Chapter 84: Ghost of the Seven Samurai
The battlefield descended into an eerie silence. Not the peaceful silence that followed victory. Not the quiet relief that came after surviving impossible odds.
This silence was different, it was unstable and oppressive.
Fwoosh....
It settled over the ruined streets like an invisible weight, pressing down on everyone who remained standing.
Smoke drifted lazily through the shattered city as flames crackled in the distance. The destruction left behind by the battle still scarred every corner of Kingsville, yet for one unsettling moment...
Nothing moved.
At the center of the devastation stood Zachia.
His sword held tightly towards his opponent.
Blood dripped steadily from the edge of the blade before falling onto the fractured pavement beneath his feet.
Drip...
Drip...
His breathing had become uneven, heavy and labored.
Each breath sounded deeper than the last, as though something inside him was struggling to escape.
Then the world exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
An overwhelming surge of energy erupted from Zachia's body, blasting outward in every direction.
The ground shattered beneath him. Chunks of stone were hurled skyward. Buildings already weakened by battle groaned under the immense pressure.
A colossal pillar of spiritual energy shot straight into the heavens, splitting the smoke-filled sky apart like a divine spear piercing the clouds.
SHWOOOOFFF!!!!
The force alone sent hurricane-like winds sweeping through the battlefield.
Dust, ash, broken concrete, and twisted steel.
Everything was swallowed by the storm.
Wei-Wan instinctively raised an arm to shield his face.
His normally calm expression cracked with disbelief.
"...What is he doing?"
No one answered.....not because they didn't want to, but because they couldn't.
Daito stared silently into the raging storm of energy. His instincts screamed. Something wasn't right.
This wasn't merely another Savage Power.
This felt...older.
Far older.
Like awakening something that had never belonged in the modern world.
Within the swirling cloud of dust and energy...A silhouette slowly began to emerge.
At first, it was only a vague outline.
Then it became clearer, heavier and broader.
Its presence carried an overwhelming sense of history, as though a forgotten warrior from centuries past had stepped onto the battlefield once more.
The smoke finally parted.
Everyone froze.
"...Zachia..."
Brandon whispered.
But it wasn't truly Zachia anymore.
FWOOOOSH!
Dark samurai armor now covered his entire body.
Each plate overlapped perfectly, forged from blackened steel that seemed to compliment the surrounding light.
Ancient symbols had been carved across the armor's surface, glowing faintly with ghostly orange light before fading back into darkness.
The helmet concealed most of his face, leaving only his cold eyes visible beneath its shadowed visor.
Those eyes...were empty and emotionless. Like they belonged to someone who had forgotten what it meant to be human.
Then...
Another sound echoed through the battlefield.
NEEEEIGHHHHH!!
A horse stepped out from the fading smoke. It was unlike anything any of them had ever seen. Its body shimmered as though it existed between two different worlds.
Sometimes solid, and sometimes transparent.
Its silver mane flowed without wind, while faint orange flames flickered around its hooves with every step it took.
Most unsettling of all...were its eyes.
They glowed with an ethereal white light devoid of life. The creature resembled a spirit more than a living animal.
Without speaking a word, Zachia climbed onto its back. The ghostly horse stood perfectly still waiting, and watching.
Even the air around them felt colder.
Fwoo....
Suddenly, Wasabi's voice burst through everyone's communicators.
The calm confidence she normally carried had completely disappeared.
"...That's... not good."
Her voice trembled.
Almost immediately, another transmission followed.
Avenor.
She sounded even worse, panicked, and breathing hard.
"...We're locking onto his energy signature."
A brief pause.
The silence on the channel became suffocating.
Then she spoke again.
"...Zachia's lost it."
Everyone's expressions darkened.
Daito immediately activated his communicator.
"...Explain."
Static crackled for several seconds.
Then Avenor answered.
"...That transformation..."
She struggled to steady her breathing.
"...It's called..."
"'Ghost of the Seven Samurai.'"
The name alone sent a chill through the team.
Avenor continued.
"It isn't just a combat form."
"It's a possession."
The battlefield grew deathly quiet.
"When someone enters that state completely..."
She hesitated.
"...They surrender themselves."
"Not to power."
"...To the warrior."
Daito frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Avenor swallowed hard.
"It means Zachia isn't in control anymore."
Her voice became quieter.
"...The spirit riding that horse doesn't recognize allies."
"It doesn't recognize enemies."
"It only sees..."
"...Targets."
Brandon cursed under his breath.
"...Damn it..."
Wei-Wan slowly tightened his grip around his sword.
"...So anyone standing in front of him..."
"...Dies."
Avenor answered immediately.
"...Yes."
Silence settled over the battlefield once again.
Then Daito asked the question everyone feared.
"...How do we stop him?"
Another pause.
"...There is only one way."
The answer came quietly.
"...Knock him off the horse."
"And take away his sword."
Everyone stared toward the ghostly samurai.
He hadn't moved.
He simply sat atop the phantom horse, overlooking the ruined city like a forgotten general waiting for another war to begin.
Brandon let out a bitter laugh.
"...That's easier said than done."
The pressure radiating from Zachia alone was enough to make breathing difficult.
No one stepped forward.
Until...Champagne rolled his shoulder with a loud crack.
CRACK.
"...I'll do it."
Every eye turned toward him.
Daito studied him silently.
"...You sure?"
Champagne grinned, not confidently, but comfortably.
Like someone preparing for another ordinary mission.
"...I'm the fastest one here."
He shrugged.
"...Seems like my job."
No one argued.
Deep down...Everyone knew he was right.
Daito finally nodded.
"...Go."
The single word had barely left his mouth before Champagne disappeared.
WHOOOOOOOSH!!
The air exploded behind him as he accelerated.
Broken pavement shattered beneath the force of his first step.
Within moments...He had already vanished into the ruined streets.
* * *
SWOOSH!
The city blurred around him.
Collapsed buildings, burning vehicles, and bandoned streets.
Everything became streaks of colour as Champagne raced toward Zachia's location.
The wind howled in his ears.
His heartbeat remained steady.
Then...He arrived.
His momentum carried him onto a shattered section of highway overlooking the battlefield.
He stopped instantly.
His eyes widened.
"...No way..."
There, several meters away...Mirage lay motionless.
His massive sword rested beside him. His body remained completely still. The seemingly invincible leader of the Silver Moon...Had already been defeated.
Champagne slowly looked away from Mirage.
Toward the lone figure sitting atop the ghostly horse.
Zachia remained perfectly still. Helmet lowered. Sword resting quietly across his lap.
Not a single movement, not even a single word.
The battlefield felt frozen in time.
"...Zachia."
Champagne's voice echoed softly across the empty street.
"...It's me."
No response, only silence.
Then...Very slowly...The samurai raised his head.
His glowing eyes locked onto Champagne. The atmosphere instantly became suffocating. The ghostly horse pawed the ground once.
Then...
THUD!
It took a single step forward.
THUD!
Another.
THUD!
Another.
Each hoofbeat echoed unnaturally through the ruined city.
Champagne remained where he stood.
"...Come on..."
He muttered quietly.
"...Don't make me do this."
The horse suddenly vanished.
Champagne's eyes widened.
"...!!"
Too fast.....Far too fast.
A silver flash cut through the darkness.
SLAAAAASH!!
Pain exploded across Champagne's ribs.
Blood sprayed through the air as a perfectly clean cut tore across his side.
The force launched him backward.
His body smashed through broken concrete before bouncing violently across the ruined street.
CRAAASH!!
He rolled several times before finally skidding to a stop amidst the rubble.
Far ahead...Zachia never slowed down.
His ghostly horse continued charging in a perfectly straight line.
Unstoppable.
Anything unfortunate enough to stand before him—
SLAAASH!
Freakers...Were cut down instantly.
Abandoned vehicles...Split cleanly in half.
Collapsed buildings...Shattered beneath a single swing.
Then Daito's eyes widened in horror.
The direction Zachia was charging...Led directly toward a group of terrified civilians desperately trying to escape the city.
"...No..."
Wei-Wan immediately noticed it too.
"...He's not distinguishing targets anymore!"
Children. Parents. The elderly.
None of them even realized death was racing toward them.
Daito's voice thundered across the battlefield.
"...We have to stop him!"
"...NOW!"
To be continued...