For Swizze, taking out the guard was something as easy as taking candy from a baby. Along with invisibility—it literally could not be any easier, but where would the fun be in that?
From what seemed to be from thin air, Swizze appeared just a few feet in front of the guard.
“What the hell?”
At first, the man thought he was just tired after an entire day of sentry duty and that he was just seeing things, as a man appeared out of nowhere before his eyes. He rubbed his eyes forcefully with his right hand, but the man before him was still there. He grabbed the sword sitting on the hilt of his belt before calling out: “Who…” But before the guard could even finish his question, a strong grip on his throat had shut him up. As he gagged and gasped for air, his mind couldn't comprehend what had just occurred.
But from Kichirous point of view, it was plain as day. As soon as the guard spoke up again, Swizze had vanished and reappeared right behind him, with his hand well around the man’s throat.
“Where's the girl?”
‘Le go, I can't beath,” the guard struggled, his face turning redder with every passing second.
“Sure, but if you try to yell, I won't let you go the second time. You understand?”
His reply sounded like nothing more than a slight whimper: “Yesh...”
The man dropped to his knees as the tension on his throat vanished, he coughed vigorously, trying to catch a breath.
“I'll ask again, where’s the girl?”
“Lady... Ashel took… took her to her main quarters, on the third floor.”
“Good man, that's more like it.”
After a swift strike to the back of the neck, the guard collapsed. Just like before, the man’s vision went dark before he could even register what had just happened to him.
Kichirou stepped out of his little hiding spot and made his way to the glass door after Swizze waved him over.
Taking this guy out was inevitable, however, the fact that Swizze gave the man a chance to call out to his allies didn’t make much sense. No matter how things were supposed to go, giving him that chance could have ruined everything, just what was Swizze thinking?
“I found out where they're holding her, she’s on the third floor.”
The third floor…
“This place is probably huge inside too, it'll likely take us some time just to get to the third floor, which is probably huge in itself. How exactly are we gonna find her?”
“She's in lady Ashel’s quarters, shouldn't be too hard to find. Let's go.”
There wasn't any reason why he would lie about the little girl, chances were that most of these guys had no idea what was truly going on. It was most likely that Schnee would be at lady Ashel's place anyway, and all they needed was to confirm that fact.
“Wait, hold on a second. As soon as we cause a commotion in the manor, wouldn’t they hide or take her somewhere else while we're still searching for her?”
“She’ll be there, there's no way they would move her now. Well think about it, if they are being attacked, the safest place with the most guards would be on the third floor. Which means that would be the safest place for her to be, wouldn't you think so?”
He was right, the most protected area was the most obvious place, yet also the most logical. If the enemy's strength and numbers were of unknown quantities, staying put for the time being was the most reasonable choice. Along with the arrogance of the wealthy nobles who think they're untouchable, it’s very likely that they would believe that no intruder would even be able to make it to their inner sanctums.
Wait a second, all that was under the assumption that the Debouf household knew exactly why we were here. They might have an inkling to our objectives, but there'd be no way to be certain of it. With that being the case, it's even more reason for them not to move Schnee at all.
“Yea you’re right, but what are we going to do about this guy?” Kichirou pointed to the unconscious guard.
“Just leave him here, there’s no turning back once we step in there.”
“Of course...”
“Alright then, I'm picking up the pace from here. Be careful, there’s going to be a lot more of them from here on out.”
“You didn't seem like that type, you know that?”
“Well, really?”
“Hah nevermind, let's go.”
Beyond the glass door was a single hallway, decorated with various paintings—all lit up by the soft orange glow of the setting sun. Both ends of the hall appeared to lead into some much larger rooms. But from what Kichirou could see, both sides looked almost identical, with no indication of what type of rooms they might contain at all.
“This way,” Swizze whispered, pointing to the left hallway.
They made their way into a massive study consisting of two floors. The whole area was filled with rows and rows of bookshelves, again accented with various paintings in the wall’s few empty spaces. The room appeared to be empty, but with this many bookshelves, there was no telling if anyone was hiding amongst them. There were only two exits, one from which they came and the other which led to a hall with many more rooms.
Since Swizze did not make his way to the other hall immediately, Kichirou picked up a book out of curiosity.
To his surprise, he could read it, everything was in plain Japanese.
None of this makes any sense. This world… Why is everything in Japanese?
Before he could divulge any further, Swizze reminded him of their purpose: “What are you doing? There’s a way to the third floor up there.”
“Hmmm, you know this place?”
“Well if you must know, I was once on good terms with someone in this family."
“Once?”
“Yes once,” Swizze replied dismissively.
Too many questions surrounded this man, he was clearly befriending Schnee for his own reasons, and now he’s even got some sort of connection to the Debouf household. However, whatever his motives might be, at least he’s on their side.
Swizze led them up to the second floor of the study, then down the row of bookshelves closest to the right-hand side of the wall. When they reached the dead-end at the very far end of that row, Swizze pressed his hands against the very frame of the bookshelf. And just like that the bookshelf gave off a faint white glow and retracted into the wall, revealing a secret set of spiral stairs leading both up and down.
“How did you do that?”
“Hmmm? This door is locked with magic. However, it's set to change when triggered, sometimes with a password. Simply put, if you knew the password, the passageway would shift from a closed phase to an open phase. But by overriding it with a phase shift, the passage will naturally open.”
“Isn't that like cheating...? Can’t you open almost every locked entrance then?”
“Well, I wouldn't say that I could open every locked door. This technique only works when a door is set to be in phases. Some doors could even be armed with defensive magic. And if you tried to open them with a different method than the one its master intended, it can trigger defensive spells, which can be anything from offensive spells to harm the intruder or something like a silent alarm warning the person who had placed it.”
So the knowledge of what kind of spell you’re up against would determine success or failure. As expected, there was still an ocean of knowledge that laid before him. For the first time in a long time, excitement boiled in Kichirou’s heart, and it alone made him grin, even if it was for only a second.
“We're headed up to the third floor, but where does the way down lead to?”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s just an exit to the outside on the first floor. The exit to the third floor should put us right next to Lady Ashel’s quarters, be ready.”
“Yea, I got it.”
As soon as they stepped into the hidden stairwell, the bookshelf along the wall moved back to its original position—closing the exit behind them and leaving the pair in total darkness.
Before Kichirou's eyes could even adjust, he noticed that Swizze had already begun moving ahead. The air was now really cold, humid, and nothing like the warm summer air that surrounded them a moment ago.
He held out his left hand to guide him along the wall as he followed Swizze up the stairs.
In the pitch darkness, Kichirou noticed just how quiet Swizze could be. Aside from the faint sound of his own footsteps, he couldn’t hear anything. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew Swizze was only a few steps ahead of him, there would be nothing to prevent the sense of total isolation in the darkness.
In the past, Kichirou had heard of these things called sensory deprivation tanks—a place where people could experience not being able to hear, see or feel anything. Although Kichirou had never experienced it personally, this was exactly how he had imagined it—aside from the feeling of the walls and steps that is. He always wondered, how could anyone enjoy something like that? To a certain extent, it's like not even existing—like death.
Death…
“Alright, it's here, just give me a second.”
Kichirou wasn't quite sure how much further Swizze was, but from the sound of his voice, he was close enough. He stopped in his tracks, waiting for Swizze to open the door once more. With a click, a doorway opened up just a few steps away from where Kichirou stood, with a peerless light that poured into the dark stairway around him.
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“The coast is clear, let's go.”
The pair made their way into another hallway that—in terms of appearance, was almost identical to what they had seen on the first floor.
“This way.”
Something felt off about this place. Even though they were already on the third floor, they had not encountered anyone at all. No matter how large this place was, they should have seen or at least heard someone by now, especially considering the circumstances.
It was certainly possible, however, that the enemies did not expect Zakin to react yet. They probably thought that Kichirou had already been taken care of, and that they had a few more hours to do whatever they wanted with Schnee before Zakin even realized something was amiss.
It was far too quiet here. Though it didn't seem to bother Swizze one bit, his nonchalant smile didn’t waver in the slightest.
“Who the hell are you!?” A voice called out behind them.
The voice belonged to a skinny blonde man, with a sword hilted on his waist. The clothes he wore and his presence gave a vague similarity to that of lady Ashel.
“So you people even dare to invade our home... you two must be after my sister. I don't know how you two made it this far, but this is as far as you go, guards!”
Loud footsteps echoed behind them as five armed men appeared from around the corner, cutting off their escape route.
“Lord Tyjur! What's the matter?”
“These foolish invaders dare to tread their dirty boots in our sacred home, make them regret the day they were born.”
Tyjur drew his sword and stepped closer, narrowing the distance between them. And the guards, following their lords lead, advanced from the opposite side.
This was bad. As skilled as Swizze was, even he might not be able to protect Kichirou if the enemy engaged them from both sides. However, on one side, there was just a single opponent. If it came down to it, all Kichirou had to do was stall for a few moments.
Given the limited space in this hallway, Tyjur wouldn't be able to swing his sword freely, but at the same time, Kichirou wouldn't have much room to maneuver either.
“Take care of that one, I’ll get the rest.”
“Easier said than done.”
“Hah just don't die on me, how else am I going to collect that favor?” With a smile, Swizze stepped forward to engage the guards.
Kichirou could hear the clash of blades echo behind him, but he didn't have the time to be concerned with that.
In eras similar to the one in this world, nobles often trained their sons in the art of warfare. Kichirou wasn't just dealing with some street thug looking for trouble, his opponent was someone who had been trained to take the lives of other human beings. And the fact that Tyjur advanced personally said a lot about his confidence in his swordsmanship, where a single slip up could spell an ambivalent end to his tale.
Tyjur however, did not rush in like his guards. He was biding his time, slowly closing the distance between them while sizing up his opponent—Kichirou. Tyjur was probably concerned with Kichirou's strength, unwilling to charge recklessly into the unknown.
This only served to Kichirou’s advantage. All he needed to do was buy time, and Tyjur was serving that to him on a silver platter.
However, it was only a matter of time before he would attack.
In a duel of swords, there are several key factors to consider. The swiftness of the blade, the reactions that follow, and the range of the opponent—in other words, the reach of his sword.
But considering Kichirou only had his bare hands, Tyjur held the advantage in all those respects. That did not even factor in the possibility of magic, and if Tyjur was capable, then there would be no chance for Kichirou to win at all.
Kichirou's heart sped up exponentially with each closer step.
Was it always so hot and humid in this place? Kichirou could feel his clothes stick to his skin as sweat poured down his back.
Tyjur stopped at a distance of about two meters, with the right side of his body tilted towards Kichirou with a one-handed sword stance. His eyes locked onto Kichirou’s in an eternal stare, like a wild beast on its prey, just waiting to strike.
The tension in the air was so strong that it was almost visible.
Kichirou's body felt heavy as a sour note played in his stomach. He averted the intense gaze and instead looked down at the Tyjur's sword.
At that very moment, Tyjur charged in with a slash as if aiming for the single instant that Kichirou showed a sign of weakness.
In the matter of a second Tyjur already closed the distance.
Kichirou was like a deer stuck in headlights. The only thing that reacted was his eyes, as he saw the blade reach for his flesh.
Shit… I’m fucked
His legs felt like stone pillars, pinned to the ground. But as one of them buckled, his left knee gave way, and with it, his whole body. Kichirou stumbled to the left, back hitting the wall—somehow dodging the blade in the process.
The other pillar didn't take long either. His right knee gave way as soon as he hit the wall, sliding him down to the floor, dodging Tyjur’s follow up slash by the skin of his teeth.
Kichirou instinctively rolled to the right, getting away from Tyjur, coincidently dodging Tyjur’s blade once more as it pierced the wall where he had been just a second prior.
“Hmph, the coward knows how to run.”
It was to be expected that Tyjur was gonna be fast, he wasn't anywhere near Swizze’s level thankfully, but the difference between their skill and speed is still nothing short of a nightmare.
So this is what it truly feels like, to have a battle to the death. Just what is supposed to go through their heads in a time like this? How to overcome their opponent? What a fucking joke, all that garbage, real life doesn’t work that way.
Every fiber of his being screamed for him to run away from the man before him. But as much as he wanted to turn tail and run, he didn’t. Kichirou was going to face this enemy head-on and overcome this trial.
In reality, running away, simply wasn’t an option—for these fleeting moments could be his last.
Never turn your back to an enemy, especially one much faster than you. If you want to live that is.
The time it took Tyjur to draw his sword from the wall was enough for Kichirou to back away and regain some composure—getting back on his feet. Besting this man was an impossible task, the difference between them was clear as day, to have even survived those attacks just now was nothing more than sheer luck.
Kichirou clenched his right fist so hard that he lost feeling in it.
So this is it… It doesn't matter where I am… But I'm not alone this time around, I can do this!
“Are you done running now?”
“I don’t think so, maybe just a few more minutes.”
“Hah, and here I thought you lowlives from Bereene had no sense of humor.”
Bereene? Isn't that the other country that Zakin mentioned? Why would he think I’m from there?
“What makes you so sure I’m from Bereene?”
Keeping a conversation going was going to be a lot easier than trying to survive this duel, especially since Tyjur didn't seem to know anything about him. All he had to do was stir up the facts a bit to keep Tyjur pondering over their identity.
To Kichirou's reassurance, the look of confidence vanished from Tyjur’s face, whose calm demeanor was visibly shaken as he stared at Kichirou intently. Perhaps it was just Kichirou's imagination, but a droplet of sweat fell from Tyjur’s face.
“Hmph,” Tyjur snorted before he began to close the distance just like before. But something was different this time, Kichirou could feel it. Tyjur's movement wasn't smooth like before, there was a hint of hesitation.
What happened? Could that statement really have made such a large impact on him? There was no time to think about that right now, this was an excellent opportunity.
Tyjur was clearly off his game, all Kichirou needed was just a single opening. His opponent wasn't armoured like the rest, so with one good hit it was certainly possible to take him down.
But because he was unarmed versus a sword, no matter what his approach, Tyjur would have the first strike. Unless Kichirou wanted to sacrifice an arm to block it, he would have to bait out Tyjur's first strike to hopefully give him enough time to reach Tyjur and hit him with everything he’s got.
That's right, I can do it on my own, I don't need to rely on anyone, I can do it on my own, I can do it on my own. I have to do it on my own.
But can you really though? The enemy has every advantage, and this is your life we’re talking about here. Are you just gonna throw it away like that? Worthless, a nobody, just hide and cower behind Swizze like the real you would.
Die a fool, or live the life of a dud. Does any of that even matter? I’m nothing, always will be nothing…
But if you don't try, it will never happen.
That's right, none of it matters, nothing ever does.
Kichirou took small steps toward Tyjur while judging the distance. He had to bait out the first attack, but he'd also have to make sure it's a strike with substantial weight and commitment behind it. The bigger the swing, the bigger the opening it creates. Only then would he be able to capitalize on it.
It was a dangerous game of chicken. Go too close, and he won’t be able to dodge. But don't go close enough, and Tyjur’s strike would be too compact, which will allow him to recover too quickly for Kichirou to get in reach. Much like the delicate balance of life, everything needed to be just right.
“Hah hahahaha, ahahahahahaha,” Kichirou's voice echoed down the halls.
Those who witnessed it would certainly feel that this man had gone mad in the face of death. Like those whose sanity had been broken by the reality before them, as if he was turning in to someone who’s crossed that line.
In reality, it much was sadder than the perceived truth—he was laughing at his own naivety. Perhaps if he was someone more like Furuya this would probably be possible. But for him, someone who had barely ever practiced Kendo in earnest, judging that exact range would be next to impossible.
The path that laid before him was most certainly a death sentence, and after coming to the realization of that fact, he couldn't help but laugh.
It really doesn't, does it...
Without any warning or indication, Kichirou dashed towards Tyjur, who was still uneased by that strange performance by Kichirou just a moment ago. The sudden charge must have caught Tyjur off guard as he swung out of reflex.
It wasn't the heavy blow that Kichirou had been waiting for, but nor was it the fast and compact strike that he had feared. It was just a simple shallow slash across. Kichirou, who half expected this, instinctively took a small leap, dodging the attack completely. Then, Kichirou stepped in, turning his upper body, pouring every ounce of his strength into a left straight.
He had aimed for Tyjur’s chin to knock him out with just one punch. But in the heat of the moment, his punch landed south.
Tyjur fell back as he held his own throat, gagging and coughing, trying to step back. But Kichirou did not offer him even a second's relief, he grabbed Tyjur by the wrist and landed a punch to his gut.
Tyjur’s step stuttered after the second blow, his grip released, and his sword fell to the ground.
Letting the momentum slip while Tyjur was still standing would be the utmost foolish action, so while Tyjur still wrenched from pain, Kichirou was going to finish this. He arched his right fist back to go for another big blow, but out of nowhere his vision blanked, and the next thing he knew he was looking up at the ceiling.
Before Kichirou even had the time to readjust his mind a fist came into view, hitting him right on the nose—he could feel the warm bodily fluid flowing from his face. He instinctively threw both hands up in a desperate attempt to protect himself, but the next thing he knew he felt multiple instances of intense pain shooting up from his abdomen.
With each continuous blow, Kichirou's consciousness faded ever so slightly. He threw a wild punch in retaliation, which was easily blocked by Tyjur, who brushed it aside.
Given the sudden opening to Kichirou’s face, Tyjur grabbed him and held him down so that he could lay into him the full force of his fist.
This duel no longer had any resemblance of a proper battle, it had turned into a primitive fight for survival.
There was no time to think anymore, Kichirou simply acted on his very instinct and bit down on Tyjur’s thumb with primal savagery, so hard that he heard a sharp crunch emanating from Tyjur’s finger.
As Tyjur howled in pain, their positions quickly reversed. Kichirou was now the one who pinned Tyjur to the ground, throwing a wild barrage of punches.
DIE! DIE! DIE!
Tyjur tried to resist and threw a punch back. Kichirou reacted, however, the punch was caught not by his hands but rather his face. Kichirou felt dazed from the impact, it was a solid blow that knocked his remaining consciousness out of whack.
The light in Kichirou’s eyes dimmed as he fell forwards.
Why the fuck am even alive? Why!? Why?! Why!? This fucking bastard, its all his fault, its all his fucking fault. You can all just die!
But rather than falling unconscious as Tyjur had hoped, he opened his mouth and chomped down on Tyjur’s ear.
“GAHHHHH!” Tyjur wailed, clawing desperately at Kichirou’s face, but to no avail.
Pain coursed throughout his body and he could feel the warmth of his own blood as it flowed from the side of his head. Tyjur’s vision started to blur as his mind went all hazy.
The pain left him soon after as two fists calmed and relaxed him.
Even after all resistance had ceased, those two fists did not. They clobbered the unconscious man over and over, so much that they were coated red with blood. It was hard to tell whose blood it was at this point, as the blood of Kichirou's tearing fist was added to the mix.
DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!
“That’s enough.” Swizze grabbed Kichirou firmly by the shoulder and hauled him up from that bloody mess.
There was almost no resemblance of the young man known as Kichirou any longer, he stood motionless with bloodstained clothes and a deathly blank expression.
“We don’t have much time, more guards are on their way. We need to get Schnee out of here now, can you run?”
…
He stood there unmoving, staring down at the bloodied body.
That’s what he deserved, that’s what they all fucking deserve...
Right?
“Kichirou get it together, we have to go.”
Of course he deserved it, they always do, this fucking world can just end already.
Swizze walked up to him and grabbed him by the shoulder once more, and caught a fist in his hand.
“Don't forget why you came here in the first place, wake up already.”
Why? Why did I come here?
I came to prove a point, but to who?
Kichirou reached in his pocket instinctively.
Who else… but to myself.
It took him a few seconds, but as his senses returned to him, he nodded in acknowledgment.
“Good. Let’s move, Lady Ashel’s room is just ahead.”
About ten or so unconscious guards lay scattered on their path.
Did Swizze take care of all these men in such a short time? There were only five men before, more of them must’ve shown up.
It was already crystal clear how skilled Swizze was, but in such a tight space against so many men, he was still able to take care of them in such a quick manner—he was not even short of breath whatsoever. Kichirou could only thank his lucky stars that he met up with Swizze earlier today, if not for him he would have probably ended up dead.
The two of them ran down the hall. Then, beyond the corner, what laid before them was an immaculately large double door made of solid wood with various intricate designs carved within.
Kichirou tried to open the door, half expecting it to be locked, but it opened with a single click.
The room was dark with all the curtains pulled shut. Only a single dying candle sat upon a table, providing just enough light for Kichirou to make out a portion of the room. It was very large as expected and decorated with various different objects that were quite difficult to identify in the darkness. But there didn't appear to be any human-like figures hidden here at all.
“Schnee are you in here?” Kichirou called out.
“I'm over here,” a small voice whimpered in reply.
Following the direction in which the sound came, he saw Schnee huddled on the floor next to the bed.
He knelt down beside her and whispered softly: “Schnee come on, we have to go.”
“No we can't, we need to stay here where it's safe.”
“You don't have to worry, we already took care of the bad people who took you here, it's safe.”
It was just a small white lie. Of course, there would still be tons of people after them in the manor, but if they got out quickly, they could avoid everything.
“No, not out there, out there.” Schnee pointed towards the closed curtains.
“What?” Kichirou couldn't hide the look of confusion on his face as he looked towards Swizze, who simply shrugged in response.
Kichirou got up to take a look outside the curtains but paused as he heard faint screams in the distance. He carefully pulled the curtains to one side to take a small peak at what Schnee was so afraid of, and that's when he saw the madness that awaited them.
“What the hell?”