War Games

by Nikita Thorn

  “Chief,” said Rumi again. “Behind us.”

  Indeed, rapid footsteps were following them: sandals on ground. Considering the caves behind them had been cleared out, there was only one explanation.

  Seiki clenched his fists. The demons alone would be enough problems for them. Shousei would be impossible, and they could not hope to fight opponents on both sides.

  “There’s a room,” whispered Mitsue. She was deathly pale and her breath ragged. “Right… right there.” Lifting a shaky finger to point, she indicated a metal door on the right wall, before producing a metal key from her pocket.

  There was no time to ask how she had gotten hold of the key.

  “Get it open,” said Seiki. “I’ll protect you.”

  The group seemed to understand his intention. They rushed toward the door without further prompt, just as Shousei, his sword gleaming and his health somehow full again, charged at them from behind. The forceful swing made clear the swordsman’s intent to kill, and Seiki spun around and Parried, flinching as he had to sacrifice all his energy for the block. Fortunately, it had bought the group enough time to disappear through the creaking door.

  From the other side, the group of demons had also caught up, and several black spears went after both Seiki and Shousei. Ducking low, Seiki blocked with his sword, relieved that these attacks did not require energy to parry. Taking the chance as the spear’s stab missed, he slammed his shoulder against one of the spearmen, sending the demon staggering into his comrades.

  That’s when Rumi appeared at the doorway. She snuck a forceful slice in on one of the closest demons’ foot with her iron tantou, and Seiki took the opportunity to dive into the dark opening as the demon stumbled backward with a cry. Behind him, more demons closed in at Shousei, and a swipe from the man’s curved sword instantly felled a few of them.

  That was all Seiki could glimpse before someone slammed the door shut and plunged the room into near darkness. There was a click as the door locked from the inside. Before Seiki’s sight could adjust, he felt Ojisan’s hands guiding him to the side where the group had clustered.

  Noises of combat were still coming from the other side of the door. A demon’s cry rang out as something slammed against the metal frame, but the door was sturdy and would hold for at least a while.

  Seiki took a few moments to catch his breath and check his health. Some was still missing, but not a lot, and he still had a few potions left to use.

  “What is this room?” said Okamoto. A candle hissed into existence in his hand, providing enough light for them to make out the surroundings.

  “I… made copies of keys I could get my hands on,” said Mitsue, still panting.

  Like the previous one, this room seemed to be full of chests stacked on top of one another, and Seiki could guess they were all loaded up with poison bags. The air was stale and the room uncomfortably damp.

  “Is there another exit?” said Seiki.

  “No,” Mitsue whispered. “This is one of the demons’ storage rooms.” She was sitting with her back against one of the chests, in a rather terrible spot for hiding, but did not seem to be able to move any further. Seiki only now noticed that Shousei’s attack had cut beyond her arm and had left a long nasty gash down her side. Her tight kimono was drenched with blood, and her health had dropped below a fifth.

  “Here.” Seiki crouched down beside her and handed her one of his remaining potions.

  He wondered if it would even work on her, but was relieved when she took it and drank. Her health increased, but only by a little. It was still continuing to decrease, although at a much slower rate.

  “Why, ronin-san?” she said. “Why save me? I tried to kill you. More than once.” It was more of a genuine question than remorse.

  “It’s not like you have a choice in any of this,” Seiki said, not sure how seriously he meant it. “Sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. And it’s not like you can go against your written script.”

  Mitsue stared at him in utter confusion and Seiki chuckled grimly.

  “And I actually have a hidden agenda.” Again, Seiki was not sure how true it was. “A life for a life. Let Okamoto walk away from all this.”

  Whether she understood or not, Mitsue heaved a pained sigh and simply nodded. “If we get out of here alive,” she said quietly.

  The clamorous noises of combat from the outside had significantly thinned, and only a few more demons could be heard growling as Shousei continued to cut them down.

  Seiki looked at the group, wondering how he had come to be in charge of so many. “This is what I want you to do. I’m going to distract him, and since I have the light pearl, he’s probably going to come after me. You all take the chance and run. I have no idea how you’re going to get down the gorge, but I suppose you have a way. You must have another grappling hook or something, right?”

  Mitsue did not answer the particular question. “I wish…” Her eyes welled up with tears. “I wish, ronin-san… that there were good men like you back then,” she said. “None of this would have happened.”

  Seiki felt something brush against his chest pocket and he grabbed hold of her slim wrist reaching for its content. Mitsue’s jaw dropped, and her eyes, which managed to dry almost instantly, narrowed.

  “I’m not surprised you have Pickpocketing.” Seiki was somehow more amused than annoyed. “But, no, you can’t have the light pearl if you’re gonna use it to blow up the Shogun. And I need it for us to stay alive.”

  The girl seemed disappointed, but said nothing.

  “The Chief saved your life!” cried Saburo. “You ungrateful—”

  “It’s okay, Saburo,” said Seiki. He gave the thief girl two more potions. “I hope this is enough. I’m keeping one, since I might need it.”

  “You’re too generous, Chief,” Saburo said unhappily.

  “Perhaps,” Seiki said. “But sometimes, all you need is just… a little more time.”

  Again, they all looked at him, and Seiki had no idea how much they could comprehend his meaning, or if he wanted them to. He finally let out a solemn smile. “Life is fragile. It only takes a tiny bit to break it. So no one’s going to die tonight.”

  The final wail of the demons suddenly died down, and the group immediately fell quiet at the ominous silence.

  Someone tried the door. When it did not budge, another second of silence followed, before a sharp, single clank rang out from the other side, rattling the whole metal piece.

  The clank sounded again, and a tiny slit appeared by the handle, tilting diagonally upward. Seiki sighed. He should have guessed that Shousei also had Upslash in his toolkit, and the move cut through metal. He had no doubt Shousei’s was more powerful than his.

  Okamoto tugged on his sleeves, and Seiki turned to look. In the young man’s hand was a slim blade in a carved metal sheath; the one Mitsue had given to him earlier. Seiki did not recall seeing Okamoto picking it up from the floor, but he must have taken the chance when he was leaving the previous room.

  The metal sheath, though intricately carved, was old and covered with grime and dust. But as Seiki slid out the blade, he had to stop himself from gasping.

  Kaminari. +46 attack. +7% energy regeneration. Damage 3.1. Speed 1.7. Range 0.3.

  Slim, fine, glowing with a gentle white, it was a named dagger, light-forged, and much better than his Kohagane. In fact, it could almost match the Hikari scaled to his current level, and that was incredible for a dagger.

  It also came with an effect:

  Every 100% energy spent through the dagger gives it a charge that triples the range and power of the next ability.

  He could only stare.

  “It’s going to be much more useful with you than with me,” said Okamoto. “Master Tsujihara said I was not made for the sword.” His voice was ridden with shame and he lowered his head.

  “Maybe it’s better that way.” Seiki reached into his pocket and gave the
young man Hanae’s Hairpin in exchange. “They wanted a life of peace for you, you know. The master, and your mother.”

  Okamoto’s hands trembled as he took the chipped ornament. He looked up at Seiki. “What am I going to do now?”

  “Live,” said Seiki. “Trust me. That will be difficult enough for a while.” He paused for a moment. “But if you want to talk about it, go wait for me at the dojo. I’ll come find you.”

  Whether he understood his meaning or not, Okamoto nodded, and Seiki could not help wondering if this would be the last time he would see the young man. With the issue resolved, the young man might choose to live his life peacefully somewhere else, as his mother had wished.

  Seiki’s thoughts were interrupted by the metal door giving way and crashing down onto the floor. Okamoto quickly blew out the candle and returned the room to darkness.

  Shousei’s white-clad figure stood at the doorway, a little ruffled, but completely unscathed. The only blood on his clothes was the demons’ dark purple.

  “I know you’re in here.” The man cautiously scanned the room.

  The group was not perfectly concealed, and once Shousei’s eyes fully adjusted to the dim chamber, he would quickly be able to locate them. Seiki wondered if the best thing to do was to act immediately.

  Shousei took a step in. “You can’t hide.”

  “Neither can you,” said Mitsue from within the dark.

  The girl’s meaning became clear as crude horn signals blared from afar. Faint clamors rose, very much like how it had been earlier in the cavern below, as waves of demons made their way down the network of caves toward them.

  An uneasy frown appeared on Shousei’s face, and he hesitated. No matter how good a swordsman he was, it was impossible to take on a whole army of demons.

  “It seems I’m pressed for time if we are all to avoid your friends’ fate.” Shousei seemed to come to a decision. “Give back my father’s light pearl and I might let you and your troops walk away from this.”

  Something clicked in Seiki’s mind. “Oh,” he said under his breath.

  “Yes, Chief?” Genta sounded hopeful.

  Seiki thought about it, glancing at the light pearl in his hand again, as well as the ancient silver dagger, and the white-clad swordsman waiting at the doorway. “I see.”

  His unit looked at him in surprise.

  “It’s a test,” said Seiki, before letting out a long exhale. He finally understood what the instance was all about and how to end it. “Not only for my friends, but also for me.”

  Then he smiled. “A damn cruel one, too.”

  CHAPTER 24

  It took a bluff, two well-timed Vertical Spikes, and a fair bit of luck to get out of a dead end.

  Knowing that there was no way to get past the swordsman at the doorway, Seiki tossed the light pearl into the middle of the room. As soon as Shousei rushed toward it, he ordered his unit to unleash their Vertical Spike behind the man. As expected, Shousei spun around in an attempt to defend himself, but Seiki’s sole Formation Slot was luckily enhanced for both range and power. Thus, it allowed the troops to remain a safe distance out of the swordman’s range. At almost the same time, Seiki slid in close, grabbed the pearl, stunned the man once more with his newly-obtained light-forged dagger, before breaking out in another Slide out of the room.

  Kaminari. 33% charged.

  The Kaminari dagger was surprisingly warm as energy passed through it, reminding him of his Crimsonfire Tekko. To his delight, he realized he could charge both at the same time with the same bout of energy—as long as he could flow it through the items correctly.

  Shouting an order for his unit and the two companions to run left toward the exit, Seiki turned and dashed in the opposite direction back down the corridor.

  “I’ve got the pearl!” Seiki held up the object in his hand to make sure it was clearly visible to Shousei. The strategy worked, and the swordsman came sprinting after him as soon as the stun expired.

  Seiki ran as fast as he could, taking the opportunity as he passed by a low wall torch to activate Focused Strike with his left hand, feeling the energy flow through his hand to the dagger and handguard.

  Kaminari. 61% charged.

  He hated to admit how slick the dagger felt, and how perfect the metal grip was. Even how it consumed energy seemed indescribably smooth and refined, and he was certain he would become very attached to it should he get the chance to use it for more than a few minutes.

  The wooden torch burst into smithereens, spilling embers onto the ground, which unfortunately did not appear to slow Shousei down at the very least. Seiki was forced to waste more energy on Slide just to stay ahead of the curved sword’s lethal swipes.

  There were no allowances for mistakes, and Seiki drank his last potion to fill both his resources before the final encounter. It was fortunate Shousei had cleared out the floor, and no other demons were in sight as Seiki retraced his steps to the very first storage chamber where he had earlier climbed up.

  The best way to drain energy through a weapon was Upslash. So, with a hasty one, Seiki finished his preparation.

  Kaminari is fully charged. The next attack through the dagger will triple the original power and range of the ability.

  It was about time; the storage room was at the end of the corridor. The moment Seiki reached the doorway, he turned around, the light pearl in one hand and the light-forged Kaminari dagger in the other, its tip an inch away from the unstable source of light.

  That was enough to stop Shousei in his track. Luckily, more than eight feet away and safely out of attacking range.

  Shousei’s eyes were fixed on the light pearl. “Nowhere to run.” He swiped his curved sword through the air as he shifted his grip, ready for his final attack. “The light burns, boy. It’s not a pleasant way to die.”

  “I don’t plan to run,” Seiki said. “And I don’t plan to die.” He stole a quick glance into the storage room before taking a deep breath. “If my friend’s right and you’re supposed to be my class trainer, I just need you to show me how to do the extended Vertical Spike one more time.”

  Shousei scoffed but had no response. To force him, Seiki lifted the dagger to pierce the light pearl in his hand. As expected, the move prompted Shousei to use his sword in a Vertical Spike to stop him. One hand on the hilt, Seiki noted.

  The curved sword hit the ground, and Seiki dropped his health to activate Strength of Will and burst out in a sudden Slide into the storage chamber. The stun shot through the ground in an agitated dirt line. Seiki could feel it shaking under his feet, but with Strength of Will, he was immune.

  The swordsman was fast to react. In a split second, his sword had swung out, even before Seiki had fully cleared the doorway. The tip of the blade drew a long, freezing graze down Seiki’s flank, cutting through metal and leather on his armor, nearly taking the rest of his remaining eight percent health.

  Seiki no longer cared. His left hand cast the unstable seed of light into the room. The pearl bounced on the dirt floor, letting out a tiny, silent explosion each time, ready to unleash its deadly power. It was six feet away, then eight. Seiki knew he needed ten to avoid instant death.

  Shousei’s blade continued to cut in its punishing descent, and pierced through a weak spot in Seiki’s armor between his thigh and leg guard. The streak of numb shot up his leg, tripping him as he lost control. Deeper in the room, the pearl bounced once again, perhaps twelve feet away now, shining bright like a runaway star.

  Seiki was falling. As he hit the ground, he stabbed down the Kaminari dagger in front of him.

  Ronins had no real ranged abilities, and Seiki now needed his Vertical Spike to reach ten feet. The Kaminari dagger’s effect only tripled the original two-foot range to give him six, which meant there was still one missing element.

  Whether intentional or not, Shousei had showed him, more than once, how to do an extended version of the ability. Seiki had been in too tight of a s
pot to figure it out before, but in this last move he finally discovered how it was done.

  “Angled,” he reminded himself as he brought the dagger down into the ground.

  A normal Vertical Spike only ever took fixed amounts of energy, but Shousei seemed to have dropped his own health to add more range to it. And now Seiki emulated what he had witnessed. The tip of the light-forged Kaminari touched the dirt floor, and he pushed energy downward as usual. But this time with the hilt of the dagger tilted slightly toward himself, aiming the flow of energy to point outward at the light pearl. Again, like the first time he tried it, the move ate up the initial energy cost, and Seiki quickly traded more health to activate a second flow of energy within him.

  With the blade at an angle, a small leakage appeared in the straight wall of resistance, allowing a newly-traded bout of energy to escape. A mental path lit up before him, bright on the ground, glowing like an infernal crack of molten lava, almost like a Slide but much less under his control. As soon as it found a new source of energy available, it pulled at it like a hungry black hole.

  Seiki dared not resist, since he had only one shot. And he let energy flow wildly to fill the void. Far in front of him, the light pearl hit the far wall and was about to change its trajectory, and in panic Seiki traded nearly all his remaining health. He only needed an extra foot and a half, but the guiding path, gaping, thirsty, seemed insatiable as it continued to guzzle energy.

  “Fill,” he silently pleaded. The rest of his energy rushed through his arm through to the dagger.

  The blade suddenly seared his palm. A vibration fired in a straight path across the ground, narrow and nearly invisible, replacing the lit-up mental guide with exploding dust.

  The line caught the bouncing light pearl in mid-air, and the whole room erupted in an infinity of white.

  Congratulations! Vertical Spike variation unlocked: Mapped.

  Vertical Spike [Seiki – Level 15]: spike the ground with your weapon, dealing 122 damage to the target. Having two hands on the weapon doubles the damage, energy cost and lockout time, and sends out a shockwave that stuns up to 3 targets within 2 feet from the point of impact for 1 second. Requires a weapon to use. 12-second lockout. Required energy: 117. Ability modification: none. Enhancement: Double-time – adds another second to the stun effect.