by Nikita Thorn
Gashadokuro [Level Unknown Rare Elite]. HP 2261849/3278420.
Seiki understood now what Ippei had meant about carnage, and he knew now why people were reluctant to engage the monster. He glanced at Ippei, but his friend was just looking around, observing the people present.
Right beside them, Teru of the Red Dawn Clan [Level 15] on her shadowless pale horse fidgeted uneasily. Further down, two samurai were discussing if it would be possible to kill it if everyone present charged at once. All around, Seiki saw quite a few people from the Honor Warriors, and the West Defenders, but none he recognized.
“And here we are, doing very badly at our first world event,” said a gentle voice. Ren of the Kiyosei Temple [Level 28] had drawn up beside them. She must have used a different path to get here, as she seemed to have simply emerged out of the woods.
Her long black hair hung around her waist in a loose tie with a sparkling white band. Her robe was white with silver trimmings, matching the glow of her jewel-eyed fog-colored horse, whose pale gray mane seemed to be unraveling into mist at the tip. She had spoken calmly, but the ethereal quality of her appearance demanded respect. Suddenly, the crowd around went silent.
Behind her was her clan mate Manabu of the Kiyosei Temple [Level 28], a tall bald man in a simple thick black robe with wooden beads around his neck, on a brown horse. He carried a long ornate staff, the top end of which was an elegant decorative fish-tail motif made from carved painted wood. There was something strange about it, and Seiki realized that the air around it seemed to shimmer like a mirage.
Being that high in level seemed to automatically give them authority, and people quietly parted to allow them through. Even Ippei seemed affected; he had his eyes fixed on the staff. “No kidding,” he whispered. “The Oar.”
Before Seiki could inspect it properly, a rider in samurai armor on a yellow horse approached the two newcomers. Michio of the Shinshioka Nobles [Level 26], a young man with a traditional samurai topknot, turned and shouted, “The Kiyosei Temple are here!”
Another man followed on his black horse, clad in all black and gold metal armor, with double long curved swords on his back. Takayuki of the Shinshioka Nobles [Level 28] smiled as he saw the Kiyousei members. “You’ve brought it.”
“The Oar of Time,” Ippei whispered. “One of the two houshi pieces.”
Seiki now had time to look.
Jikan no Yagura. [Unique] +181 defense. +2% health restoration. Ancient deities used this oar to navigate the flow of time. Effect: grants the user the ability to postpone the lockout time of any of their abilities thrice in a row, within five seconds apart, before paying back with twice the lockout time on all abilities while time resets its course.
“Of course, we’ve brought it,” said Ren, amiably. “Otherwise, it’s just sitting on the altar, gathering dust.”
Ippei was still staring at them. “Massive burst heals, especially with Benevolence,” he whispered. The explanation made no sense to Seiki, but he had no doubt it was something extremely powerful.
“Triple defense lines?” said Takayuki.
Ren looked around at the crowd, who was now listening in on the conversation in both awe and admiration. “Let’s do alternate wings.”
Takayuki nodded. “All right.” He then started shouting, “Twenties and up. Samurai in two groups, follow either me or Hideyo. That’s the Level 28 in dark blue over there.” He pointed with one of his drawn swords. “Houshi follow Kiyosei Temple. Damage, attack from the sides only. Kitsune assist as needed.”
His voice faded as he rode down the line. Since now someone had clearly stepped up to lead, people slowly organized themselves into groups.
Someone else from the Shinshioka Nobles was shouting, “Temp shrine on the tree line. Revive limit ten seconds! Run back only when you’re full. Everyone else group up so healers can see you.”
Apprehensive chatter arose as people readied themselves for battle, most of them as confused as Seiki was. But they were all just following what other people were doing.
Someone called Maro of the West Hills [Level 19] invited Seiki and Ippei to a group already made up of eight people, before accepting an invitation to join another group, which automatically added all group members to the new larger group. Soon, Seiki found himself flooded with so many names that he had to dismiss the notifications.
Two groups of high-level samurai had formed, one on each side of the Gashadokuro, which was now idly walking around as it had no target. Healers had gathered round the Kiyosei Temple, whose tall fish-tail staff was highly visible in the crowd.
Seiki glanced at Ippei. “What do we do?”
“We wait,” said the samurai. His horse was snorting impatiently, perhaps reflecting his mood.
Seiki had no idea what was going on and his heart was beating fast as he was about to witness a full-scale battle for the first time. After a few more minutes of organization, from the left, with a collective cry, the group of about thirty mounted samurai led by Takayuki charged down the slope, swords drawn, as they rushed at the Gashadokuro’s feet. Flashes of swords lit up as they passed in their first attack. The monstrous skeleton raised its arm, and then there were shouts of “Brace!” at the same time. “Soothe!” and “Ward!” rose from the houshi group, just before the Gashadokuro’s right arm came crashing down. After the initial smoke of dust had cleared, Seiki noted that this synchronized group abilities had allowed the majority of the people to survive, and they scrambled back onto their horses to regroup.
At the same time, from the right, the second group, led by Hideyo of the Shinshioka Nobles in dark blue, charged with the same strategy, attracting the Gashadokuro’s attention before it could continue to attack the dismounted people.
Ranged damage dealers had positioned themselves further away, and rains of arrows—and black and colorful beams of smoke, and light—started to shoot directly at the skeleton, which was letting out an ugly unworldly growl.
“Let’s go!” said Ippei.
Seiki charged after him on his horse. Sounds of hooves on the ground were thunderous as, all around him, people joined in the foray. Seiki felt both a sense of surreal dread and exhilaration as he rode directly toward the skeleton’s enormous left foot that was creaking as it turned on the ground like some sort of strange war machine.
The Gashadokuro towered above them like a construction site, its shadow blocking out the sun, as they approached its feet. Seiki jumped off his horse when he came within range. He used his sliding Focused Strike as he aimed directly for a small crack he had spotted in the bone, not knowing what to expect. The impact of the pierce sent vibration up his arm, and the crack widened, spewing sharp broken bits of ugly yellow bone around. It was utter chaos, and explosions sounded above him as more bits of bone rained down, leaving shallow cuts whenever it struck his bare skin. Almost immediately, a wave of heal washed over the group, restoring everyone’s health.
Seiki tried his Upslash, and it left a long cut on the side of the foot. As if in response, the foot lifted off the ground, and Seiki had to run out of the way before it could stomp down. Now that he was so close, he could feel the ground below him shudder violently with each of the skeleton’s footfall.
As soon as the foot was on the ground again, he slid in with Focused Strike, followed by Upslash, spending the last of his energy. He had now lost Ippei somewhere amid the frenzied crowd, and around him were sub-twenty swordsmen and women running, shouting, slashing at the feet.
Gashadokuro [Level Unknown Rare Elite]. HP 1621782/3278420.
The crowd’s coordinated effort was working, and the monster was at half health. Someone yelled, “Don’t get grabbed!” right as the giant arm swooped down. Seiki slid out of range as fast as he could, and behind him a Level 17 samurai was caught in the Gashadokuro’s fingers. Spinning around again, Seiki pierced the giant foot on the same spot with Focused Strike as his energy recharged.
Something thudded behind him, and a quick g
lance revealed that it was the Level 17 samurai, HP 0/2106. Lootable. In his chest was a ryoushi arrow.
Seiki figured that the Gashadokuro needed live preys and that they were killing people off before they could be eaten—either to spare them the horror of being crushed between giant jaws or to prevent the monster from recovering health.
The Level 17 samurai gasped and scrambled to his feet, seemingly dazed, and Seiki had to start running again as the foot lifted off the ground.
Seiki now understood exactly what the leaders were doing. The two groups of samurai alternately kept the skeleton’s attention, while damage dealers chipped away at the monster’s health. Occasionally, he could see a kitsune fox dash through the crowd, either to heal or to attack.
“Energy!” yelled someone from afar, and whether it was a request or an offer, Seiki felt his energy fill up again. Right away, he used his sequence of biggest damaging moves.
Although it hardly compared to what higher-level people could do, the majority of the people were still below Level 15, and they were aiming for death by a thousand cuts. Like a diligent army of ants.
Gashadokuro [Level Unknown Rare Elite]. HP 795886/3278420.
The creature was now at a quarter health, but it did not seem to be slowing down. With each footfall and prey grab, a few people ended up dead, while the rest fled out in every direction, before regrouping and recharging.
Cries of dismay resounded, and something big and heavy crashed down on the ground about fifty feet to Seiki’s left. The thing had fallen from such height that grass and dust exploded around and the ground shook violently. Someone cursed, and more shouts arose. As the dust cleared enough for Seiki to see through, he noticed that, without warning, one of the arms had come off and had landed directly on the main houshi group—killing almost half its members.
Immediate chaos ensued, as well-meaning samurai rushed in and prevented the Gashadokuro from grabbing the remaining houshi. But without perfectly-timed abilities, most of them ended up dead before they could properly prepare to withstand the blow.
“Get the other arm!” said someone, amidst conflicting shouts and orders.
The foot twisted again, and the other foot stomped down right beside Seiki. It seemed that once the monster had lost one arm, it was now enraged, and that had increased its speed. Seiki threw himself to the side just in time. He whistled to his horse, which was almost instantly running alongside him.
“Good girl,” he said, as he grabbed hold of the saddle and slid one foot into the stirrup before lifting himself up.
All around him, pieces of bones were starting to fall as presumably the skeleton began to disintegrate. On horseback, he was soon out of range of the falling debris.
With the unexpected loss of the houshi group, the crowd was in panic, and abilities of all sorts whizzed by in a frenzy among the Gashadokuro’s stomping feet. More and more individuals were dying as the remaining arm swept low in a wide swing near the ground, sending people and mounts flying like domino pieces. A small group of houshi had banded slightly out of range of the melee attacks, and Seiki recognized Ren on her mystical white mount. Abruptly, the Gashadokuro turned and started heading toward the group.
From within the chaos, Takayuki in black and gold pursued the skeleton in a full gallop, shouting, “To me! Tank line in twenty feet!” A few samurai had taken notice and were following him.
“Retreat left,” yelled Ren, as she urged her mount and led her group to the side. “Stay in range!”
The skeleton had almost reached them. With fewer than ten samurai in position, they engaged in another one of those hasty Brace, Soothe and Ward sequences they had performed earlier as the giant foot stomped down. When the dust cleared, only Takayuki and two other were still standing.
Gashadokuro [Level Unknown Rare Elite]. HP 45473/3278420.
The skeleton allowed them no rest. After turning to kick the pursuing damage dealers behind it, it spun back and slapped down its arm at the houshi group. Almost simultaneously, multiple explosive arrows struck the middle of its palm, and the hand burst into pieces of razor-sharp bones.
Seiki had no time to think. At the back of his mind, he knew splintered bones did not deal too much damage but, considering that these were part of a shattered hand, it could make a huge difference. For a split second, he wondered if he should Parry or Upslash, before quickly deciding the bones were projectiles.
Galloping at full speed, he leapt off in front of the group, stepped his right foot into position and flowed his energy into both his hands as he drew his blade up. From behind, he heard someone yell, “Shinshioka!”, and his energy seemed to be exploding down his arm, just as different sensations—with different degrees of warm and cool—wrapped around him and the air tightened.
His Upslash burst forward. He could feel his energy shooting through his hands into the sword and into the air in a way he had never experienced before. The pieces of bone flying toward him seemed to bend slightly downward to the ground, as if attracted by a magnet. It did not stop them, however, and Seiki had to pivot and Slide, before turning in time to Parry a sharp shard the size of a hunting knife. Something pierced him in the side, numbing him with ice, and his vision blurred as his health dropped. Seiki tumbled into a kind of darkness that he was used to.
By this time, death was no longer noteworthy, and Seiki blinked as he found himself in the floating obscurity.
Miho wants to revive you.
That was new, and that sounded awfully convenient, Seiki thought. And that was enough for an acceptance. He felt as if yanked into the light by a sharp pull, and he gasped awake on the ground, with half his health and energy.
Around him, pieces of bones were still falling, and the air was thick and warm. He suddenly found himself staring into a gigantic skull that was rolling toward him on the ground in the most unnatural manner. He transitioned into a Slide, then into a run, as the head burst past him like a truck. Turning around, he landed a Focused Strike as it passed, piercing his sword deep into the skull, and wincing as he felt the blade grate through thick bone. The momentum was almost too much for him to handle, and it threatened to force the Hikari off his fingers. Seiki clasped his left hand onto the hilt and turned it into an Upslash, freeing the blade in time before he could lose his grip.
The skull rolled past him into a group of people, and cries broke out as people scrambled out of the way, with varying degrees of success.
Gashadokuro [Level Unknown Rare Elite]. HP 11473/3278420.
Arrows flew and swords flashed, combined with smoke, darts and thrown blades, as whatever proportion of the desperate crowd still surviving pursued it.
Soon after, it was over, as the skull exploded into black smoke, sending small shards of bones flying.
Congratulations! Gashadokuro slain. 290 XP gained.
Achievement earned: First World Event! 175 XP gained.
Things were quiet for a second, before cheers went up in every direction as a lot of lower-level people leveled simultaneously, followed by sighs, curses and excited conversations.
Seiki looked around and saw what could have been a scene from a shipwreck, where survivors picked themselves off the floor amid pieces of bone wreckage. Most people were still dazed and just stood there, observing everyone else, as they recovered their wits.
Further away, a fight was already breaking out among the survivors, and suddenly there were more dead bodies than it needed be. This reminded Seiki that he was in the Wilderness, and that it was a lawless place after all. Once the common enemy was gone, people were free to turn on one another.
“They’re just taking care of opportunistic looters,” said a voice. Miho of the Kiyosei Temple [Level 21] in dark gray stepped up beside him. She had a short whitish scepter with woven strips of black and white at the end, which she thrust through her obi.
“Thanks for earlier,” said Seiki. It had been almost over, and Seiki had a feeling it had not been necessary for her to h
ave revived him.
“No, thank you. You’re way too low to take on those shards, but that saved us a decent amount of damage.” She bit her lower lip. “With Shout, Soothe, and Ward, I guess it was almost doable. Anyway, I appreciate it when tanks do that for us.”
Seiki was not quite sure how to respond. Even when he understood the gist of what she was saying, the nuances of high-level play were still unfamiliar territory.
“They should have waited on the arm shot,” said another voice, and Seiki stopped short as he saw who the speaker was. Kanako of the Rogami Clan [Level 16] in tight-fitting black and purple had appeared behind them, whom he recognized from a terrible night full of rabid wolves not too long ago. Seiki instinctively assumed a defensive stance, but he quickly realized that the girl did not seem to remember him. “Can’t believe I burnt through all my potions, and I’ve got to go do that haunted temple right now, with all the priests.”
Miho smiled. “I actually like that one.”
Kanako giggled. “That’s because you like to be creeped out. See you, Miho-chan. Our over-eager ryoushi has been waiting there for almost an hour. It’s his first time.” With that, she whistled to her horse and rode off.
“Remember to pick up a piece of bone,” said Miho. “I don’t know why they don’t explicitly tell you that.” She bent down to grab a shard from the ground and gave Seiki a little smile, before disappearing.
All around, people were starting to leave, and Seiki could see the Kiyosei Temple clan members, with their distinctive unique staff, following Ren in a large group. Seiki looked around and was wondering where Ippei was, when a bird dropped down in front of him.
