The Lesser One

by Zeppy Cheng

  I’m dealing with a whole different world.

  21 Wine

  Gena takes me past the mattress store front and into a back room that leads into an elevator. The elevator descends without her input and soon we are falling at a stomach-churning speed.

  After thirty seconds the elevator stops and the door opens. A hangar, like the one in the Death Star, expands beyond the entrance. At least a hundred Shinigami in human form and maybe five hundred humans stand in rigid lines. They all salute as one.

  “I’m a believer in using what you have,” says Gena as we walk through the rows of soldiers. “What I want to know is why you aren’t using all of your portal beings to their utmost capacity.”

  I shake my head. “I’m, um, not very ambitious. I just like playing video games and helping people.”

  Gena snorts. “You’re lying to yourself. What you really want is power. No one can escape its allure.”

  “But—” I say.

  Gena holds up her hand. “I won’t believe otherwise. If you hadn’t wanted power and wealth, you wouldn’t have released any of your portal beings into this world.”

  I have to think about that. What do I really want out of this life? Well, no matter. I’m only sixteen and I have more than half a century to figure that out. For now, I have to disagree with Gena on principle.

  “I see that you are uncomfortable,” she says. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. First, you are far more valuable than any ordinary kingpin. Second, you have an army of devils who will protect you, and I just don’t want to mess with that problem.” She sighs, rubbing her neck. “I have enough problems as it is.”

  “So, uh, I heard you were trying to open the dormant S-class portal in Wales?”

  Gena chuckles. “Not exactly. You see, I have found a way. A very special way.” She smiles at me, though her eyes are penetrating. “I will be one of the chosen.”

  “Okay?” My nervousness increases — which is obvious, since I’m deep inside a mafia army base. How am I going to sneak around this place?

  Gena leads us through a door underneath a catwalk and we enter a long, narrow corridor with doors on either side. “This is where we keep all our important things.” She stops and knocks on one door. “Hey, it’s me.”

  The door opens. A human in a lab coat leans out. “Ah. Gena, you’re here.” The man has a very heavy Russian accent — presumably he is speaking English for my benefit.

  Gena smiles and pushes past him. “This is Valya. He’s a portal researcher.”

  Valya nods. “Indeed. Shall I show your guests what we are working on?”

  Gena grins. “Sure.”

  Valya turns to a table in the center of the room. On it is a single human femur bone, blackened with age. “This is it.”

  “Okay?” I say. “What about this is ‘it’?”

  Sebastian: Pretend to pay attention. First, you’re going to have to find an excuse to leave temporarily.

  “Ah, yes,” says Valya. “The dormant portal in Wales has been here long enough that I have had time to analyze its wavelength. I know which boss monsters will come out. And so I have devised a… what do you call it? Solution. Yes, solution to defeat the boss monsters.”

  “So you’re going to wait for the portal to prolapse,” I say.

  Sebastian: We’re going to switch you with your apparition when your escorting guard isn’t looking. After that, find the key and get out. We’ll follow you when they allow us to leave. We will make promises, but we won’t keep them.

  I understand. Valya talks a bit longer about technical stuff. Finally,

  “Um,” I say. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

  Valya sighs. He turns to Gena, and says something in Russian.

  Gena shakes her head. “You can go.” She motions to one of her Shinigami guards. “Go with him.”

  Sebastian: I’ll give you the signal. The apparition will overlap your body perfectly for a few seconds. Use that time to go invisible.

  As the guard, Sebastian, and I walk through the halls, I get the signal. A fuzzy feeling fills my body. I assume this is the feeling of the apparition.

  I go invisible. I have the uncanny experience of seeing myself walk out of my own body. The switch is perfect. I break at the first branch and walk far enough that I probably won’t be heard.

  Success.

  I keep to the walls like I’m playing a stealth game. Although it’s not a game; what’s at risk is my life. The lights above me are harsh. I do not have a shadow; I am depending mostly on my Anima vision to navigate. Being unable to see my own nose is making me feel weird.

  Two human guards walk around a corner. I press up against the wall.

  “Ey, you heard that guy screaming at night?” says one of the men. He is not Russian, and he speaks with a Yorkshire accent.

  “Ho, ya! That bloody screaming keeps happening at the most ungodly hours,” says the second man. He sounds Scottish.

  They pass, not touching me. I wonder what they’re talking about, but soon conclude that there’s some torture going on.

  Sebastian: One of our agents has hacked their map database. Turn right two intersections down.

  I steel myself and walk down the hall, turning where Sebastian tells me. Two more guards pass, though they do not speak.

  As I approach the destination Sebastian is leading me to, I hear the screams. Not only screams, but demented laughter as well. The sounds send a shiver down my spine. Someone seems to be in agonizing pain, and someone else seems to be enjoying it. A lot.

  Sebastian leads me closer and closer to the screams. Finally, I am before a door, and they are clearly coming from behind it. The hallway is empty, though well-lit.

  Sebastian: This is it. Pick the lock.

  How the hell am I supposed to do that? I sigh and conjure a lockpicking kit — taking inspiration from what I’ve seen in video games.

  Sebastian: Hurry. They are getting suspicious.

  I frantically try to pick the lock like I see it done in movies. The lock clicks open. I have no idea how I did it, and I am very surprised.

  The door creeps open. The demonic screaming and laughter dies down. I step into a dark room. Cast in shadow, a single man sits in a chair, tied down. His eyes blaze with deep fire. He grins. “Welcome. It’s not often that you feed me.”

  I shake my head, stepping further into the room. “I didn’t come to feed you.” I pause. “Though I can if you’re hungry.”

  The man tilts his head. “From one master to another, I suppose.” He emanates an aura of deep power.

  “Er, what’s your favorite food?” I ask.

  “Wine,” says the man. “Bring me wine.”

  “Okay.” I close my eyes, imagine a bottle of wine, and conjure it. It probably won’t taste good but it will do in a pinch.

  The man’s eyes are tracking across the whole room. He then locks onto me. “Are you going to stay a coward and keep hiding yourself?”

  “Oh.” I forgot. I turn off my invisibility. The wine bottle is still in my hands.

  “You’re just a kid.” He stares at me. “How did a kid like you get involved with that woman?”

  I shake my head. “I’m here to, um, try and stop them.”

  The man laughs. “Ah, yes, indeed. You’re that powerful force I felt entering this compound not too long ago.” He grins. “I assume you’re looking for the key.”

  I frown. “It’s somewhere in this room, right?” I look at the room. It is empty except for the chair and the man sitting in it.

  The man reaches out his hand as far as he can through the straps binding him. “Wine.”

  I hand him the bottle.

  He uncorks it with his teeth — an amazing act of oral dexterity — and takes a swig. His eyes light up. “Hm. This is good wine. Where’d you get it? For me, it looks like ya pulled it out of your willy.”

  “I’m a conjurer. I can make stuff out of raw Anima.”

  “Well, then, you’ve got a business on your han
ds, kid!” says the man. “This stuff tastes like fifty-year-old vintage from the best vineyards in Left Bank Bordeaux.”

  I sigh. One big revelation after another. What can’t I produce?

  “In return for feeding me the best wine I’ve had in a while, I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He grins. “The key you’re looking for isn’t physical.” He points to his forehead. “It’s mental.”

  “Okay?” I say. “Do you have it?”

  “I do.” His grin falters. “I’ve held it for too long. I’m willing to give it to you if you help me escape this hellhole.”

  “Were you, um, captured by the government before this?”

  “Not exactly captured like I am here,” he says. “Just, well, held in containment. The conditions were a lot better there.” He rattles the straps holding him to the chair. “You picked the lock to get in here. So can you release me?”

  I conjure another set of lockpicks. The locks tying down the man are not that difficult to pick, as my Anima vision tells me exactly how to hold the pick and tensioner. I get all five locks — one on his neck, two on his arms, and two on his legs.

  The man takes a swill of the wine. “My names Rarden.” He stands up. “You’ve helped an important man. I’ll remember you.” He walks towards the door. “Do you think you could help me? I can handle the guards, but I don’t know the way out.”

  I put my hand to my ear. Sebastian.

  Sebastian: I’m on it. We’re clear, already leaving the building. They suspected something but we were able to convince them. Stay invisible!

  This might be a problem. I don’t know if Rarden can sneak as well as I can if I’m invisible.

  Rarden puts his hand on my shoulder. “I told you I could handle the guards.” He throws back his head. A scream of monstrous proportions erupts from his body as a thousand ghosts roil around him.

  In half a second I have conjured earplugs and shoved them in my ears.

  Rarden gives me a lopsided grin. “Sorry!” he mouths, though I cannot hear him.

  The ghosts begin laughing with the same demonic energy that I heard coming from the room. I have no idea what spirit Rarden is, but whatever it may be, I won’t be messing with him any time soon. Five soldiers rush around the corner. They say something but I can’t hear it through the screaming and earplugs.

  The ghosts surrounding Rarden strike. The five men fall to the ground within seconds. Their ghosts — I can see them with my Anima vision — are pulled into the storm surrounding Rarden. Rarden opens his mouth and a devastating howl flies out. The paint on the walls begin to peel.

  Sebastian: What the hell was that? No matter. Escape before they send their full force after you.

  Looks like we are found out. I turn to Rarden.

  Sebastian: Next right. Then left after two intersections. After that you’ll be in the emergency staircase.

  That’s right. I probably won’t be able to take the elevator.

  Six more guards run around the corner. Rarden bowls them over with his ghost howl. I lead Rarden through the corridors and to the door to the stairs. I guess even secret underground mafia bases have to pay at least some attention to fire safety. Rarden busts down the door with his ghost howl. The two of us rush into the stairwell and start climbing. At least a dozen soldiers are running behind us, the soldiers rapidly being overtaken by four Shinigami.

  “I can handle the humans.” Rarden’s voice is almost gone underneath the howls of his ghost aura. “But not those damn monsters!”

  “It will be fine if we run!” I yell.

  We climb flight after flight of stairs. Since my physical stats were more than doubled after I acquired my Ring, I can handle as much as Rarden can. We break out of the ground floor door and rush into a small parking lot in the English suburbs. Rarden slams the door shut beside him.

  My devils’ limo pulls up right on cue. I run towards it, Rarden beside me.

  The door behind us buckles.

  Rarden turns to me. His ghost aura dies down. “Is that yours?” He points to the limo.

  “Yes, let’s go!”

  We reach the limo, and the doors open automatically. I leap in, followed by Rarden. A couple of bullets hit the limo’s back window. The vehicle really is bulletproof!

  We drive away as a rushing crowd of my devils engage in a chase-slash-shootout with the mafia goons. Nobody should be following us any time soon.

  “Did you get the key?” asks Sebastian.

  “I did,” I say. “It’s inside this guy.”

  Rarden laughs. “You sure have powerful allies. I wouldn’t have expected a young guy like you to be in charge of an organization.”

  I lay down on the limo’s sofa, breathing heavily.

  “The diet root beer is behind the seat back,” says Sebastian.

  I search the area and find a small hidden fridge. There is at least a case of diet root beer — in bottles — inside. I use the built-in bottle opener and pop the top of one of them. A little bit of froth escapes.

  Rarden sighs, closing his eyes. “Do you have any more of that wine?”

  I am about to offer him some more conjured wine, but Sebastian stops me with a glare via the rearview mirror. “Inside the fridge, sir.”

  Rarden opens the mini fridge that’s in plain sight. “Ooh, Yamazaki! Not my top choice, but not bad either.” He opens the whiskey bottle, grabs a glass and some ice, and pours himself a shot. After tasting it, he leans back and smiles. “Mmn. I’m glad to finally be free.”

  “So, you said you were going to give me the key?” I say.

  Rarden nods. “The key is the same kind of thing as a Spirit Circle. It’s not exactly the same, but there are a bunch of similarities.” He knocks down the last of the whiskey and places the glass on a small table with butler rims to keep it from sliding off.

  “Does it have anything to do with your, um, ghost spirits?”

  Rarden laughs, shaking his head. “No! I just happen to have a very unique spirit.” He winks. “I won’t tell you what it is because if you knew, I would have to kill you.”

  He sounds serious. And besides, I don’t want to know what power could cause that kind of blood-curdling screaming. The horrors of his spirit are fine to me unknown.

  Rarden holds out his left hand. “I’m right-handed. I haven’t told anyone yet, including the government and the mafia, but this key is transferred by touching both of our non-dominant palms together.”

  “So, like a high-five?” I ask.

  “Sure. That’s an American way to put it, but it works.” Rarden holds up his left hand. “Be careful, though. If someone is left-handed and you touch their right hand with your left hand, the transfer will still work. That’s how the guy who had this key before me lost it.” He snorts. “But both parties have to know about the key. So you’re probably safe with normal interactions.”

  I touch the palm of my left hand to Rarden’s left hand. A little flash of light transfers between us, and I suddenly feel a weight in my chest. “So if I just walk up to the portal, it will open?”

  Rarden shrugs. “Dunno. All I know is that this key has something to do with the opening procedure.” His expression turns serious. “S-class portals always have value to many people. If you conquer one, you can obtain ultimate power. Lots of people will want this key.” He turns to Sebastian. “Can you drop me off at—” he writes something on a piece of paper and hands it to Sebastian “—this location?”

  “Indeed,” says Sebastian. “Is your goal to flee the country?”

  Rarden laughs. “You got me. That’s exactly my goal.”

  “All right, then,” says Sebastian. “To the airport we go.”

  22 The Eye

  We drop Rarden off at London Heathrow Airport. He thanks us, waves, and disappears into the crowd. After all that, our parting is anticlimactic. I assume he has some sort of way to get past customs, and to buy a ticket.

  We then drive back to the government base in London and step out of the car. Bar
ley and Josh are waiting for us.

  “What did you find out?” asks Josh. “For some reason the bug went dark the moment you walked up to the mafia base.”

  I shake my head. “Gena knew about the bug. She probably has some sort of insider information.”

  “We’re going to have to fix that.” Josh frowns. “How did the negotiations go?”

  Sebastian bows. “My master declined Gena’s offer to work with her. He analyzed the situation and decided that it was far too dangerous for someone of his age and level of experience.”

  Josh nods, wearing an understanding expression. “The government won’t force you to do our dirty work. I should have told you this before, but the only reason we let you go there was because you are an S-class Adventurer and we’re fast running out of options.”

  Sebastian must have refused Gena’s offer while I was sneaking around the compound. Good to know, since as usual, I trusted my devils rather than ask them what happened.

  Josh cracks his knuckles. “However, we’re now in a full-on war with Brine Ward.” He pauses. “Though your portal servants are helping immensely.”

  I nod. About sixty of my devils are running about trying to combat Brine Ward and other mafias that are after my powers.

  The sun is setting, and it’s almost night. I have one more night booked at the hotel, and after that I’ll be sleeping in an apartment provided by Esmex. “Is there anything else?” I ask Josh.

  Josh nods. “I know you have the key; I can see its aura. But we’re not going to demand it from you. You are more protected than any government facility we could put it in, with your S-class rating and army of portal beings.” He pauses. “We are going to have to remain in contact.” He smiles at me. “We’ll send a more permanent guard soon. I think that will be enough for today. You can fulfill your contract with Esmex, and at the end of two months we know you’ll be back in the States.”

  I turn to Sebastian. “Is it okay to go?”

  Sebastian nods. “I assume so.” He opens the limo door for me. I step in.

  We drive through the city and stop at the hotel. I step out, and Sebastian drives away, leaving me feeling alone — though I am certain there are multiple devils watching my every move.