“Kaito Yamazaki!” the soft, but commanding voice called down from above Kaito as he stepped out into the Professor’s courtyard.

Kaito shielded his eyes against the bright lights of the hovercar that floated overhead. Its engines flared and the car spun on its central point revealing the fiery-haired driver… Rez! He cackled, grinning maniacally, and the car continued to spin and dip. Suddenly, the hovercar tilted, descending towards the courtyard in a swift, controlled dive.

A dark figure perched on the edge of the hovercar, with the poise of a predator. The figure stood, one foot on the door and the other in the seat, shrouded in shadows. They were draped in black from head to toe, a study in midnight tones. The cloak danced with the wind the hovercar kicked up, the fabric absorbing every ray of light that managed to get near the figure. Slowly, as Kaito’s eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the hovercar, he was able to make out a decidedly female figure.

Yet, amidst this sea of ebony, what truly captured his attention was the mask that veiled the woman’s face - a traditional Somen mask. The mask was a canvas of deep, vivid blue, interspersed with pristine white. The colors melded and intertwined in intricate patterns with angry brows and slightly upturned smiling lips. The mask's facial features were carved with an elegance that belied a serene, almost otherworldly grace. Its expression was tranquil, a poise that spoke of tales and traditions from a world beyond. The eyes, though mere openings in the mask, seemed to hold a depth of their own as if hiding secrets as ancient as the mask itself. Behind the mask, her eyes were fixed on Kaito, a cold, unwavering gaze that barely held back deep-seated hatred.

“You have something of mine,” she said. The calmness in her voice cut Kaito to the bone and sent a shiver down his spine. There was a tone in her voice that sparked some deep memory in him, though he couldn’t place it. “I’ll have it back now.”

In a breathtaking display of agility, the woman leapt from the hovercar just before Rez sped off in the opposite direction, her body cutting through the air like a blade. The distance between the vehicle and the ground was at least twenty meters, yet she descended with the grace of a diving raptor. She barely made a sound as she landed in the courtyard, the impact absorbed with a cat-like elegance.

Kaito stepped back a half step, dropped into a ready position, and grabbed the hilt of his sword, ready to strike. “It seems you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

“Don’t be coy, child. You know who I am,” she said. “You can call me Architect. And if you think your pathetic sword skills frighten me. Think again.”

She flung her cloak open, and Kaito choked. The Blade of Ages! He had been scouring the city for the blade, and to confront the thief all night. Now, not only did the thief come to him, but she brought his father’s katana. Slowly, she drew the blade. The lights of the courtyard played along its edge in an almost scintillating pattern, contrasting with the deep shadow of the Architect’s form-fitting outfit.

“Make this easy on yourself. Hand over the mask,” she said. “And the coin. If you do, I’ll let you live long enough to see the new world.”

“New world?” Kaito asked.

“Yes. The new world. This world, with its bright lights, decadence, and gluttony has grown corrupt. Surely, you know the tenets of your own order. Guard the old ways. You and I simply want the same thing. A return to that which was. I’ve just found a way to achieve it where you Guardians have failed. Now, my mengu and coin, if you please.”

Kaito’s eyes narrowed and his grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. “I don’t think so. But I will be taking the Blade of Ages back. It’s not just a weapon. It’s a symbol of our history, our heritage. My history and my heritage. You wield it without understanding it.”

The Architect's laugh was cold, devoid of humor. "Oh, I understand more than you think, Mr. Yamazaki. This blade," she said, holding it up to the light, "is the key to unlocking the past, a tool to reshape our future. And as for my mask and coin... they are relics, pieces of a puzzle, a grand machine I am putting back together. I’ll use it to rip the corruption from the root of this city.”

"You talk of corruption, yet you steal, destroy, and threaten what little peace we have," Kaito countered. "Your methods betray your words. Do the honorable thing."

The Architect's stance shifted, her body language expressing a mocking amusement. "Honor? A quaint concept in this world of yours. Don’t you realize, Kaito, the ideas of honor died many years ago? But let's not waste time on philosophy. Hand them over, or I'll take them from you."

Kaito’s eyes flicked around the courtyard, calculating his options. He knew he couldn't let the Architect leave with the Blade of Ages, nor could he allow the mask and coin to fall into her hands. He needed a plan, and fast.

“You know I can’t do that,” Kaito replied, his voice calm but firm.

The Architect sighed and raised her sword. “Then we do this the hard way.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

In a fluid motion, she lunged forward, the Blade of Ages singing as it cut through the air. Kaito barely had time to draw his own sword, the metallic ring of their blades echoing through the courtyard. Their dance swiftly turned into a whirlwind of steel and shadow.

As they fought, Kaito tried to find an opening, a weakness in the Architect's defenses, but she was relentless. Her style was unorthodox and unpredictable, a mixture of brutality and grace, making it difficult for him to anticipate her next move.

The courtyard around them became a blur, the only constants were the clash of their swords and the intensity in their eyes. Kaito could feel the strain of the battle, his muscles screaming and his breathing heavy. He knew he couldn't keep this up indefinitely.

The Architect feinted suddenly, luring Kaito into action. As he moved to counter her, she spun rapidly, her cloak billowing up into his face in a flash of fabric that momentarily blinded him. She used the double gambit to land a heavy kick directly to Kaito’s solar plexus. He staggered back, gasping for breath as his sword arm faltered.

The Architect advanced, her eyes glinting behind the mask. "It's over, Kaito. Give up."

Kaito clenched his teeth, pushing back the pain. Recovering his stance, Kaito wiped blood from his lip, his gaze never leaving The Architect. "This isn't just about the artifacts. It's about what's right," he said, lunging forward with renewed vigor. For a moment, he seemed to gain the upper hand, his blade moving with a precision that briefly matched The Architect's ferocity.

The Architect laughed coldly, effortlessly parrying his strikes. "What's right? You still cling to such childish notions?" She danced around him, her movements fluid and mocking. "You fight for ideals, Kaito, while I fight for power. Guess which one usually wins?"

Kaito grunted, straining under the relentless assault. His swordplay, though skilled, was clearly outmatched by her unpredictable style. With each passing second, his movements grew more desperate, his defense more ragged.

"Your honor will be your downfall," The Architect sneered, as she deftly disarmed him with a swift motion, sending his sword clattering to the ground. She pressed her blade against his throat, her mask hiding any emotion. "This is the real world, Kaito. Your rules don't apply here."

Kaito, cornered and weaponless, looked up at her with unwavering eyes. "Maybe. But if standing for what's right means falling here, so be it. I won't be swayed."

The Architect's eyes narrowed behind her mask. "Brave words for someone at the end of his path." She paused as if considering his fate. The Architect took a small step back, her eyes fixed on Kaito with a chilling intensity. With a swift and precise motion, she lunged forward, the Blade of Ages plunging deep into Kaito's stomach.

Kaito's eyes widened in shock, a grimace of pain and disbelief etched its way across his face. He stumbled backward, clutching the blade impaled in him, his blood staining the ancient metal.

The Architect withdrew the blade, watching him with an unemotional gaze. "You fought well, but in the end, it was inevitable. The world doesn't reward honor, Kaito Yamazaki. It rewards strength."

As Kaito sank to his knees, darkness reached in at the edges of his vision. He tried to reply, but he found no air in his lungs. He sucked at the air impotently in short spasmodic gasps. A hot, heaviness pushed on his stomach. The world around him shifted and distorted. The heat intensified to the point that Kaito thought he would burst into flames. Every heartbeat pulsed heavier and slower in Kaito’s chest.

[Lucky Coin Initiated]

The bold, white words flashed in front of Kaito’s eyes. He knew he would one day die. He wasn’t prepared for this. This made no sense.

What was that? Kaito thought. Ancestors take me. What do you mean by Lucky Coin?

[Absorption 50%]

Absorption? Kaito groaned. Kaito hallucinated more words on what looked like one of Kiji’s computer screens.

“Aww, poor boy. You barely started.” The Architect turned away, the Blade of Ages in hand. "What you stand for dies with you," she said coldly, stepping over him and pausing to slip the mengu from the folds of Kaito’s kimono. Panic set into her eyes as she rapidly searched for the coin.

“Where?” Her search grew more frantic. “Where is it? Where is the coin?”

[Absorption 75%]

Kaito sneered.

Rage overtook The Architect. She raised the sword with both hands and drove the Blade of Ages down into the hollow behind Kaito’s left collarbone. His body spasmed as the Blade sliced through his lung. He blinked, and white-hot pain filled his gut.

[Absorption 90%]

The courtyard erupted into life as Rez's hovercar burst back over the walls. Riddled with bullet marks, the vehicle cut a swift path toward The Architect, pursued by a squad of four drones. Muzzle flashes and the staccato of gunfire accentuated their arrival. Their machine gun fire stitched a pattern of destruction on the side and back of the hovercar.

The Architect, distracted from her search, turned sharply at the sound. Rez skidded the hovercar to a slow crawl several feet away. “Ha! Haha! Time to go, boss!"

With an agile leap, the Architect joined Rez in the hovercar.

[Absorption 100%]

Rez, leaning out, shouted back to the Architect, “Hold tight!” He lobbed a makeshift bomb that chirped to life just before blowing up in front of the drones sending debris, fire, and shrapnel cascading over the courtyard.

The hovercar, narrowly avoiding a new drone's barrage, tilted precariously before regaining balance. Rez’s laughter, filled with adrenaline and mania, echoed briefly in the courtyard as he accelerated, the hovercar soaring upwards into the night. For good measure, he tossed a handful of grenades back towards the courtyard, intending to finish their fight with a crescendo of finality.

Kaito, his strength waning, lay on the ground, his thoughts clouded by pain and loss. As his vision blurred, the last image that imprinted itself in his mind was the projected image of Kiji standing above him just before a grenade detonated next to the projecting drone. Shrapnel and debris shred into Kaito. A pool of his blood surrounded Kaito as he let out one final breath.

“Father…”

[You have died]

[System Integration Complete]

[Lucky Coin Consumed]

[Resurrection Protocol Engaged]