She turned toward the attack, said a silent prayer, and held out the weapon before her. The outermost edge of the spell reached her, nearly sweeping her from her feet. It felt almost solid, an irresistible force against...
Solid! Maybe that was it, what the sword was hinting at.
Kisaki did the only thing she could think of. She lifted the Taiyosori and slashed down with it at the onrushing attack.
She expected it to be futile, for the power to plow into her with the same force with which it had leveled buildings, pulverizing her bones to dust in the process. What she didn’t expect was for Ichitiro’s spell to part before her.
It was as if there were a raging river hurtling past on either side, while she stood unmolested on an island in the middle. The power from the spell whipped past her, causing her hair and clothes to buffet as if she were standing outside in a hurricane, but that was the worst of it. Buildings on either side of her were pulverized, but she herself was left unharmed.
“Unbelievable,” Shitoro said from immediately behind her.
She dared a glance over her shoulder and found him a little disheveled, but otherwise okay.
“No, quite the opposite,” she replied. “I think it is time I started to believe.”
There wasn’t a chance to say more, for Ichitiro raced forward, his face contorted in a mix of rage and disbelief. He was upon her in a heartbeat, even faster than his spell had been. He swung his sword and she barely countered in time, the impact so powerful it jarred her to her very bones.
He followed up with a punch that she wasn't able to fully block. It was a glancing blow, but it felt as if her ribs had been struck by a sledgehammer.
Ichitiro spun, bringing his blade to bear once more, and she just barely managed to parry. Another, and again she only blocked it in the barest nick of time.
There was no talk, just swift and savage action, slowly driving her back, blow by blow. Soon her back would be against the wall, quite literally – the remains of the diner she and her friends had taken refuge in. Once that happened, she’d have nowhere else to retreat.
Her spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak, or weaker than her opponent’s anyway. That wasn’t all. Though she wielded the superior weapon, her foe was by far the more experienced swordsman. That in itself was almost a bad joke. Kisaki’s experience was limited to stealing the Taiyosori and a lucky shot upon Crag. Aside from that, she’d never used a weapon before.
She could feel the cold logic in her head trying to dictate her actions, her father’s fighting skills helping her stay alive. His knowledge kept her arms and legs moving, dodging, and swinging. Unfortunately, she sensed he’d been more a hand-to-hand expert. Where the sword was concerned, she found her movements much more unsure, choppy, as if she was figuring it out as she went.
Her opponent suffered from no such handicap. His blade moved as if it were an extension of his arm, striking and slicing as if he’d done so a thousand times before.
It was slow, methodical on his part now. Gone was his earlier arrogance, his presumption to end this in one blow. She’d done her part a little too well. He was taking her seriously now, forcing her back and chipping away at her defenses little by little.
A blow here, a kick there, a slice from his claws, all while his own sword continued to hammer away at her resistance.
Shitoro sent a continual wave of spells, both offensive and distracting, flying Ichitiro’s way, but the element of surprise was lost. The daimao countered them all expertly, each attack fizzling before it could touch him.
Within short order, Kisaki found herself faltering. Her arms felt like rubber and her body was covered in bruises and cuts, none of them fatal by themselves, but gradually adding up.
Eventually, she felt the crumbled wall of the diner looming behind her. There came another thunderous blow from Ichitiro and she nearly lost her grip on the Taiyosori. Though the blade of heaven itself appeared to be in perfect condition, her arms were a mass of contusions from the pummeling they’d taken.
Shaking from the exertion, she dropped to one knee, her defenses all but breached, but still unwilling to yield.
The great demon paused in his attack to look down upon her. “Impressive, but ultimately futile. Know that Ichitiro shows no respect to his enemies, only disdain, but you have come the closest in many years to earning that which I do not offer.”
Kisaki smiled tiredly and then echoed something she’d heard Stephen say earlier. “Bite me, bitch.”
“I would not dirty my tongue.” He raised his sword above his head, miasma gathering once more, a miniature storm forming around him. He meant to end this farce.
She’d done what she could. There was no shame in having lost to a superior foe. She’d saved her friends, done her best to stop him. She could only hope her mother and the other daimao would succeed where she had failed, and that her mother would one day forgive her for what she’d done.
Ichitiro backed up a step, gathering lightning around his blade.
“Get behind me, Shitoro,” she said weakly.
“Mistress, I...”
“Do as you’re told,” she commanded.
If she was going to die, it would be as one of her station, heir to her mother, Lady Midnite.
The little youkai stepped between her and the wall of the diner. Meager protection at best, but it was all she could do for him. She hoped it would be enough.
Power crackled all around Ichitiro as he prepared to bring down his blade. He began to swing the wicked weapon, the air ablaze with the smell of ozone.
Kisaki braced herself best as she could, and then the world seemingly exploded around her in a hail of thunder and fire.
41
Kisaki was thrown back by the concussive wave that ensued, hitting the wall with her top half and something small and furry with her bottom.
After a moment, she was amazed to find herself still alive. Had Ichitiro’s attack faltered?
The sound of thunder continued and she realized it wasn’t coming from him. Ichitiro had never released his attack. Instead, he was being pummeled by one.
It was one of the helicopters she’d seen. Black in color and with strange markings on its side, it was firing its guns at him, but they were much larger and obviously more potent than the ones the police had used against Crag. Ichitiro was being peppered with it, slowly driven back under the assault.
“Midnight Girl! This way!” a voice called to her, just barely audible in the conflagration.
Kisaki saw a figure beckoning to her from behind a pile of rubble that had been a building only a short while ago. Shaking the cobwebs from her head, she stumbled in that direction as the fires of Hell were seemingly unleashed around her.
She wasn’t sure whether to cover her ears, shield her eyes, or both. The assault was almost too intense for her to stay on her feet, and it wasn’t even aimed at her. She stumbled as she rounded the debris, only for a hand to grab her and drag her the rest of the way.
It was Beth Billingsly, along with her cameraman. He was still filming, despite everything going on.
“What are you doing here?” she asked the reporter.
“My job,” Beth replied brightly. “We got lucky and that monster missed us when he started blowing stuff up.”
“Our van wasn’t so lucky,” the cameraman replied.
“The station will be able to afford another after this is all finished and done with. Now are we rolling or not?”
He gave a quick nod. “Go!”
Beth stepped in front of Kisaki and immediately took on a more serious persona. “This is Beth Billingsly reporting live from what was once the peaceful town of Cartersville, Pennsylvania. This marks the second time this community has suffered a devastating attack, all in the space of less than a day.”
“Third,” Kisaki said from over her shoulder.
“What?” Beth asked.
“Third time,” Kisaki repeated. “Earlie
r it was wolves and bears.”
“Um, okay. If you say so.” She turned back to the camera. “I’m here with Midnight Girl, the self-appointed savior of this town. She has been defending its frightened citizens against the ... alien incursion that has apparently taken place here, proving once and for all that life exists else...”
“Daimao.”
“Excuse me?”
“They are not aliens. That is Ichitiro. He is a daimao, a greater demon charged with maintaining the order of the multiverse.”
Beth lowered her microphone. “Nobody is going to believe that.”
“It’s the truth.”
“We’ll just go with aliens. Trust me on this.”
“Let me guess, we’ll edit that out?” the cameraman asked.
“You know me too well, Chuck.” She made a motion with her hand for them to keep going. “But it seems that even Midnight Girl and her magic sword might not be enough. Fortunately, the local sheriff’s office was able to notify the National Guard just as this latest threat arrived. As you can see behind me, they are currently engaging this alien terror.”
“Not terror. Ichitiro.” Kisaki turned. “Shitoro, please help me explain ... Shitoro? Shitoro!”
The little youkai wasn’t behind her. Oh no!
“Who are you calling for?”
“Shitoro. He’s a tiger youkai.”
“What is that? Like your sidekick or something?”
Kisaki didn’t know what a sidekick was, nor did she particularly care. She’d thought her friend was right behind her while Ichitiro was being pounded by the human weaponry. But if not, then where was he?
The helicopters continued to blast the daimao from all sides, along with soldiers now on the ground. Those large vehicles she’d seen earlier, trucks, were now pulling into position. More soldiers poured from their backs, many of them carrying what she hoped was more weaponry.
In mere moments, even more pressure would be put upon the daimao. Hopefully enough to turn the tide. She glanced back toward him and her eyes caught movement low to the ground.
What the...?!
Shitoro was back in his tiger form, prowling toward Ichitiro and using the scattered debris as cover. Kisaki wondered what he was doing. He couldn’t possibly be insane enough to attack, especially now.
But the little youkai was apparently in a mood to prove her wrong. He waited for a momentary lull in the rain of death engulfing Ichitiro, then raced forward, faster than Kisaki had ever seen him move. He struck the mighty daimao in the side, barely even budging him. Then, just as quickly, he ran away, heading toward her.
As she waved him on, confused but grateful to see him alive, she noticed something hanging from his mouth. He hadn’t been attacking Ichitiro after all. He’d stolen something, but what?
“This is what you were worried about?” Beth asked. “Your cat?”
“He is not a cat. He is a tiger.”
“He looks like a...” Her voice trailed off as Shitoro dove behind the same cover they were using, simultaneously transforming into his bipedal youkai form.
“What the hell is that?!”
“It is as I said. He is a tiger youkai.” Kisaki bent down to Shitoro, despite her own injuries, and hugged him hard. Then, after a moment, she pulled back. “A tiger youkai I am quite cross with. What were you thinking?”
He shrugged. “I was thinking you could use all the help you can get.”
“It talks, too?!” Beth screeched.
“Of course I talk, human. Now kindly stop asking irrelevant questions. Can you not see the threat that is here before you? The twilight of your species is at hand.”
Right then, Kisaki couldn’t bring herself to disagree. The human soldiers were buying them time, but she feared it would be a few minutes at best. She’d given Ichitiro everything she had and it hadn’t been nearly enough.
Beth turned back to her cameraman, holding her microphone up again and quickly composing herself. “You heard it here first on Excitement News. Aliens, warrior princesses, and now talking tiger gnomes. In the space of a day, the world has seemingly gone mad. What we believed to be reality has been shattered by knowledge that the creatures we thought confined to late night movies are actually real.”
Kisaki spared her a momentary glance of confusion. Such a strange woman. Then she turned to Shitoro. “That was foolish. Why do such a thing?”
“For this.” He held up a water skin made of some sort of black leathery material. Shitoro pulled the stopper out with his teeth, then took a small sip of what was inside. “Yes! Just as I suspected.” He held it out to Kisaki. “Quickly, drink this.”
“Why?”
“Now, young lady!” It was the same tone Shitoro used when he was particularly annoyed with her, usually during her lessons. Force of habit took hold and she did as commanded, drinking deeply from the skin. The liquid sloshed around her mouth for a moment until she recognized the cool crisp taste and the tingling it left behind. “Water from the celestial palace?”
“Yes. Now keep drinking!”
“Why? I have had it many times.”
“True, but never when you’ve been injured. The divine waters contain healing properties that will greatly augment your body’s natural ability to recover. It is common for all those traveling forth from the palace to carry a skin of it with them, daimao included.”
“But you didn’t.”
He smiled sheepishly. “I did when I first came looking for you, but I used it after a run-in with a pack of dogs. Vicious beasts. Now hurry!”
Kisaki did as told, draining the water skin. At first, all it did was quench the thirst she’d built up from the battle, but then she realized she was actually beginning to feel better.
When she looked down again, the bruises on her arms were rapidly fading. The cuts she’d suffered had scabbed over and were already peeling to reveal fresh skin.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much, thank you.”
“’Tis my pleasure, my lady.”
Kisaki glanced at the sword in her hand, still gleaming and now feeling as light as the feather it had once been. She stepped over to Beth, who was still speaking to the camera about an alien apocalypse, whatever that was, and tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me.”
“Yes, Midnight Girl?”
Kisaki wasn’t sure why she kept referring to her as that, but she didn’t find the mistake to be entirely unpleasant sounding. Besides, this wasn’t the time to debate it. “Can you contact those soldiers?”
“Contact them? Why? Do you have a plan?”
“Perhaps.”
Beth turned to the camera. “You heard it here first. Midnight Girl, the world’s very first superhero, has a plan to...”
“We don’t have time for this,” Kisaki snapped. “Yes or no?”
Something in the tone of her voice seemed to get through to Beth. She stopped in the middle of her speech and waved her cameraman forward. “Chuck?”
“I have my cell. No telling if there’s any towers still standing, though.”
Beth nodded, then said to Kisaki, “We’ll try our best.”
“That is all I can ask of you.”
“Lady Kisaki,” Shitoro said. “I have been thinking.”
“If you are going to tell me to be careful, Shitoro, I am well aware of the sentiment. Unfortunately, I cannot promise to do so.”
“Not that, I...”
“What do you need me to tell them?” Chuck asked.
Kisaki turned away from the tiger demon. “For starters, please ask them to do their best to not fire upon me. I don’t believe I would be able to recover from such an assault quite as easily as Ichitiro.” That was an understatement. She was certain what they were currently doing to him would easily kill her. However, she kept that to herself, as what she was planning would almost certainly get her killed anyway. “Secondly, it would be most agreeable if they would time their attacks in direct
contradiction to mine.”
“Not following,” Chuck said.
“I am,” Beth replied. “You want them to hold off when you attack, then open fire when you fall back. Give you both a chance to regroup while he’s kept under constant pressure.”
“Yes, I believe that is our best chance at...”
“Killing him?”
“Dissuading him from further hostilities.” Kisaki wasn’t a fool. She had no delusions about her chances and saw no need to give these humans false hope.
Beth nodded. “Be careful out there, especially once those mortars start firing.” She pointed toward a group of soldiers setting up what Kisaki presumed to be more weaponry.
Kisaki bowed to them both, then turned away as Chuck tried to multitask using his phone and keeping the camera steady on Beth. Shitoro was there waiting for her. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand.
“Brave Shitoro, I could ask for no finer tutor or guardian. You have more than proven your mettle this day, but I can ask no more. Please leave this place.”
“But...”
“Find a way back to the celestial palace. Tell Mother I am truly sorry. I acted out of ignorance and brought this down upon myself. But also tell her that I love her and understand what she has done to protect me. If I am to die this day, let her know that I did so on my feet, as one who has both warrior blood in her veins as well as that of the daimao.”
Shitoro tried to speak again, probably to protest her decision, but he was drowned out by a booming voice.
“Enough!”
Kisaki looked past him to where Ichitiro was just barely visible amidst the constant assault. He’d managed to gather his miasma back around him and now struck out with it. Bolts of lightning flew skyward toward the helicopters continuing to strafe him. He hit one and it exploded in a fireball, raining flaming debris upon the already devastated town.
Next, he swung his sword and a lance of black flame shot out. Kisaki couldn’t see his intended target amidst the chaos, but she had to assume it was the human warriors.
They stood no chance against him alone, especially once he managed to fully go on the offensive.
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