“What are Samurai? We all assume they are a warrior class like the name suggests and while that is true they are so much more.

Chosen from normal people by an alien race only named the Protectors they are the first line of defense against the Antithesis. I hope they choose me as the next Samurai as I share plenty of the qualities as the established Samurai.

I am begging, let me use a laser space sword!“

* Excerpt from a student’s essay, June 2037

***

Targets Eliminated!

Reward… 60 Points

My heads-up display flashed a light blue as it placed a new marker on the figure standing in the elevator.

The marker read: New Samurai

Grinning at the figure dressed in a technicians outfit, the gray-blue jumpsuit covering most of their body and the cap and respirator hid almost everything else. It was like they were afraid of showing skin.

How quaint.

Aerthyos threw up a bare semblance of information about them.

Name:

P̥̲̬̜̻̯͈͔̣̻ͩ͊̅̀́̌͒ͥ̇̀̒ͧ̽͐̀ͫ̚͡e̴̮͙͎̺̰ͧ̊͆ͮͩ̂̋̃̐ͯ̀͞ļ̶̧̞̩͖͚̺͎͈͕̤̙͍̪̼̞̍ͤͫ̐̏͑̓̒̅͂̓̽̈͗̅̒́ͥ͘͢͜͢ḛ̸̥̥̤̤̠̓͊̊ͫ̾̀̚͢͝_̴̡̺͕͔̰̦͇̳̼͚̼ͫ͑͆̐ͥ̎̐̈́́̈ͤ̊̒̿͢ͅ

Age:

Ṅ̸̳̞̭͓̼̝̎̇̊͆̕͜͞_̀͠o̸͔͙̯̣͕̜ͦ̽ͩ͡_̸̡̟͍̯̣̥̈́_̶̴̣̯̰̜̤͉̙̀͐͛̿̽͐ͫͫͨͨ̂̈́̃̓͘͢n̶̡̫̫̤̺͔̖͔͓ͮ̓̈̈ͪ̈́̾̑̿͊͐̚̚͢ȩ̵̳̮̀̍ͬ ơ̶̷̷̲̘̠̜̫̮͙̤̿ͨͫ͌̂̊ͥ͘͢f̶̧̮̫̗͔͎̤̼̥̞̽̌͌̑ͫ̊̓̉̈͟͞_̸̢̖̻̟̝̉̎̌͆ͪ̃ͨ͑ͨͅ y̶̷̢͚͉ͫ̔ͥ͑͂̊̾ͅ_̘̣̱̩͇̼ͭ̈̓̆͐ō̢̤͇̤̟̩̟̿̌̽͗̅̚_̵̷̢̨̼̯̙ͤ̄̐ͅu̸̶̵̶̢͇̫̺̪̫̫̤̥͉̣̯̹̤̱̰͇̠͙ͯͨ̎̎͛ͦ̿ͯ̏͋̽ͤͨ̃ͥ̎͂̀͊̐͐͛̀͢r̴̵̵̵̡̧͓̪̜̞͇̮̯̗̘̱̳̣̮̈̍̌͗̾͆͗͛̒̆͌̊ͯ̀̄͜͜͢͢͢͡ b̵̯̭̣̼ͣ͂̏̀̋̈́ͤ̓̏ͧ͟͟_̷̵̨̡̼̘̻̭̝̰̅͌̈́ͪ́̀͛̆̀́̽ͤ̍͐͘͢u̴̵̖͇̭̟ͫ̀ͯͤ̿ͥ͜s̷̨̰͇̣̪̈́̀ͤ̇̒̆̚͘̕į̵̵̶̶̖̘̗̲͇̫͔ͥ̌̾̓ͩ̀̃ͦ̐̿̈́͌̈́ͨ̋̈́͌ͣ̅̈́ͪ͟͠ͅń̠̥̱̹̘͌͑ͩ̓͋̌͐͊ͧ̚͜͜ḙ̴̼͙̰͓̤͖̠͓̬̊̌̓́͑̽ͧͥ̉ͩ̃̕s̫͕̈́͆̃͛s̰̜̎̓͐_̷̧̲̣͍̪̓̇̆̈̈́̐͂̊̉̌̊͘ͅ

Pronouns:

They/them

Hiding are they? I thought to Aerthyos.

I would assume so, I am currently hacking my way into the company they work for and stripping all the information relevant to the new Samurai, but most I am finding are dead ends or constand loops including the employee number that’s sewn on their arm.

Even their pronouns were inputted through a string of binary that I had to convert to hexadecimal and then it only spelt “Fuck you”

Looks like someone had their A.I. scrub their existence from the net. Smart. I thought approvingly. Maybe this newbie wouldn’t be too bad in public relations, no need to have awkward conversations with their employer if the corporation didn’t even know who they were.

I always hated having to convince CEOs to stop trying to threaten Samurai, I was getting into the habit of killing them on sight to save time.

Smiling down through my helmet at the small figure, they were maybe a meter and a half. I waved the actual measurements away that were automatically calculated by the smart screen I had.

Honestly the Mark III Lightwarfare Smart Helmet was almost annoying with all its functions.

At least it projected a custom L.E.D. smile when I did so people would see my emotions without exposing my face.

While this does have traces of some A.I. it doesn’t feel like another Protector A.I.

Huh. Interestingly, it seems like they were careful even before becoming a Samurai.

It took a while but I got their name and age. It took some backtracking but it is clear that they were the Engineer in charge of a massive project that failed terribly, the newspaper articles refer to them as Pele in the Pele’s Ascendency tragedy.

So they were Incompetent? I thought to Aerthyos. Shame, really.

No, they actually have great technical skills for a human. But they were sabotaged. Honestly I am surprised they aren’t in jail, there is a warrant for their arrest still out but it seems like they were smart and quick enough to evade the cops.

What were their charges? I thought to Aerthyos as I reached my hand out to Pele, the smooth motion guided by the Huron Mark IV Replacement Arm I had.

Corporate Espionage. Hackers were found to be guilty of the tragedy but RuCorp aimed to push all the blame away from the corporation and onto the persons involved with the project, even charging the victims with the same charges but those failed to stick in court.

Gross. I guess I should visit RuCorp sometime and prevent this from happening again.

Dragging my attention back to the matter at hand I continued to assess the figure as they slid their heavy pistol, a 10 mm semi-automatic Hammerhead model, to their left hand and shook with their right.

The idea of having an underling was appealing, very much so.

I was infatuated with the idea. I always envied what Amadeus and Jericho had, always watching each other's backs and their special mentor-mentee relationship. Of course theirs got romantic in the end…maybe that’s a plus.

I was even jealous of the intensity of the grief Amadeus was feeling. Oh how it would feel to lose something like that.

But this isn’t the place to talk, not to give them the full experience and have them take my offer.

“Follow me” I said, kicking the ground with the Mark II Airjet Runners and an air burst filled the space between me and the floor as I cloud walked over the corpses of the Antithesis in the hallway.

“Ah…” came behind me from the figure, Pele, and I gestured for them to follow.

“It’s safe.” I called back. “I should welcome you but the environment shouldn’t be in a small skirmish now, it would be unbefitting of our station.” My augs picked up a conference room just ahead and I opened their doors remotely.

As they opened I spun in the air, still kicking back as I drifted toward the open doors. Pele was skittish, checking corners and open doors, all the while not making contact with me.

I should changed that. Especially if they will serve under me.

Reaching the broad conference room, I sat on top the main table.

“First, welcome to the gang, or as some call us, the Samurai Society! Don’t abbreviate that.” I said in a jovial voice, it wasn’t everyday that I had the chance to welcome a new Samurai. Heck, it's been ages and I wasn’t the one to greet them.

“What are you, an hour old tops? I will show you the tricks and tell you all the secrets. I even know how to spec into body modification if you want to change your whole aspect. A reimagined you, if you will.”

The curiosity of what they’d become is almost as good as a new movie in the series I love the most. The excitement, to learn all their new gear, what routes they will take.

I hoped they wouldn't be another Samurai-Samurai, all swords and honor but all the same it could be interesting to see their take on it.

“I’m not…” They began but I waved that off, no need to worry about their views on body mods yet.

“If you are not aware, Samurai is just the term humans gave the role of Vanguard. The Protectors are the ones who granted us the A.I.s and the teleported technology, they even kind of gamified it so we can learn it easier. Funny that. Because of this ruleset a Samurai, like us-”

I pointed from me to them, “-must use points to buy things from their list of catalogs and teleport them to our person.” I connected to the conference table and I threw up the basics.

The holographic display revealed a list of items in branching trees all going back to a root packaged called “The Protectors”

“There are many ways to gain points. You can kill Antithesis or save civilians from mortal peril.”

Thinking back to one of my first questions I had, “And no, you can’t cause mortal peril and then save them from it to farm points. Usually the most effective way is to save civilians while killing xenos like what I am doing right now. Since we are together the points will be split but it’s a fair distribution. We will both get a 55 percent cut so working together has a net gain of ten percent of points.”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

I switched the holograms to the different models of Antithesis one through ten for save measure. They already knew the Model Three, one of the most common but sometimes they had experience with the others.

Pele seemed to focus on Models Three and Four, interesting. They’ve dealt with the tentacle bastards already.

In the silence they spoke. “I am not a Samurai.”

“Of course you are,” I said lightly, most had this whole imposter syndrome or it hadn’t sunk in yet. Better than those who believed they were god, or loved by god.

Sky, the figure before us isn’t a Vanguard! I was mistaken somehow.

“Oh…Interesting” I said out loud before doing some major thinking.

Oh? Not a samurai?

Are you sure, Aerthyos? I thought, if so, this ruined my plans.

Positive. Aerthyos replied.

Feeling a wave of disappointment of losing this chance I was hit by an idea.

Does it ruin my plans?

“No matter!” I say lightly, smiling down at the figure, “If you aren’t a Samurai currently, I’ll make you one.”

What are you thinking, Sky! You can’t promise that! Aerthyos almost screamed in my head.

Aren’t you always telling me to think of others as equals? Now I am. I thought back, much calmer than my electronic friend.

That’s not what I meant.

And even if they aren’t a Samurai now, can’t they become one in the future?

After they- you know what, never mind. I think that this will be a beneficial arrangement.

What? Really! You approve?

Of course, in my search of human history and media, I have found numerous occasions of masters taking a mentee, an apprentice if you will. This relationship seems always beneficial to the group, the two becoming better at their craft than without each other. The only issue I am finding is if the apprentice murders you in the future for power. I’m seeing that referenced a lot in the forms.

What happens after the master is killed?

You know the master in this context will be you?

Yes.

Alright then. After the master is killed the apprentice either is defeated by a hero or they become an almost unstoppable force.

Perfect.

But you’d be dead.

But my legacy will live on.

Humans and their need for offspring, I assumed since you removed your reproduction organs that you’d be above that instinct but I was wrong. Regardless of your reasoning, I still approve.

Heck yeah.

“Excuse me?” Pele said, confusion prevalent in their voice.

I wave the civilian to sit in a seat, no need for them to stand. Maybe this would be better for my plan because now they have to work for me to gain power, rather than having the chance to step away at any moment.

I could almost see the gears turning in their head. No…the Mark III Lightwarfare Smart Helmet didn’t have that feature and if it did I would turn it off permanently, that would be either really gross or very invasive.

Sometimes I worry about the technology the Protectors give me, they don’t have the same values or morals as humans and why would they.

Pele interrupted that train of that with “You can make me a Samurai?”

I nodded distractedly, Aerthyos was sending me a list of training routines and goals. Some that Aerthyos had been trying to get me to do since I became a Samurai.

You want the kid to learn financial warfare? Why? I asked Aerthyos.

Because you only care for the civilians in the moment and never see the bigger picture. Came the reply.

But that’s why I have you. I said, hoping to distract it long enough to return to the world outside my head.

They won’t have me, and I won’t divide myself to pretend to be their A.I. This is your idea you have to solve it.

Yeah yeah.

Focusing back on the figure sitting in front of me they asked. “What do I have to do?”

Perfect.

I reached out a hand, “First you’ll have to take my hand, kind of old fashioned that way. Second we’ll go about a plan about your identity. I wasn’t always a colour weapon combo. And third we’ll train you to be a Samurai until you are finally chosen by the Protectors. Usually it is after you kill your first Antithesis but sometimes it takes some time and exposure to our Alien threat.”

“Can I walk away if it isn’t for me?” They asked.

Seems like they truly have a head on their shoulders.

“Of course, you can even have a legal agreement be set up. I’m more interested in the person that survives an incursion without Samurai help than I am in potential gain. Just please don’t talk Corpo.” I say, pretending that I can lose the figure before me. I can’t. If they don’t take the deal then I will either have to find an actual newbie Samurai or…I would have to find a diamond in the rough of actual civilians and mercs.

I don’t want to dig through that, especially since it feels like Aerthyos will only help me this time.

They laughed, guess my joke hit?

And they shook my hand.

“First part done,” they said. “What’s next?”

“Now Pele, we scheme.” I said, parsing my gloved fingers together as they seem to freeze. .

Detecting some discomfort and I responded. “Oh, you didn’t think I wouldn’t know? I have a supercomputer in my head that is faster than anything in the world besides other Samurai A.I.s in gathering information. I don’t hold Pele’s Ascendency against you, but none of that matters now. We’re making a new you, one without the burden of the past.”

“I would like to be judged through my current actions and not the tragedy of the past. How do we go about this?” They said with a shaky breath, and then they seemed to steel themselves and looked me in the eyes.

They had piercing yellow eyes, I could almost read all their roiled emotions. Fear, resolve, determination, their intelligence, their kindness, everything warring with each other.

It was breathtaking…if I had lungs that needed me to breathe.

They were perfect.

Faux clearing my throat I began in a light voice, let’s keep them thinking I was all jovial. No need to be a serious boss.

“Well, the first question I ask new Samurai, albeit that is a low number, is what do you want to be? The second question is usually: Will you forsake your humanity to become that or are you a body purest? Many want the changes from alien tech reinforcing or replacing their body with a tougher, sleeker version.” I said this as I pulled my hoodie’s sleeves up to reveal lean metallic forearms, the same color as my neck that could be seen in the sliver of space between the hoodie and my white and blue helmet.

“But I do know someone who didn’t want the tech, could you imagine, but instead had alien organs grafted into her to make her nearly twelve feet tall and the reason for many new public indecency laws, but I do always go off topic.”

They let out a sigh. “I have no idea what I want to be. Nor any way to go about answering the other questions.” They said, almost apologetically.

“That’s fine. I was mainly checking for one track minded people who always wanted to be a human torch or like Triumph, the one I spoke about before, the twelve foot smasher.” I explained, bored of just sitting there I started moving around in the air.

“Instead of all that, we could focus on keeping you alive and able to kill Antithesis on your own. Show me your Hammerhead.” I said, pointing to their left hand that still held the weapon.

They handed the pistol over and I went through the different forms of firing stances and how to aim at holograms. All Aerthyos’ idea and I panned through the various training techniques in my augs as I directed Pele to do the same.

After ten minutes they had one of the stances down and I directed them to fire at me.

“What?” they asked, obviously confused.

I took the Hammerhead from their hands and explained. “Don’t worry, even if you hit me you won’t do any damage.” Demonstrating by shooting myself in the arm

As the 10 mm bullet ricocheted up I caught it with the same hand in a flash of lightning.

“See? Most Samurai after a couple of months are nearly unkillable by conventional means. Yes, we will still die if we are crushed by a mountain but most small arms won’t even scratch the technology that the Protectors have listed in the high tiered catalogs. Think of Samurai as tanks that ignore human problems and have to deal with space plants determined to eradicate the human race.”

Handing the pistol back to Pele I jumped across the room and came to a stop at the other end, a somewhat difficult shot at their current skill.

“Shoot me, I might throw in a prize if you actually manage to hit me.” I threw in some jest to prove that it wasn’t a serious problem.

Taking a stance they aimed.

Bang!

Missed entirely, “Try again. Empty the pistol at me.”

Bang! Bang!

Appearing slightly frustrated, they aimed again. This time they were clearly firing at my chest.

A couple of shots went close before the frustration was evident enough to aim for my head.

Perfect, use your anger.

I laughed and just as they placed a perfect shot.

For the hell of it I whipped a blade from my sleeve and cut the bullet in two. “So close! And yet, I am still untouched.”

“I mean it.” I said, my voice turning cold and serious, “Try to kill me so I know how skilled you are in a real fight”

I know I had time to train them from nothing to a monster but I didn’t want to take the slower routes that seemed to take months to make someone into a killing machine. Nor did I want to try to break their spirit.

Really Aerthyos? These training regimes seem a little degrading for both mentor and mentee.

They are from your world, the one you are using to prove your invincibility was in the training arc of Neo-Shadow X-Batman and Superbird Robin III volume 4

Oh…I wondered why it felt familiar.

Blinking back to reality I saw Pele finished reloading and steadied the weapon.

Firing quick bursts of bullets my way I dived, weaved, and slashed them out of the air as I closed.

I used a slightly faster than casual speed with my cloud walk and used the third dimension to throw off their aim.

Air boots accelerating and decelerating quickly to allow for a smooth pivot and twist as bullets came with deliberate pace, all aimed at my chest for the highest possible chance of a hit.

In the last meter I actually dove for the floor and slid up to Pele and ripped the pistol from their grasp. I was careful not to actually damage their fingers but they had some decent gloves on so I didn’t have to worry too much.

“You see. Conventional weapons won’t do anything. The only way for you to win…is to cheat. Am I fighting fair?” I asked. Idly tossing bullets up and down in my off hand.

“No. I never am.” I answered the rhetorical question. "Samurai don’t play fair, nor does the Antithesis, or anything if it has the chance to rip you apart. I know that many Samurai believe in some code of ethics and honor but understand this. In the real world, the world you just lived in without the backing of a samurai, there are rules that people use to establish and maintain society. Without a sense of fairness, people backstab each other any chance they get. Now that you have power you need to remember those rules but never let yourself fall because of your principles.”

My flippant attitude vanished as I continued, my mind focusing on my past self that was superimposed over Pele. My voice turned darker and lower, more sinister and self reflective.

“There is no such thing as a hero, just people making choices that they deem necessary. If our actions benefit the greater good then we are deemed heroes. It is the perception that we are placed as heroes or villains. Stealing or killing is deemed evil until you learn more about the situation. Your own tragedy was for the betterment of others yet when something went wrong you were vilified, not the hackers. You weren’t a victim in the eyes of the public. You were nothing more than a guilty party. That’s how villains are made. Not because they choose to be evil, well, some do. But most are just doing what they deem necessary from their point of view.”

The superimposed image vanished as I pinged Aerthyos, Not funny

Focusing back on Pele as I finished, I added. “The Ascendency was your plan, and from your point of view it was a great plan for the betterment of others. The public thinks of you as a villain. To me, you’re a hero. Yet, nothing is that simple.”

Aerthyos, pistol ammo

New Purchase: 10 round magazine of 10 mm x 10

Points reduced to… 3,214.

A lot of tens there Aerthyos, I mused.

Just catch them. Came the reply.

Reaching an arm to one side a medium sized box appeared in my hand. Opening it revealed magazines of the same caliber as their pistol with an additional logo of a small hammerhead shark on the magazine casing.

Nice touch.

“Now. You can hit a moving target. Next you’ll learn to hit a moving target while you are moving. And after that…” I trailed off. Lost in the array of different inputs of trainings and alerts that Aerthyos was throwing my way.

“After that?” Pele prompted, after a significant pause.

Turning to face them, I met their piercing yellow eyes. “Oh yes. After that, I’ll teach you how to kill a Samurai.”

I hate you, came the voice in my head. I just grinned.