Chaos brewed, alarms rang, and arrows loosed in the mountain hollow. The moon of blood raced through the stars on its journey across the night. The mass of the Dunaguardians flooded over the arena and spilled over the garden ruins. The maze thinned their ranks as tens of thousands wondered the stone buildings and paths.
Soldiers and knights lined the entrances to the castle and shot at the demons in the sky, of which there were now six. This wasn’t the best way to return home after a day in the city.
Along the main corridor that had many windows to the arena, Tsunekatsu kicked a man who fell into the ruins. He brandished a regular sword without ornament. He must have met with considerable misfortune to lose his knight’s weapon.
Standing on a tower, the Duke scowled down at the rebellion. He’d gone to the inner armory and retrieved the triangle spear Gyaku, the weapon he claimed the Empire used to defeat invaders long before it reached these shores. The cataclysms that racked the realm left Gyaku lost in the east until he reclaimed it, and the King had already lost enough faculties not to demand it be handed over to the Crown. Thoughts of killing all the rebels must have passed through his head, but that would hurt the coffers.
Akisane loosed the horses and looked up. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the Duke with that thing in his possession. It was a weapon for one man to stand against an army, which he’d seen his father do beyond the Glass Dunes. Are you strong enough to fight Gyaku?
I don’t know this weapon. It’s after my time, but there’s no blacksmith greater than Thailoc. To form my edge, he beat metal, spirit, and corruption without tiring for centuries. In the process, he plunged into underworlds hotter than any furnace and swung a hammer constructed by the primordial spirits. You should concern yourself with your own strength to wield a weapon like me.
Akisane slipped into a shadowed crevice that opened into a sacred passageway. He thought he'd escaped the mob, but when he swiveled around, Lopside followed Shank, Amat, and Bahram.
Lopside carried the gigantic war mallet that just squeezed into the narrow way. “Where are you off to?”
“I told you, I'm not here to overthrow the castle. Your rebellion is doomed to fail.”
“You beat the butcher. Why not face Akitomo?”
None of this should need explaining, but Akisane tried to make Lopside understand. “You’re talking about the difference between night and day. I was there as a boy on the last campaign, Some of the battles were won by armies, and the Butcher helped. But I saw my father slay the djinn and march alone to face a city-state. He stood outside their range and crumbled their walls. His magic sent them scurrying into the wastelands. I can’t face him fully armed, if at all.”
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Hawk sparked a torch alight and led the way. “I’ve heard these accounts and believe them. I estimate the Duke is at least as strong as a grandmaster. ”
Shank blocked his face from the torch. “Raise it higher. I see less now than in the dark.” He stepped past the scholar. “Let's just get this thing done and get far away. Imagine the money we can make with Akasani in our group. We can travel around and will be all feasts, balls, and relieving lords of their excess of gold.”
Bahram unfasted the roll of carpet from his back. “Then let's truly make it quick.” He unfurled it and bade everyone to climb aboard. It sagged under the weight, but soon, they were flying up the corridor and wheezing through doorways and arches before landing before the grand hall. The open doors flashed with colors, and the ground shook. There was some kind of battle within, but between who and for what?
Akisane peeked inside and saw William standing tall before a withered group of fools. Those who didn’t lay on the floor stood unsteady as if they’d fought past exhaustion.
Kiyosue stood with a crackle and snap of bones. One eye bulged from the eyelid in a rim of blood. His jaw snapped open and closed as he shuffled towards Hisa and Gon. The man was undead, and that wasn’t good. The strength of the dead correlated to both the strength it possessed in life and the strength of the necromancer, and he had been strong, leaving the only unknown strength of William.
Darksun rose just in time to black an orb of energy from William. The corpse stopped in its tracks and turned toward Akisane. My cut will destroy the dead just the same as the living.
True to the sword’s word, Kiyosue fell into two halves and never stirred again. How strong is William?
He’s born of the Niandezalo blood.
What does that mean?
It’s the reason your kingdoms and Empires have orders of magic wielders. They are far stronger than mankind, so you form groups to hunt them down. Only the strongest learn to hide themselves with illusions.
So William could beat me even with your help?
Yes.
The strange look of the necromancer made sense to him now. She seemed to change from a beautiful woman to a hag for almost imperceptible moments one catches at a glance. But it wasn’t just looking human that kept her alive; she seduced the Duke with promises of power. Akisane had overheard them speak of places beyond the ocean.
William smirked and took a few steps forward, energy crackling between his fingers. “Brother, how nice to face you again. Don’t worry; when I kill you, I’ll bring you back.”
Kichi stood as if she were lifting a stone. She drew her pathetic pure sword and swung it to bring it overhead. “I can help, Akisane.” But she stumbled to one knee.
Whitebeard's voice came from nowhere like a lightning strike. “Akisane, a piece of your brother’s still in there. Use that to your advantage.”
Level: 17
Vertical Rings: 7
Focus: Telekinesis
Secondary focus: Shadow walker, fire walker
Weapons: Darksun Sword - 85% corrupt, decay+12