Samurai
by: Bond


Prelude


The year was 1682.

During this time, Western influences of economic and mechanical ways
had slowly made its way towards the East. One of the East's main
countries was that of feudal Japan, which was still into their ways
of feudalism and under the total rule of an Emperor. However, this
Emperor did things a little differently than others that ruled before
him.

Takito Fujimara, the Emperor of Japan, ruled the country under
peaceful and calm means, not violent and conquering ones. He decided
that under his reign, everyone would prosper with a great economy and
bountiful crops for food and trade. He hardly had a military force,
but under his guard was The Royal Guard, a group of strong Samurai
warriors that had mastered an ancient martial art that only they
would possess. The art was known as Tai-Chi-Kuong, a way to channel
the soul of the warrior in order to produce energy as a use of
defense and protection. Emperor Fujimara used the Royal Guard as not
only his bodyguards, but as a police force for the people of Japan.

The people did indeed prosper from Emperor Fujimara's reign, for
their crops were large and abundant for themselves as well as for
other countries that wanted to give Japan money for their huge
amounts. Japan's neighboring countries, Korea and China, realized
this and established successful trade routes between themselves and
Japan. Both countries gained very much from Fujimara's reign as
Emperor of Japan, and vice versa.

Life was good.... until the Dark Uprising happened.

The Dark Uprising was the result of Fujimara's ousting as Emperor by,
of all people, his 18-year old daughter, Kaia. She had trained
herself in the art of Tai-Chi-Kuong when she was younger because not
only did she want to become like her father, who was also a master of
the art, but she wanted to serve by her father's side as a member of
The Royal Guard. However, it was illegal for a female to have a
higher power of government, including being a member of The Royal
Guard. When she felt that she was ready to join, she had asked her
father for admittance to The Royal Guard. Emperor Fujimara denied her
request, but had issued a challenge. If she would fight the general
of The Royal Guard and win, she would be allowed to join the elite
group as his own personal bodyguard. She accepted and proceeded to
fight the general in sword-to-sword combat. Against the odds, she
channeled her powers and defeated the general, amazing even her
father. She did win, but her father decided to is!
sue another challenge to her. This time, Kaia would have to face the
Emperor himself with the same stakes in place. She accepted, and was
absolutely humiliated by her father's abilities. He was stronger than
she was, and he added insult to injury by blasting her with a blue
energy wave that nearly sent her into unconsciousness. With a nod, he
won the fight and left his fallen daughter behind.

When Kaia recovered from her injuries, she began to train again, but
this time with a new focus. Instead of the calmness that
Tai-Chi-Kuong uses, she aimed it towards anger and fury. In time, she
discovered that with anger, the martial art became stronger and
deadlier than its original form. The blue color that came from the
energies changed into purple in this new dark form. Within a couple
of weeks, she had mastered this new dark form and decided to
challenge her father again.

The Emperor was in his throne room when his daughter challenged him
again. However, she wanted something more than just being by her
father's side. She wanted to become Emperor! With his title on the
line, Emperor Fujimara accepted the challenge, not knowing the new
abilities that Kaia had gained. Within a couple minutes of the fight,
he discovered that her dark powers had easily surpassed his. With a
purple energy blast to the chest, Kaia had defeated her father, but
she wasn't satisfied with that. With one stomp of her foot, her body
let out a powerful energy shockwave that leveled the throne room into
ruins. The destruction of the room had killed the Emperor and the
majority of The Royal Guard that was inside. Kaia had assumed her
father's position as Emperor, but called herself Supreme Emperor of
Japan.

Under Kaia's rule, the prosperity that Japan and its neighboring
countries had was destroyed. She had called upon higher tariffs from
the people, causing them to become poor and famished. As for Korea
and China, she had severed ties with them and proceeded to call upon
a large military force for invasion. The Royal Guard was eliminated
by her hand, and was replaced with many female warriors that have
mastered the dark side of Tai-Chi-Kuong. 

Japan was never the same again.



Chapter 1


5 years later....


Kaia's rule as Supreme Emperor of Japan has been disastrous for the
people who lived in the once prosperous island country. Her high
tariffs upon Japan and its neighboring countries have nearly drained
everyone of money, food, and supplies. Most families were near the
poverty line as they gave what little they had towards Kaia. Those
who have opposed her and her reign were met with death.


Kaia and her new bodyguards have arrived in the island of Okinawa as
she prepares to take more from the townspeople. Her bodyguards were
female teens who were taught the dark side of Tai-Chi-Kuong, even
though they would never master as much power as Kaia. Dressed in
black and their faces hidden by scarves, they were an elite force
that proved to be more powerful than the old Royal Guard. Having her
long, black hair done in a tight bun, Kaia was dressed in a purple
and crimson royal gown while walking along side her bodyguard, being
barefoot in the process. She preferred to be barefoot because it
allowed her to connect her dark powers with the natural effects of
nature, nearly increasing her powers tenfold. She enjoyed having that
much power under her control and placing it on display against her
enemies, but she wanted more. Much, much more.

As she arrived at the first village near the coastline, Kaia's eyes
saw the townsfolk that were in front of the village gates. They had
wicker baskets in front of them that were filled to the rims with
food and money that they had collected. Kaia arrived, and the
townspeople instantly knelt down and bowed to show her respect. The
bodyguards inspected the gathered items and counted the money to make
sure that it was all there. Kaia only looked down at the people and
gave off a smile of sinister means. One of the bodyguards went
towards the Supreme Emperor and whispered in her ear about something.
That smile turned into a hateful scowl quickly while the bodyguard
finished her statement and slowly backed away. "It seems that
this village hasn't the correct funds that I require," she said
to them.

The leader of the village, a middle-aged man with long, brown hair
and a Samurai sword at his side, slowly stood up and spoke towards
her. "It has been a bad season, my Lord. Our supplies are nearly
gone, and we have been in a drought for a while. Please, if you can
give us a little more time...."

"SILENCE!!!" Kaia yelled at him. "I will not be held
up by your stupidity! Your insolence will be punishable by
death!"

Kaia's eyes became enraged as their green color completely changed
into a purple hue. Tiny tongues of purple flames slowly flicked out
of her hands as the village leader stood his ground, knowing that
this. Igniting her abilities of Tai-Chi-Kuong, she pointed her hands
out at him and unleashed a large wave of purple energy at him,
wanting to destroy him in the worst way possible. However, the
village leader leapt out of the wave and pulled out his sword, not
wanting to die just yet as the energy wave collided with the village
gate, destroying it instantly. If it were his day to die, then he
would want to liberate Japan in the process.

Rushing towards Kaia, the leader aimed his long blade at her.
However, it didn't end up that way as she grabbed the sword at its
sharpest part with her right hand and broke it in half with one
squeeze of her hand! The village leader could only stare in horror as
he watched his sword become trash in seconds. Only this opening, Kaia
fired another purple energy wave from her free hand at him, knocking
him down to the ground as she instantly drained his energy. She
slowly walked towards him and placed her right foot upon his chest,
her eyes now focused on the townsfolk, especially one young boy who
was crying because he was the son of the fallen village leader.
"Let this be a lesson to those who defy me!" she said to
them.

At that, she summoned all of her energies and concentrating on
revenge that was upon her heart. Her royal gown started to become
tight around her body as the weight of her foot slowly grew more upon
the chest of the village leader. He yelped out a scream as the pain
worsened while Kaia looked down at him, enjoying the suffering that
she was inflicting upon him. Suddenly, the townsfolk heard a rip from
her gown as they finally noticed that she was growing bigger. She
finally reached the 10-foot mark when her foot finally crushed the
man's ribs and lungs, killing the heart in the process. He exhaled
one last breath before his head turned to the side, his mouth letting
out a stream of blood as he died. The young boy ran to his father's
side and started to cry as Kaia backed away from the dead man. Hatred
and rage filled the boy's emotions as Kaia, with no remorse upon her
face, walked back towards the ocean with the bodyguards in tow as
they carried their bounty. 

The boy would never forget this day, for it would change his destiny
forever.



Chapter 2


Two days have passed since the boy watched the funeral and burial of
his father. The images of Kaia crushing the life out of him with her
foot have never left his mind, nor will it. He didn't want to forget
the horrific event as long as he lived, for he made a solemn vow to
himself that he became older and trained himself in the martial arts,
he would seek out Kaia and kill her.

As the sun rose of the third day, the boy walked towards the
gravesite where his father was buried. Wearing nothing but a white
sheet, the boy knelt down and eyed the tombstone that marked the
grave. He reached into the sheet and pulled out the broken half of
his father's sword, the same sword that he used against Kaia. He
placed the sword on top of the mound of dirt and closed his eyes in
silent prayer. "Father," he said, "as long as I live
in this world, your soul will be avenged. I swear it!"

Tears began to streak down from his eyes to his cheeks as he cried.
After a few quiet moments, the boy left the graveyard and walked back
home, which was a few minutes away. When he entered his home, he
decided to enter his father's bedroom, hoping to find some items that
will help keep his memory alive. Sliding the door back, he entered
the room for the first time in his life, for his father never wanted
his family and friends to see what he had to hide. His father was one
that had plenty of secrets, but he never wanted anyone to find out
about his past. The boy wandered about a bit before discovered his
clothes closet. He slid the door back and discovered something that
made his eyes bug out. Inside the closet was a while and crimson
kimono, a suit of Samurai armor, and a long-bladed sword that was
inside a silver sheathe, a gold hawk adorning the tip of the sheathe.
His father was a former member of Emperor Fujimara's Royal Guard!

The boy reached for the sword and unsheathed it, the shimmering blade
being shown for the first time in a long time. He looked at his
reflection as he could hear the blade respond to his touch. As if by
accident, he slowly stood and raised the blade to a vertical attack
position. His eyes could see the vision of Supreme Emperor Kaia
walking towards him; her black kimono was torn to reveal parts of her
10-foot frame. She was laughing at him while her nubile breasts
jiggled from her boasting laughs. Her frame slowly glowed purple with
her dark energy and started to grow again, the kimono being torn in
new places. Her breasts slowly peaked out and shredded the front of
her kimono as he looked down at the boy, knowing that she could kill
him with one blow. The boy saw this and rushed towards her rising
body, slicing the sword at her with all of his might. He slashed her
with the sharp sword over and over again, but he saw no blood upon
the long blade. His eyes slowly refocused b!
ack through the bedroom, realizing that he was the only one there.
Was it a vision of the future that he saw? 

He placed the sword upon his father's bed and went towards a small
chest that was also inside the closet. He opened the chest and a
velvet-covered book was inside the chest. He took the book and walked
towards the bed, taking a seat as he admired the smooth covering of
the book. He opened the book up to the first page, which said, 'The
Journal of Jio Makiana'. He began to read the journal, which had at
least 50 pages filled with tales of Jio's past life as a member of
The Royal Guard. It explained how he was hand-picked by Emperor
Fujimara to join him, how the teachings of Tai-Chi-Kuong gave him
power and discipline, how many battles that he participated in,
memories of his son being born and growing up with him, and explicit
details of the Dark Uprising. Once he reached the chapter of the Dark
Uprising, the boy's focus was really at its peak. He read on as Jio
was a witness to the Emperor's death by Kaia's hand and his decision
to run and hide from Kaia rather than fight he!
r and die. Jio also wrote in his journal about his one and only other
battle with Kaia, which resulted in Kaia nearly killing Jio with her
dark powers at their peak. If it weren’t for a lucky slice from his
sword at her right side, he would have die. 

The boy slowly stood up and took the book into his own bedroom, bound
and determined to do something. He grabbed a bulbous bottle of ink
and a plume from a table and sat upon the floor. He re-opened the
journal to a blank page two pages in front of Jio's last entry. He
dipped the plume into the ink and proceeded to write the following on
the page:



"My name is Ryo Makiana. The author of this journal was my
father, Jio. He has since died at the hands of Supreme Emperor Kaia.
I miss my father very much, but my destiny has been sealed by her
actions. I will train myself in the martial art of Tai-Chi-Kuong in
order to exact vengeance against the woman who murdered my father. I
will become a master of the art, and I will prove myself worthy to
face Kaia in combat. Japan will be liberated, and my father's soul
will be avenged! I will not rest until my journey is complete, or
until my dying breathe."



At that, the boy named Ryo stood up from the floor and entered his
father's bedroom again. He entered the closet and unhooked the Royal
Guard kimono. He proceeded to don on the uniform, even thought that
it was a bit too big for him. He knew that he would fit it in time,
for he never was going to take it off. Ryo then grabbed the sword
from the bed and placed it back inside the silver sheathe. As he did
that, he looked out of a window and saw the blue sky of the day,
telling himself that a new day has come for him. A day that a new
Samurai warrior would rise against Kaia and stop her reign once and
for all.



Chapter 3


10 years later....


Japan was in a state of complete disarray. With Kaia's high tariffs,
the majority of the island country went without food or supplies for
weeks at a time. People had died because of malnourishment and
exhaustion as a result of this, but Kaia didn't care. She only cared
about the growing power that she continues to gain. Revolts have
started against her reign, but were quickly squashed by her highly
trained troops. However, when a revolting faction at around 60 people
rushed towards Kaia's palace, she had dispatched of them by growing
into a 50-foot goddess, the likes of those never seen by normal
people. Using the full extent of her dark powers, she had slaughtered
the faction before the remnants finally decided to retreat back to
their villages. Nothing could stop Kaia and her dominant reign over
Japan.



The leaves began to fall in an autumn day as the sun dripped down to
signal the end of the day. Kaia, now a fully matured woman and a
dominant master of the dark side of Tai-Chi-Kuong, rode on horseback
with 4 of her bodyguards towards another village for another
collection of food, money, and supplies. Her red and black royal gown
flowed with a gentle breeze as she rode, the middle of the gown
revealing her ample cleavage to the world. Kaia was untouchable
because of those female bodyguards, as well as the extent of her full
power. The caravan rode across a long bridge that would lead them
towards the designated village, but suddenly, they stopped dead in
their tracks. On the other side of the bridge was a figure that was
draped under a black cloak. His face wasn't visible because of the
hood, and his hands were not shown as well. The figure took one step
towards the Supreme Emperor's caravan and stood his ground there.
"You will not pass," it said with a stern tone.

One of the bodyguards leaps off of her horse and slowly makes her way
towards the dark figure. Her right hand touched the hilt of her sword
as she approaches him. "You will let us pass," she said to
him, "so that the Supreme Emperor can collect her dues."

"No. She will not pass through here ever again. Her evil is not
welcomed here."

At that, the bodyguard unsheathed her sword and got into a battle
stance against the stranger, but he stands his ground. She responds
by saying, "This is your last warning. Move, or be
destroyed."

"It is you who will be destroyed.... by your own evil."

"You know that we all were taught the dark art of Tai-Chi-Kuong.
You will be easily punished by this power."

"Oh really?"

The dark figure finally reveals a hand, holding a long katana as the
blade glowed blue all around the blade's sharp edges. Kaia was
intrigued by the staunch stance that the dark man was taking against
her and her bodyguard. She smiled as he nodded to the bodyguard to
eliminate this nuisance. The bodyguard cried a battle cry and fired
the first slash at the stranger, but he easily blocks the attack. The
stranger forces the bodyguard's sword downward as he finally reveals
his other hand, glowing a blue hue as he sees her open for an attack.
He thrusts the hand towards her as he unloads a powerful stream of
blue energy upon her, sending her down to the ground hard as she
drifted into unconsciousness. Her black outfit was smoldering with
smoke while lying on the ground, a shocked Kaia looking on. The dark
figure finally removes the black cloak to reveal himself towards the
entourage. It was Ryo Makiana himself, now a young man at the age of
20 wearing his father's white and crim!
son kimono with his father's armor upon his arms and shoulders. Ryo's
eyes were now fixed upon Kaia's as he gets into a battle stance,
raising the sword's glowing blade high in the air. "Do you
remember me, Emperor?" he said to her.

Kaia's mind fixes upon Ryo's face, seeing it shrink down to the image
of the 10-year-old boy that witnessed his father's murder at the
hands of Kaia. Reaching back into reality, she nods to him.
"Yes, I remember you, young one."

"Then, you know what I want."

"Yes, and you will not succeed. I see that you are trained in
Tai-Chi-Kuong."

"Yes, I am. It is strong within me, and it will give me the
strength to defeat you and free Japan of your reign."

"That will not happen. As long as there is a breath in me, you
will not win."

"That can be changed."

Kaia steps off of the horse and walks towards Ryo, her hands starting
to glow a faint purple in the process. "You dare talk to your
Supreme Emperor this way?"

"You are not my Emperor. Not now, and not ever!"

Kaia growled a bit and fired a quick and vicious backhand at Ryo,
sending the young man down to the ground hard. His sword falls from
his grasp as it slides towards the edge of the bridge. Ryo lies flat
on his back as Kaia smiles, looking down at him with much discontent.
Ryo slowly tries to get up, but Kaia forces him back down with a
harsh kick to his chest by her right foot. He winces in pain as that
same foot slowly descends upon the sore spot on his chest, his eyes
looking upward towards Kaia. "Now," she said, "you
will join your father."

Her form began to be enveloped in purple as she began to grow, her
gown getting tight around her expanding form. Ryo began to struggle
as the pain slowly got unbearable for him, feeling his bones slowly
succumbing to her rising weight. Kaia began to laugh as the other
bodyguards looked on with confidence, seeing their Supreme Emperor
conquer other opponent. That confidence disappeared quickly as Ryo
pointed his right hand upward, and a blue stream of energy zipped out
of his palm towards Kaia's growing body. The blast drills her chest
hard, forcing her upward in the air and down to the ground. The
ground shook a bit upon impact as Ryo crawled towards his sword and
picks it up quickly, standing up into a quick stance as he eyes the
fallen woman. Her growth now stopped at 9 feet, Kaia stood up and
looked at the young warrior with a mix of shock and disbelief upon
her face. "No...no one has ever done that before. Not even my
father before I killed him."

"As I told you before, I will not rest until I kill you."

"You will never get that chance. Bodyguards, attack!"

The bodyguards climbed off of their horses and rushed towards Ryo,
their swords drawing upward and outward towards the young man. Ryo,
however, had different plans as his sword projected a bright light
that blinded everyone, including the horses. The horses were spooked
by the light and quickly rushed away from it, leaving Kaia and the
bodyguards behind. The light slowly disappeared, revealing the fact
that Ryo had disappeared as well. Kaia looked around for him and saw
that a white lotus flower was by her big feet. She picked up the
flower and realized that Ryo had left it for her as a sign that he
will be back for her to finish the job.

"I will wait for you, warrior. Then, you will die!"

At that, Kaia proceeded to walk towards the village, her bodyguards
follow suit as they headed towards their destination.



Chapter 4


Within the walls of Kaia's enormous palace, the mighty leader sits
upon her throne with a discontented stare upon her face. In her hands
was the white lotus flower that Ryo had left her after his initial
battle with her. With his expertise in the art of Tai-Chi-Kuong, she
knew that he would be a force to be reckoned with. However, so was
she. With that resolve, she crushed the flower with all of her force
and tossed it to the side. Knowing what the next agenda is, she
clapped her hands in order to summon one of her highly trained
bodyguards. A few seconds later, one of them, slender in stature with
raven-colored hair, rushed towards Kaia and bowed down to one knee.
"Yes, my Lord?" she asked.

"Take four more bodyguards and sail towards Kyoto to collect my
required tariffs. I will not accompany you on this journey, for I
have personal business to attend to. Go now, and don't fail me."

"Yes, my Lord."

The bodyguard rushed out of the throne room and carried out her
orders to the tee. To anger Kaia would mean instant death by her
hand, and all of the bodyguards understood that fully.


In the cover of the night, all five bodyguards prepared to set sail
as they headed towards a boat that was floating in the waters of the
coastline. Kaia's palace was near the coastline, making it easy for
her travel in and out of Japanese waters. Horses and supplies were
loaded into the boat while the bodyguards carried their own personal
belongings as well. Just as they were about to set sail, their eyes
suddenly became focused on something in the sky. A streak of blue
energy soared across the open air and slowly descended upon them. It
picked up speed and headed towards the boat, the bodyguards thinking
that it was a meteor. With an urgent sense of panic, they quickly
hurried out of the boat and took cover as the blue-energy object
slammed against the boat's side, exploding upon impact. The blast
created a large hole upon the boat's side that instantly sunk the
ship, much to the surprise of the bodyguards, who wonder where the
energy blast came from. As they looked around,!
 a figure stepped out of the shadows of the trees to reveal himself
as Ryo. He had infiltrated the Supreme Emperor's palace in order to
complete his task of murder. He looked at the bodyguards with a smile
on his face as his sword began to glow blue. "I told you,"
he said, "you will not hurt the people of Japan anymore."

The bodyguards reached for their swords, but Ryo had other plans as
the blade of the sword unleashed several blue lightning bolts at
them. The bolts impacted upon their chests, knocking them unconscious
as they lay upon the ground. Ryo smiled as he backed himself back
into the shadows as he prepared to kill Kaia.



The Supreme Emperor stood in the middle of the throne room with her
sword in her hands, the blade glowing purple with dark energy as she
waited for something. She had heard the boat explosion from within
the throne room, knowing that someone was coming for her. Her eyes
looked towards the crushed lotus flower and knew that the mysterious
attacker was here for her. She smiled as she waited for him. Slowly,
she paced about the room as she let her energies simmer within her,
waiting to unload it upon her enemy.

Unknown to her, Ryo snuck in through the back entrance as he climbs
from behind the throne, his sword drawn and aimed at Kaia. He smiled
as he had a clean shot at her back and decided to take charge. With
swiftness behind him, he made a diagonal slash with his sword in the
air, firing a blue energy wave at her. Kaia's senses hit its peak and
leapt up in the air to avoid the energy wave. The band of energy
struck one of her statues and destroyed it instantly while the
Supreme Emperor slowly landed back to the floor, her bare toes
touching the solid wood of the floor. She smiled and said, "You
are getting better. However, you still are no match for me. What's
your name?"

"Ryo Makiana, heir to the Royal Guard."

"Royal Guard. There is no more Royal Guard."

"Not yet, anyway. Soon, your reign will be over."

"You have no idea of the power I wield. Now, you will."

At that, Kaia's eyes glowed purple as she summoned the full extent of
her powers, Ryo looking on in shock. As he stared, he could feel an
icy chill down his spine. Suddenly, his body jerked forward and fell
to the floor, leaving a shadow of blue energy behind. The energy
shadow floated towards Kaia and entered her body through her pores,
merging it with her own dark powers. Slowly, her power boost made her
body grow bigger to suit its purpose, her royal gown ripping in some
places as she looked down at Ryo. With her growth now stopping at 8
feet, Ryo could now only stared at the Supreme Emperor as she slowly
walked towards his fallen body. With a chuckle, she said,
"Hmmm...maybe you can be useful to me after all once your powers
are restored. Guards, take him away."

Three bodyguards entered the room and grabbed Ryo's weak body to take
him to the underground prisons. Kaia smiled seductively as she felt
Ryo's energies fueling her more than ever. Now, she was unstoppable.



Chapter 5


Ryo's eyes slowly awaken as he could feel his body still aching from
Kaia's powerful attack. His weak eyes could see that his arms and
legs were attached to the wall by heavy chains. His vision slowly
improve as he looked around at his new surroundings, seeing a dark
and damp cavern that was being used as a prison for those who opposed
Kaia's reign and lived to a certain extent. Ryo slowly closed his
eyes and concentrated on trying to free himself from his metallic
bonds. Calming his mind, he tried to use his energy powers to break
free, but he was still weak from Kaia's attack. With a sigh, he
relaxed his body and decided to wait until his powers have been fully
restored. 

Suddenly, his ears heard a feint clanging sound from across the
cavern. He slowly stood up and looked towards where the sound was
heard. Near his left was a young man of about 18, wearing a dirty and
tattered kimono with long, black hair uncombed and matted. The young
man lifted his head and looked towards Ryo, a slight smile coming
from his face. "He....hello there," he said. "Are you
a member of the Royal Guard? Have you come to save me?"

"No, and no," Ryo responded with a wince. "I am a
descendant of a Royal Guard warrior, and I was hoping to take down
Kaia, but she has stripped me of my energies. And now, I'm
here."

"I'm sorry to hear that, stranger. I wish I were free, for I
have been trapped in here too long. Who are you?"

"I'm Ryo Makiana. And you?"

"I'm Chao Fujimara, the true heir to the Japanese throne."

Ryo's mouth dropped in shock as he heard Chao's words come from his
mouth. "How is that possible? I thought that Kaia was the only
heir to the throne."

Chao said, "No, that's not true. I was only 3 when my sister
killed my father in cold blood. When she destroyed the old throne
room, a handmaiden and a Royal Guard soldier quickly took me and hid
me from my sister's wrath. Remember, it was law that a woman couldn't
hold a higher power of government, and because of that law, I was to
be the new Emperor of Japan. However, Kaia knew that if she were the
only one left in the Fujimara clan, then she would assume the throne.
When she discovered my whereabouts, the handmaiden and the soldier
were killed by Kaia's powers and lethal skill. She found me and put
me in this terrible place, hoping that I would grow mad and die. She
told the people of Japan that all of her family was killed and that
she would take over as Supreme Emperor."

"The Dark Uprising."

"Correct. I have been here ever since, and I have prayed that I
would be freed soon."

"Don't worry, Chao. When I am free, I will take you with me, and
together, we can rebuild Japan in your late father's image of peace
and prosperity."

"Yes, I would like that."

Just then, the prison doors opened up, showing two guards in front of
the entrance to that no one could escape. A second later, Kaia
herself entered the prisons and headed towards Ryo and Chao. The door
closed behind her as she sundered towards her two captives. She was
still 8 feet tall and wore the same torn royal gown that she wore
when she had defeated Ryo. Her attention first turned to Ryo. "I
see that you are awake," she said to him, licking her lips in
anticipation. "You see, the reason why you are not dead right
now is that you are the perfect conductor that I need to continue my
reign."

"Never!" Ryo yelled. "You will never have Japan!"

"I already have Japan, and soon, the East will fall as well.
Korea and China hasn't seen me in action yet, and once they do, they
will surrender their countries to me."

"The East is more powerful than you will ever be!"

"Oh really?"

At that, Kaia's eyes turned purple again and focused on Ryo's eyes,
and from within his soul, she found his powers slowly gaining
strength. She pulled it back with all of her might, Ryo's body
lurching forward to its limits as the chains held him in place. A
similar blue shadow that came from Ryo earlier projected forth
towards Kaia, smiling at the thought of gaining more power. Ryo
nearly slipped back into unconscious while Chao witnessed the entire
event with a horrified look on his face. The blue shadow entered
Kaia's body, filtering through her pores as the energies spread
throughout her body. She felt an euphoric rush go through her as she
began to grow again, the tiny rips from the gown getting bigger as
well while the process took its course. Chao looked on in shock as he
watched his sister growing at an alarming rate. With a slight smile,
Kaia looked on at the two men as her growth stopped at 15 feet, the
gown now shredded to reveal more of her ample cleavage and her!
 upper thighs. "You see?" she bellowed. "I am
unstoppable! Rest well, Ryo, for when your powers are restored, I
will be back."

The prison door re-opened to allow Kaia access back into the halls of
the main palace. Because of her new size, she had to bend down and
squeeze through the frame of the door to get out. When she did, the
prison doors closed again, leaving Chao and Ryo alone. "Are you
alright?" Chao asked.

Ryo slowly lifted his head and looked at his new friend, his face
telling the story. "No. I doubt that I ever will be again."

Ryo then collapsed in a heap as he fell back to an unconscious sleep.
Chao recounted the events in his mind and knew that Japan, and
perhaps the Eastern world was in serious trouble.



Kaia returned to the throne room as she walked towards her throne,
her footsteps made dents upon the hardwood floor as it fell victim to
her new size. She got to her throne and carefully sat upon it, the
metal and wood bending badly as her additional weight nearly broke
it. However, it stayed whole as a bodyguard entered the room.
"My Lord," she said, "the delegates from Korea and
China have arrived on the harbor."

"Good," Kaia said. "Welcome them and escort them here
to the throne room, where I will meet with them here."

"Yes, my Lord."

The bodyguard left the room swiftly as Kaia sat patiently, visioning
herself becoming the Supreme Emperor of the Eastern World by two
day's time.



Chapter 6


Ryo slowly came to after another bout of unconscious sleep, his eyes
showing his exhaustion after Kaia's stripping of his energy. He felt
so weak physically that his body was barely dangling from the heavy
chains that he linked to. Chao, seeing his new friend in so much
pain, brought up a cup of water to his lips. He had parted Ryo's
mouth slightly so that the liquid could go down his throat, hoping to
give him some strength and nourishment. After a couple of gulps, Ryo
coughs and slowly regains his focus, remembering what had happened to
him earlier. "Ryo," Chao asked. "Are you okay?"

"No," Ryo responded. "I'm now a slave to that woman.
Once my energy is restored, she will come and feed her darkness with
it. I can't take it anymore!"

Ryo lunged his arms forward to break through his bondage, but to no
avail. Chao saw this and lowered his head to his chest, thinking to
himself that all hope was lost. As Ryo looked down at his chained
arms, something came to him like a bolt from the blue. His mind began
to remember the Tai-Chi-Kuong teachings that he had read from his
father's journal back when he was a young boy. One of those pages
explained the true nature of the martial art came from one's inner
strength and calmness. The energy that came from its use was just for
an extra boost of power that went into the move.

At that, Ryo closed his eyes tight and calmed himself down, exhaling
deep breaths as he concentrated. His mind and his emotions were calm
and clear, while his focus was towards freedom of himself, Chao, and
Japan itself. Suddenly, with one quick thrust of his arms, the chains
snapped off his wrists, falling to the ground with a slight clang.
Chao lifted his head to see that his friend was now free of the
metallic bonds and smiled. "You're free, Ryo!" he
exclaimed.

Ryo nodded to him as a rush of pure energy coursed through his body,
telling him that his powers were nearly restored, thanks in large
part to his newfound freedom. He looked down at Chao and knelt
towards him, grabbing the chains that gripped his wrists. Calming
himself again, he gripped the chains tight and, with one quick pull,
broke the bonds away from Chao's wrists with no injury to the former
heir. Both men stood up and went towards the wooden door that would
lead them to the outside. "Stand back, Chao," Ryo said as
his hands slowly glowed blue for the first time in a long while. 

Ryo cupped his hands together and thrusted them forth, letting out a
stream of energy towards the door. The door exploded into splinters
of wood, taking out two bodyguards in the process as their bodies
smoldered with smoke. Ryo and Chao exited the prisons and headed
towards the throne room, hoping to finally stop Kaia once and for
all.



The delegates from Korea and China were seated at a table near Kaia's
throne as they waited for the arrival of Japan's Supreme Emperor. Kim
Il Aila, the diplomat from Korea, noticed the cracks and bends of her
throne and wondered what was going on with her. Chang Skio, China's
main diplomat, was asking himself the same question when, all of a
sudden, both men's questions were answered. The main doors of the
throne room opened and out stepped Kaia, lowering her large frame to
fit through the doorway. Her 15-foot body was now draped in a black
and gold gown that showed the long extent of her slender legs. Both
diplomats had their jaws dropped to the floor as they witnessed
Kaia's entrance. Her bare feet created slights dents upon the
hardwood floor as she strode towards them. She stopped at the table
and looked down at the two diplomats, smiling at them with evil
intent. "I will make this meeting short. You are to tell your
leaders that I am to control the entire Eastern World!
 with no opposition. Any resistance towards my reign will be
destroyed!"

Chang stood up to Kaia in defiance. "Never! China will never
surrender to you or your might! We will fight you to the bitter
end!"

"Pity. I'm sorry to hear you say that."

At that, Kaia lifted up one finger from her right hand and shot out a
purple fireball, streaking towards Chang. The diplomat didn't know
what was happening, but the instant the fireball hit his chest, his
whole body was consumed in a blaze of purple flame. He screamed
loudly as he ran from the table, hoping to find some water to put out
the flames. However, in his pursuit, the flames killed him as he
dropped to the floor. Chang's two Chinese escorts raised their
weapons high and charged towards Kaia, but Kaia was ready for them.
She thrusted her palms at them, sending them a powerful gust of wind
that forced the escorts towards the hard walls of the throne room,
knocking them out instantly. Kaia turned to look at Kim and smiled at
him. "Now, since China refuses, what is Korea's answer?"
she asked him while her body began to glow purple.

"They say NO!"

That statement didn't come from Kim. Kaia turned around towards the
sound of the voice and found Ryo and Chao standing in the throne
room. Ryo's body slowly glowed into a blue hue as he stared at Kaia.
"This ends now, Emperor!" he yelled at her.

"Oh good. Feeding time."

Ryo got into a fighting stance and Chao moved out of the way as Kaia
made her way towards the young fighter. A new battle was about to
begin.



Chapter 7


Chao escorted Kim and his bodyguards out of the throne room, heading
towards the harbor as Ryo and Kaia prepared to do battle. Kaia smiled
with evil intent as she slowly shrunk down to a more manageable 7
feet tall, compressing her immense power inside of her now smaller
frame. Ryo stared at her as he got into a battle stance, knowing
what's at stake if he loses. Kaia just giggled at the young man as
she got into her own battle stance. "Your powers feel so good
inside of me, young one," she said as she taunted him. "I
can't wait to feed from you again."

"You won't get that chance, Kaia," Ryo replied.
"You're reign ends here!"

At that, Ryo uses the opportunity and fired an energy-laced punch at
Kaia's face, but the lady side steps the blow and aims a high kick at
Ryo's shoulder. The kick is fired and Ryo is sent flying upward
towards the ceiling, but just misses it by a few feet. Ryo looked
down as he descended to the floor and gathered himself to land on his
toes. Once his toes touch the floor, he quickly sprung forward
towards Kaia and shot out a punch at her chest. The punch connects,
sending Kaia back a bit, but her powers keep her steady. From then
on, Ryo fought fast and furious as he fired punch after punch at her
gut, sending her backwards with each impacted shot. Finally, seeing
Kaia winded, he made a slight jump and fired a hard kick at the same
injured gut, causing her to trip over her own throne and fall to the
floor. The impact broke the throne into dozens of pieces that lay
upon the hardwood floor, Ryo watching on as he sensed victory for
him.

Suddenly, purple lightning bolts were launched from Kaia's
fingertips, drilling Ryo with the shocking weapons. Ryo fell to one
knee in pain as Kaia stood up and growled, wanting this fight to be
over. "Now, feel the true power of Japan's Supreme
Emperor!"

A purple aura surrounded her body as she slowly walked towards the
injured Ryo. Her body began to grow bigger, slowly filling back in
the gown that she wore. Ryo slowly got to his feet and retreated
backwards as he watched her grow back to her 15-foot stance. However,
she didn't stop growing as her eyes were now fully consumed with the
evil power that she possessed. Ryo's eyes couldn't believe what he
was seeing, but something else caught his eye. His sword was next to
the wreckage of the throne, and he knew that he had to get it
quickly. With a quick start, he ran towards the sword, but was
stopped cold by a glowing pink wall of flesh. The wall slowly
enclosed around his body and clamped on him tightly as it rose upward
in the air. He could see purple tentacles of energy swirl about in
the throne room, destroying everything that they touched. His eyes
now focused upon Kaia, now 30 feet tall in all of her naked beauty.
Her head nearly touched the ceiling as she stared at the!
 captured warrior. "Did you think that you could stop me?"
she bellowed to him as her energy tentacles flowed now in a calmer
pace. "Did you believe that you would save Japan? No, young one.
You will not get that chance! Once I absorb more of your power, I
will grow more in power and strength, and the Eastern World will be
mine to control. Then, the West will fear me and do whatever I say as
I will conquer them as well. No one can stop me! No one!"

At that, Kaia began to look into Ryo's soul, beginning the
energy-draining process again. Ryo struggled in her hand, but
couldn't get himself free as he felt his energy slowly being drawn
out again. If Kaia succeeds, she would be unstoppable against the
world, he thought.

Just then, Kaia screamed in horrific pain as she looked downward,
seeing what caused her so much pain. It was Chao as he thrusted a
sharp spear into her left ankle, severing her Achilles' tendon as
well as other muscles. Kaia couldn't stand up any longer as the
injury forced her to fall to the floor, dropping Ryo in the process.
She hit the floor with a thunderous crash, breaking the wooden planks
in half. Ryo landed near the broken throne on one knee, seeing his
sword right next to him. He grabbed the weapon and rushed towards the
fallen Supreme Emperor, who had shrunken back down towards her
15-foot frame. She got to her knees and eyed Chao with murderous
intentions. "You will pay for this, Chao!"

"You will no longer rule Japan, sister," Chao said.
"It is over!"

As Chao stared at her, he could feel something close up his throat.
He started to cough and tries to breathe, but the choking feeling
continued to grow stronger. He fell to his knees as he discovered
that Kaia was doing this. "Stop....please," Chao barely
said to his sister.

"As I said, brother, you will pay for this....with your
life."

Just then, Ryo reached Kaia from behind and raised his sword in the
air, preparing for the final blow. Kaia turned her head at the last
second, just to see Ryo's sword plunged through her back and into her
heart. She screamed violently as the pain was intense and
excruciating. Ryo smiled as he knew that he had won this battle.
Suddenly, Kaia's wound began to glow and, instantly, dozens of purple
energy bolts exited the wound with blazing speed. Some of the bolts
hit the blade of the sword, sending the dark energy to Ryo, who still
held on to the sword. He could feel the dark energy enter his body,
making him more powerful as he watched on. Kaia's body slowly envelop
in a bright light while Chao could breathe again as her grip upon him
was gone. Suddenly, the bright light flashed out and disappeared,
leaving no trace of Supreme Emperor Kaia. Ryo and Chao looked at each
other in shock as they knew that they had won.

With that, they smiled.



Chapter 8


It didn't take long for Chao to assume the family title of Emperor of
Japan once he revealed his identity to the Eastern World after Kaia's
disposal. With Chao now in power, he and Ryo proceeded to capture the
remainder of Kaia's bodyguard force, who were scattered about soon as
Kaia was destroyed, and toss them in prison, placing them under
arrest with crimes against the people of Japan. Ryo began the task of
beginning a new protection force for Emperor Chao, renaming it The
Royal Guardians after the old Royal Guard. The official kimono of The
Royal Guardians used the colors of blue and white to symbolize peace
and tranquility as they served under Chao's rule, using the martial
art of Tai-Chi-Kuong as their main weapon of choice. Chao returned
peace and order to Japan and the Eastern World by re-establishing the
financial trade routes between themselves, Korea, and China. Once
that was created again, Chao knew that with he and Ryo in control,
Japan was once again in safe ha!
nds.

During his training of new warriors into the fold of Royal Guardians,
Ryo have been having certain side effects with his energy powers
since his last battle with Kaia. His energies were strong, but when
in some uses, they grew too powerful in force and strength, making
him very weary physically. He determined that the power bolts that
were expelled from Kaia's sword wound was the cause of his new
condition, but how to control it was another matter. He would have to
retrain himself as he prepared to enter a new phrase in his life:
master of Tai-Chi-Kuong and the leader of The Royal Guardians.



During a strong thunderstorm on Japan's southern area, lightning
bolts struck down fiercely upon the land as the powerful storm moved
across the area. Suddenly, at a nearby river, five lightning bolts
struck the waters at the same time, electrifying it instantly. As the
storm grew stronger, the winds blew the electrified waters of the
river upon the land, seeping into the dirt of the earth. Just as the
last drop of water entered the ground, a mound of dirt started to
rise from the ground, growing and shaping itself into a human-like
shape. The dirt grew taller as it began to transform itself into a
flesh-like creature, giving itself a long mane of black hair and a
slender figure that produced big breasts upon the chest. When the
transformation was complete, the figure was a female that was Japan's
worst nightmare. With lightning striking in the background, her eyes
opened to reveal that the color of her eyes was all white. It was
Kaia!

When the lightning subsided, her mouth opened to say one word:

".....ryo....."

When the word was said, a tree that was in front of her was instantly
covered by electricity as several lightning bolts struck it with
ferocity. Several limbs fell to the ground with smoke billowing from
the stricken ends, while the main body of the tree was in flames.
Kaia smiled slightly at the destruction that she just caused.

She was now a goddess...and now, she wanted revenge!