Chapter 20: The Ripper Versus The Samurai of Fury

Tomoe sat in the lotus position on the dark blue tatami mat floor. Her room was well-lit with oak wooden floor walls, a shoji door behind her, and candles letting the light illuminate the room. Beside her lies an unsheathed katana, its blade sparkling in the candlelight.

Tomoe stands up, determined, and wields her katana as she starts swinging. Each strike is a perfect combination of focus and fury. Then she saw a suit of Heian-era armor and charged towards it. Tomoe yelled and leaped, cleaving through armor with one strike. Tomoe wiped some sweat from her brow and beamed with pride.

"Well done, Tomoe! You've exceeded my expectations quite nicely," A hardy voice complimented the onna-bugeisha.

Entering the dojo is a hulking man wearing bulking black dō-maru armor with yellow and white accents, a kabuto with golden horns aside his helm, and a red and white men-yoroi mask with a black bushy mustache.

Shinto God of War and Archery

Hachiman

Tomoe bowed in reverence to the Japanese warrior deity.

"Thank you, Lord Hachiman. I'm more than ready to face Jack and bring the justice to he eluded for so long."

"Yes, you will bring honor to my lady and show your might to the other gods," Hachiman said, nodding with approval.

"Ojin, my friend, must I remind you that other gods are our friends? I wish not to be competitive with them."

Hachiman and Tomoe turn to see Amaterasu with a warm on her face.

"Of course, Lady Amaterasu. Forgive me," Hachiman expressed, taking off his helm to reveal a handsome young man with short black hair and hazel eyes.

"I merely wish to motivate our champion to claim victory."

"It's alright, I understand," Amaterasu answered kindly before walking towards Tomoe.

As Tomoe and Amaterasu stand face-to-face, the samurai can see a bit of trepidation on her face.

"Lady Amaterasu, is something wrong?"

Amaterasu slightly lowered her head and sighed deeply.

"I...I'm worried about this match. After witnessing the carnage caused by the guitarist, I shudder to think what Loki's champion will do to you. Furthermore, I feel guilty to have you fight for me."

Then Tomoe places her hands on her goddess's shoulder, which surprises Amaterasu.

"Lady Amaterasu, you shouldn't feel bad for something I chose. After all, you gave us a choice to fight for you. Unlike the others, you care for humans, and if anyone should rule heaven, it's me."

Amaterasu softly giggled as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. As she opens her eyes, a newfound sense of pride to Hachiman and Tomoe's joy.

"Then, I expect you to bring Jack the Ripper to justice!"

Tomoe nodded in agreement as she prepared to leave until she saw Nohime leaning at the doorway.

"Great. What do you want, Nohime? Come to give any last-minute berating," Tomoe uttered with annoyance.

Nohime smugly smirks as she struts into the dojo, illuminating beauty and vanity.

"Now, now, Tomoe. Is that any way to talk to an ally who comes to wish you luck?"

Tomoe scoffs at her fellow Star General, "Sure you are. But that doesn't explain why you're here."

"Tomoe, restraint," Hachiman sternly ordered as he would to his men in his mortal life.

Tomoe soughed in as she composed herself, and Amaterasu walked up to the two women.

"Now, you two behave. Nohime, may I ask why you're here?"

Nohime rolled her eyes before explaining the situation.

"Well, when I was with the other gods, I hid a radio transmitter to gather information and gossip. For you, of course. And I have something you might like to know."

"What do you mean by that?" Hachiman asked curiously, wondering what information the kunoichi has.

Nohime had on a sharp grin upon getting the others' attention.

"Well, a god named Loki wishes to have Tomoe's match to have a more unique...setting, as it were. The change of the field essentially."

With that, Hachiman snorts in disgust, "Of course, he wants to change the battlefield for his whims. I'm guessing he wants the battle to be in London, correct?"

"Actually, no. It seems Loki wishes for the next fight to be from an era in Japan," Nohime answered.

Amaterasu and Hachiman were bewildered upon hearing this.

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would Loki have his champion not have a home-field advantage?" Hachiman questioned

Amaterasu is deep in thought as she tries to understand Loki's game.

However, Tomoe grinned and stood with the pride of any samurai from her era.

"Well, it doesn't matter what battle I will face! Know that I will win and end the legend of Jack the Ripper, once and for all!" Tomoe declared much to Amaterasu and Hachiman's joy and Nohime's aloofness.

The arena is blanketed by the starlit night as the moon looms over for the battle to come. A burst of boisterous laughter erupts from the crowd as they await the match.

Tall and husky, he has curly, orange hair, topaz-colored eyes, scruffy orange muttonchops, some hair on his arms, weathered, tanned skin, and mechanical brass legs. He wears a black toga tunic, a leather-brown blacksmith apron, and thick, tinted goggles on his forehead.

"Hahaha! I wish I could see my ex-wife's reaction after the prick got slaughtered!" The man laughed as he and the audience watched the replays of Rasputin versus Johnson.

Greek God of Fire and The Forge

Hephaestus

"You seem entirely delighted at Rasputin being dismembered and eaten by a hellhound," Tesla asked, sitting beside his sponsor.

"Furthermore, shouldn't you be in the booth with the other gods," Tesla gestured to the skybox above.

Hephaestus shrugs as he scratches his beard.

"Yeah, but I'm still not on good terms with Aphrodite and my belligerent brother. Besides, I am curious what this next battle will be like."

Tesla's cold eyes cast his sights back at the arena to witness the battle.

On the other side of the arena, Hrist and Skeggjold found seats in the stands to watch the fight begin. Nohime returned to her spot with Benkei in the same seat. Back at the skybox, Hachiman and Amaterasu return to watch from their seats while Loki slightly hovers above Odin.

After a hush floated around the stadium, the spotlight shone onto Hermes, now wearing a blue kimono with golden accents.

"Welcome back to Historiamachy, ladies and gentlemen! Well, after the, well, unexpected end to the fourth match. The great and mighty Zeus decided to raise the intensity of this match to be the ultimate war between good and evil!"

As Hermes announces, a dazzling metropolis from Japan's Edo period emerges, with traditional black and green tiled roofs and paper lanterns radiating an orange glow. At the far end of the city, there is a towering Buddhist pagoda and bathe in the moonlight. 

The audience gasped in awe at the new arena design, then massive erected and blocked the view of the battlegrounds. Suddenly, projection screens appeared for the onlookers to watch the action live.

"You are looking at a perfect replica of Kyoto during the Edo Period. A stage in which one of the most fearsome samurai will face the most elusive killer in history! The battle of good versus evil will be an Edo-Style Street Fight!"

"A street fight, huh? Damn, I wish I could slug it out in there," Hrist said with a toothy grin.

As the audience waits in anticipation, Hermes floats as he prepares to announce the first combatant to enter.

"How will the fight go from here? Let's find out together, shall we? Now, the moment you all have been waiting for! Representing the Norse god of trickery, Loki is this monster!"

Upon the opening of the arena through the western gates, a thick fog emanates, and Victorian lantern posts illuminate with an ominous glow.

"The date was August 31, 1888, when Mary Ann Nichols was found murdered in the slums of Whitechapel at 3:40 a.m. Upon her gruesome discovery, London's finest sought to apprehend the foul murderer and bring him to justice!"

As Hermes focuses on introducing Jack, the silhouette of the infamous murderer enters from the entrance and walks through the mist with the gaslight guiding 'his' way. The audience muttered and gasped in horror as the outline of Jack was that of a demon with his wings following behind.

"However, this murderer eluded the authorities time and again. He killed four more prostitutes and painted the entirety of London in unbridled fear! Upon each kill, he sends letters, delivering gruesome details of his cruelty!"

Then, Jack emerged from the mist as the murderer entered Kyoto. The spectators, both divine and mortal, were filled with anxiety as they observed the murderer advancing towards the heart of the metropolis.

"So, dear audience, who was this monster that terrorized London? Was he a barber? A disgruntled former schoolmaster? A painter? Well, this battle will reveal the truth behind history's most notorious murderer will be revealed! Ladies and gentlemen, here is the Whitechapel Killer!"

"JAAAAAACK!"

"THEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"RIIIIIIIIIPPER!"

Then, Jack the Ripper stands at the center of Kyoto with the wind fluttering the ends of the cloak. The audience watches in horror as she speaks among themselves.

"So it's really him!? The real Jack the Ripper!"

"To think we're witnessing the infamous murderer right in front of us?"

"The greatest enigma to plague humanity has now revealed thyself."

From the booth, Loki smirks from ear to ear upon seeing his champion.

'Okay, my dear. Give everyone a, well, jolly good show.'

Meanwhile, Hermes, wasting no time, begins the introduction for Jack's opponent.

"And now, introducing his opponent! This woman needs no introduction, but I might as well! Representing the Shinto archery kami, Hachiman is none other than her!"

Gallop of hooves heard from eastern gates. Then, Tomoe came out riding on a majestic brown horse with a banner of the Minamoto clan in her hand and a katana in a sheathe on her side.

"She is the noble warrior who fought against the injustice of the Taira clan! She has slain many seasoned generals with her unbounded strength in the Genpei War! From beheading Honda no Morishige in the Battle of Awazu to driving the Taira clan to the western provinces, her prowess in battle is unmatched!"

Once Tomoe entered Kyoto, she pulled the reigns to stop her horse. From there, she gets off her steed and grabs a long yumi bow and arrows as she holsters them behind her back. Finally, she grasps a naginata with jade bands on the staff and makes her way to confront Jack.

"Her accomplishments have staked her place as one of the greatest warriors of her era! But now, will she be the one to end the infamous serial killer, or will her legacy fall with her? I introduce to you. The Archer of Inferno! The Strongest of the Heian Era! TOMOE GOZEN!!!!!!!!!!"

As Hermes says this, Tomoe plants her banner into the ground and stands with her valor on full display. The crowd cheered for the mighty samurai, especially her comrades from her era.

"Come on, Tomoe-sama! Slaughter that filthy cretin!"

"That murderer won't stand a chance against you, Tomoe-dono!"

"You can do this! Don't let that animal win!"

When Tomoe and Jack meet at the center of Kyoto, Tomoe notices that she's five inches taller than the murderer. However, the thing that got Tomoe's attention was Jack's mask.

"Jack the Ripper," Tomoe said disdainfully, "I demand that you remove that mask and face me with at least a sliver of honor."

"Honor?" Jack said in a low, almost robotic voice.

"My dear, Tomoe. I'm afraid honor isn't necessary to this duel of ours. Of course, if we were to go bare-knuckled, I would happily obliged."

Then, Jack gives a gentleman bow in Tomoe, much to her disgust.

"So that so," Tomoe sneers as she points her naginata at Jack.

"Then, I'll slay you with extreme prejudice, killer!"

On cue, Hermes was ready to announce the battle between Jack and Tomoe.

"Here we go! The ultimate battle of good and evil has begun! Fighting for Hachiman, from Japan, Tomoe Gozen! And her opponent, fighting for Loki, the most infamous killer in the annals of human history, Jack the Ripper! Ready? Set? FI-!"

Instantly, a flurry of knives flew out of Jack's cloaks towards Tomoe. Tomoe quickly dodges the attack, only getting a minor scratch to her right cheek. The audience gasped and jeered in disgust over Jack's cheat shot.

"Dishonorable! Loki, how could you choose such a foul fiend," Hachiman yelled angrily at the Norse god in the booth.

Loki takes a slip of a Dirty Shirley before saying, "What can I say? Jack is a trickster like myself. After all, we both love to play dirty."

Back at the arena, Tomoe wipes the blood from her cheek.

"You bastard," Tomoe hissed, her eyes turning red with anger.

"Forgive me, madam. I want to confirm if you live up to your reputation. And I must say, it seems a bit overblown."

Tomoe menacingly bellows as she lunges at Jack with her weapon, thirsty for blood. She swings her naginata with every intent to cleave through the killer, but Jack weightlessly evades each attempt.

"Uhh? Jack and Tomoe are determined to end each other's lives from the get-go! This fight is getting as intense as possible!" Hermes announces as he hovers over the action.

Tomoe goes for an arching side strike, but Jack jumps far away from the attack with great distance and lands on one of the roofs.

"Coward! Are you going to run and cower in this fight!?!" Tomoe yelled, pointing her weapon at the Ripper.

"My dear, you should've practiced better vigilance, you know. It's the very thing the so-called "victims" fail to do," Jack said, gesturing Tomoe to look down.

Tomoe turns her sight downward to see six silver balls below her. Before she could step back, the orbs burst into a massive cloud of smoke.

"Tomoe is trapped in a cloud of smoke, courtesy of Jack the Ripper," Hermes announces.

Suddenly, Tomoe disappate the smoke with a monstrous swing from her naginata. She goes to confront Jack, only for the murderer to disappear.

The audience was dumbfounded at Jack's disappearance.

"Of course, that freak would run and hide! At least Uncle has more courage than that bastard." Hrist sneered

"No, I don't think that's the case, sister," Skeggjöld replied, seeing Tomoe putting down her weapon

Tomoe grabs her bow and pulls an arrow out of the quiver. She cautiously walks around parts of the city. Tomoe scours for Jack with her arrow resting on her bow. Instantly, a storm of blades shoots from a little shop towards Tomoe's blind shot. Tomoe tried to dodge out of the way, only for two of the knives to strike into her. One piercing into her left thigh, and the second one slashed across her right forearm. Tomoe barely wince as she pulls out the knife and fires an arrow into the shop. Then, another barrage of knives rushes towards Tomoe from above. She dodged out of the way and fired another arrow at the source.

Jack chuckled as the killer caught the arrow with a black-gloved hand on the roof of a different building.

"Not too shabby, my dear lady. I was so sure that the next attempt on your life would be successful. You have my praise, Ms. Gozen."

"Praise?" Tomoe said as she crouched down.

"I don't want approval from a faceless fiend!" Tomoe yelled as she launched herself toward Jack.

"How uncouth," Jack uttered as the murderer dodged the attempt.

However, Tomoe planned for this but used the momentum to spin around and hit a roundhouse kick to Jack's mask. The kick sent Jack to the ground, but the murderer managed to land on 'his' feet.

"Incredible! Tomoe Gozen has outsmarted the murderer and delivered a wicked kick to Jack the Ripper!" Hermes announces while the audience rallies for Tomoe.

"Fuck yeah!" Hrist yelled excitingly, with Skeggjöld nodding approvingly.

In the booth, Hachiman was pumped to see Tomoe kick the Ripper in the face.

"That's girl, Tomoe! Break that foul bastard's mask! Have him reveal his horrendous face."

"Him? Oh, Hachiman, don't you mean her," Loki spoke with a sly grin.

The gods were baffled by Loki's statement.

"What are you rambling about? The name says it all. JACK the Ripper," Davy Jones said, waving a bony hand dismissingly.

"Oh really, Davy dear. Well, let's watch together, shall we?" Loki motioned to the projection above.

 Back at the Kyoto battle, Tomoe lands on her feet and stands with a satisfied smirk. Jack clutches the mask as it falls apart while she glares at him.

"There's no point in concealing your identity, Jack. Anonymity is gone from you. Now, reveal who you truly are!"

The audience waited with bated breath to finally know who Jack the Ripper was.

Jack sighed as the murderer's voice was a mix of a distorted robotic voice and an elegant British woman, which shocked everyone in the arena.

"It seems I can't escape into an alley forever, can I? Very well, Tomoe Gozen. It is time to bring closure to this cold case. But must you break my mask? It was a lovely gift from a friend who went to Venice."

Then Jack removed the mask to reveal an exquisite woman in her late twenties with alabaster skin, shimmering violet eyes, lush maroon lips, and long, whitish blonde hair in a Victorian updo hairstyle.

The woman who is Jack then rips the cloak off her to reveal a buttoned blue dressage tailcoat with midnight blue accents, a white dress shirt under the coat with a velvet silk ascot with a floral design, black gold-buckled leather gloves, white leggings, and midnight blue and grey buttoned boots.

The woman smiles a sweet yet malicious grin at the confused and angry Tomoe.

"Did you assume I was a man? I can understand why. But don't fret. For I'll reveal my identity to you and everyone watching."

Then the woman grabbed the ends of her tailcoat and did a curtsy to Tomoe.

"Greetings, my dear Tomoe. My proper name is Winifred Pryor, and I am the one many called Jack the Ripper."

The Face of the Ripper Has Finally Been Revealed...!

The Battle of Good and Evil Has Taken an Unforeseen Turn...!