Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Culpability ❯ Chapter 1

Ok, this is my new fic; it's the translation of my last French fic. Some of you would have murder ideas at the end of this chapter, they could learn French and go read the 6 first chapters, you don't speak French, so you must review at the end!!

(Special Thanks to my Beta Reader!!)

Carine^^

Culpability

The fight was really hard. The attack from the Nether World had surprised them; it was the biggest attack they had been confronted with yet. It was a miracle they weren't already beaten. Tojas (AN sorry, don't remember English name for the Nether World soldiers) and their arrows were everywhere. They killed a lot of them, but others always came, they were totally inundated.

As if the situation was not complicated enough, just few arrows were at his disposal. He had always thought they couldn't vanish, but he had already used so many in the day that perhaps he had hit their regeneration limit. In the next attack, he would die. He hadn't a way to defend himself as his bow would be sufficient against the Tojas, but not against a warlord. It was a hopeless fight.

He chased away a blue lock, which was falling in his eyes and looked around him. Shin and Shuu were trapped with Naaza, Ryo was occupied with Rajura and Seiji had his work cut out for him dealing with Anubis. That's when he saw Kayura approaching him. Kayura, was a beautiful young woman but was also one of the most dangerous of Arago's slaves.

He was her target. He couldn't escape. He would ask his friends to help him, but they were too far away to reach him in time. That left only Seiji who could do anything for him but he couldn't ask him because of what had happened between them some time before this battle.

Kayura pushed through the Tojas who were in her way to be near him quickly. In the past, he thought he could reason her, but that had only increased her hatred of him. Today, there was no possible redemption in her eyes. She wanted to kill him and he would die.

Even though he knew his destiny, he decided to fight with courage until the end, so he gripped his hands on his bow. He didn't pay attention to the blood that poured from his forehead and blurred his sight or the many gashes that now decorated his body to remind him the brutality of the fight.

He stopped the blasts as best he could. She was a veritable demon and he had to admit she was quicker than he was. She always had been, but before he hadn't confronted her alone and he had had seemingly endless arrows with which to defend himself and to push her. OK, he was stronger than she was, but with each knock he sent her, he received a dagger cut.

The battlefield became silent to him. His friends were only shadows moving with other shadows in the landscape. In his eyes, there was only Kayura and the metallic glare of the light reflecting off her weapons before they hurt his flesh. Then the inevitable happened. The wound was deeper this time and he cried out. His world became noisy again and he heard someone rapidly approaching him. It was Seiji but he didn't want his help.

***

Touma's cry of pain, immediately attracted Seiji's attention. It was a cry that pierced his heart. Touma was in danger; he had to help him. Touma didn't have a chance against Kayura; he wasn't the better samurai in a hand to hand fight and he seemed unarmed. He had to be quick if he was going to save him.

He looked for the others but they didn't hear the young samurai as they were too far away and the metal to metal noises drowned out all the other sounds. He was the nearest, but Anubis was preventing him from going to help by keeping him on the defensive. From the corner of his eye he saw Touma put a knee down. He was exhausted and Kayura would be merciless.

Seiji was able to hit the warlord of darkness and blind him giving him enough time to escape and rush near Tenku's samurai. This action enraged Anubis and his revenge would be terrible, but Seiji didn't mind. The most important thing to him was that Touma was safe. So he rushed near him.

***

There was no doubt that Kayura's sword would pierce his throat. He would die alone on this battlefield and nobody apart his friends would know the importance of his sacrifice. His dreams of a family vanished and his eyes were wide with fear. He would die and nobody would regret his death apart perhaps from Seiji. But he didn't want to think about it, he hadn't the right to think about it now.

The blow was stopped at the last minute. Touma opened his eyes when he felt a warm liquid on his face. He saw then what saved him. Seiji interposed himself in time and had stopped the sai with his arm. The blood on Touma's face came from here. He didn't have time to ask why he saved him, it all happened too quickly.

Kayura understood she missed her target and she took revenge on Seiji. She struck again and again; the blond warrior fought as best he could, protecting him at the same time. He had begun to win against the young lady when he screamed very loudly. Touma's eyes widened in shock and horror. A sword covered with blood was through the blonde's throat.

From behind Seiji, Anubis' laugher was cruel and demonic. He couldn't abide that the bearer of Kourin had left him to help his friend and he had used an instant of inattention during Seiji's fight against Kayura to impale him with his deadly sword. There was no glory in this action, only the satisfaction of beating the fiercest warrior in Anubis' eyes, the one he was jealous of.

Kayura was vexed to have her target taken by someone else and took out her frustration by thrusting her own sword in the already beaten corpse of Seiji. She was satisfied when she heard a cracking bone sound then turned to Anubis. Moments later the warlord had his face in his hands as the demonic girl had just reopened his scar.

The other samurai were attracted by the different screams. At their arrival they found Touma with a bloody face like Anubis, Kayura enraged and Seiji on his knees, white as a sheet, a hand on the deep gash on his throat. Within a minute, Shin, Shuu and Ryo made the warlords retreat as their respective opponents had followed them.

***

The battle moved a little leaving a relative quiet for the two injured people. Seiji had his hand on his heart, he knew he would die soon so he watched Touma.

"Touma, are you okay?" He asked before spitting blood.

Touma approached him and held him by the shoulders to try calming him, he didn't believe what had happened Seiji would die… because of him. After what he had done, he didn't understand why he had helped him, why he had risked his life. The blonde's life was far more precious than his. He was an accomplished warrior and without Anubis' cowardice he would beat his opponents, but he, he couldn't defend himself against a women.

"Why…Why Seiji!!!" He asked in tears.

"Because I can't handle the knowledge I could lose you."

"I…Seiji…I'm not worthy of your attention…You should have let me die!!'

"I love you Touma. I couldn't see you die."

"Seiji…"

Touma couldn't finish his sentence, the blonde's eyes had just closed. He would never see these amethyst eyes ever with their regard which could freeze you but which could warm when he watched him. Seiji was dead. He was dead and he couldn't say anything. And he had loved him even if he was odious to him. He should have answered him that he loved him back, even if it wasn't true, if only to allow him to rest in peace and in order that he wouldn't feel so guilty.

Again he became insensitive to the world. He held the dead body of the one he had until lately considered his best friend and who in fact remained it until the end. He remembered the entire talk that caused Seiji's death. If it wasn't for that talk, Touma would have asked for the blonde's help before, they would have contained the two warriors together and Seiji would still be alive.

"Seiji…it's all my fault…"

//flashback

Touma was reading when he saw the hour on the alarm clock. It was near midnight and Seiji wasn't there. It was very funny behaviour from the blonde because he was always the first in bed. He looked through the window and saw the rain. Where could he be? Seiji couldn't be outside with this weather, could he?

Just as Touma decided to go search his friend, he came in the room. He was soaked to the skin as he had stayed in the drenching rain. His face was dark and sad. The bearer of Tenku wondered what his problem was. He hurt to see his friend like this and mostly because he didn't know why.

"Seiji, you're drenched!"

"Good observation Tou, if you would excuse me, I will take a shower and go to bed." He answered bitterly.

"No, no, no, you can't escape like that. I WANT to know why you were outside in this rain!"

"It's none of your business."

"Yes it is, because you're my best friend and I'm concerned about you."

"If you were really as concerned as you say, you'd already know what I have…" He muttered.

"What did you say ?"

"Nothing. I'm tired and frozen."

"You wouldn't be if you didn't stay out in the rain Seiji!"

"Will you leave me!!"

"No not until you tell me what you have!!"

"You wouldn't understand and you'll be angry with me…"

"No way, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything."

"Anything ?" Asked Seiji again.

"Absolutely anything." Confirmed Touma.

Seiji lifted his head to look Touma in the eyes. With his hair out of his eyes because of the rain, he had a piercing gaze and the blue haired man felt uncomfortable. He had the feeling he wouldn't like his friend's confession but it was too late to step back. Seiji take a long breath and began.

"Touma…I'm gay."

"You're what?" Said the future astronomer who just recovered from the shock.

"I'm gay and I love you."

He looked at him waiting to hear his answer. Touma couldn't believe his ears. The one he considered his friend was gay and more than that he was in love with him. How could he be like that? It was awful and the idea made him nauseous.

"How could you Seiji???"

"Hein, what do you mean Touma?"

"I mean you're sick, you repulse me and how could you dare to be in love with me ?????"

"You think I choose to be like that? You think I'm happy to stress myself for months because I love my best friend??"

"Stop! Stop it now!! I don't want to know your reasons, your efforts or anything. I want you to leave me!!"

"But Touma…"

"I don't want you to speak to me ever again, sick pervert!!!"

"OK…"

That night Seiji moved into Ryo's room, they didn't speak again for many days after. They didn't say the reason of their fight to their friends. Seiji was ashamed to say anything and Touma too angry. Three days after, the battle, which had to seal their destiny, happened.

//

Touma cried on his friend's corpse. He was still warm and his blood continued to flow out even if it couldn't take his life anymore. Seiji was dead because he really loved him. It wasn't just a crush, it was a true love, and he had spit in his face when he learnt it.

His sobs doubled, it was he who was sick. How could he react like that when his friend opened his heart. Even if he didn't return his feelings he should have tried to understand, to support him, but Hashiba Touma was too proud to do this. Hashiba Touma preferred simplicity by rejecting the truth along with the person who said it.

He tried to persuade himself it was Seiji's fault he was dead, but he understood it was his fault, not Seiji's. It would be very difficult and painful to live with this weight on his shoulders without his best friend to help him. He had killed Seiji. His pride had killed Seiji!!

***

Days passed after the deadly battle and the remaining samurai continued to live like before as best they could. They were successful because they persuaded themselves to continue living. Touma was the only one really inconsolable. He didn't stop saying it was his fault and even if the others assured him it was Anubis and Kayura's fault, they understood what he lived. It was because of saving him Seiji was dead.

A real burial would have helped them, but the gods decided otherwise. As a matter of fact, when Shin, Shuu and Ryo returned to Seiji and Touma after successfully chasing away the three warlords and Kayura, the blonde's corpse began to glow intensely. He shined brightly before becoming transparent and vanishing in the air.

Touma found himself holding nothing more than air where his friend had been just an instant before. The blood present was the only proof that Seiji was really dead. They all cried except Touma who screamed for someone to give him back his friend's body because he understood a little too late that Seiji and he would forever be friends despite what he had done.

To be continued…

OK, now you have 2 choices. First one, you leave a nice review begging me to continue this fic, and I will translate the next part, second choice, you don't leave a review and I stop translating. That doesn't disturb me, as the beginning this story must be a one shot I can leave it like that, and you could always learn French to know the following.