beautiful eyes. Shinichi was going to pay.
Shinichi bit his thumbnail, “Damn. That stupid Samurai Butler just had to show up and ruin everything. I miscalculated. Bitch 119
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I…underestimated him.”
Kusanagi looked over at Shinichi bewildered,
“Shinichi...what is this?”
“It’s exactly what it looks like. I just tried to kill you, baka. My real name isn’t Shirakawa Shinichi. It’s Kimamura Shinichi. So, if I kill you I’m one step closer to getting your inheritance!”
Kusanagi blinked. “My inheritance? But what do you want the inheritance for?”
“I need it for-”
Before Shinichi could finish, however, Ranmaru gathered his power and with a slash of his sword unleashed a fiery blast towards Remington. Remington raised his giant katana to block the attack, but the attack hit and Remington was pushed back across the ground by the sheer power of the attack. And then as Ranmaru added more power behind his attack, Remington was completely pushed back and sent flying backwards to where he landed on the cement ground with a loud thud and then remained motionless. One of his arms had been severed from the force of the blast and lay a few feet away from the beaten samurai robot.
“Remington!” Shinichi cried out in a panic, “You’ll pay for that one, baka butler! Kusanagi, I have to say it’s quite impressive that your butler is able to stand up to a robot but...”
Shinichi reached into his backpack and pulled out a handheld control device that had a large red button on it. “Can he stand up to several robot Samurai Butlers?” Shinichi questioned as he pushed down on the red button.
Suddenly, six robotic Samurai Butlers appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. Kusanagi realized the robots must have been trailing after them since they had left the school, waiting in the shadows for Shinichi’s command to attack. But since the robots weren’t human there had been no way Kusanagi would have been able to sense their presences. The giant robots had all been built in design similar to Remington since they resembled Gundams that had elaborate, horned samurai helmets, and were wearing samurai armor. They also all had large katana 120
strapped to their backs and a Gundam-styled shield was held out before them in one of their hands. Unlike, Remington however, they didn’t wear a butler’s vest or a monocle. Ranmaru summoned his yokai power and a red, fiery aura formed around him resembling flames and around his sword that was glowing crimson. He wasted no time in attacking the robots. His sword clashed with one of the robot’s katana but as Ranmaru merely applied more pressure and power to his sword it simply cut through the robot’s own sword, and then through the chest of the robot, so that it fell backwards sparking and beginning to catch on fire.
Ranmaru spun around to face a samurai robot that had been trying to sneak up and attack him from behind. Ranmaru swiftly moved his sword through the air and cut through the robot’s arm and shoulder easily with an upward slash. Ranmaru then continued to spin his body and sword, and bending down low he moved his sword through the air to slice through the legs of another robot.
Three down. Three to go.
Ranmaru was beginning to think this was almost too easy. These were giant killer robots after all. He had expected them to give him a bit more of a challenge but he was disappointed that they were going down so easily. He looked towards the remaining three samurai robots and noticed something about them that he hadn’t noticed before-They were rusting. Ranmaru eyed the bad, rust-colored corrosion that the robots were suffering from all over their bodies. These robots were already falling apart or in robot terms: dying. Well, Ranmaru would just have to put them out of their misery then, he decided. Ranmaru charged forward while avoiding a deadly eye lazer attack from one of the robots and swung his sword in a sideways slash that sent the robot flying backwards. As the robot fell back his lazer attack suddenly went high and over Ranmaru’s head but didn’t appear to do any damage.
Ranmaru then turned his attention to the next robot in his path and leaping up into the air easily beheaded this robot before then slashing his sword through the air and sending another fire Bitch 121
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blast attack its way, which sent the robot flying back and exploding into pieces.
Ranmaru easily finished off the remaining samurai robot by slicing through both its rusty sword and then right through its body in one blow until there were no other robots left to face him
- only a pile of rusted metal scraps and robot body parts lay on the ground before him.
As Ranmaru destroyed the samurai robots Shinichi had cried out their name as each robot was destroyed. Apparently, to Shinichi each robot had been a friend, had meant something to him, and had been like family. “No! Jeeves! Nigel! Jenkins!
Willikins! Martin! Baxter!”
Ranmaru had to wonder why the boy had chosen to give his samurai robots British names. He shook his head in wonder. Kusanagi watched the battle in awe. The robots were incredibly fast and powerful, but Ranmaru was simply more powerful and faster. The battle was incredible to watch anyways since Ranmaru’s battle skills had been surprisingly impressive. It was as if Ranmaru’s dormant fighting and battle instincts had temporarily been awakened and his body was moving almost on its own as it remembered how to fight and avoid attacks. His movements had also been so fast that at times Kusanagi had been unable to keep up with him and he had turned into a mere orange and black blur.
One thing was becoming very clear to Kusanagi as she watched her butler fight. He was a seasoned warrior. But she still found it hard to believe that her stoic Samurai Butler was actually able to fight on par with those killer robots! Just where did her grandfather find this guy anyways? And once again Kusanagi wondered how much he was getting paid. She had a feeling it was probably a bargain.
Ranmaru turned to face Kusanagi and Shinichi, his usual golden eyes were still a blood-red color and it was these eyes that narrowed dangerously at Shinichi - the boy who had tried to assassinate his Oujo-sama. He would kill this boy...and he didn’t care if Kusanagi hated him for it. The boy was a threat. And all 122
threats were to be eliminated.
Ranmaru charged forward before Kusanagi could order him not to, and raised his sword prepared to cut the boy in two-However-Remington had suddenly appeared in front of his Master and with his one remaining arm used his sword to block Ranmaru’s attack. Ranmaru’s brows raised, he was surprised the robot was still functioning after having suffered from his fire blast attack at point blank range.
“Remington!” Shinichi called out worriedly.
“Don’t worry Master I will protect you.” Remington declared in his synthesized voice. Remington pushed his giant sword forward and Ranmaru was surprised to feel himself being pushed back. This robot was much more powerful than the others and he was suffering from far less corrosion, and although he hadn’t noticed before Remington was indeed rusting like the other robots in places. Remington too was dying... Remington increased his speed and swung his sword at Ranmaru, who in turn was also forced to increase his own speed in order to be able to block the fierce attack. The two Samurai Butlers became mere blurs as they battled one another, their swords clashing.
Meanwhile, Kusanagi and Shinichi had been watching the entire battle while standing underneath a giant billboard (which featured the face of the famous and extremely popular male model Haruka, who was giving them a sparkling star smile) that had become loose due to a stray lazer shot from one of the robots during Ranmaru’s fierce battle. The sound of metal breaking and cracking was suddenly heard from above them. Shinichi looked up and realized the billboard was directly over him and about to fall.
And that if it fell it would only fall on him and not Kusanagi.
He was so screwed.
“Remington!”
Remington and Ranmaru both turned at the sound of Shinichi’s cry, and Remington immediately noticed that his Master was in mortal peril. He decided
to leave Ranmaru and go to protect his Master. Ranmaru looked over to where Kusanagi Bitch 123
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was and decided that she was safe since the giant billboard would not fall on her in her current position. Ranmaru let out a sight of relief. Now he could concentrate on the battle at hand – and perhaps even take out two birds with one stone. Ranmaru returned his attention back to Remington.
Ranmaru rushed forward behind Remington as the robot ran towards his Master just as the billboard sign broke off its hinges and came crashing down through he air, about to flatten Shinichi-Two things happened at once.
Kusanagi ran towards Shinichi and pushed him down to the ground and shielded his body with her own-Remington threw his sword down - even though his socalled ‘target’ a.k.a Kusanagi was right there in front of him - and instead stood next to Kusanagi and Shinichi, and raised his own remaining robotic arm to stop the billboard’s descent. The billboard hit Remington’s robotic arm and bent it from the sudden impact. Remington’s arm began to spark and wires began to spiral out from it into the air as the arm’s outer metal shell began to crack in places especially where it had been slightly rusted. Remington supported part of the heavy billboard with his head as well as it threatened to crush them all. Ranmaru watched all this in shock. Kusanagi had been in danger but…he hadn’t realized. And now Remington was trying to save both Kusanagi AND Shinichi. The robot’s nor Kusanagi’s actions didn’t seem to make any sense. Their actions were both completely illogical for a battle. And weren’t robots driven by logic and not emotions?
“Oujo-sama! ” Ranmaru quickly rushed to her side. The sign was becoming too heavy for Remington, who was beginning to fall to pieces - screws were coming lose and robotic body parts were simply beginning to fall off of him from the extreme pressure that was being put on his body as the sign tried to crush him. His entire metal body was cracking in places due to the rust and he was close to shattering altogether. Ranmaru knew he wouldn’t last much longer.
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Ranmaru tossed his own sword aside and rushed up next to Remington, raising his own two arms and stopping the billboard from crashing down on the three just as Remington’s arm would have shattered. “Go now! Oujo-sama! Take the boy with you!”
Kusanagi stood and pulled Shinichi up along with her,
“Right.” She nodded giving Ranmaru a fierce look. “Come on, let’s go Shinichi!”
Shinichi however fought against Kusanagi’s grasp. “No! I won’t leave Remington!”
Ranmaru sighed. “Oi! Remington go!”
Remington shook his head, “No...it’s too late for me now. Master, you must leave me. Go…you must live. Ranmaru, you as well…leave me. You too must live.”
Kusanagi seemed to understand the situation and picked up the stubborn and screaming boy to drag him out from under the billboard and to safety. “Nooo~! Remington!” The boy shrieked.
Ranmaru frowned as he turned his attention back to Remington, “Why? Why are you doing this? You’re a killer robot. Why are you so willing to die in order to protect someone?
I don’t understand.”
“I’m already dying.” Remington began in his monotone voice. “Master’s family lost everything...he doesn’t have the money to repair me anymore, and so I know I’m dying...as much as a robot can truly die anyways. But I decided that if I was going to die I wanted to die while doing something truly worthwhile - I want to die protecting my young Master...to die like a true Samurai Butler would with honor…if I had been human.”
Ranmaru couldn’t understand this. To die protecting someone versus dying in the heat of a glorious battle? “I don’t understand. You’re a killing machine.” Like me. “You were programmed to kill. And obviously your programming must be based on logic. The logical way to win a battle is to conquer your enemies nothing more. You also ignored your enemy during battle and chose to instead to…concern yourself with Shinichi. It doesn’t make sense. It’s illogical.”
“Ranmaru...do you have someone to protect?”
Ranmaru looked off towards Kusanagi, who was still Bitch 125
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holding Shinichi back as he struggled to escape her. “Someone to protect...?” Ranmaru mused aloud.
“You have a lot to learn if you’re going to be a real Samurai Butler. A butler protects his Master. Knows his Master. You need to learn to see past her mask, Ranmaru. You didn’t predict Kusanagi would try and save Shinichi did you? That shows that you don’t know your Master well enough to be able to protect her properly. Also, you have to remember what it means to be a samurai, a true warrior. A samurai follows the code of Bushido – ‘the way of the warrior’. What is your Bushido, Ranmaru? What is your way? ”
“My own Bushido?” Ranmaru blinked. To fight…to fight to gain Power. To gain Power to fight.
“My Bushido is ‘to fight to protect’. I may have been programmed to be a killer robot but do you want to know when I stopped being just a tool to kill, Ranmaru? It was when I was awakened and met the young Master for the very first time and came to know him. He gave me a second purpose, a new purpose. To be his Samurai Butler and his friend. And so I ceased being just a killing machine and became a butler. It’s your purpose that decides what you truly are. It’s because I have someone to protect that I have become a Protector as well. Learning to protect someone is a necessary element to become a true Samurai Butler. Why do you fight Ranmaru?”
What did I fight for again? Why did I need to gain so much power? I can’t remember…
Ranmaru thought back...to five hundred years ago…
He used to fight because he simply liked it. Right? The thrill of it, that rush he got in the heat of a battle to the death – it had made him feel truly alive. But wasn’t his very obsession with fighting and power the reason why Ranmaru had failed to protect his miko love long ago...
FLASHBACK
Five hundred years ago...
He had taken her.
The Goddess Inari’s second, War General, Kenmaru. 126
Ranmaru’s best friend. A man, who he considered like a brother to him, had betrayed him and kidnapped the woman he loved!
But Ranmaru was going to get her back. Count on it. Ranmaru, while in his nine-tail fox form, had tracked down General Kenmaru by his scent, and his miko love, Nagi. Kenmaru had taken her to a castle he had just conquered singlehandedly apparently. The stench of blood and death still hung freshly in the air making Ranmaru’s sensitive nose twitch. Bodies littered the courtyard in front of the castle. Mangled corpses that were most assuredly all General Kenmaru’s doing. Smoke wafted into the air, the smell of burning flesh made Ranmaru cringe.
Then he heard it---The sound of a woman’s weak coughing. Nagi!
Ranmaru called out to her, “NAGI!”
Nagi heard her lover’s voice and responded as loudly as she could, “Ranmaru! ”
Ranmaru’s keen ears had been able to pick up on her stifled cry and realized that it had come from within the castle. He quickly made his way inside and when he heard Nagi’s frantic call again used his sharp ears to pinpoint her location within the castle and swiftly ran down the hallway and towards her location. Her voice had led him deeper into the castle and to the second story.
Finally, he had reached the bedchamber that he knew Nagi was inside of and burst his way inside. There he saw Kenmaru straddling Nagi, who was lying back on a bed that was in the back of the chamber and close to a large window. His hand was sneaking inside of her haori shirt-Ranmaru saw red and pounced at Kenmaru.
“KENMARU!” Still in his nine-tail fox form and with his sword still held between his teeth Ranmaru slammed into Kenmaru, and pushed Kenmaru flying back into the bedroom window, so that it shattered, and the two went flying out of the window together.
“Ranmaru!” Nagi had gotten up off the bed and rushed over to the window to watch the two men hurtling down through the air and towards the blood-soaked ground below. Ranmaru was on top
of Kenmaru as they fell through the air towards the ground, and he transformed back into his human Bitch 127
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form bringing his sword down upon Kenmaru intent on taking his head, but his sword clashed with Kenmaru’s own sword instead that Kenmaru had quickly unsheathed to counter Ranmaru’s attack.
They crashed into the ground, with Ranmaru still on top of Kenmaru, and with such force they had created a large crater in the ground.
Kenmaru gathered his own power and a black energy aura began to surround him. Ranmaru leapt backwards out of the way from the impending attack, sensing danger.
Ranmaru wore a stricken look on his face, hurt and betrayal flashed through his golden eyes, “Kenmaru! Why? ”
Kenmaru eyed Ranmaru with a slightly frantic look on his face. He appeared to be near some kind of hysterics. “Why?
Because I love her! Don’t you see? She’s the only one who can truly understand me! And you know what Ranmaru…I’m sick and tired of you stealing everything away from me! First Inari’s acknowledgement and praise, and now...Nagi! I just couldn’t win against you! But things are different now. I won’t live in your shadow any longer!
I’ll kill you and then Nagi will fall for me! I know that once you’re out of the picture I can make Nagi fall in love with me. We’re kindred spirits, you see. We’re the same. I know that my feelings will reach her! I’m not going to lose to you anymore Ranmaru! Today I’m going to win - I’ve seen to that!”
Kenmaru’s red-pink eyes flashed, and he wore a grim expression on his face. He was wearing his usual red samurai armor and had a new sword in hand, Ranmaru noticed. It was this peculiar sword that he raised and then pointed at Ranmaru threateningly. Kenmaru had always looked somewhat delicate and frail due to his silvery-white hair, pale skin, lithe physic and almost pink-colored eyes – when he had been compared to the samurai warrior that Ranmaru had become. Ranmaru, who was larger and more muscular, who trained for hours out in the open sun and so had become golden tanned and healthy in appearance. And when Ranmaru put on his golden samurai armor he became an 128
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