With only a slight bit of force exerted through my palms, I push the tip of the blade deeper into the man’s skin, twisting it with every inch it moves into his body.
I bring my face closer to his, making sure that I hear even the slightest breath from him, “Speak now before I relinquish your life, scum.”
The man looks back at me, a facade plastered on his face, attempting a masculine masquerade. However, the fear visible in his teary-eyed gaze tells a story far from the one he tries to push. Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel pity for this poor soul: pinned to the floor by the neck with a knee, a knife deep into his chest, lacerations and cuts from head to toe, and a leg and an arm already lost. What other man could be in a worse position than he is?
The man finally speaks. “What a fool you truly are, lady. No child, man, woman, or hell, not even the King himself could even force a word out of me.”
“Not even if your life is at stake?” Hearing this, I dig the knife even further into him. “All I require from your worthless mouth is details on where Fisk is. So, if you could be a gentleman and provide it to me, perhaps I will be kind enough to spare you your life.”
“Hah!” The man laughs back at me hysterically. Persistent as before, he continues, “You truly are a fool! I’ve sworn allegiance to the Ozaki until I breathe my last. I will not dishonour our name!”
“I see.” I exhaust a sigh. “Then I will allow you the honour to die first with it before I wipe any trace of the Ozaki across the three realms.”
I raise my free hand to the air and cycle a deep breath, mustering some energy to recite an incantation as quickly as possible.
“Codex Open. Apoyous Connect. Access Arsenal Entry: One. Summon.”
The harsh blowing of the summer wind comes to a pause. Air from the surrounding is sucked into an imaginary mass. Soon enough, a spark of flames flicks in and out of reality. Each second they try to cling to reality, their strength intensifies and grows even more fervent. Eventually, a giant fireball combusts into the open air and subsides, birthing into existence my black jadeite spear just a few meters above the man’s head. As the wind blows off the last embers of my spell, the spear falls towards the man’s head.
“Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!” The sight of the spear pulls a bellowing scream from the man’s throat, loud enough to move even the sturdiest of trees and awake even those in the deepest slumbers.
Before the spear could contact his black-clothed face, I close my open hand into a fist, suspending the spear only just a mere few inches before his nose. My fist tightens, ensuring it remains in its current state until I see fit to release it. After all, per my code of conduct, this man is entitled to a last act of kindness before I gift him to the grips of death.
“Soldier of Ozaki, I ask you once more,” I pull myself closer to his face, slightly taunting him with the wave of my tight fist. “Where is Fisk of the Blade? Tell me that, and I shall return you your life.”
The man, still frightened, only stares at me. It takes a few more seconds of intimidation until a word is eventually fished out of him. But, the words he spouts are not of any relevance to me.
“Like I said, I. Will. Never. Yie—”
Having had enough, I tug the knife out of his chest and drive a large cut across his throat. With one swift motion, his deep voice breaks into a series of hoarse croaks and cries. From what little power he has left, he forces a slurry of gibberish, begging for my mercy and forgiveness whilst his blood paints my face with a deep crimson. He thrashes his remaining leg and arm around, almost as if attempting to prevent his death at the hands of me. But, it is of no use. I open my fist, and in a moment’s time, the spear falls right into his skull. From the immense built-up force, his head bursts into a gory display of fireworks made of bone and bits of mush made from his brain, flesh, eyes, and tongue, complemented by a massive splash of blood.
Then, finally, his cries fall into flat silence.
“What a shame it truly is,” I sigh as I get off the ground, patting down my clothes of dirt and the bits of the man’s corpse dirtying it. “Another off the kill list, but for nothing. Again. I couldn’t even extract the slightest information from this one.”
I pull my spear off of his body and perform a broad swing, cleaning the stains of blood and bits of him off of my blade and splattering them all over the ground. Then, with my free hand, I snap my fingers. The flames spark in the air, quicker than before, and consume the entirety of the black jadeite spear until nothing of it is left manifested in this reality.
All the while, beneath my hot breath, I whisper, “Unsummon. Return Arsenal Entry: One. Disconnect Apoyous. Codex Close.”
I must commend the efforts of the Ozaki Clan. Really, I must. They still train their men to be loyal to their cause, even no matter how wrong it may be. If only they’d train them to use their minds when need be; otherwise, there’d be no need for me to spill their blood.
I chuckle, sheathing my knife and tucking it behind my waist again. “But, one can not always have what one may seek. They taught me that much as well.”
“Indeed, Lady Kotoko,” one familiar voice calls from afar behind. “That much they have indeed taught you.
That soft yet masculine voice, and the way those words are spoken… I couldn’t possibly mistake who that is. Surely.
I turn towards the voice, and walking through the bamboo forest leading to this lake is an average-sized man, no taller than I am, garmented in a plain grey kimono, and wearing an ashen straw hat. Tied around his waist are two white sheaths painted with floral patterns, one housing a Magirnon Sabang and the other a Polarian Difkir. From his forceful gait to that eye-sore of an outfit, I couldn’t mistake who that is now.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Good day, Makoto,” I make a short bow and kick the body of the Ozaki soldier into the lake. “What is it that you have followed me here for? Have you any new leads for me?”
Makoto continues approaching, letting out a series of chuckles as he removes his straw hat. God damn it… every time he does that, it always means there’s no good news.
As he continues to approach, he simply lets out a series of chuckles and takes off his straw hat—no good news… again.
“Unfortunately, Lady Kotoko, I do not,” he forces a smile and a facade, making it clear he is as dismayed as I am. “We’ve yet to uncover anything extremely significant about his whereabouts. We’ve also been unable to locate nor trace remnants of his mana. I assure you, everyone back at the guild is working as much as possible for even the slightest sniff of him.”
I sigh. My foresight always serves me in cases in which I do not seek its services. God fucking damn it.
“My deepest gratitude, Makoto. If anything arises, please do inform me. That being said, why is it that you have come here for me then?”
After a few seconds, he finally stands just a meter from me. “The guild has gathered other information, and they are possibly linked to Fisk. However, I will leave it to you to decide whether that is the case.
New information? For countless days and nights, I have not enjoyed the luxury of a good rest… I have spent the past few days thinking of where he is or what may have happened to him… so I’d take anything now.
“Go on.”
“Though I have not confirmed this personally, I have received word from one of my informants regarding Ozaki movements.” Makoto handed me a rolled-up parchment tied with a red ribbon bearing a golden pin with the seal of the Ozaki. “A few dozen heavily armoured men will trek through Bluegate Pass later tonight. They’re all headed towards the headquarters of the Scarlets, all guarding a single iron carriage.”
A few dozen? And all of them are guarding a single iron carriage? Interesting… but it could be just one of the family's regular routines.
“Are you certain that is something out of the ordinary? Have you gotten the bank records of the Scarlets and the Ozaki? The iron carriage may simply be carrying a few tons of gold.”
Makoto shakes his head. “Based on our recently stolen records, there have been no transactions between the Scarlets and the Ozaki for the past three weeks. No other information is available regarding the content of the iron carriage, but… given their other movements, I have a feeling they are transporting Fisk.”
“I will entertain that possibility,” I cross my arms. “Given that Fisk is someone of high standing, and rightfully so due to his strength… they’d need to properly secure and detain him with all they can if they seek to transport him wherever.”
If my theory is true, then I must also inquire of the composition of the iron carriage.
“Say, Makoto… Do you know what the carriage is made of?”
“Well… aside from the fact I’ve already mentioned several times… that it is made of iron…”— he grumbles—“we’ve detected traces of mana lining the edges of the carriage. The exact element is unknown, but… the amount of mana detected aligns with the calculated excess reagent from enchanting a carriage with four Aethero Arcana-suppressant circles.”
“Interesting.”
Of course it is! Even the dumbest of the dumbest could put two and two together. No other soul roaming these three realms would need Arcana-suppressant circles, let alone four, and for Aethero, the very element Fisk wields!
“Turns out you do have some major leads after all,” I chuckle.
“If you say so, Lady Kotoko,” he smiles. But that quickly droops into a frown. “But… I will warn you now. Do not be so certain that the person in that carriage is Fisk. I have a hunch that they’re using this carriage as bait to hide where Fisk truly is.”
“Why do you think so?”
“It has been exactly two weeks since Fisk’s disappearance, no?” he pauses and raises a brow, hoping to incite an answer from me.
I oblige and give a short nod. “Correct.”
“Do you not think that within that period, the Ozakis would’ve already executed him or, hopefully, just exhausted him to the point of turning into a husk beyond his former self? Given that he holds the knowledge to unlock the power, they would try anything to extract that knowledge… even if inhumanely. And, if Fisk does not comply, they would expose him to the worst that man could do until he finally yields. As for you, we both know that they know you are looking for Fisk and that you will soon be a hindrance to their plans, so they’d do anything to get rid of you, and they can do that by giving you false hope that Fisk is well and alive.”
I couldn’t muster up a reply. All representing my responses were short and soft croaks from my throats: echoes of my slipping rationality as any argument my mind comes up with shatters. There is some sense in Makoto’s thoughts; that possibility is the most likely to have occurred… but I mustn’t give up hope. I know my husband well. Fisk will live, no matter what.
After a few more seconds of silence, I simply feign ignorance.
“I give you my deepest gratitude once more, Makoto,” I make a short bow. “That will be all. I shall head for the harbour to gather supplies for Bluegate Pass.”
Upon hearing my response, Makoto simply smiles. However, from that blue, peering gaze… it is clear he is worried for me.
“Very well, lady Kotoko,” he returns to me a bow. “Our next meeting point for tomorrow is Bar de Sarsa. As usual, I shall give you what we have uncovered for today tomorrow.”
He bows once more and turns his back on me. As his figure slowly fades into the bamboo forest, he waves his hand at me. “May Lume shower you with His blessings.”
Though he does not face me, I return a bow. “And so may He unto you.”
Silence fills the summer air, and I am left to my own once more.
I close my eyes and cycle a breath into my system. The smile I had long lost grows slowly on my lips. Just as I do so, a fresh breeze graces my cheek with its soft kiss… A feeling so similar to Fisk’s lips. Oh, mi puhso… how I long for you. With all this discord ravaging my—our lives, only simple things such as this could soothe me now.
I open my eyes and face towards the clear skies of the rising morning. And, with that, I make a declaration.
“Until the sun's last ray and the moon's last gleam. I will find you, Fisk.”