Raitaro,The Good....Wait, What!?

Shindo's jaw dropped after hearing Raitaro's words. "You've got to be kidding me," he said before slapping his forehead. "I wish I was, Shindo," Raitaro replied. "Quick side question, how do you know my name?" Shindo asked curiously. "Raiju told me. He also explained the thing about you practically killing him and bringing him back," Raitaro answered as if explaining it for the hundredth time. "So the wolf told you all that?" Shindo asked in disbelief. "Yes actually. You see Shindo, Raiju can communicate telepathically," Raitaro explained. Shindo took time comprehending the wolf's ability. Then suddenly, he let out a little sneeze.

"Oh where are my manners? Please follow me inside," Raitaro offered as he waltzed through the entrance of the dome. Shindo stayed close behind Raitaro as they drew closer to the cabin. Upon entering, Shindo tripped and landed face first against the ground. As he lifted his head, he came face to face with the most amazing interior he had ever seen. Several leather sofas were placed around a red-brick fireplace with several jewels embedded in the cracks. Hanging on each of the walls were skulls that Shindo couldn't identify. "Are you a huntsman or something?" he asked Raitaro. "Am I a huntsman? Of course not. I just happen to be around when monsters appear so I take the liberty of keeping their skulls as an act of gratitude," Raitaro explained with glee.

Shindo stared blankly at Raitaro. "Did I say something wrong?" Raitaro asked, looking back at the boy. "I'm just confused about one thing. What the hell are you grateful for?" Shindo asked abruptly. "Did anyone ever tell you not to be so vulgar?" Raitaro said as he sat down. "He does have a point Shindo. You overly express yourself," Kami-gatta pointed out. "Shut the hell up!" Shindo shouted out loud. Before he could blink, Raitaro held his katana by the base of Shindo's throat. "I thought I told you not to be vulgar, child," he said sounding irritated. "And another thing," he continued, "if you have time to run your mouth so casually then you have time to explain why it is that you are standing in front of me."

Shindo moved away from the blade slowly. "If you really want to know, it's because I was told you could help me," he said while feeling his neck for any cuts. "And what exactly is it that you need my help with?" Raitaro asked as he sheathed his sword. "It's something called 'the corruption'. Kami-gat-," Shindo replied before Raitaro lifted his hand to silence him. "The corruption? It's been long since I heard that. Tell me, how much power do you have at your disposal?" he asked. "Forty percent," Shindo answered. "Hmph, this should be interesting. Let me see it. All of it," Raitaro commanded. "That's not going to happen. I won't use it," Shindo responded. "Are you scared?" Raitaro asked. "No I'm not. I just won't use it," Shindo replied. "Those are the words of a coward. Listen, this is one simple difference between the scared and the fearless: the scared create rules for themselves to use as excuses for failure but the fearless look their mistakes and failures in the eye and accept all consequences of their actions. This is also the difference between you and me. You've given excuses your whole life for your shortcomings and always expected others to shield you. I took hold of my actions even when others tried to shield me," Raitaro explained with a straight face.

"I'm not a coward! I'm not scared. I'm just doing this so that I don't kill you!" Shindo yelled at the top of his lungs. "You? Kill me? If that's the case, I'll just have to draw out your power and see for myself," Raitaro replied as he pulled out his sword. With frightening speed, he ran towards a now defenseless Shindo. Shindo moved back just in time as Raitaro brought down his sword in the place that Shindo's head would have been. "What was that for?!" Shindo asked. "I'm going to force out your power even if I have to kill you," Raitaro explained bluntly. Shindo was starting to get irritated by his eagerness. He summoned his kusarigama and charged at Raitaro. He attempted to slice Raitaro's abdomen but was stopped by a kick to the head that sent him out the door. "You'll have to use your power if you want to get even a scratch on me," Raitaro said as he walked casually towards Shindo. "I refuse," Shindo responded as he got ready to attack again. He flanked Raitaro's right before throwing both scythes towards him. Raitaro vanished just before the scythes made impact and reappeared behind Shindo with his katana already in a swinging motion. "Too slow," he yelled as he slashed the boy's back, leaving a large diagonal cut. Shindo fell forward, just barely stopping his fall with his arms.

As he staggered back to his feet, Raitaro had already returned to his original position and was now wiping Shindo's blood off his katana. Shindo let out a yell as he ran at full speed straight at Raitaro with his arms stretched out at his sides. He spun and threw his left kusarigama towards Raitaro's head. Raitaro however, caught the weapon with ease before snapping off the blade. "I'm starting to think that it's a matter of "can't" rather than "won't" concerning your use of your power," he said as he threw both items back at Shindo. "How?" Shindo asked in shock as he looked down at the blade-less hilt of his scythe. "Does it really matter?" Raitaro replied. He rushed towards Shindo before passing his sword through his shoulder. Shindo let out a shout in pain as Raitaro began turning the sword in his socket.

Raitaro picked him up by the neck and carried him to the cliff of the mountain they were on. He pulled his sword out and stabbed Shindo in one of his lungs before stabbing him in his other shoulder. Shindo coughed up blood as his vision began darkening. "If you want to try again, you know where to find me," Raitaro said just before dropping Shindo's motionless body. Should have known as much, Shindo thought as he dropped. As he fell silently, he subconsciously charged up all his energy in an attempt to heal his wounds. From the top of the mountain, Raitaro looked down with interest as he saw Shindo begin glowing. "At long last," he said with satisfaction as he walked back to his initial spot. As he sat down and drew out his sword once more, two familiar scythes stuck themselves at the edge of the cliff, followed by a yell that kept getting louder and louder. Shindo shot up before landing at the edge of the cliff with all his wounds healed.

Raitaro stood and clapped slowly. "You finally did it. But why are you still holding back?" he asked as he stared at Shindo. True enough, in Shindo's current state, only fifteen percent was in use. "Why'd you want to know?" Shindo responded. "The point of this fight is to face your corrupted form. I can't help if you keep holding back," Raitaro explained calmly. Shindo ignored the explanation and ran towards Raitaro moving faster than before. Once again, Raitaro vanished and reappeared behind Shindo already in an attacking position. Shindo turned around just in time to block Raitaro's sword with both his kusarigama. "I admire the increase in speed but that was still too slow. And you're still too weak," Raitaro stated as he kept increasing the force and speed of his sword swings. Raitaro suddenly threw his katana into his other hand before swinging it upwards from the ground, cutting Shindo's chest vertically.

Shindo jumped backwards creating a distance between him and his opponent. "Are you scared again?" Raitaro asked while pointing his bloodied sword towards Shindo. Shindo stood with his head facing tge ground and his scythes hanging. "Hey Raitaro... don't tell me I didn't warn you," he said in a voice that sounded as if more than one person was speaking. "Now we're talking!" Raitaro said with excitement as he felt Shindo's power rising rapidly. Shindo flung his head upwards to face Raitaro as he kept charging up. Raitaro was quickly put on guard by the boy's facial expression. Shindo's right eye was once again completely green. This time however, the area surrounding the eye was shaded black. "Here comes death!" Shindo yelled with excitement before letting out a blood curdling laugh. He vanished and reappeared right in front of Raitaro, slicing his chest diagonally before Raitaro could react.

Raitaro moved backwards with his arm over his fresh wound. "What's wrong? Scared?" Shindo asked mockingly with a smile in his multi-person voice. Raitaro threw his rusted katana behind him before stretching out his empty right hand. "Hmph. Tell me Shindo, how does it feel?" Raitaro asked as a new katana slowly formed in his hand. "Amazing! Just bloody amazing!" Shindo responded with enthusiasm. "Interesting, you're still vulgar. Well then I guess it's time to end it," Raitaro said sounding displeased as the katana finished forming. It was a black blade attached to a red and black hilt with a dragon figurehead. "I didn't plan on using it but you've forced my hand," Raitaro said calmly as he pointed the blade of his new katana at Shindo.

"You think that little thing is going to stop me?" Shindo asked. Raitaro paid no attention to his question but rather began tapping the tip of his sword against the ground. "Shindo, at this point you're using your full power which is forty percent of my father's, correct?" Raitaro inquired. "Yeah, so?" Shindo answered while rubbing the back of his neck. "Interesting. Then I guess it's a bad time to tell you that my full power scales at seventy percent of my father's. So please try not to die," Raitaro said as he got into his stance. Shindo wasn't sure if what he had just heard was the truth or just a really bad joke. Then just before he could blink, Raitaro was now standing behind him with his katana slung on his shoulder.

"Too slow," Raitaro said just before sheathed his sword. Shindo at first didn't know what Raitaro meant but understood after he looked down. Shindo's gaze was met by a bleeding hole in his chest. At that same moment, blood exited from his mouth as his body went numb. He stopped his fall with his hands before forcing himself back up. "If I were you, I'd stay down," Raitaro suggested as he gave Shindo a cold stare. "No need. It's just one little hole," Shindo replied as he wiped the blood of his lower lip. "Really, then prove it. Attack me with everything you have left in you," Raitaro said as his new sword vanished. "No problem. Just don't die too fast," Shindo said as he began swinging his kusarigama in circles.

He ran towards Raitaro, letting his scythes dig into the ground behind him. When he got within melee distance of Raitaro, he spun on the ground before delivering a kick to his midsection. Raitaro was sent flying backwards. Before he could even hit the tree behind him, Shindo hovered over him before delivering a double hammer fist that sent Raitaro into the ground. Shindo calmly walked away from the crater believing that the fight had come to an end. Suddenly, lightning bolts came down towards the crater. Shindo caught a vague sight of Raitaro before he disappeared from the crater. The next thing Shindo knew, he was floating in midair and couldn't feel his legs. After hitting the ground, he looked up and saw Raitaro glowing in the air with his arms folded. Shindo attempted to stand but still couldn't find any feeling in his legs. "Don't bother, I broke your spine in five different places so movement is impossible," Raitaro explained.

Shindo began regaining his senses, an indication that his corrupted form had given out. Before he could comprehend his current situation, Raitaro began soaring down towards Shindo. "Raijin's tomoe," he said just before punching Shindo's face. The force of the punch sent Shindo into the ground before he exited from the other side of the mountain into a near by swamp. Should have expected this from Kami-gatta's son, he thought to himself as he sunk deeper and deeper. Suddenly, a hand came down, grabbing Shindo by his hair before slowly pulling him back up. "Probably went a little too far," Raitaro mumbled as Shindo's vision darkened.