by C. S. Cooper
“No!” snapped Sakura. “Not now, I mean. I still want to finish school. Plus, even with the Cards, I don’t know if I want to be some master magician or something. I just …”
Xiaolang brushed a few hairs out of her face and cradled her cheek.
“Never mind about that,” he said. “Why worry about stuff in the future? Just think about right now.” He looked right into her eyes and smiled. She could see her own reflection in his amber irises, and decided she didn’t like the perturbed expression she saw. She smiled instead.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” she murmured.
Xiaolang’s eyes widened. Sakura suddenly burst into a paroxysm of stammers and babble. Her face grew hotter than the sun as she blurted, “I didn’t mean that! I meant just share a bed!”
Xiaolang laughed off his embarrassment. He calmed her down and said, “I’d love to share a bed with you tonight. But my parents won’t allow it. Wei actually has instructions to escort you back to the guest bedroom after a certain time.”
Sakura actually felt disappointed. It was as if she had a bedtime – something she’d not had since she was thirteen. She pouted, which made Xiaolang laugh even more.
They stayed in Xiaolang’s room until long after dark. They discussed a few of the sights to see in Hong Kong during Sakura’s trip. Eventually, Wei disturbed them and announced that Sakura needed to return to the guest quarters. She kissed Xiaolang goodnight, and moved to follow Wei.
The lights in the mansion suddenly went dark. Confusion fell over Sakura’s mind as she glanced around in the sparse light from the Moon outside. She could see Xiaolang’s silhouette move in front of the window. There was panic in his voice as he said, “Can you sense it?”
Be it fatigue or the lingering joy of being with her boyfriend, Sakura’s senses were dulled. She shook her head and extended her awareness outward.
She sensed a horde of people at the edge of the Lee compound. They appeared as normal humans, but carried malicious intent. Among them, she sensed a presence, unwavering in shape and form, and yet crackling with bloodlust and an absolute absence of conscience. It hummed stridently, and yet the sound was dulled as if echoing through congealed blood.
“What is that thing?” she asked disgusted.
“A homunculus,” said Xiaolang. “An immortal flesh-eater, and it’s brought friends.” He gave Wei commands in Cantonese.
Wei then took Sakura by the shoulder and led her out of the room. “Come with me, Lady Kinomoto.”
Xiaolang left the room and went down the corridor. He heard Sakura call out to him, and he replied, “Stay with Wei, Sakura! Use your magic and protect the servants!” Then he clapped his hands and materialised his sword. He emerged into the entrance atrium, illuminated by a ball of energy held in Yelan’s hand. The woman’s stoic expression radiated only the slightest amount of disgust at the creatures that approached the mansion. Xiaolang joined her and Feiwang at the front door. His father had manifested a Chinese spear, which he held erect like a tribesman upon a mountain.
Five figures sauntered toward the entrance. The tallest wore baggy pants and a sleeveless shirt that barely concealed his muscular body. In the light of Yelan’s orb, his face of Indian descent bore a sneer that upturned into a hungry grin. The second tallest was Chinese, whose long button-less jacket showed off his muscles. Two smaller gangly ones smiled sinisterly at the house and the people who stood to defend it.
Then there was the yellow-faced man in the single-breasted suit – the source of the homunculus signature. His tiny eyes narrowed as his grin widened.
“Moon,” he chirped. “Protracted period precluding perception, Clan of the utmost Lee-ness!”
“Not protracted enough, Nikolaev,” replied Feiwang firmly. “I hear you prefer the name ‘Moonface.’”
“Moon, that is correct,” said Moonface as he craned his neck to soak the rays of moonlight. Then he said, “I vie for various valuables in your vault. Relinquish them and relax the remainder of your reverie.”
“Or what?” snarled Xiaolang.
Feiwang’s hand raised to silence him. The man tightened his grip on his spear, but spoke calmly and firmly.
“I am not in the mood for a fight today,” he said. “Please leave.”
Moonface inhaled manically and softly chimed, “Moon!” Then his underlings charged forward. The two gangly twins leapt into the air, and their bodies contorted. Their skin bled metallic entrails that formed the carapaces of two man-sized lobsters.
“They’re homunculi too!” yelled Xiaolang, his heart racing with terror.
“A Witch’s soul protect spell,” said Yelan. “It hides their true nature!”
The creatures gurgled as they thrust their pincers at the trio. Yelan and Xiaolang withdrew into the atrium, while Feiwang somersaulted over them. The creatures scampered into the atrium to face Xiaolang and Yelan.
Moonface’s henchmen cocked machine guns and unleashed them upon Feiwang. He held his fingers outstretched, erecting a magical barrier that harmlessly deflected the bullets. Then he diverted his mental energy into the shield, which burst with sound and light, and threw the attackers off balance. The Indian charged forward to bludgeon Feiwang, but the man was quicker. He swatted the gun aside and brought the blade of his spear down upon the man’s shoulder. Then the Chinese man came at him with a sabre drawn from his belt. The duo working as one drove Feiwang back into the house, yet failed to land a successful blow.
Yelan meanwhile confounded the humanoid lobsters with waves of her hand, issuing ethereal flashes to disorient them, and forces of magic to bludgeon them. Xiaolang, unfortunately, couldn’t find an opening for his sword. While one was dazed, the other was pressing the attack.
“They’re twins, Xiaolang,” said Yelan.
Xiaolang noted the identical striae upon their shells, and the synchronicity of their movements. He caught onto his mother’s meaning. Together, they raised their hands and bellowed, “Soul Resonance!” The homunculi scampered backward in alarm as the mother-son duo began to shimmer green. The duo withdrew paper charms and held them high. “Léidì zhāolái!” they yelled. The paper charms crackled with electricity, disorienting the homunculi. Xiaolang then raced forward and decapitated them with his sword.
Yelan and Xiaolang raced through the cloud of decay wafting from the dead creatures. Feiwang and his wife handled the two henchman, while Xiaolang leapt over them to attack Moonface. The yellow-skinned beast dodged Xiaolang’s downward swipe and backhanded the boy. Xiaolang recovered and slashed upward across Moonface’s torso, tearing his suit in two.
Moonface snarled manically, and charged at the boy. He slashed and swiped at him, but missed each time. Xiaolang tripped up Moonface and brought his sword across the creature’s face. Black blood burst from Moonface’s yellow skin, but the pain only angered him further. He caught Xiaolang’s sword-wielding arm and threw a punch into the boy’s face. Then his jaw dislocated, baring a maw of large inhuman fangs.
“Huǒ shén zhāolái!” bellowed Feiwang. A fireball burst from his hand and hit Moonface squarely. The homunculus flew to the ground and writhed in pain. He rolled around to stop the fire. His cooked flesh stank of burnt rubber and rotten eggs. He pulled himself up, only to see the tip of Xiaolang’s sword in his face.
“Gimme a reason not to,” he said.
Feiwang and Yelan approached, having dispatched his remaining henchmen. Black blood dripped from Feiwang’s spear. Moonface gazed up at them. And yet, despite his evident defeat and severe burns, he chortled.
“Delay my death to determine my design?” he asked.
“The Regiment will want to know how you used a soul protect spell,” said Yelan.
“As do I,” said Feiwang.
Moonface harrumphed. “Havin’ a Witch helps.” His response shocked them. He raised his finger. “But! You should have paid more attention to your surroundings.” The trio exchanged mortified glances. Yelan reached out with her senses and detected trespassers approachi
ng the vault deep within the mansion.
“He’d been the bait,” said Yelan.
“Stay with Moonface, Xiaolang,” barked Feiwang. Then he and Yelan pursued the creatures.
Xiaolang grabbed Moonface by his melted flesh and slammed him into a wall. He held his sword to the homunculus’ throat and snarled, “Tell me what you’re here for and I’ll make your death quick.”
“Ooooh, big boisterous boast blurted a billion times,” retorted Moonface. “You, the Regiment, and even the Reaper … you’re all sadistic slaughterers! I’m here to put a stop to that.”
“How?” barked Xiaolang. “What do you need from our vault?”
“Moon! Something not even you could imagine,” chirped Moonface. “But I’ll do what I must to get our shorn shameless Shaula what she needs!”
“Shaula?” Xiaolang’s eyes shifted as he scanned his history lessons. “You mean Shaula Gorgon? What does she need?”
“Not your giddy girlfriend, that’s for sure,” said Moonface. He snickered as he looked right into Xiaolang’s horrified eyes. “Wouldn’t mess up our plans if we kill her, would it?”
Chapter 10: Homunculus Assault
Trembling, Sakura stuck close to Wei as he led her into the lower levels of the Lee mansion’s west wing. Her senses, heightened by anxiety, detected the incoming marauders.
“Lady Kinomoto, your magic,” said Wei as he noted the ruffling of bushes outside the mansion.
“But these are ordinary people,” said Sakura.
A glass window shattered around the corner, and Wei pulled Sakura against the wall near the intersection. He edged his gaze around the corner and saw two figures cloaked in black leap through the broken window. He turned to Sakura and said, “Did you not use your Cards against bullies? This is the same thing. If you’d please.”
Sakura reluctantly withdrew the Star Key and transformed it into a wand. Then she activated the Veil Card. At her command, the shadows around the intruders came to life and ensnared them. The dark tendrils lifted them up and threw them against the wall. Then, with the Forest Card, Sakura enthralled the men in vines and bound them on the floor.
Satisfied, Wei scampered down the hall toward the intruders, and unmasked one of them.
“What are you doing here?” the butler demanded.
Instead of answering, the man opened his mouth wider than a normal human. Within were multiple rows of sharp teeth dripping green ooze. The man broke his bonds and launched himself at Wei, growling ferociously.
Sakura’s mind went blank, and when she regained her senses, she saw the Star Wand held out in front of her. The Lucis Card returned to her pocket. The man fell backwards with a smoking hole through his head. Sakura backed away in horror.
“I just killed a man!” she cried.
“No, you didn’t,” said Wei. He showed her the creature on the floor. It had started to evaporate, throwing up puffs of black dust into the air. “It was another homunculus,” Wei explained.
“But it felt like a normal human,” exclaimed Sakura numbly.
“I’m not sure how, but they must have found a way to mask their signature,” said Wei. He eyed the other man, who was still out cold, and took Sakura by the forearm. They ran down the corridor toward a door at the end, which they found locked. Wei knocked loudly and announced his presence. The door unlocked with a clack and opened a crack for the occupants gaze outward. Then it opened entirely and a barrage of hands pulled them into the servants’ quarters.
Several of them Sakura recognised, but not all. Each of them wore expressions of horror and bewilderment. Sakura could certainly relate, having just killed what felt like a normal human.
The poor girl suddenly found herself enthralled in a bear hug. Meiling, tearful and scared, gripped her tightly.
“This is horrible, Sakura,” exclaimed the fretful girl. “Our mansion is supposed to have protective barriers, but they all got through.”
Sakura was completely befuddled. Having no frame of reference, all she could do was stand idly.
The servants shrieked at a pound against the entrance. A few windows broke inwards, and black-clad hands reached through the curtains. Sakura felt just as panicked as everyone else, until she heard Wei yell her name.
“Remember the young master’s words,” urged the terrified butler.
Somehow, within the depths of her flabbergasted consciousness, Sakura recalled Xiaolang’s instructions. She drew a Card and proclaimed, “Expel these intruders, Guard!”
A translucent barrier burst outward from the Card. It enveloped everyone in the room, and pushed the attackers away. They snarled and grunted as they threw themselves in an effort to break in. As Sakura poured her energy into the shield, her senses heightened more. The intruders’ hunger for flesh became clear. That only made her more determined to keep them out.
“Wei, why is this happening?” asked Meiling.
Frustrated, Sakura blurted, “Don’t you have any magical powers, Meiling?”
“I’m a finance major! I never got into this!” replied Meiling. Several other servants nodded in agreement as they huddled together.
They’re just normal people, Sakura thought. I have to protect them.
Sakura’s shield held against the punches and blows of the homunculi outside. The monsters’ growls intensified and grew more beastly, which only made the servants’ wails more desperate.
There was a soft pop, followed by a hiss that within a second grew into a deafening shriek. Then Sakura felt as if a meteor had struck her. She fell to the ground. The air around her burned as rubble and dust coated her. She felt Meiling pull her out of the mess, and she looked around. Her vision was blurry and her ears rung. When her eyes cleared, she saw that one half of the servants’ quarters had been blown off, exposing them to the encroaching monsters.
One of them brandished a spent rocket launcher, which he discarded. The ill-favoured man tore off his shirt and his skin exploded in a flurry of metal. To Sakura’s amazement, he took the form of a robotic bear, and let out a high-pitched roar. A few of his comrades similarly discarded their human skin for the metal carapaces of various cybernetic animals. The rest unhinged their mouths and snarled hungrily.
They’re not human, Sakura convinced herself. She shook her head and focused. Then she stepped out in front of the crowd of terrified people, and held the Star Wand before her.
“You will not touch these people,” she growled weakly.
“Darlin’, hush,” said the bear with a Texan accent. Then it galloped forward. Sakura activated the Blade Card, and slashed through the monster’s torso, cleaving it in two. The beast disintegrated, but Sakura hardly felt proud. Her body would not stop shaking, and her legs trembled.
One of the humanoid homunculi stepped forward and cracked her neck. She bared her sharp incisors and yelled, “Get her!”
Sakura’s heart skipped beats as the creatures began to charge at once. Her eyes shifted and she panicked. Meiling couldn’t help her, and neither could Wei. Kero and Yue weren’t there. Eriol was gone. She was completely alone.
“Xiaolang!” she screamed.
The monsters stopped short of her, and there was a moment of silence. Sakura looked up from behind her raised arms, and saw two figures before her. And for some reason, these two made the homunculi awfully nervous.
To Sakura’s left, the girl placed a hand to the talisman on her chest. She yelled, “Arms Alchemy! Valkyrie Skirt!”
To Sakura’s right, the boy placed a hand to his chest and bellowed, “Arms Alchemy! Sunlight’s Heart!”
Sakura fell on her backside, mesmerised by the flashes of blue and yellow energy that surrounded the pair. The blue light materialised into a set of four mechanical arms that terminated in sharp blades, attached to the girl’s hips. The yellow light split in two, one half covering the boy’s left arm in an intricate gold and silver gauntlet; the other half formed a short lance in his right hand.
“Astrid, you ready to be badass again?” said th
e boy with a clear Australian accent.
“You just control yourself, Nathan,” returned the girl.
Then the pair raced forward, absent fear or hesitation. The homunculi started backward, but were too slow. Astrid leapt into the air and spun around, decapitating most of the monsters, and dismembering others. Nathan blocked blows from the attackers with his gauntlet before running them through with his lance. From the glimpses Sakura caught of their faces, they seemed to be having fun. That they were even there was more than Sakura could handle, but that they were enjoying themselves was just absurd.
Sakura stood and glanced around befuddled. She saw movement above her, and caught half a dozen more homunculi coming over the top of the wrecked wall. She quickly unleashed the Flare Card and incinerated them.
“Wei, where else is there we can be safe?” she asked. Wei shrugged absentmindedly. Sakura pursed her lips and pondered a moment. The ground beneath her feet, riddled with rocks and debris, gave her an idea. She drew a Card.
“Encase these people in a safe haven, Gaia!”
Suddenly, a wall of earth rose around the servants, with an arch to allow entry. Sakura stood guard before the bottleneck.
Nathan and Astrid seemed to hold their own just fine against the homunculi. Some went past them and charged at Sakura. She used the Maya Card to delude a few into attacking comrades, the Aqua Card to douse others, and the Spark Card to fry them. Then ,the biggest homunculus of all, in the form of a towering mechanical gorilla, lumbered toward her. By this point, she was tired, as were her Cards. Yet, she stood her ground and tried to gather enough strength to summon Flare one last time.
“Léidì zhāolái!” bellowed a voice that made Sakura jump for joy. From the rooftop to her left came a devastating thunderbolt that tore through the creature. It didn’t kill the homunculus entirely, but weakened it enough for Sakura to finish the job with a roaring fireball. She looked up in joyous relief at Xiaolang, who leapt off the roof and embraced her tightly.
“You’re alright!” she cried.
“I should say the same,” said Xiaolang. He glanced over at the battle on the hill, and the two mystery fighters engaging the remaining homunculi.