Mech slayers 11: tatakai [Battle]

All characters and Situations are owned by Catbert25. [Sean D'anna]
	
	"How goes the fight?" asked the young prince with a hard look. The men knelt
to him and frowned. "Not well sir. Gall has taken the palace and our forces
are being destroyed within the city." said the soldier in the front.
	"Mother, sister." said the prince with a defeated look. "We attack. I will
have revenge for my blood."
	"Yes my lord." said the soldiers.
	A young man who was obviously a new recruit ran into the room. "My lord the
princess!" he called excitedly. The men gave him a disapproving look, they had
just delivered this news to him.
	"She is here." he said gasping for breath.
	"What?!" said the prince standing from his seat. "Bring her at once!"
	
	Princess Miza ran into her brothers arms and cried tears of joy. He turned to
the men who had arrived with her. "You will be rewarded for bringing her to me
alive." he said to them.
	"No." said the eldest of the men. The others gave him an odd stare. "It was
not our deed. The man who saved her is still fighting within the city. Our
efforts were not enough." he said to the prince.
	"Brother you saved me. It was you." said the princess to him as she released
him from her hold.
	"What?" said the prince in shock.
	"Sir, we do not have time. Our city is under siege." said Hunter as he walked
into the room. He was frowning and held his sword impatiently.
	"Yes give the command to attack." said the prince.

	Dan ran through the men and batted the soldiers aside almost absently as he
made his way towards the city's center. The Mech crashed its way through the
city leaving a wake of bodies and destruction. Dan frowned and stopped as he
entered its massive shadow. One of the legs came down a few feet away from him
and he struggled to keep his balance.  "I've got to find a way to get rid of
this thing." he muttered. "Lets try this..." he said as he charged a ki blast
and jumped away as the other foot came a little to close. "Yaaaahhhhh!" he
yelled as the wave of blue green energy shot from his hands and struck the
machine  in the chest. The mech was slammed back about ten feet but kept its
balance. A huge black mark appeared on its chest and the metal had begun to
melt. But no real damage was created. The huge machine shifted and faced him.
It raised its arm and fired the massive machine gun at him clumsily. Dan
Jumped out of the way easily and stopped as it re-adjusted its aim. The barrel
swung dangerously close to him and he ducked under it. It lifted its foot and
tried to step on him and he jumped into the air catching the barrel of the gun
in his arms. He swung up onto it and began to climb. The machine started
swinging its arm around in an effort to shake him off. He was lifted into the
air and shook upside down. He let go of the barrel and landed on the shoulder.
He started to slide off but managed to cling to one of the massive armor
plates. He reached back and punched the head causing a large dent but not much
else. The other hand came down on top of him and he was crushed as it swatted
him. He felt the world go black for a moment and realized he was falling to
the ground. He hit hard and tried to roll only to get the wind knocked out of
him. The machine lifted its foot and tried to squash the dazed boy as he
struggled to his feet. He shifted barely out of the way and dashed for one of
the nearby homes in an attempt to regain his senses for a moment. He stopped
cold.
	
	Hunter was the first inside the city. He charged as the men began pouring
into the city behind him. They swarmed the castle. 
	"Gall!" cried Hunter as he tore through the palace towards the throne room.
The doors to the throne room burst open and the Akama men poured out to meet
them. "I will not be stopped!" cried Hunter as he charged into the mass.

	Dan froze as he saw the family cowering behind the over turned table. A
middle aged man stood with a sword held at the ready, he was injured badly and
three dead Akama soldiers littered the room. He began to back out when he
heard it. He turned to see the machine had seen him enter, it raised its gun
and began to fire. Dan rushed the man and pulled him behind the table before
he knew what hit him. The roar of the cannon overpowered the woman and her
daughters screams. Then the building collapsed on them.
	
	In the palace Gall stood in the former bed chambers of the queen and her late
husband. A grin formed across his face as he watched the city burn before him.
"I feel a great force in the battle." he said as his smile disappeared.
Screams could be heard from behind him as his men molested the surviving
palace servants. He turned quickly as the sounds of battle came closer, from
within the palace. A lone warrior could be heard rushing towards him. "Gall!"
he cried. Gall smiled and turned he drew his sword. 

	Commander Hunter charged through the halls of the palace leaving a wake of
dead soldiers behind him. The fools were relaxing and raping the servants
while drinking the wine stores. It was as if they didn't even realize that
there was a battle going on outside. He snorted in disgust and charged through
three suprised guards leaving them in pieces with his massive sword easily.
"Gall!" he cried again issuing his challenge. He reached the highest point in
the castle and smiled as he opened the door. Gall stood waiting with his sword
drawn and a smile across his own face.
	"Welcome warrior, prepare to die." he said sounding amused more than anything
else.
	
	Dan rose from the rubble and looked at what was beneath him in horror. He was
not able to save the family within the home, only the child had lived she
looked around with frightened screams as the crushed remains of her parents
lay around her. She had been directly beneath him when the building had
collapsed. Dan looked at them and said nothing. He just stared. He turned and
looked at the machine as it loomed over them, it raised it's cannon and
pointed it at him once again. Dan felt the anger rise in his blood and he
stared at it and raised his bokken offensively. He cried out and slashed at
the barrel of the gun as he jumped into the air and landed on it's arm. The
barrel was cut cleanly in two and exploded as the machine fired causing a
chain reaction disintegrating half the arm behind Dan as he ran up it. He
stopped at the shoulder and jumped down the length of the chest leaving a long
diagonal slash in the armor. The Mech punched out and caught him in mid air
sending him flying into a building and leaving a crater about five feet in
diameter from the impact before the wall simply caved in around him. He stood
and tossed his bokken to the ground in anger. A great red aura formed around
him and he glared at the thing as it walked towards him again. He felt his
entire body surge with pure rage and felt his clothes begin to smolder as the
aura began to grow brighter and larger. The few remaining spectators gasped in
awe and horror. The girl he had rescued watched from behind her dead mother in
complete frozen terror.
	"Dan jumped at the mech and shot forward like a bullet leaving a red trail of
light behind him. His fist met the chest of the mech and he felt his arms
begin to buckle from the force. "Violent Wave!" he cried and the world around
him went completely red. He felt himself shoot forward and every thing became
clear again as he shot through the center of the Mech�s chest and came out the
back. He went on for about twenty feet and came down on the ground hard. He
stood shakily and smoke rose from his clothes as they began to cool. He walked
over and retrieved his bokken and sat down against the wall breathing heavily,
his hands were red and throbbing.

	From the shadows someone watched. "Gods." exclaimed the figure. "How can any
one be so powerful?" 

	A few feet away Inu-Masumi watched in equal shock from the shadows. "It can't
be him, that's impossible." she said as she walked out into the light. She
removed her cloak and stood before him looking at him coolly. Dan gazed at her
in a sort of wonder. Some of the remaining Joseian soldiers backed away in
horror.
	"An Assuran!" cried one of them in panic. A bright light flashed from the
palace and she spared Dan another passing glance before returning to the
shadows and disappearing.

	Hunter stood with his sword straining against Gall's weapon. Gall growled at
him and slashed up breaking the contest of strength. "This game grows
tiresome, die worm." he said as he shot an energy burst at the man. 
Hunter Grunted as he raised his sword to the blast and absorbed it with the
blade.
	"Impressive toy boy." said Gall with a smile.
	"I'll kill you yet bastard." growled Hunter as he slashed at the wizard who
simply moved casually out of the way.
	"Do tell." said Gall smugly as he reached for Hunters throat and lifted him
into the air. Hunter tried to slash at his arm and Gall simply swatted the
sword away sending it flying across the room.
	"Bastard!" gasped Hunter between breaths as Gall increased the pressure to
his neck.
	"Funny, that is what most people say before I kill them." said Gall with a
small smile. "I'm starting to think it may be true." 
	Hunter's eyes went white and his hair shifted from sandy blond to a deep
gray. His all ready prominent fangs grew longer and his hands became claws.
	"Pose all you like half breed mutt, you still die." said Gall never stopping
the pressure on his neck.
	"Come To me." said Hunter quietly.
	"Huh?" said Gall as he released his grip and dodged out of the way of the
incoming sword as it returned to its masters hand. "So, an enchanted sword.
Interesting." said Gall with his smile never wavering. An explosion from the
center of Sambika roared through the streets as the mech fell forward in
flames. "Useless toy." said Gall never taking his eyes off his opponent. He
formed two energy blast in his hands and shot them towards Hunter. "You can't
hide behind that blade forever. Sooner or later you'll miss and die." said
Gall with a smile as he shot two more at the warrior who barely blocked them.
	"I don't have to. I'll show you what this sword is really for." said Hunter
with a grin. He pointed the sword at Gall and smiled.
	"What?" said Gall with a frown.
	"Blade Return!" cried Hunter as he released the charged up blast back at
Gall.
	"Impossible!" yelled Gall in anger as the blast engulfed him. Hunter watched
with a satisfied smile as Gall fell to the ground dead. His smile vanished as
light began to form around his body. 
	"Oh, Shit!" he cried as he dove out of the room and ran down the hall.
	
	Dan watched the woman that stood before him as she removed her cloak. His jaw
dropped, She was a Werewolf, her face was mostly human accept for her fangs
and a light gray fur that covered it. She had long silver gray hair, and a
very feminine figure. Her hands were covered in white fur and ended in
impressive looking claws. She gazed at him coolly. He was about to stand when
a great ball of light engulfed the top of the palace and disintegrated the top
floors. "What the?" he said as his attention was momentarily averted from the
woman. He regained himself and faced her again only to see her disappear into
the shadows. A few moments passed as he rested against the wall. 
	"Gall is destroyed!" came the cry over the streets. The battle was over. Dan
stood and began to walk away He reached the gates to the great city when
something stopped him.
	Standing in front of him was himself. Beside him was the girl he saved from
the palace. "Hold." said his doppleganger. He frowned and looked at him
coolly.
	"Who are you?" asked the man.
	"Just a traveler." said Dan coolly.
	"So, you are the one known as Ryoko Sha." said the prince.
	"You've heard of me?" asked Dan in suprise.
	"Only in passing, I have heard stories of me wandering the country and giving
that name." said man to him calmly.
	"I suppose so." said Dan calmly.
	"What do you want?" asked the prince with a suspicious gaze.
	"To be left alone." said Dan.
	"Why did you help us?" said the prince with a suspicious gaze. "How is it you
look like me? Is it some magic?" 
	"I was born this way. It is not my way to watch others suffer if it is within
my power to stop it." said Dan calmly.
	"Very noble, I thank you for saving my sister. Had you not I would have
arrested you on the spot for treason. My land has many enemies and I would
have thought you a plot for the throne." said the prince with a hard gaze.
	"You would have tried at any rate." said Dan as he continued his trek.
	"What?" said the prince suprised at the arrogance of the man.
	"He speaks the truth my lord. It was he who single handedly defeated the
giant." said one of the battle worn men who had gathered from the ruins of the
battle. "He is a powerful warrior."
	"He is someone who must be watched." said the prince.
	"Leave him alone brother, he is noble." said Miza.
	"What?!" said Sonkei looking at his sister in shock.
	"I could see it in his eyes." she said calmly.
	
	In the palace Hunter stood at the base of the stairs that once lead to the
bedchambers of the queen and her husband. Now only a few feet away was a hole.
He stood with the few servants who had escaped with him down the hall. He
frowned as he realized that only a fraction of the servant girls who were in
the upper floors was standing with him, most had perished in the blast. The
few who remained were wearing torn clothes and sobbing hysterically. "Damn."
muttered Hunter as he walked away.
	
	Dan shifted the cloak he had bought to replace his burnt clothing and
tightened the belt around his waist with the small bag of fruits on it. He
pulled the hood over his head and smiled. The merchant had seemed suprised and
almost afraid when he had asked for a black cloak. He was suprised to find
that both nickel and copper were considered precious metals in this world. The
few yen coins he had were worth allot, he had even received a good amount of
change in this worlds denomination. he turned towards the bushes and smiled.
"How long are you going to hide from me ninja? Tell me what you want." he
said.
	The girl rose from her spot in the bushes with her sword drawn, her eyes had
an eerie glow. "Thats a neat trick girl but mine is better." said Dan as his
whole body began to radiate power making him seem to glow with blue fire. The
girl growled and backed up. 
	"You think you can intimidate me with a light show? I've seen parlor wizards
do better." she growled at him and stuck her sword out offensively. 
	Dan frowned and readied his own defense "What do you want?" he asked her his
eyes darting around his surroundings.
	"Why does a warrior like you look for a way to escape?" she asked him coolly.
	Dan smiled and relaxed a little. "Only a fool fights when he doesn't have to.
What do you want?" he said calmly with his Aura dying down.
	The girl crouched low and looked at him with a dark smile. "To find you,
after what you did to me and my little gang back there I had to." she said
with a little venom in her voice.
	Dan smiled and looked at her calmly preparing for her attack. "Well you have
me. Now what?" he said in a voice that seemed drained of emotion.

TbC....
	
	Next time Jun and his party begin the long voyage to the desert city. What
dangers await them in the sandy sea? When the hell will they figure out what
the hell they are doing?
In mech slayers 12: Suna [Sand]