It was a crude set up but from what he had been told and what he could see from the elevated streets above there must have been twenty or so poorly armed farmers barricaded near the far end of the canal at the opening of portion that flowed beneath the city. Hayate took a deep breath as he flipped his black cloak over his left shoulder hiding his arm, if only to alieve some tension of the situation. The worst case scenario would be the terrified farmers seeing his bladed prosthetic and force him into a situation he desperately wanted to avoid. There had been enough blood shed here, there wasn’t a need for another show of force.

“Hold it right there!” a brave soul screamed from behind their sandbag cover as Hayate stared down the cobble stone steps. “Take another step and we will execute one of your men!” Hayate froze, as if paralyzed with responsibility to his soldier or with responsibility to his own continence.

“You don’t need to do that, i’m here to talk about the terms of your release. I don’t wish to see any more hard be done to the citizens of Corone.” Hayate spoke from the heart. Too long has he fought as the unyielding force known as the Corpse King, the power has long since corrupted him. Now he chose to act as his own person, and to stop needless conflict before it could lead to more problems.

“Let’s talk about you packing your shit and getting out of our town!” the man stood up showing his bruised and half beaten face. Blood dripped from his eyes and nose staining his shirt and at this very moment Hayate got sick to his stomach. Flashes of green aura flickered in his mind as he was brought back to the moment he stood in this man shoes. He had become the very thing he once lost everything to fight against. He had become Hiruzen, worse, he had become a monster.

“I’m sorry…”

“What’s that?”

I’ve been telling you all this time, do you see now what you allowed yourself to become? You have been so obsessed with avenging your clan that you’ve become the very thing you strove to destroy. I’ve stood by ling enough, i’m going to put an end to this.

The light began to fade from Hayate’s vision as the world grew cold and dark. And as he slipped into unconsciousness a blinding red light erupted from the ground beneath his feet and a loud bone chilling scream pierced the air. Suddenly sinuses tendrils began to wrap around his form before taking the shape of a mighty giant’s torso clad in ethereal samurai armor. In a moment of weakness Yamato overpowered Hayate’s will and took control over his body, he planned to rid Hayate of his burden and do what must be done. Even if it wouldn’t redeem his master.