by Ben Reeder
“I’ve missed this,” Kim said, her breath coming a little fast. “It’s good to spar with you again.”
“I wish I could say the same,” Dr. C said. They circled each other, neither making an aggressive move. Both were in their stance, and I could see a thousand minor differences in their movements. “You’re just as good as I remember,” he added.
“You’ve improved,” Kim said, taking a step back. “Before I left you, I entrusted something to you. A gold ring. Do you still have it?” Kim asked.
“Yeah,” Dr. C said. He reached under the neck of his shirt and pulled out the necklace with the gold ring on it.
“May I have it back?” she asked.
He yanked it free and threw it to her. “Take it.”
“You entrusted me with your heart once,” Kim said, and a soft glow came from the ring in her hand. “And in return, I gave you my soul. You were and always have been my beloved.” As she spoke, the ring in her hands changed shape, until it was a glowing sphere with an opalescent surface.
Dr. C came out of his stance, a look of utter shock on my mentor’s face. Arata was stalking toward them, but the other oyabuns remained still. Kim held her hands out, and I could see the glowing pearl in her palm.
“You gave me your hoshi no tama?” he asked. My eyes went wide at the term. Kitsune could manifest part of their soul in a glowing pearl, a hoshi no tama. Anyone who had it could command the kitsune it belonged to, or kill them by destroying it. She really had given him her heart and soul.
“It seemed only right,” Kim said. “And I offer it to you again.”
“Why?” Dr. C asked.
“What are you doing, woman?” Arata demanded. He broke into a run toward them, and I came up off the table. My TK bolt hit him in the side and sent him flying. He hit the floor and slid for about twenty feet as I got to my feet.
“Please,” Kim said, holding her hands out again. “Trust me for a few moments, as I trust you, beloved. Help me free myself.” Dr. C’s eyes flicked to the glowing pearl, then to Kim’s face before he grabbed it. Kim smiled, and the pearl became as bright a tiny sun for a second before it faded.
“Traitor!” Arata yelled as he came to his feet.
Kim turned toward him, her face twisted in a scowl. “I did not betray the honor of Clan Ryu to serve the forces of Hell,” she snarled. “I did not kiss the ass of a demon to gain a little power. If there is a traitor to the Dragon Banner in this room, it is you! You are not worthy to lead this clan, and you are not worthy of my blood, or the life of my daughter.”
That stopped him in his tracks, and he turned to the other oyabuns. “Kill this bitch! And the wizard. Then send someone to kill her daughter.”
“Your honor has been challenged, Arata-san,” Hikaru said. “You must answer that challenge on your own. We won’t interfere.”
Arata spat and turned to face Kim. “I don’t need them. I am twice the fighter you are!”
“Then it is good that I brought two allies,” Kim said with a confident smile.
“Three allies, mother,” Amanda said. She stepped into the light and came toward me.
“Amanda, no. I-”
“It’s too late, mother,” Amanda said. “I’m already here. Chance and I will keep each other safe. You take care of him,” she pointed at Dr. C. Arata started moving, trying to circle around to our left, putting us between him and Dr. C and Kim.
“Um, I’m not nearly as good as you are,” I said. “Even with the software upgrade.”
“You don’t have to be,” Amanda said. as she started moving sideways. “Bow and sword, remember?” I followed, and realized that the move brought us closer to him at the same time as it cut his circle off. He stopped and reversed course, only to find that Kim and Dr. C had spread out and moved to pen him in.
“So the closer he gets, the more he becomes your problem, huh?” I asked. She nodded, evidently not getting the joke, or just not amused.
“Four against one?” Arata said. “Where is your honor now?”
“You asked for aid,” Kim noted. “Where was your concern for fairness then?” Arata didn’t answer, instead turning to look our way, then at the two adults.
“Then I’ll have to kill the weaker fighters and even the odds,” Arata said and sprinted our way.
“Ictus!” I blurted, trying to hit him with a TK bolt. He dodged to my right, putting himself in a line with Dr. C and Kim. They started moving, but Arata darted left and right as he came my way. I aimed at the floor in front of him and saw him shift his balance to dodge. I waited a heartbeat and he dropped and rolled to one side, neatly sidestepping the red beam that Dr. C had fired from the top of his paramiir stave. That brought him up close enough to launch a kick at me. I caught it against my forearms, then dropped and swept my leg out in a half circle.
To my surprise, when Arata jumped, he came down almost on top of my leg. Only a last second jump back saved me from a broken limb. Then I was trying desperately to block blows I could barely see coming. Each strike hurt like Hell, and I knew my forearms were going to be covered bruises if I lived to see morning. Finally, I saw an opening. Not thinking, I went to kick him, but my foot didn’t go as high as it was supposed to, and Arata danced out of the way.
“Idiot,” he taunted me as he jumped back at me. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to move out of range, so I did something my new software upgrade really didn’t want to do: I threw myself flat on the floor. Arata laughed and shifted his balance to stomp on my head, but just before he could bring his foot down, Amanda got her first lick in. With a flying kick, she knocked him back and gave me time to get to my feet. Arata stumbled back and into the waiting arms of Dr. C and Kim, who proceeded to put him hard on the defensive.
“Sword,” Amanda said, pointing to herself, “Bow,” she pointed to me. “The closer he gets, the more he becomes my problem.”
“Important safety tip,” I groaned. “Thanks, Egon.” She gave me a frown and shook her head, then turned back to the fight. Kim and Dr. C were throwing kicks and punches, but Arata was managing to block them all. I shifted to my Sight and saw the black aura surrounding the oyabun, with Kim’s aura golden and Dr. C’s a brighter yellow than I‘d ever seen it. Even fighting for his life, he was happy around Kim. But Arata was bolstering his power and skill with demonic energy. There was no way they were going to beat him with fists and feet alone. It was going to take a couple of mages to help beat him down.
Inspiration struck and I ran to one side until I was in position, and called out, “Bank shot! Danger close!” Then I pointed my wand, hoping Dr. C got the reference. “Ictus latior!” I called out. The flat sheet of telekinetic force hit the floor a few feet in front of Arata, then bounced just as he turned to face me. He jumped as if to avoid a low attack, and if I’d been aiming for him, it would have carried him clear of the shot. Instead, I’d bounced it off the floor so it caught him in midair. It was a broad, sloppy spell, but there was almost no dodging it, and the oyabun went flying for the second time that night. Behind him, Dr. C had dropped into a crouch and Kim had bent backwards far enough she had to support herself with one hand.
Black shadowy wings emerged from Arata’s back, slowing him down. But as he was going all dark and spooky, Dr. C had turned and pointed his staff at him. Another red beam lanced out and caught Arata in the chest. A sheet of black flickered into place where the shot hit, but the wings disappeared and Arata dropped like a rock. So I hit him on the way down with another TK bolt. He spun in midair but still managed to land with a little grace. Then Kim was back on him, and he was backing up. Every strike she threw glowed with kitsunebi, kitsune fire, and his black aura flared against it.
“Vocare!” I called out, and Kim’s sword flew across the room and into my hand. I turned to Amanda and tossed the weapon to her. “Sword!” I said. She nodded and sprinted in to help her mother. As she closed on the fight, Dr. C backed away. We spread out, both moving to get different angles on the fight. Amanda arrived and swung
the sword at Arata, who blocked it with a black blade that projected from his aura. He pushed her back, then swung at Kim. His shadowy blade passed through thin air as she ducked under it, the spun and kicked at his arm as it passed over her. While she was bent down, Dr. C fired off a bolt of blue energy, which Arata deflected with the black sword. Too late, I saw my opportunity, and cursed as Kim came back up and into my line of fire. I circled around, putting myself at Arata’s back.
A few seconds later, I saw an opening when Amanda dodged to one side, and fired a bolt of fire at him. As he blocked my attack, Dr. C’s hit him in the side, with a swift follow-up from Kim that sent him staggering back. Amanda unloaded a kick at him that he dodged, but that put him in position for Dr. C’s next spell. Kim and Amanda started staggering their attacks, letting us hit Arata at random. Dr. C and I kept moving, making it almost impossible for Arata to guess where the next shot was coming from, and sometimes, both of us hitting him at the same time. Using Sight, I could see he black aura weakening, becoming almost translucent in places.
Suddenly, the aura disappeared, and Arata staggered back, his face ashen. I felt something on the edge of my mystical senses, and the stench of brimstone filled my nostrils. Then a black, misty form appeared at far side of the building we were in. It took shape with unsettling speed, forming what looked like the head and shoulders of a massive, horned being.
Humans have a powerful survival instinct when faced with something bigger and stronger than they we are: we freeze. If it hasn’t seen you already, monkey brain reasons in its own irrational way, you don’t want to draw attention to yourself by moving or running. If it has seen you but isn’t trying to actively kill you, you don’t want to make any aggressive moves. Everyone in the room froze in place when the two story tall smoky form of a demon entered the room. It approached Arata, and everyone in its path moved out of the way.
“My Lord Gedeon,” Arata sputtered, bowing his head.
“I have no use for weakness,” the smoky form boomed. I felt the voice more in my soul than physically, and everyone in the room seemed to cringe a little.
“I am outnumbered, and-”
“I do not accept excuses,” Gedeon’s sending boomed. “You aren’t worthy of my aid.” An arm the size of a bus appeared and a black hand opened. Black energy poured from Arata’s chest into the black apparition, until he fell to his knees.
“My Lord, if our deal is off, my soul is free!” Arata said.
“Are you not head of Clan Ryu?” Gedeon asked. “Did I not give you power enough to gain what you sought? You did not bargain to keep your position, only to obtain it. Your soul is still mine.”
“But if I don’t lead the clan, they won’t fight as your ally tonight.”
“Do not lose, then,” Gedeon said. “Unless, Kim Shinoda, you wish to pledge your soul and allegiance to me.”
“Never,” Kim said.
“Then I must protect my interests,” Gedeon said. “You’ll get your help, Arata, but there will be a price. You shall not die by your opponent’s blade.” Arata smiled as a circle of translucent, inky smoke sprang up around Kim and him. Kim sheathed her sword and dropped into her stance.
“Now you will learn your place, little bitch,” Arata said.
“I already know where I belong,” Kim said. “You have nothing to say about it.”
Arata rushed forward, and Kim smiled. Memories that weren’t mine told me that Arata had given up a lot by attacking first. Kim didn’t give ground, and blocked or dodged every punch and kick that came her way. When Arata finally stepped back, Kim smiled at him.
“You missed,” she said. “Try again.”
“You haven’t touched me,” Arata said.
“I don’t want to embarrass you,” Kim said. Arata leaped forward, only to reel back as Kim’s fist snapped out and caught him in the chin. “Better?” she asked. He spat blood, then came forward again, slower this time, his guard a lot tighter. His attacks were more focused, and Kim’s defenses were barely enough to stop the combos of punches and kicks he threw at her. But barely enough was still enough, and Arata stepped back again.
“Now you’re taking me seriously,” she said. This time, she led off the attacks, punching high, then using her knees up close before ducking low and stepping past him and driving her elbow into his right shoulder. He stumbled forward, then turned to deliver a spinning back kick that grazed her chin and knocked her back. Without hesitating, they both lunged at each other, this time going for close body shots with fists, knees and elbows. Kim slid around behind Arata and brought her fist up to hit the back of his head, but Arata managed to lean back and grab the handle of her sword. He yanked it free of the scabbard and jumped forward, gaining room to swing his newly acquired weapon in a wide arc. Kim simply spun in place and caught the blade on the scabbard slung across her back, then spun toward Arata, keeping the sword engaged but not letting him cut with it. When they were back to back, she snapped her head back and caught him in the back of the skull, then dove forward, rolled into a somersault before pushing herself up on her hands to spring to her feet. She reached up and grabbed the scabbard, pulled it free, then spun with it held out. Something flew across the space between her and Arata and stuck in his chest. He looked down and pulled the pair of throwing spikes from his body.
“Stupid woman,” he said as he flipped one of them. “Your weapons can’t hurt me.” With that, he threw both spikes back at her. She knocked one aside, but the other lodged in her shoulder. She cried out and twisted away. “But they can still hurt you.” He moved forward and swung at her, but she danced out of reach.
“Yet you bleed,” Kim said as she pulled the spike from her shoulder. Arata looked down at the red stain that was spreading across his shirt.
“You said…” Arata stammered.
““You won’t die of those wounds,” Gedeon’s apparition laughed. “Now kill this trollop before the Rending begins.”
Arata raised the sword and rushed at Kim. She deflected the first blow with the scabbard, then spun it around and hit him across the jaw. Before he could even stagger back, she reversed it and slammed it into his chest, then jumped back as he brought the blade back up in a diagonal slash. At the top of the sword’s arc, he brought it back down. Kim knocked it aside, then reversed the movement and brought the scabbard up, then punched forward, stabbing with it like an icepick. It struck Arata in the chest and drove him back, but cost Kim a long cut across her leg.
“Now you bleed, too,” Arata said, smiling. He came at her again, and she brought the scabbard up in an arc at chest level. Red powder filled the air, making Arata check his momentum. Kim leaped through it, knocked the sword aside and slammed into him. When he staggered back, fresh blood stained his shirt, and Kim held a dripping tanto blade.
“And you die,” Kim said softly. In response, Arata thrust the sword at her. She blocked it, knocking it high, and Arata laid the edge against her throat.
“You traded a wound for your death blow,” Arata hissed as he pressed the blade against her skin. A thin line of red seeped along its length. “Your weapons can’t kill me.”
“I didn’t use one of my weapons,” Kim said, holding up the tanto with the white linen between her fingers. “I used yours.”
She pushed back with the scabbard, and Arata staggered back, his face going ashen. Kim turned and walked to the edge of the black mist the surrounded them.
“It is done,” she said. “Now release me.”
“Not while your blade is still bared,” Gedeon said. Kim looked down at the blade, then at the demon, and went to sheathe the knife.
“Miss Shinoda!” I called out. She looked to me, and I shook my head. “Don’t.” She nodded, then turned to face the black form.
“This isn’t my weapon. It belongs to him,” she said, then turned and threw the knife with blinding speed. It hit Arata in the left eye and knocked him onto his back. He was dead before his head bounced off the ground.
Gedeon bellowed h
is rage, then turned his attention to me. “I’ll come looking for you tonight, little warlock,” he boomed before disappearing.
“That’s apprentice mage!” I yelled ineffectually after him.
“You certainly told him,” Dr. C said. He grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“What makes this time any different from every other stupid thing I’ve done?” I asked, not wanting to give away how I felt about him worrying about me.
“Because I had to choose between saving the world and sacrificing myself to save my apprentice, and I didn’t even hesitate.”
“My Trevor would make a good father,” Kim said as she and Amanda approached. The other oyabuns were gathered nearby, talking among themselves.
“I’m not your Trevor anymore,” Dr. C said.
“You never stopped being mine, beloved,” Kim said. “Just as I never stopped loving you.”
“You disappeared, Kim,” Dr. C said. “The day I was going to ask you to marry me.”
“I know,” she said as tears slid down her face. “And if I had a choice, I would have done many things differently.”
“Like what?”
“I would have said yes.”
Dr. C closed his eyes and frowned. His lips became a thin line before he spoke again. “We obviously have a lot to talk about, and no time to do it.” He reached out and ran his thumb along the wet trail on her cheek. “I’ve wanted to hear your voice again for years. I can wait a few more hours. Just don’t die on me tonight.”
“What can stand before me when you’re at my side?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Dr. C said. “But we have to go. There’s a fight that’s about to start, and I don't want to be late. Is Clan Ryu fighting for us or against us?”
“We fight against the forces of Hell tonight,” Hikaru said. “Gedeon will not forget what happened here. And honor demands that we take responsibility for what we allowed under Arata.”