Fact is, we were in deep shit.
We could move sure, but against someone who just immobilized seven hired gunman who made even professionals look like beginners, I didn't see how that would help.
"Should we run?" Frei asked.
"Sounds like a great idea."
"So, you've got a better plan?"
"Kikoemasu..." Said the monster in human skin.
I had forgotten the effect of his voice, making my skin crawl. A strong desire to vomit.
It seemed to be just me, as Frei was still looking for outs, but I knew. I knew we wouldn't reach 10 meters.
I turned around, looked at the middle-aged japanese businessman, dressed in a lemon colored Kenzo suit. Even though it should have been ridiculous, the craftmaship made it magnificent, I would have loved to own such a suit when I was still a man. In his hands he held a small notebook, very ancient looking. It seemed to have been burnt, ripped apart, immerged in oil, and then roughly stitched back in one piece again with different colored strings. It would have been a splendid piece in a contemporary art museum.
All in all, he seemed even more charismatic and powerful than the time I saw him in the Jourdin estate.
Maybe we should have taken our chances there and then.
But what I was looking for in the semblance of a man wasn't there. A weakness, something I could use to destabilize, take control of the situation.
There was only one man who had ever managed that.
And he was buried 50m deep under the Jourdin estate.
But still, I promised I would try my best.
"Kakeshi-san, I can't say I'm happy to see you." I introduced.
"Me neither dear Sias-chan, what terrible circumstances to meet again. I would have hoped we could have done it around coffee or tea. And here we are, facing each other again. I was such good friends with your grand-father, how sad."
He softly caressed the cover of his book.
I heard one of the deathsquad's man grunt in pain. Still no movement from them.
"Before you begin using whatever is in your book, could we talk a bit?"
That made him stop for a moment and he seemed to think about it.
"Really Sias?" Whispered Frei. "This guy gives me the creeps, and he just time froze everything around us..."
"Any better idea?"
"I don't see how we get out of this alive to be honest. You go east, I go west?"
"Nah, no point, he'll catch up." I told her. Then quietly, out of Kakeshi-san's reach I added "Protect our backs, chances are he hits us there."
Not seeing his weaknesses didn't mean I couldn't guess how this guys mind would work.
I had lived with such a man for a long time after all.
Frei nodded, smiling.
"What the hell are you smiling for."
"We are finally fighting together."
Was this really the moment? I didn't know but I guess I smiled back.
Our opponent finally seemed to get out of his thoughts and watched me in the eyes.
"Well, with this smile as payment, how could I say no?"
"I wasn't going to kill him. Your son I mean."
Kakeshi-san smiled sadly.
"I know dear, I followed your recent achievements, as long as he was unarmed, which he was, you would never have killed him in cold blood."
"So why the standoff?"
"Well, you are not the problem, the problem is everything around you. Luc Jourdin, your father, has awakened the Jourdin again. He shouldn't have, as you are the true heir. As such, even though he sould be the one punished, it is you who has to take responsability."
"He has what?"
"You didn't think bringing them back wouldn't have consequences did you? All the sides of the Jourdin who had gone dark have begun awakening. All my efforts in taking control of some of them have fallen flat on their face. I rather enjoyed the competition when I was young, but now, truly, I cannot be bothered to have an enemy such as you in the future. My son wouldn't survive, and most likely my businesses outside of Japan would not either."
Papa... what have you done... I couldn't hide a pained expression at those news.
I knew my father was a Jourdin, and as such I could never truly believe he only cared about his research and his wife.
He was manipulative and had more hidden agendas than even my grand-father. Still most of them were to do good. At least I believed he was a good man.
But with the Jourdin family, it always had been ambiguous. Sure he hated his father, maybe even more than me. But he never expressed any dissaproval for the family in itself.
And I think this was proof. He didn't want power, that I was sure of. No, what he wanted was me. He wanted me to take my "rightful" place.
This meeting with Takeshi-san too.
"You do know you are doing my father's bidding." I asked Kakeshi.
His ever-present smile slightly dipped down.
"How so?"
"He didn't make a mistake in reawakening the Jourdin's network you know. Nor did he not imagine that doing so would make us enemies. It's the point, to regain the influence we lost, what better way than to destroy the strongest man in Japan."
He scuffed.
"Ridiculous, your father is not..."
"Is more manipulative, controlling and strategic than even Jean-Paul. Do you really call yourself his friend if you don't believe that man wouldn't be able to do all of this."
"He is not Jean-Paul, and even if he was, Luc-san made a mistake, he didn't take into account I would react so quickly. It is true that you could become dangerous, but right now, you are still a chick." He grinned. "End of the talk. Look at the impossible and marvel at the end of your life."
"Frei." I announced.
"I know." She answered.
In a swift movement of the left hand, the book began elevating in the air, like being pulled away by invisible strings.
At an incredible speed, the Onmyouji began reciting what seemed like an old buddhist chant.
At the same time, the book opened, and like a bad game animation, the pages began turning on their own. Wind began blowing out of him, coming from nowhere, with such strength it made it impossible for us to get closer to the crazy magician.
Fuck, magic was real. And I didn't even get a ressurection cheat before facing my first boss.
"You're way too old to aim this correctly." I felt the need to say.
Kakeshi-san, hiccuped, for some reason surprised, but continued chanting like nothing happened.
His eyes though, were now fixed on me.
"Sias? What have you done?"
"First of all a mistake, it doesn't seem like the first move is gonna be coming from behind. Get ready to dodge."
"That's not what I was talking about it and you now it. Still, dodge what exactly?"
"How the fuck should I know? But if I had to guess with the fair amount of anime I've watched in my days, I would guess..."
The book floating in the air ignited, rapidely transforming in a yellow, red, then blue and white ball of fire.
"...a fireball." I finished.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS." Shouted Frei.
The heat, even from where we were, was rapidely getting unbearable.
Frei was the first to react to this, she jumped towards one of the deathsquad, the african 2m20 giant to be precise, and pulled out the handgun out of his holster and his machete.
Damn she shouldn't have taken his machete, he would be super pissed off if he ever woke up.
She took a knee on the ground and began shooting a full magazine at the figure behind the molten core. At the distance we were, it was impossible for her to miss. And she didn't, it's just that the magical ball of death and destruction sucked all the bullets like a miniature black hole.
"Shit."
"SIAS, this is not a SHIT situation, this is a fucking DISASTER, what do we do, wait for him to transform the whole place into summer California?"
"Ha! Good one!"
"SIAS!"
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW."
"Great."
But there was no plan to be made.
His chant ended as quickly as it began.
And the hellish magic unleashed thousands of little bees of light and heat, exploding towards us.
"GET DOWN." I shouted unnecesarely, as Frei had already ducked.
The sound was an abomination. The heat was unbearable. My sleaves began spontaneously combusting, and I was really happy Frei and I didn't wear any synthetic materials as it would definitely have melted on our skins.
Still I couldn't see how Frei was faring as I had to close my eyes to endure the immense burst of light.
Fortunately, it didn't last more than a few dozen seconds. And I was still alive. I quickly removed my sweater and stomped on it to put out the flames.
Fanny was gonna kill me. She liked that sweater. Probably because it accentuated my boobs.
Frei?
I looked around but I was still partly blinded. She was somewhere behind me, and looked ok.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
She put up a thumbs up.
We were alive.
Great.
"Your hair is burning Sias."
Shit.
I cut the burning lock of hair before it could do any damage to me.
The knife in my hands felt weird. Alive.
My senses slowly came back to me.
The knife.
The hilt was as cold as ice.
The blade was red from heat.
"Shinjirarenai? Ikiteru?" Spoke an astonished Kakeshi-san.
I looked around me.
Kakeshi-san was standing at the border between green and burnt grass. Everthing in front of him was burnt. The To-Ji tower was catching fire. The podium was gone.
Except us and the deathsquad, still standing like dumbasses in the middle of the burning field.
Our survival coudn't even be qualified miraculous. It was impossible.
And still here we stood.
It was the first time I saw the Onmyouji lose his cool. He seemed pensive.
Frei, as usual didn't hesitate, she reloaded the gun she stole, and shot.
Kakeshi surprised, still managed to open his book, the one that should only be dust as it was in the middle of the hell, but was currently only smoking, and tore away a page.
The moment Frei pulled the trigger, the torn page took life, and dissipated into mist.
Frei stopped moving, the bullets too.
The japanese man cursed, completely out of character.
"TWO Kamis, TWO Kamis for this shitty son. I'm gonna teach him a lesson. I swear this is unnacceptable. Still what happened... I couldn't have missed..." His face showed sudden understanding.
He looked at me.
"Tell me Sias-chan, can you move?"
As I was moving towards Frei to see if she was okay, I didn't feel the need to answer.
"Interesting." He continued, talking to himself.
Frei looked like the others, stuck in time. Still she was aware, she could move her eyes, and was looking at me in terror.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out." I promised without much conviction. Then I saw her eyes. "I trust you. " I said.
"We fight together." I added.
The man behind me laughed. Eerily.
"Subarashii! Subarashii! I finally understand what the Blood on the Lance does! How terrifying."
I looked at him. He had a crazed smile on his face.
I circled around him, I didn't want the paralysed Frei to stand behind me.
He closed his book with one hand. A big puff of black smoke spewed out of the pages.
I moved closer, stopping a few meters away. I didn't dare get closer.
"Sias, do you know? Do you know what beautiful gift you have been given."
I grimaced.
"I've got a vague idea. Well enough to try my best to never use it." I answered honestly.
In a theatrical villain move that would have made the Joker proud he pulled out a small ppk handgun out of his pocket.
"Look!" He said while aiming at me.
I closed my eyes as he shot. No way I would be able to dodge that.
He emptied the small clip of ammo.
Only one hit me. It struck the bulletproof vest. The small caliber made it feel like I had gotten shot by a paintball. I didn't even react.
"Magnificent! I'm obeying you! Mostly." He said before proceeding to laugh again.
The bullets had whizzed past me, hitting one of the soldiers behind me, as a low grunt informed me. I couldn't check who had been hit. First I didn't care, it wasn't Frei, second whoever it was wasn't going to die with that kind of gun, and third, honestly I didn't have the luxury to be distracted.
"It seems the order only lasts a little while, then slowly loses all power. Still, a ridiculous achievement Jean-Paul." He though, seemed to believe he could get distracted.
Well.
I held the knife I had been given in front of me, palm towards the sky.
I was getting desperate but after all.
Maybe crazy magic was exactly what I needed right now.
What did Bodaway say again?
"Sias? What is that?" Asked me a now curious Takeshi-san.
"A gift from a man named Kuwanlelenta, disciple to the Order."
And for the first time the monster in front of me showed his humanity. He showed fear.
He pulled out his book once again, trying to rip a page once again but...
"Mrowendalanagi." I chanted.
The knife flew out of my palm. So fast it slightly cut my hand and dissapeared from sight.
Kakeshi-san ripped the page, which began turning into mist...
The knife reappeared inside of it, seemingy slowing down, but not stopping.
The magician surprised to see his magic not stop the knife completely, failed to dodge in time.
The weapon pierced his flesh, missing his heart but fiercly penetrating his shoulder to the hilt.
The middle-aged man couldn't stop a shout of pain from escaping his lips.
"AAAH, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE..."
He pulled the knife out and threw it on the ground. He quickly chanted something and with a quick snap of the fingers, the knife got swallowed by the ground.
He began chanting something else, but this time, I didn't let him.
The moment I had seen the knife fly away, I had followed it.
I wouldn't let the monster recover.
I punched straight for his chin, but even wounded and disturbed by what had happened, Takehiro Kakeshi wasn't to be underestimated.
He easily dodged it and tried to reach for his book.
But this I expected, with a roundhouse kick that would have made my mother enraged, I kicked his magic tool out of his hands.
"You little...know your place!" Out of nowhere Kakeshi Takehiro made a katana whisper into existence, and tried to put out the distance between us.
But I wasn't afraid of a sword.
My mother was Hailey Skröskind.
And no-one could best her in a swordfight.
Except me.
His first attack was a classic vertical strike. Most likely a reflex, as this was so deeply ingrained in kendo training that it was what you always used when you didn't know what to do, how to act. Showing that more than an Onmyouji, he was also a master martial artist.
The strike was perfect. But it showed his despair.
He was wounded. He lost his book.
With my right hand, I very subtly waved his slash away. I turned my waist, I pushed forwards instead of backwards.
The sword whizzed past me, not even grazing me.
I too, did a simple technique. Aikido.
He was now on the ground.
I was now holding a katana.
He managed to get some distance by rolling away, but his book was behind me, out of his reach.
This short break was, unfortunately, everything he needed.
He stood up and quickly dusted away the dirt on his clothes, slightly ridiculous considering the blood pouring unnaturaly out of his wound.
"You are truly terrifying Sias. I understand what Jean-Paul meant when he thought he had created a monster. I believed it to be an old man's ramblings but no, you truly are monstruous."
"Coming from you, I'll take it as a compliment, thank you very much."
"Oh but please, do. Now, I don't think I could beat you in a swordfight so I apologize but..."
He snapped his fingers again, and the sword in my hands was gone.
"Fuck."
He smiled in response. "Now, you who think you can destroy an era with ignorance, come meet it's maker!" He made a swirl with his hand, and the magic knife came flying out of the ground into his hand.
The already burnt grass around him got even darker, like every single speck of life left inside was being sucked out.
From his right arm, a tatoo in the shape of a snake crawled around his skin, showing his head before coming back into the Onmyouji's costume.
"Erm. No?" I answered, resolutely staying my ground.
"So be it." The snake in his hand reappeared, and he threw the knife. It would have been a simple throw if the living tattoo didn't do something to the knife. Something definitely evil, wrong.
The knife flew, not as ludicrously fast as before, but fast enough to be undodgeable.
I caught it by the hilt.
Mhhh. That was easy. It was as if the knife wanted to be caught.
Kakeshi-san clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"I forgot about Margaux, she always liked to do that."
My grand-mother.
"You knew my grand-mother." I stated.
"Oh I know your grand-mother, I even know how she died." He had a cruel smile.
He liked it, he found it funny. The way she died. This man needed to vanish of existence.
I stepped back.
"If you don't move to attack me, maybe I'll just target the girl standing behind me." He threatened.
Shit.
That's why he dodged away from his book. I was cutting him from it. But he was cutting me from Frei.
I exhaled. I inhaled.
Calm yourself. He's rousing you up.
But I'm unparalleled at pissing people off.
"Sure, I'll come into your circle of death. But could you stop with the speeches? Please? Like seriously? To destroy you era with ignorance? Could you get more ridiculous? It makes no sense."
One step back.
"You're a child, and you dare tell me I'm ridiculous. As I was saying it's just you not understanding anything!"
"Bou. Hou. The next generation is fucked, look, they are all so dumb. It was clearly better in my time... Could you get even more cliché grand-pa?"
"You..." He was furious now.
I smiled. Another step back. I could feel it on my feet now.
He looked at me.
"What are you planning you rat. Getting me angry won't make me dumb you know, it'll just make your demise more painful. Maybe I'll begin with her." he said, pointing towards Frei with his head.
"Oh how ironic." I answered.
And I threw the knife towards the ground.
The blade pierced the book like it was nothing.
Takehiro Kakeshi looked at me in disbelief. Then anger. Then true murder came to be in his eyes.
"What have you done? Do you even know how much this costs? How long it takes to create? Oh, I'm gonna make you..."
"Suffer? Cry? Call your mommy on me?"
"Oh fine, I see." He said while moving towards me, away from the black circle that formed around him.
The ground rumbled.
He snapped his fingers again and again and thousands of papers flew out of his colored suit, moving around him. Shaped like men, some began bursting into flames, some began spouting visquous liquids of blackness like dark rotten pus, some gained a metallic, sharpened aspect. All of them seemed bad news.
And all faced me.
When the enemy show his strongest. His most perfect technique.
He gets confident, sure of himself. He's unbeatable.
And that is where the Jourdin strike.
"You era is destroyed, but by your own ignorance. Please, give up Kakeshi-san." Even to a man like this, I still felt the pain. The pain of a life lost. The curse I had been given.
Takehiro Kakeshi, caughed, clearly strained by the monstruous technique he was using.
"What the hell are you talking about."
He was not giving up.
"I'm not alone." I explained to him.
And his skull burst in half, slashed open by a machete.
"Urgh. Gross." Said Frei.
And as the Onmyouji's body slumped on the ground, so did his creations, rendered useless paper once and for all.
I ran towards my girlfriend.
"You okay?"
"No. I've got blood and brains all over my clothes."
"I can promise you a shower."
"I usually don't like your promises, but I'll enjoy this one."
"Hey, It worked."
"Sure, great. Destroying the book destroyed it's magic. Could very well have been definitive, and make me stuck forever."
"Unlikely, but I had another plan had it not worked."
"Of course you did. You're supernatural, admit it."
"No I'm not."
"Tch. Why are the others not out of their stasis?"
"Probably getting unstuck in the order of which it was cast."
"You have no idea."
"I read lots of fantasy stories."
"Great."
I decided to kiss her, regardless of her bloodied state.
After a short while, we heard whistles coming from around us.
"Fffiuu nice bonus pay. Can we get a show too?"
I pulled my finger towards the african giant, who was taking back his machete out of the body of the dead monster.
"I'll let this pass, t'was fun little girl." He told Frei, who didn't understand anything because of his accent.
"Just une vidéo? Une photo?"
Frei pulled away from me, cheeks reddening. Ah timid Frei is back.
"Fuck off." I told the french guy.
"You saved us." Said the quiet voice of Blow.
"I guess."
He bowed his head.
I did the same.
"See you around Sias!" The group of deadly killers began. I didn't even notice the one who had supposedly been hit by the ppk's bullets. Crazy bastards.
This time again, the people on the Kyoto metro didn't look at me at all, even though I was barely dressed, had part of my hair burnt and looked like I was given a whole bunch of drugs.
The blood that stuck on Frei was proably responsible.
It was a miracle we didn't get arrested.
"Sias?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanna go away from here, for a short while. I know you wanna learn japanese and all but well..."
"Nah I got it, let's take some holidays."
"Good. I know a nice monastery in germany where they teach about the supernatural, could be worth a look."
"That's no holidays."
"Don't you wanna know what you are."
"I know what I am."
"Really, and what is that."
I opened my phone, and looked at the latest message.
"Papa" was written on it.
It was the third time I read it, but I had still to show it to Frei.
Should I? Would it be better not to?
That wasn't important.
I trusted her.
"Here." I told her.
"We are awaiting for your return Master Jourdin. Many things have to be organized before your re-institution, and as such, you can take your time. Still, you have to be aware that chaos still reigns, and the world still needs order to balance it out. I though, have the firm conviction you will show us how we can achieve this, without having to use the ways of old.
I'm hoping to see you soon,
With love,
Luc J."