is there really a problem with that? You know it's actually my job to kill the three heads of this village called Northwind, but since you both killed them, may I get their heads? And kneel and beg to spare your both lives, let's just say you both are no match for any of us, yes there's a lot of us, and these villages, Shira's and Special Swordsmen's have decreased in the past couple of hours! A lot of them were dead and countless civilians are dead! Shame for you two!" Inkina said furiously as all of a sudden Kaminari vanished from where his standing. 

He instantly vanished, but not before there was a thunderclap that obliterated the shadow beneath him and undid Inkina's shadow paralysis. He shot towards Inkina at breakneck speed. 

He reaches him and swings his blade down, but then he stops. Inkina transformed into a shadow and melted it down. Kaminari's eyes widen as he grunts and swing his blade down, striking the ground where Inkina stands and melts. 

"Tsk! He traveled faster in the shadows than my thunder speed!" he said as his right knee touched the ground. He looked around, looking for Inkina's moving shadow. Inkina suddenly materialized in his shadow behind him, appearing as a ghostly Dark figure. A blade materialized in its right hand and proceeded to stab behind him. He was going to grab for his dagger when the shadow was stabbed in the chest and grunted and shouted incoherently.

It vanished and became dust. Kaminari instantly rises, and they both gaze left and right. They locked their backs together and held their blades with both hands, pointing them skyward.

"He can travel faster in the shadows and it surpassed my thunder speed, I'm sure he deployed a clone as soon as he melt and combine it with my shadow," Kaminari stated as the ground under them shook and they were both lifted by a shadow pillar. They both leaped down and turned around in the midst of the air, noticing the shadow pillar rising on the ground they were both standing on. 

"Tsk! These two aren't enough to get taken down just by entering their shadow, I know every Shira can travel in the shadows but they are different than my information now," Inkina pondered as he came down in front of the pillar. Kaminari and Garuki emerged behind him, ready to swing their blades down and murder him. He slowly turns around to find Kaminari and Garuki poised in the air, prepared to swing their blades down.

"Shadow barrier, Highness!" exclaimed Inkina as a shadowy barrier appeared in front of his face, colliding with their blades. They were stunned when they were pushed back and floated in the air for a split second. They touch down on the ground and swiftly get away from Inkina.

"No matter how much you tried you're not getting anywhere from this resolve, conflicts in other nations are about to occur and war in other villages could start at any time because of what you've both done! The heads Shira's are on the move! I know better! And I've acquired information that there's a total of 5 high-ranking Hashira's in every nation! I wonder! Who's the 5 in this nation!" Inkina said menacingly as he sees Kaminari and Garuki glaring menacingly.

"We won't hold back this time, Being! Inkina, we both know who you are and what you've done in the past, and we won't let you do it again!" Kaminari exclaimed as he noticed Inkina smiling and burst out laughing. 

"About the past, huh? Oh, yeah! I've killed every last one of the old Shadow Shira Swordsmen, I know when a shadow is in the name it's a human, not a Dark Being, once there's Dark on its name then it's one of us, Burraku's," Inkina replied as he stepped in his left foot and destroyed the ground where he stepped and flew towards Garuki.

In the east. Within the capital, there was a conference. Inside the capital's underground East facility. They were arguing about something specific. 

The room held a total of eight persons. The shadow guard Swordsmen and sergeants are not counted. Sugureta Rou, Shimodo Rou, and Hiruki Rou. They are the well-known Eastern heads. 

They were in front of a large round table, and magic was being done in front of them on top of the large round table in the center. It was a ringed cube with the information of the Shadow guard swordsmen of the North wind written on it. 

Shimodo Rou is the East's key leader. Hiruki Rou and Sugureta Rou sit beside him in a chair in front of a circular table, looking at the circled cube that hovers on top of the round table. In addition, there was paper on top of the round table in front of them. 

The other five were the armies' generals. There were a total of five armies in their village, and if there are more armies, this is a hidden army that was allegedly constructed by Hiruki Rou and Sugureta Rou for special purposes and the protection of their village. 

"Garuki and Kaminari are protecting the heads of the north wind village in the beginning, they've been there for more than 30 years, Garuki is more than 30 years, the young one is Kaminari, he's also protecting the heads before Warui Rou steps in place of becoming one of the heads, we have information that these two are trustable allies in the beginning, they've given information about slaying the heads before something happened to their village, or else if they did something terrible. I and Hiruki Rou and Sugureta Rou talked about this first before making our moves, and we did this wisely and quickly deployed a messenger swordsman to their village, but no response from a hawk," Shimodo Rou remarked, his palm positioned, both hands directed towards the circular cube. 

"I disagree with slaying the heads of the north wind, even if they are bad, they are still the heads of the north wind. I believe that they got their positions right in the spot," the General of the First Army said as he looked up and saw the faces of Garuki and Kaminari, as well as their detailed abilities, in the circled cube. The round cube hovering on top of the round table is a bright yellow color. The other Generals were talking to the sergeants in a huge room. 

"We are in a predicament, Shimodo Rou, I believe we should send scouts to that village and standby," the General of the Fifth Army replied confidently. 

"We already did... We also deployed messenger swordsmen in other villages to know this formation, if something bad happens to the north wind, every village shall deploy their troops, I know it's really late at night, and I... No. We! Apologize for calling you Great Generals to this facility tonight," Hiruki Rou said modestly, looking down. 

"Then I shall deploy my Fourth Army in the north wind to find out for myself," the General of the Fourth Army growled menacingly as he stood up and punched the round table with his left hand. 

"Don't be reckless, General of the Fourth Army! You're protecting that region, remember that! First, we'll see what Fukeshin Gakure might do when he gets there, we deploy him as a messenger in the north wind, and tomorrow, The Legend's Behind the Mask will arrive, our Hashira said that there's only a total of five of them, they're above Hashira level, they should take things seriously when they got there," Sugureta Rou said in a serious voice as he glared at the General of the fourth army.

"Wait! You deployed Fukeshin Gakure?! Are you mad?! He's a Hashira and Shira! Don't you think that he will be the one who will kill every last one of the heads?! You know him better Shimodo Rou! You know that he will do everything just to save a village even though it would take his personal life!" The sergeant of the fifth army shouts as he looked at Shimodo Rou who closed his eyes and looked down while he still has both of his hands at the circled cube. 

"Yes, I know him better than any of you in this room, because when he read that message from one of the messenger swordsmen, his eyes suddenly glow brighter than this room... And, he said... War could happen, and conflict might become the regret of humanity, then he vanished before our eyes," Shimodo Rou said as he sighs and looks straight ahead of him and shows other details of the other Swordsmens inside the north wind in the round cube. It is visible to all generals and sergeants. 

"Conflict... If there's conflict there's war, if there's war there's conflict, we don't have any connection to our current Shira's nor Hashira's or Special Swordsmen, but we can count on them when the village is attacked. They're Powerful, Brave, Warrior, Protective, Talented, Mystery... I can't even believe that these Swordsmens are humans." The General of the fifth army said in a serious tone while looking down at the paper that is on top of the round table in front of him. 

"The magic imagery that you're seeing right now is the north wind swordsmens, maybe Shira's or just special swordsmens, we manage to get this information in one of our messenger informant swordsmen, he's one of us and near a Hashira level yet he remained a low-level ranking swordsman in the shadows, after a couple of minutes we will receive news from the oth—" Shimodo Rou said as he suddenly got interrupted when all of a sudden someone slammed the door and walk in. Shimodo Rou noticed a guard swordsman sweating and recovering his breath to his left and stand. 

"Shimodo Rou! Generals! Sergeants! The North wind is at war! They've been infiltrated! Giant vines and unknown powerful Darks have been seen in the area! And! Almost all of the Master is there! If we don't send some of our Shira's or troops they might get wiped out! And I'd like to say that Agatsuma Hit, Katrina, Tsuyuri Shi, Hashibira Kosuke, and Hashibira Komoto are in the area fighting these monstrosities!" The guard swordsmen shout as all of them stand in the room shocked and speechless.

"It's been sent by Fukeshin Gakure! Using a Teleportation message to one of our messenger swordsmen near the east, he said we weren't there yet and only said he can see it, but he talk to the other Shira's of the north wind that was just heading to the north wind that they've got a message from every Shira's inside the village that it was under attack. Leader! Shimodo Rou! They have been under attack for the last 5 hours and send that the Darks or Burraku's has sent a full-scale attack," The guard swordsmen said that made Shimodo Rou goosebumps and has his eyes widened. He suddenly goes back to sitting in his chair and looks down. 

He thinks before punching the round table in front of him with both of his hands. He was enraged while also controlled himself as he thinks. He groans and stands up again, and the Generals and Sergeant stare at him expectantly, waiting for orders.

"Fourth! Deploy your army in the north wind that is heading northeast. Third! Deploy your army in that region where Fourth is protecting it. Second! You'll follow the fourth after an hour! Shadow Guard swordsmen of mine... Bring the messages to the Two known Hashira's of ours... Deploy them in the north and save every child," Shimodo Rou said solemnly as he looked at them. He watches the Generals he summoned nod and rushes out of the room. 

"And I guess we patrol all around the village? Outside or inside, what did you pick, Head?" asked the General of the First Army, turning to his right and looking at Shimodo Rou. 

"Both, dismissed!" he answered as the Generals filed out of the room. The same as the sergeants with the Generals. The other two heads return to their chairs, as their Shadow Guard swordsmen are no longer with them to protect them. 

"I'm going back to my post," the guard swordsman replied, bowing and closing the door. He enters the hallway as he notices the Generals and Sergeants in the distance hurrying upward. 

"They've planned that all along! There's no doubt!" Sugureta Rou raged as he looked to his left and saw Shimodo Rou's facepalm and the round cube on top of the round table vanish. 

"There's no way out of this now! The war has begun, and if it's a full-scale attack, they're in big trouble," Shimodo Rou said, looking up at the ceiling.