by Bryce Allen
“This tournament, the empire, it all means nothing if we leave now. We need to do what is right.”
“You think that the emperor will believe you?” Ebusu asked.
“I do.”
Ebusu’s eyes fell on Kenji. The searched his face, testing him for weakness. Kenji didn’t waiver. He matched his master’s gaze and waited.
“Then you have my support.” Ebusu gave a slow nod. “The empire needs us.”
Kenji didn’t know what to say. His master’s confidence filled him with gratitude. Kenji wanted to thank him, but he restrained himself.
Ebusu looked to Sagura, “What do you say, governor?”
Sagura looked at the ceiling, defeated. After a long, agonized groan, he looked back at Ebusu.
“Do I have a choice?”
Ebusu chuckled and patted the old politician on the back, “We always have a choice, friend.”
The trio walked down the cherry blossom street in silence. The sky was on fire with bright oranges and purples as the sun set. It painted the whole city in hues of dusk.
For the first time since winning the Gawan tournament, Kenji felt empowered. He had the support of a governor and one of the greatest swordsmen in the empire. Every step they took towards the palace felt like they were storming a castle and saving the day.
Even Kenji’s pain faded a little. Ebusu poured him more of his healing tonic before they set out, and Kenji almost felt normal. He still felt his muscles throb when he put too much weight on one leg, but the headaches were gone. Kenji felt strong again.
He also felt confident that the emperor would believe him. After their late-night conversation, Kenji felt a certain level of trust with the emperor. There was a mutual respect between them, now. The emperor at least had to consider his words with reason.
But all of that confidence was shattered by a woman’s scream. The trio spun around, searching for the source of the frantic cries. Kenji’s heart dropped when he saw the woman being pulled out of a dormitory by her hair.
Kami.
Three fully armored guards surrounded Kami as she tried to stand. Behind them, the ambassador from North Toku directed them. Every time Kami tried to stand, one of them would kick her down. The ambassador had Kami’s broken sword, leaving her defenseless.
Kenji was too far away to hear any of the words being exchanged, but Kami’s screams of anger were clear.
He crouched low and gripped the handle of his sword. The corners of his vision blurred and his skin itched. He was about to sprint towards them when a hand on his shoulder pulled him back.
Ebusu was staring down at him. Kenji couldn’t read his face, but nothing Ebusu could say would stop him. Kenji silently pleaded with Ebusu to let him go. He didn’t care if it was the wise thing to do. Kami had shown Kenji kindness, and it had to be repaid.
Kenji readied himself to disobey his master, building the resolve to do the opposite of what he ordered.
“I’ll take the two on the right. Don’t kill the ambassador.”
Ebusu’s eyes narrowed, and Kenji could see the same anger that he felt building in his master. The respect that Kenji felt for Ebusu swelled, and together, they charged the guards.
Kenji gripped the handle of his blade with one hand and his scabbard with the other. Ebusu ran beside him, readying the exact same technique. They didn’t want to draw their blades until the perfect opening appeared.
Ebusu reached his target first. It only took one effortless motion for Ebusu to draw his blade and strike just below the ribs. The horizontal cut nearly ripped the man in two.
The guard fell to the ground in a bloodied heap, still flailing in desperation. Few people in the empire could cleave a man in half. Ebusu was one of them.
Kenji reached his guard an instant later. Ebusu’s arrival had alerted him, but he wasn’t quick enough to block the attack. Kenji plunged his sword deep into the guard’s chest, yanked his blade out of the man, and the guard crumpled to the ground, shock frozen on his face.
Before the guard even hit the ground, the third and final guard was lunging at Kenji. Kenji threw up a block, but it was sloppy and late. He braced for the impact.
Kenji felt a presence move between him and the attacker. The clash of steel rung in his ears. His eyes focused and he found a rotund, well-dressed man blocking the attack for him.
Sagura stood before the guard, holding a triumphant block high above his head. The guard paused for a moment, dazed by his failed attack. He paused for too long, though. Ebusu capitalized on Sagura’s last-minute block and buried his sword deep into the guard’s back.
The last guard hit the ground like his comrades. The whole attack had only taken the span of a single breath.
The ambassador for North Toku was too afraid to move. His legs were trembling so badly they could be seen shaking through his robes. He clung to Kami’s sword, either too confused or too afraid to draw it and defend himself.
“Thank you,” Kami said.
Sagura sheathed his blade and helped Kami to her feet. She was badly beaten, but intact. Kenji and Ebusu turned their blades towards the ambassador.
“You will all hang for this,” he stammered. “You’ve just interfered with a lawful arrest. This girl is a traitor.”
“I think you are the traitor,” Kami said in a hiss.
The ambassador straightened his back and curled his lip. “Hiroshi will ensure—”
Before the ambassador could finish, Kami fell forward, too weak to hold her weight. Kenji reached out to her, but he wasn’t quick enough.
Just before Kami hit the ground, she rolled forward, tumbling purposefully towards the ambassador. Before Kenji or Ebusu could tell her to stop, Kami rolled to her feet and leaped past the ambassador. While passing him, she plucked the sword from his hand.
She drew the blade. Before the ambassador had time to face her, Kami made a single cut. The ambassador’s head fell to the ground, followed by his lifeless body.
“We were going to keep the ambassador alive,” Sagura said, nearly shouting.
“He served no purpose,” Kami said, spitting towards the corpse at her feet.
“He could have proven our entire story.”
Kami and Sagura glared at each other, and for a moment Kenji thought they would turn their blades on one another.
“It doesn’t matter now. We need to reach the emperor,” Ebusu said, interrupting the quarrel.
Sagura shook his head, still angry. He cast a warning glance at Ebusu and sheathed his sword. Without a word, he turned towards the palace and started walking.
Kenji wiped his blade clean, and then his eyes paused on the bodies at his feet. He had acted so quickly he hadn’t realized what he’d done. Four bodies were sprawled out before him, dead because of a decision he made.
The emperor’s words echoed in his head. He couldn’t forget the lives he’d taken; it would be a disservice to their memory. Taking a life should never come lightly.
Then Ebusu’s words echoed in his head, never travelling too far from his heart. “The path you’ve chosen will only get darker.” Is that what darker was? Slaughtering guards on the street for following their orders?
“Kenji.”
A soft voice brought him back.
“Kenji, we need to go,” Kami said, lowering herself to match Kenji’s gaze.
Kenji could see the frustration in her hazel eyes, even through the dark-purple bruise forming over one. He didn’t respond. At a nod from Ebusu, Kami moved away, giving the master and his student some semblance of privacy.
Ebusu spoke. “She is right. Something terrible is happening in this city, Kenji. This feeling . . . this uncertainty . . . it feels like Kaito’s Uprising. This is how it all started, with conspiracies and missing people. Can you imagine how many lives would have been saved if people like us had taken action all those years ago?”
Ebusu placed his calloused hand on the back of Kenji’s neck. “I’ve already asked too much of you, but we need to finish this.
”
The old master’s weathered face hovered in front of Kenji’s. He could see the sorrow in Ebusu’s eyes, but he could also see determination. Ebusu had the face of a man that had seen great pain, but also great beauty, beauty that was worth fighting for. Perhaps that pain was what the emperor saw in Kenji?
“Yes, master.”
They sprinted the rest of the way. It wouldn’t be long before the bodies were found and the alarm was raised. Even Sagura kept pace beside them. The cherry blossoms filled the air around them in the setting sun, parting before their charge.
The palace was quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos that was taking place in Kenji’s mind. The royal guards were immediately on edge when they saw four people sprinting towards the palace. They drew their blades and dropped into a combative stance.
“These men are loyal to the emperor. Do not harm them,” Ebusu growled as they reached the palace gate.
“State your business!” a guard shouted.
“We need to speak with the emperor.” Sagura spoke with as much authority as he could muster through his lack of breath. “We are the Gawan emissaries for the tournament. This is our victorious champion, Kenji.”
The guard looked them over, but his sword didn’t waiver.
“The emperor wasn’t expecting anyone. What is so urgent?”
No one in the group spoke. Their collective hesitation made the guard more suspicious. The head guard took a step towards them, his hand tightening around his sword. Kenji raised his hands, trying to calm the man.
“Tell the emperor we are here. He will let us in. We have news of his brother,” Kenji said.
Sagura cocked an eyebrow at Kenji, but didn’t object. Kenji knew it was a gamble mentioning Hiroshi, but they didn’t have long before the entire city was alarmed.
The guard watched Kenji, searching for signs of dishonesty. Finally, the guard’s sword lowered. He still kept it at the ready, but it was an improvement.
“Tell the emperor the Gawans are here with news of Hiroshi,” he commanded.
One of the men gave a sharp bow and ran off towards the palace. The rest of them were left in an uneasy truce. The guards didn’t dare sheathe their blades, and Kenji didn’t dare draw his. The guards stared at them, some confused, some concerned.
After a few minutes, the guard came back. He mumbled something inaudible to the head guard, who then stood up out of his defensive position. He sheathed his sword and ordered the others to do the same.
“We will be close by, champion.”
The guard glared directly at Kenji as he spoke. The warning was clear. Kenji nodded and they passed by without another word.
They were led through the palace gate and into the building itself. Some of it looked familiar from the night of the banquet, but tonight they went deeper into the palace. Kenji’s chest felt tighter every second. He rehearsed the words in his head again and again.
They were stopped before a rice-paper door which was beautifully painted with a bamboo design. Candlelight from the other side of the door made the stalks seem alive, dancing with the flame. The guard told them to wait and he slipped inside.
After a brief exchange, they were invited in. It was a large but simple chamber. There were only a few items. A sleeping mat was propped in the corner, still rolled up, and a low table was placed in the center of the room.
The emperor was kneeling at the table, staring into the flame of a singular candle. He didn’t move when they walked in, he only watched the fire. When the guard left the room, they were left in silence.
Ebusu kneeled, and the rest of them followed. They bowed to the leader of the empire and waited for him to speak. Kenji watched him for any sign of emotion, but his posture was rigid and showed no feeling.
“Choose your words wisely,” the emperor said.
The candle cast a single shadow onto the wall behind the emperor. It was the only movement in the room. The emperor remained a blank canvas of emotion. He did not seem angry or sad. He didn’t look up at any of them.
“Emperor, I believe Hiroshi is manipulating the Tenno Tournament to win the Zettai blade.” Kenji wanted to shout the words, but he restrained himself and spoke with calm authority.
He watched for a reaction, for anything from the emperor, but he gave away nothing.
“What proof do you have?”
“Manzo, the tournament official, is a Shadow that works for Hiroshi. He attacked Kami and me last night,” Kenji continued. “And Master Ebusu believes the fight between Shiro and Hiroshi was predetermined.”
“Ebusu?”
“It is true. I am certain of it,” Ebusu added.
“The ambassadors are part of it, too. I think Hiroshi has been working with them for some time,” Kami cut in, unable to restrain herself.
Silence fell over them again. The candle flickered and Kenji fought to understand the emperor. He should be reacting in some way. He should cry or shout or take action. Kenji was at a loss.
“Emperor, I am not an expert in the area, but I believe Hiroshi intends to take your throne. With the Zettai—”
The emperor silenced Ebusu with a short wave of his hand. In that moment, Kenji understood the emperor. A wave of anger came of Kenji, and he couldn’t contain himself any longer.
“You knew? You knew about all of this and you did nothing?”
Ebusu looked up from the candle and met Kenji’s gaze. It was meant to be a warning look, but Kenji ignored him. Taishi’s mask of restraint fell away and the emperor revealed the grief that had been consuming him. Tears gathered in the emperor’s eyes, but he didn’t dare let one fall.
“I’ve had suspicions, but never anything like this. Hiroshi never recovered from the war. What would you have me do? Jail him? Execute him? Banish him?” He spoke with indifference, but his voice quivered now. “My son has already lost so much.”
Kenji was taken aback. The frustration he felt faded to numbness and he was left speechless.
“He lost his mother earlier than any child should. He told me he is starting to forget her face.” The emperor closed his eyes and clenched his fists, fighting to hold back his emotions.
“Then, Jin died. Taijin loved Jin like a brother. Jin was old, and it was his time, but how do I explain that to a child?” The emperor continued, “So now you want me to take one of the last family Taijin has and brand him a traitor? My own brother?”
The emperor stood up with a sudden burst of anger. He paced for a moment and his anger built.
“And for what?” he shouted, the power of it making Kenji flinch. “For this meaningless title? I just don’t have the strength.”
His words repeated in Kenji’s ears and the candle flickered, nearly extinguished by the emperor’s movements. Taishi took a deep breath and covered his hands with his face. He regained some semblance of control and continued.
“Ebusu, you remember the death.”
“I do.”
The emperor nodded and his eyes wandered. Kenji could see a darkness come over the broken man. He recognized the look. It was the pain he felt after taking a life.
“I promised myself never again.”
“I know, Taishi.”
“How many lives would have been saved if I had surrendered my throne then? Thousands? Tens of thousands?”
Ebusu stood up from his kneeling position and approached the emperor. Taishi turned away as if ashamed, but Ebusu shifted to stay in front of him.
“You are a good man, Taishi.”
Taishi took sudden breaths, struggling to control himself. Ebusu reached out his hand and gripped the emperor by the back of the neck, both commanding and comforting. Kenji had felt the embrace before.
“What kind of man will Taijin become if you let those closest to him escape justice? We can end this war before it begins.”
A tear rolled down Taishi’s cheek, catching the candlelight for an instant.
“He is my brother, master.” Taishi’s voice cracked with raw emotion.
“I know.” Ebusu spoke in little more than a whisper.
“Emperor, master.” Kenji spoke out of turn, but the silence was weighing heavily on him. “The Shadow knows that I discovered him. Hiroshi is aware of my suspicion by now. Let us confront him and discover the truth. No swords need be drawn.”
Everything and everyone was still for a moment. The candle didn’t flicker. Kenji knew it wasn’t the best course of action. They already knew the truth, but the emperor, as broken as he was, needed to believe there was hope for his brother.
The stoic emperor slowly returned. The pain faded from his face and he wiped his tears away. He cleared his throat and nodded to himself.
“Let us do it tonight, then,” Taishi said softly.
Ebusu nodded and released the emperor from his grasp. The old master turned to Kenji and smiled. It was a farce, though. Ebusu’s eyes told the truth and carried no sign of the smile. They told of his pain and his regret. Kenji nodded back at him, letting his master know that he was understood. War had taken its toll on all of them.
The emperor knelt to the ground and scooped his sword off a low rack near his bed roll. It was a simple but elegant blade, reminding Kenji of his own sword. Taishi slid the sheathed blade into his belt and stood up.
“Emperor, you don’t—”
“I will accompany you with my guard to ensure that no one”—Taishi glanced around the group with a warning tone in his voice—“No one is harmed. Mikio!”
The door slid open and one of the emperor’s personal guards stood at attention.
“Gather a dozen of my most loyal guardsmen. Tell no one else. We will meet in the courtyard at midnight.”
The guard’s eyes widened, but he didn’t hesitate. He gave a quick bow and ran down the hall.
The emperor looked back at Kenji. “I hope you’re wrong, champion. Meet us in the courtyard in an hour.”
Chapter 8
Ebusu and Kenji moved to a different room for the hour they had before meeting the emperor. Ebusu insisted on checking Kenji’s bandages. Sagura and Kami were left to wait silently in each other’s company.