Shattered Memories

Prelude
The swords locked as the two men clashed into each other with all their might. Sparks fly off as the two delivered consecutive strikes only to be blocked by their opponents, with a huge shockwave the two sword locks again. A twist of the sword sends the other swordsman off balanced as he spun around and performed a back kick to the abdomen sending him crashing into a nearby tree. He walked slowly to his opponent, lifting up his sword and thrust it toward the downed man...

A man lay awake in the middle of the night. Sweat dripping down his face from the still fresh dream he had just encountered. He surveyed the room, still dark in the middle of the night; it’s a typical room in a typical inn that provided warmth and comfort for the weary travelers. The bed next to him is tightly made as if no one had slept on it. Baffled by the absence of his companion he decided to look around.

With a lantern in hand he walked discreetly down stairs. The inn keep had already closed the doors and went to his quarter; in the darkness he could make out a shadow sitting at a table, as he walked closer the light from his lantern lit up the table and its occupant. There at the table sits a beautiful woman, hair as dark as the night yet shines as bright as the moon, her eyes radiant with the gentleness of the ocean. She lifted her head slightly and gave him a warm smile.

“Did you have a dream about your past again?” asked the woman.

“Yes.” answered the man stoically.

“We’ve been on the road for months now trying to find some clue as to who you are,” she whispered carefully, “why won’t you leave it alone and continue on with your life.”

“I can’t do that.” The man replied coldly

“You are who you are,” “just because you lost your memories doesn’t mean you can’t be happy,” begged the woman, “do you still remember when I first found you by the riverbed unconscious? You had so much pain in your eyes that when I saw them I felt as if a part of me was dead.” She paused for a moment, holding back her tears “maybe somethings are meant to be forgotten…”

The man said nothing; his eyes followed the dancing flames on the lantern as his mind drifts.


“Hey, wake up,” he could hear the clear and gentle words reaching to him when he regained consciousness. Ray of lights penetrated his closed eyelids. He tried to move but a sharp pain ran through his whole body, the feeling of running water surrounded him as he slowly opened his eyes. The sunlight blinded him, gradually he was able to gain focus on the world around him. He was laying facedown by a river bed, still in water from the waist down, a blade tightly clutched in his hand. Sat in front of him a woman in her early twenties, her white dress flows from the breeze, she stood up as he pushed himself up with his arms. She examined him closely as he sat himself up right; he donned a red overcoat with a blood stained white dress shirt inside, Matching red pants and red leather shoes. Contrast to his cloth he had a full head of silver hair, with the back neatly tied up and the front drops down to cover half his face. Then there are his eyes, red like inferno’s flames yet there isn’t a soul in these fiery eyes, instead in these eyes is nothing but emptiness. The woman backed away as she placed her vision onto these eyes, as if a sudden and unexplained pain had struck her maiden heart, filled with sorrow, doubt and desperation.

“w-who are you?” she asked hesitantly.

“I don’t know”

“What are you doing here…” baffled by his answer she questioned him again.

“I don’t know…”

“Whoever did this sure is skilled with a sword,” Said the woman as she examined the numerous blade wound. They had moved into a small wooden house at the end of a village near the river, the locals quickly shut off their doors and windows with fear as they walked across the town square. She took out some bandage from one of the crates stashed in the room and pointed to a clean spot in the room, “sit over there and I’ll patch you up.” He sat down on the ground where she pointed, this room appears to be a storage room of some sort, and dust could be seen covering every inch of the room, the orange sun shines through the only window in this entire room as it slowly sets, only shadow engulfs the world.

The man sat silently in the dark as the woman wrapped bandages around his body, no one bothered to light a candle.

“It is done” said the woman in relieve, “I bet you are hungry am I right? I will go find some food and water for you.”

“Thank you” answered the man.

Sound of a closing door left him all alone in this small room, he took a few breathe as he familiarized himself with the darkness, the night was calm, his eyelids slowly dropped close as he fell asleep.


The smell of fresh grass, the gentle breeze as he lay upon a small hill underneath the only tree on this hill, sunlight penetrated the heavy leaves and scattered onto the ground. “Wake up!” a voice yelled as a force landed on his stomach. Opening his eyes in surprise he saw a beautiful girl sitting on his abdomen, sweat dripping off her face as she handed him a container.

“I thought you’d be all worn out from your training by now that you’d need some water, I can’t believe you were instead taking a nap, and to think I was worried” Yelled the girl as he took the container from her hand, took a drink and handed back to her.

“I think you need it more than I do” he smiled, looking at that red face of hers, “speaking of worn out, I know exactly who needs this water here.” They walked down the hill and headed toward a bridge in the distance.

“How well do you think he is handling master’s hellish training?” she asked “you know, I’m not surprised that master picked him as his successor, since let’s face it, you are a lazy bum who does nothing but sleep all day.”

“Hey, I’m just glad I don’t have to do any work.”

“Well, he is going to take over the dojo one day, and as master’s second student you’ll have to be strong too to support him right?” she spit out her little tongue and give him a smile. They head past the bridge and are now on the edge of a forest.

“I guess this is as far as you can go, the forest beyond this point will be filled with dangerous wild animals.” The man said.

“That’s not fair” the girl said with her cheek all puffed up “I train just as hard as you guys yet I’m not allowed to be in this forest”

“Oh trust me, you don’t want to get lost in this forest.” The man said as he proceeded while waved his hand.

“Be careful.”

Slowly strolled down a narrow path in the darkness, wiping sweat dripped down his forehead.

“Man this heat is unbearable.” Hot air rose all around him, he gasped for breath as the air around him thinned out. Suddenly he opened his eyes as he felt a searing burn on his face.


The house he fell asleep in burned around him; smoke became trapped under the inside and clouded the surroundings. Covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve he looked around, angry voices could be heard outside the house as he picked up a nearby crate and smashed it into the broken window, sword in hand he dived through the window and landed outside.

“Kill him!” all around him the angry villagers yelled while tossing stones and burning torches his way.
Anger emerged as he deflected the projectiles being thrown at him, taking a step forward he scanned the hostile crowd, “why” he asked lightly.

“Look at him people; look into his demonic eyes, this man has sold his soul to the devil. Such abomination simply must be purged from this world.” The apparent leader of this crowd shouted. “His very presence will bring ill omen to us,” one said “How dare he walk the world as if his own” shouted another. A few men charged up with torches and axes, slicing away the attack with his sword he felt a sharp pain ran through his back as one of the men snuck a blow from behind him. He jerked himself around and kicked the man away from him, his vision blurred as fatigue and hunger finally caught up to him, he felt his knee give out and face hitting the dirt.

“Awaken my child” a voice boomed inside his head, “grasp the power I have bestowed upon you.”

“Who are you” asked the man. “What is your business with me?”

“I am the one that can grant you unimaginable power, Kazan is my name. I am the spirit that resides in all those that are gifted” the voice replied. “How do you like the taste of death, how does it feel to be dying from the hands of these feeble peasants?”

“I do not fear death, for it is inevitable.” The man replied calmly “but I regret I will be going into my demise not knowing my origin, so that I ask if you can enlighten me with such information.”

“That is a question I cannot provide answer to, for I may dwell within your soul my view is based only of yours, I do not know the means of your lost memories nor do I possess them.” Said the voice “but I can grant you the power to continue your existence so you may fulfill your goal, surely dying in the hands of these fearful individuals is not what fate has in store for you.”

“Nothing is ever handed out for free I assume, if you can grant me the powers for me to seek my past.” He questioned “but I do not think you are willing to part with the power without certain conditions”

“I ask nothing in return. I will already be benefitting from your continual existence for without you I will also cease to be.”

“Very well, please grant me the power so I may have a chance to learn of my true self.” As the man agreed a sudden jolt of pain rushed through his left arm. He jerked violently on the ground a few of the villagers who tried to approach him slowly jumped back in fear. The pain in his arm pulsing as if a beating heart, Blood trickled down from various cuts and wounds. The man slowly pushed himself up from the ground, slowly scanning his surroundings. After he examined the villagers he looked back to his left arm. Each pulse irritated him more and more, but with each pulse he also felt a surge of power rushing through his veins.


"Attacking someone while they are asleep, have you no shame. You vile vermin of the earth, the sight of you irritate me. The world is a place fit for the strong, I shall end your pathetic existence so that you may have a chance to be born again with enough strength to be accepted by this world." the man said this with a menacing smile on his face, he slowly lifts up his sword and pointed it at the crowd of villagers in front of him.

"We have to protect the village from this abomination" Several villagers charged forward while yelling back to their fellow comrades, "DIE DEMON!" others followed in mass as the surrounded the man.

"All of you against one person huh? I guess nothing more could be asked for from weaklings such as you." the man said as he rushed into a crowd, immediately jumping into the air and striker the ground with his sword, upon impact the sword cause a shockwave on the ground. The shockwave traveled outward as if resembling the edge of a sword and everyone caught in it suddenly all fell to the ground, their feet dismembered from their legs as they screamed in agony. He quickly took a stance and leaped forward into another crowd, slicing the sword into a villager's head and chopping him in half, blood splattered in all directions with force so fierce the surrounding villagers cried in pain as their limbs and torsos are being sliced into little pieces.
The man turned his head, chunks of flesh drips from his sword, he looked at the other villagers with a grin on his face "now who here is next in line to be sent to their resurrection."


"What have I done...?”
The pale moon illuminated the river bed; a man kneeing over on the ground, "Kazan! What have you done to me." voices echoed through the empty sky as the man screamed on top of his lungs.

"Your wishes have been granted, you have escaped your demise at the hands of those worthless creatures. Now you can set forth to reclaim what you have lost."

"This is not what I have asked for... All those people... I slaughtered them all... Those that hadn't done me any harm... Women and children..." distinct images flashed into his mind, images of defenseless women hopelessly trying to shield the frightened children. How he mercilessly carved into their flesh unless all that is left of them are just heaping piles of blood and flesh. Unable to hold back he threw himself into the ground and vomited violently.

"All that I have granted you is the power you wield in your hands, what drove you to your actions is your anger, your own desire to kill."

“Take your power; I will not associate myself with a deceitful demon like you."

"The power you can keep, use them wisely."

Silence fell as the voice faded. His knees give out as he tried to force himself to stand up. Losing balance he fell flat onto his back. Hours past as he lay on that riverbed when suddenly he noticed someone was lightly walking towards him. He quickly takes a hold of his sword and stood up; to his surprise it was the woman that he had met before, the one who brought him back into the village. As soon as she saw him she collapsed onto the ground, droplets of tears roll down from her face.

"Are you hurt." asked the man as he dropped his sword back onto the ground

"My home, the village, everyone was dead." she muttered while trying to hold back her tears.

"There were a few men, I tried my best to defend the village but I was weary and outnumber, I do not know their motives" he told a lie, he didn't want her to find the true culprit. He cannot bear the thought that he'll have to strike her down.

"It must be the bandits..." not even finishing the sentence she picked up the sword he placed on the ground.

"You will die." the man said while placing himself in front of her.

"So be it! Everyone I ever knew are all gone now, I have nothing left in this world." she tried to dodge around him only to have her wrist caught in his hand, she gasped in fear as her sight focused onto his hand.
He followed her eyes to see his hand, what was once a normal human hand is now demonic, fleshy fingers now felt leathery to the touch, nails grew larger and sharp, and to call this a hand can no longer suffice for it resembles more of a claw of an animal than a human hand. He quickly hid his hand from her view.

"What happened to your hand, are you hurt?" she asked with a worried expression on her face.

"I'm fine..." his voice trailed off as he looked up into her eyes, clear as the sky, still watery from when she was crying a little easier. Fiery with vengeance yet the scent of her innocence penetrated even the darkest of part of the soul. "How do you know there are bandits about?" he asked

"Those trails on the ground, they lead deep into the forest. There are also caravan tracks going in that direction, all the caravans that travels down here always goes through our village to restock."

"We will rest for now, tomorrow I will set out for the bandits" the man said as he lay flat back onto the riverbed.

"I'm coming with you!"

"No"

"Yes!"

"Fine..." the man closed his eyes and attempted to forget everything that's happened today. He smiled bitterly, after everything he had been through to gain the chance to remember again right now he only wished to forget. The woman sat next to him, examining the sword still in her hands. Crystal blue from top to bottom as if crafted from a whole piece of ice, the sword radiated brightly under the moonlight, the small guard exist as if only for decoration yet the sword is perfectly balanced.

"The sword sure looks special, what is it called?"

"It’s a katana"

"I mean the name of this specific sword"

"I don't know"

"Did you remember your name?"

"No"

"you sure is a bundle of fun to talk to now aren't you" she continued examining the sword more closely, moving her finger down the blade she felt something uneven near the guard, she looked carefully under the moonlight and made out a carving inscribed "DXD"

"DXD..." she muttered "since this is your sword it must be your name"

"Sure" he said nonchalantly

"Hey, we just figured out your name, shouldn't you be excited?"

"It might not even mean anything"

"Well, I'm going to call you DXD because it gets annoying to call someone that doesn't even have a name" she lay down beside him "DXD... What a weird name...my name is Aleena by the way"

"Thank you for before."

"Don’t mention it."

DXD awoke the next morning from the sun shining on his faces. He picked up some wood from the edge of the forest and caught some fish. While the fish are being cooked Aleena got up.

"Let's go," she said impatiently

"eat first." he placed a fish in front of her and took a bite out of another
she hesitantly picked up the fish and quickly finished it then picked up another one "this is good!" he nodded as he also picked up a second one

"now let's go" she stood up as soon as she finished the second fish. DXD sat quietly and finished all the remaining fish, he did not feel the rush to go Chasing after some bandits that may or may not even exist, but he needed to get rid of this girl and he only way possible is to kill those bandits; he felt sorry that all those bandits to die because of his lie but after all that he'd done there is no turning back, no one will stop him from getting his memories back, plus those bandits are not without sins, it is probably for the best to purge them, once he had justified the action he stood up slowly, dusting off the ashes on his coat, "let's go."
The forest kept fairly quiet except for the occasional rustle of the leaves and bird chirps high above. As they traveled deeper into the forest the sun dimmed until they could barely make out their surroundings.

"Are you sure that you are going the right way?" she sat down on a tree stump and complained. He nodded while carefully examining the ground. "If you are such an expert tracker how come you didn't notice the tracks last night?"

"I was tired." he cringed at the moment she brought up yesterday; brushing it off aside quickly he continued to search for the trail that he had just lost a few minutes ago.
"This way." he quickly picked up where they had left off and starts off in the trail's direction.

"Where did you learn to track anyway?" Aleena asked as they walked silently in the forest

"something I still remembered" he answered.

"I guess some things indeed cannot be forg...ahhh" before she could finish her sentence DXD jumped in front of her, lifting up his katana. Sound of metals colliding as arrows were deflected, he quickly grabbed a hold of her and rolled away from the position the arrows were firing at. Loud snapping noises sounded off as they rolled over on the ground, bear traps triggered one by one until they stopped rolling.

"Are you hurt?" he asked while quickly searched her for wounds.

"Hey Hey! Watch where you are touching! Haha it tickles" she laughed while pushing him away. "Pervert... Touching someone like that" she looked at him angrily until she placed her sight onto his arm, fear ran through her eyes. A bear trap tightly clamped onto DXD's demonic left arm. "Your arm!" she yelled. He looked over to the arm and raised his katana; the trap instantly broke in half while his arm remains unscathed. She looked at him with pure amazement, lifting his arm in front of her eyes, "I've never seen anything like this! Does it hurt? How did your arm become like this?"

She bombarded him with questions to which he answered with a simple "no" he did not want her to find out how his arm came to be fearing that she would make the connections from his pact with the demon to the massacre of her village, honestly he did not even fully comprehended how his arm came to be, all he knew was that it had something to do with the demon Kazan. "Let’s keep going" he turned around scanning the surrounding trees, he could not make out where the arrows came from but he was certain it was a trap, which means they are close. He dusted off his coat and pulled Aleena up from the ground. They encounter a few more traps similar to this one on their way; already prepared for it they evaded them with ease. Soon they reached outside a small fort, inside disgruntled voices could be heard, "they know we are here" DXD commented, "can you use this?" he handed his katana to Aleena, he intended to go in by himself afraid that the bandits would deny ever visited the village but he couldn't leave her outside without any way to defend herself.

She looked at him with confusion in her eyes "don't you need it? And I know how to swing it around."

"Take it and wait for me here, hide if anyone comes" he replied calmly.

"No! It is too dangerous for you to go in without a sword, besides" she said hastily, "I thought warriors would never part with their blade. I will go in with you; you will protect me won't you?"

"You will only hold me back."

She stared at him for a moment then finally nodded in agreement "I wanted to see those bandits get their just desert." taking the sword in her hands and gripped it tightly

"Come in when I'm done, hide if anyone approaches" he turned around and marched toward and kicked the gate with all his might. The gate flew open followed by rains of arrows racing towards DXD. With a swift back step he avoided most of the arrows while blocking the rest with his demonic left hand. He felt his arm pulsed as a sudden feeling of power rushed through his vein, the same immediately followed by irritation and hatred. He zigzagged through another wave of arrows and closed his distance between him and the bandits. With his demon hand he quickly grabbed the bandit closest to him. Pulling out the bandit's sword from its sheath, sword in hand he made a circular turn and immediately the bandit in front of him was sliced in half from his torso another slash was quickly followed up where he pulled the sword from the ground all the way up past his head, the bandit burst open with a cross of blood gushing; the whole movement was done in a fraction of a second that before anyone figured out what's going on their comrade was now laying dead in front of their eyes. DXD held up his demonic hand as blood seeped through his arm, instead of dripping down the blood rushed to converge onto his hand until finally it takes on a shape of a sword. Twin swords in hands he slashed his way deeper into the group of bandits. Covered in blood he shredded his enemies into pieces and with each death the feel of blood on his face seemed to rejuvenate him, the more bandits that stood in his way the faster he attacked, suddenly he noticed a fiery figure on the edge of his sight. He quickly took a stance and leapt toward into that direction but what met him there was a ball of flame crashing down towards him. Unable to react in mid air he swiftly held up the bandit sword hoping to cut the fireball in half, but a mere metal sword could not hold up against the immerse heat and crushing power as he was sent flying until crashing into the ground a few yards away, the bandits who were unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast radius were instantly incinerated into charred corpses. A woman laughed sinisterly as she walked out from behind the bandits, pointing a crescent shaped staff towards him.