The Shogun Reaper

It has been four months since Ragna had joined the hellboken crew, he spent most of his time training, naturally Ragna was taught by Kiva, she wasn't exactly a sword man but she was the only warrior skilled in close raged combat. After showing months of hard work, dedication and hunger, the day had come to see whether Ragna was worth all the time and effort. Like the last day he had spent with his father, Kill-shot ordered Ragna to go with him to a strange location, kill shot was going to educate him about the legion and their enemies. If Ragna could pass the test that Kill-shot has planned for him, he will make Ragna an honorary member of the hellboken crew and shall be given the right to fight with them. After walking aimlessly for hours, Ragna and kill shot had set a fire and sat around it, this was the beginning of Ragna's education and his defining moment.

Kill-shot: "now, you have been asking countless questions about the legion and the shoguns and the vampires. So we may as well start from the beginning, when we tested your aim you were average, you may be able to shoot something from a fare distance but you are clearly not far sighted, so we can safely assume that you're not a soldier."

Ragna: "wait, are you saying because am an average warrior I can't fight with the hellboken crew? Please don't tell me am worthless!!!"

Kill shot: "first of all, there is nothing wrong with being average, some of us manage just fine with guns."

Ragna: "I didn't mean to insult you I just…."

Kill shot: "never mind, you seemed to fare better in close range combat, you seem to have an abnormal amount of strength, you wield Luke's great sword like it was made of hallow plastic and you also have harder skin and bones than any ordinary man. With the addition of your unlimited stamina, you are clearly a knight and a berserker for that matter. You see Ragna in the legion there are only three kinds of warriors, soldiers, knights and magi's. Soldiers, like myself don't have many physical abilities, in fact we could be easily mistaken as ordinary humans. It is for this reason why we use guns and body enhancement armours; we are the weakest of the legion but it is because of this why we are trained to be great at battle tactics. The second kind of warrior are the knights, the knights are blessed with physical strength, bones as hard as steel and skin as hard as iron. Knights are very resilient and can fight for hours with injuries that could cripple a soldier, you my lucky friend are one of those beasts in human clothing. And finally we have the magi, they are the most dangerous of the legion because they are gifted with the power to wield magic, they are rumoured to be able to do anything but their abilities are attached to their life force so many magi have died unleashing the full strength of their power, among this three there is something that surpasses all of them. A fourth warrior that can originate from any of the three, the army slayer, warriors that can summon a great deal of Timaeus's power."

Ragna: "an army slayer? Wait who is this Timaeus?"

Kill-shot: "don't you know your bed time stories? Titans, imperialists…... any way it's just a bunch of horse shit anyway, let's just focus on reality ok."

Ragna: "fine, so what is an army slayer?"

Kill-shot: "well, the army slayers are legends Ragna, one army slayer could kill a hundred vampires single handed and as for the shoguns, hah, the would fall in the millions in a matter of minutes, hence why the legion came to call them army slayers."

Ragna: "but no one has seen a vampire in Rovahn since the shoguns appeared, that what you told me."

Kill-shot: "true but before the shoguns vampires constantly attacked Rovahn, nearly to the brink of extinction. It was because of this that the legion built the walls of Rovahn to resist the vampires but it costed the legion a great many more lives to accomplish this, only a few army slayers survived this but thanks to that they began to have sons and daughters who inherited their parent's gifts."

Ragna: "wow they sound like heroes of fiction; do you know any of these army slayers."

Kill-shot: "yes, in fact the king of Rovahn happens to be one of them, as well as his two sons, Drago and Helios but that's a story for another time. You see Ragna, Thomas is just a scientist, so the only thing he can do is use the hellbokens canons but this is only when we are in a bit of a jammy situation. Vanessa, Johnathan and myself are soldiers so we need body enhancement armour and all kinds of long range weapons, in short we thrive on the battle field when we maintain our distance from our enemies. You like kiva however are in a bit of a dangerous position, you have strength, stamina and very resilient bodies, do you know what that means?"

Ragna: "I have to be at the front lines because I can only kill my enemies at close range."

Kill-shot: "yes, if you're going to be our knight, you have to be as strong and as fast as kiva. You see Ragna even with Luke, she was always at the for front of all our battles alone, this is because Luke was too big and slow so he couldn't keep up with her, but you might stand a chance. If you are what I expect, then you will strengthen our battle strategy but if you fail, your time with the hellboken crew will be over, do you understand Ragna."

Ragna: "yes, I do, I'll do whatever it takes to be a part of your crew."

Kill-shot: "well said Ragna!!! Do you see that deep ditch out there?"

Ragna: "yes, it's the biggest ditch I have ever seen, its…. Wait, why am I looking at the ditch?"

Kill-shot: "down their boy is a shogun, in other words your test, if you can kill the shogun down there you and I shall become true brothers but if you fail, I will aid you and it will be the last time you will ever see me, Ragna are you ready!!!"

Ragna: "yes."

Kill-shot: "damn it boy with heart, with soul, with fire!!!"

Ragna: "sir yes sir!!!"

Kill shot: "then go Ragna, go and claim the head of that shogun and begin your vengeance against the shoguns, against all who would stand against you and this time you won't be using Luke's sword, you'll be using the sword your father gave you."

Ragna: "are you sure?"

Kill-shot: "it doesn't look like it was meant to kill vampires but the sword is made of a metal I have never seen before, its stronger than anything we have plus it's a smaller and lighter sword than Luke's. you'll have to compensate for distance but your mobility will greatly improve, go make me proud boy."

Ragna wore his charcoal grey jacket, took his father's sword and charged at the deep ditch without fear. Ragna believed that he was ready to finally do what he has been craving to do for years, begin his war against the vampires and attacking the shogun hordes would be the start of it. Ragna had dived into the ditch and shouted with pride and might "show yourself monster!!!", when Ragna shouted this, a large roar that shook the very ground responded. What approached Ragna was not the flying shoguns that killed his family, it was a giant shogun, larger than any man or tree he had ever seen, it was ferociously muscular and wide, its body was covered in spikes and horns and claws that were as long as spears. This was Ragna's test, to finally see whether he was worthy of the power he was given, the only thing standing between Ragna and his dream, his vision was one giant horned shogun.

Most young warriors would freeze in terror at the sight of such a monster but not Ragna, he firmed his grip on his father's sword, steadied his breathing and balanced his stance. He looked at the giant shogun with deep rage in his eyes, an intense fire burning within his soul, a result from the horrors he had seen the shoguns unleash upon his home. Despite his rage he still remembered his training, he knew attacking with blind rage would leave him exposed, he maintained his focus and readied himself for what could most likely be the hardest fight he has ever had.

Kill-shots thoughts: "Ragna has excelled in strength and defensive reflexes but now he must prove to me that he is ready to face this world. The others have begged me not to do this but I have seen many young men like Ragna, they always rash into the most dangerous of battles and always end up dead. What awaits Ragna is one of the most vicious and most feared shogun in Rovahn, if Ragna can show me that he can apply all we have shown him, he may be able to actually accomplish some of his goals. Show me Ragna, show me the fire that flows through you, show me the rage that you have held for so long. Vengeance Ragna, it is there, sleeping in the cold dark pit, now make your hand strong and grab it boy, it is yours."

There he was, the boy from the hidden village in the mountains standing face to face with the largest being he has ever encountered. Ragna did what Kill-shot always told him to do in battle, analyse your opponent, search for his weakness and exploit them. Ragna began to move around the beast, dodging all the attacks it unleashed upon him, the foolish creature was all power but no brains, its blows were so wild that it would lose balance every time it attacked. Ragna began by attacking its legs, he figured that by eliminating the creature's ability to stand it would lose its knock out power. Every swing of Ragna's sword cut deep into the giant shoguns flesh, it was not long until the shogun got to its knees and was in perfect position for Ragna's final blow. Ragna was filled with such rage that despite having the shogun in perfect position, he mercilessly struck it again and again.

He didn't want to just kill it, he wanted to make it suffer but by doing this he openly gave the beast a chance to strike at him, as Ragna got up after receiving the vicious blow that didn't seem to weaken him, the beast sprouted out wings from its back and attempted to fly out of the pit. Ragna had no intentions of letting the shogun escape, he leaped after the beast and managed to cut off one of its wings but this only stopped it from gaining any more altitude, it still managed to fly out of the pit and now it had the advantage of flight. Ragna knew that because of his blind rage he had given the shogun the chance to take control of the battle, he had to claim this battle, he focused on his opponent once again. Ragna noticed that the creature had slow reflexes when attacked and it seemed to look lost when Ragna escaped its gaze, he figured that by blinding the beast, its ability to fly would be meaningless and Ragna would be able to finish the giant shogun off.

Ragna picked up three stones from the ground, one stone he threw to the sky to capture the shoguns attention, the other two stones he threw at the shoguns eyes with such force that it was as if they had been launched from a canon. The stones pierced the shoguns eyes and rendered it blind, this was Ragna's chance to end the fight but the shogun had gone berserk. It began to attack the ground, the dead trees and even the rocks, it had gone completely mad. As if things weren't intense enough, Ragna had heard loud screams and as he looked he saw a group of gypsy travellers frightened by the sight of the shogun. There screams attracted the shogun and it flew to their direction, it flew to fast for Ragna to keep up, the shogun was surely going to reach the gypsies before Ragna. Ragna needed to kill the shogun before it killed the travellers, Kill-shot from a safe distance had his sights on the shogun.

Kill-shot was more than capable to kill the shogun, he had seen that Ragna had failed and it was time to put an end to the fight before the creature killed the travellers but before he could fire a shot, something caught his attention. Ragna's sword had begun to glow and its symbols had begun to release a crimson mist. Ragna had never been able to use the weapon in such a way; it was as if a fire was flowing through the swords symbols. The sword slowly began to take a different form, it had turned into a great sword, the very sword that Ragna had become accustomed with. Ragna took one deep breath and swung his sword, the swords swing had launched the red mist it was emitting towards the giant shogun. The charging red mist made a loud and frightening scream, it was as if a thousand souls where crying in agony within the mist, the mist struck the giant shogun and ripped it to peace's. Kill-shot was beyond shocked, the strange weapon possessed more power than he had imagined, how could a simple farming village possess such a weapon? Ragna couldn't believe it, he did it, he killed a shogun, he looked to the sky and roared a great shout, "this is only the beginning, soon I will kill you, I'll kill you all". The gypsies in great gratitude asked for their saviour's name so that they could thank the man who saved them.

Gypsy headman: "who are you?"

Ragna: "my name is Ragna, Ragna of the hellboken crew."

Gypsy headman: "I am an author, I am well known for my tales of kings and heroes, please Ragna, tell me the name of your mighty sword so that I may tell the people of Rovahn who saved my family's life."

Ragna: "name?"

Kill-shot: "well Ragna all weapons must be named, an old habit the legion has had for centuries, besides, I can't have a member of the hellboken crew moving about with a nameless weapon."

Ragna: "am not sure what I should call it."

Kill-shot: "give it a name connected to your past, so that it may honour the memory of those you have lost, so, what is the name of your sword?"

Ragna: "the only thing that can honour the memory of what I have lost is vengeance, and the only way to gain that is to kill every shogun in my path. This weapons power has already earned it a name, the shogun reaper."

Gypsy headman: "shogun reaper huh, well then I shall see to it that all will know the name, and I shall wait for the day when Ragna, wielder of the shogun reaper, slays the vampires that terrorise Rovahn, fare well my friend."

As the gypsies departed Ragna looked to Kill-shot and saw him on his knees, he asked Ragna to do the same.

Kill-shot: "today Ragna you have done what so many have failed to do, for so long you have lived life as you are now, on your knees but today you have arisen from that weakness. As you rise Ragna remember what you did today and carry it with you always, defend the hellboken crew, defend the legion and defend the people of Rovahn. The weight of the world is now in your hands as it is in mine, are you ready to carry that wait?"

Ragna: "yes, yes I am."

Kill-shot: "then as of this day Ragna you are one of us, you will live, sleep, eat and fight with us. You and I are brothers now and I don't know about you but I could really use a good night's sleep."

Ragna: "sounds good to me."

Ragna and Kill-shot returned to the hellboken and continued their journey to the silver caves, Ragna had finally been excepted by the crew and he was ready to fight for them but the gypsy travellers however set their sights on redwood, the town the hellboken crew had resupplied from. The gypsy headman told them about the man who wielded the shogun reaper, he told them of the fire he wielded, the fire that consumed the shogun to ash. Without even realising it, Ragna that day had become a hero, his name would spread beyond redwood, in fact, his name would travel far enough to be heard by the capital of Rovahn, whispery into the ears of the royal family.

Kill-shots log: "today I have found myself finding more questions than answers, yes, Ragna proved to me that he was worth all my efforts and was worthy of the legion but really who is he. We found him in a village that was perfectly hidden from the shogun, the vampires and even the legion but in one fateful day it was discovered by all. I find it a bit to odd, in fact I don't entirely believe that the village was discovered by accident. And what of Ragna's weapon, it has permanently changed form, how could a family of villagers have such a weapon? Ragna has asked so many questions of us that we haven't taken the time to ask questions about his family. We have set our eyes on the silver caves, there exists a simple society, it's quite a long journey but it may give me the time I need to learn more of Ragna, of course knowing Ragna he will probably ask me a shit load of questions. I suppose it can't be helped, I may carry my fair share of secrets but Ragna may carry more secrets than any king or vampire, it is unclear whether those secrets will aid or destroy us but we must ask the golden question, who is Ragna sky? and how is he connected to the warriors that once used such weapons? Kill-shot of the hellboken crew signing out."