by Nikita Thorn
“Can’t we just, like, wing it?” asked Yamura. A few voices rose in support of the idea.
“They gave us a perfect hexagon with exactly 120 degrees to work with, and rockets turn the dragon in increments of 5 degrees, so I have a feeling that’s a clear sign they want us to be able to calculate it. Otherwise, they would have given us things like ‘moderately left’ and ‘slightly right’ in the item descriptions,” said Ippei, before adding under his breath. “Not to mention that this would make it impossible.”
Someone laughed. “Hey, at least I understand ‘moderate’.”
“I seriously worry about the future of our world,” muttered Kentaro, to which Ippei responded with a grim chuckle.
The scouting and strategizing part ended up taking more than half of their allotted hour, but before the White Dragon completed another lap around the City, Ippei had already finished briefing everyone on what to do and where they should stand.
“First team, get all your fireworks off as quickly as possible once you get the signal. The dragon will then be heading towards Trade Street. The moment he appears, the second team will be there to intercept.” The samurai repeated the plan as the group started breaking off toward their assigned locations.
Yamura gleefully waved to his clan mates. “Red Team Alpha, this way.”
Ippei himself was to lead the second team stationed at Trade Street, and Kentaro and the other houshi, Harue of the Honor Warriors [Level 15], would wait by Mani Shrine to execute the final part.
Five minutes later, the group was finally in place. With only nineteen members, they were spread rather thin. Seiki found himself alone in West City, armed with three Red Sparks Poppers, which would nudge the dragon a little more southward in case the Red Team was late in getting their fireworks off. He also had the Golden Chrysanthemum Hanwarimono Rocket, which he was tasked with running down to Trade Street to use to turn the dragon completely around once it was about to reach Mani Shrine.
Seiki had to give it to Ippei that the strategy was elegant. There was a minimum of moving parts, all entrusted to people who seemed to understand how the puzzle worked, and even so they were given only one specific task to concentrate on. Failsafe mechanisms were put in place, with people placed on both sides of the dragon’s expected path between Hoke Inn and Trade Street who could help correct the angle of flight. Other members who had nothing to do were assigned ‘spotter’ roles, and were spread out along the paths to track the dragon’s progress and facilitate communication like a game of whisper, but in shout mode.
As Seiki waited, he came to a personal conclusion that the West Defenders were losing out tremendously by not begging harder for the former Captain Ichiiro to join their ranks.
“We’re going for it this time around!” shouted one of the spotters somewhere north of where Seiki was, a message which Seiki relayed down the line of communication.
Soft footfalls sounded from the northward end of the street and the white kitsune came bounding down in her final check to see if everyone was in the correct location. She met his eyes but did not stop, and in two seconds she disappeared down the next bend.
After another half a minute, a shout came down the line. “Dragon approaching Hoke Inn!”
“Dragon approaching Hoke Inn!” Seiki repeated the message.
From two streets down a voice cried, “Dragon approaching Hoke Inn!” If Seiki remembered correctly, it was the Honor Warriors ryoushi girl Komugi, who was entrusted with several green poppers, who would do the opposite of what Seiki would if the Red Team had shot their fireworks early.
From afar, multiple explosions went off in quick succession, echoing off the low buildings of Shinshioka’s East City. Seiki felt his palms dampening. Even when Ippei had sounded casual about the plan, he knew the group did not have enough fireworks for another attempt if this one failed, and, given the lack of discipline in the group, there would be absolutely no way they could complete the challenge using only the puny poppers to turn the dragons left or right two degrees at a time.
Several faint yells rose. One popper sounded from further away.
The shouts followed a few seconds later. “Okay, we’re good now! No need to correct further!”
Seiki echoed the call as he slipped the poppers back into his inventory and started running south, whistling for Fubuki.
He knew all possible routes to Mani Shrine, and perhaps that was why Ippei had given him this particular task. He soon burst onto Trade Street slightly east of the sanctuary. Far to his left, on the opposite side of the street, he could spot the tiny figures of Ippei and the Second Team waiting for the dragon to appear, rockets in hand ready to shoot.
Seiki turned right and galloped down until he was diagonally opposite the green-roofed Mani Shrine. Patting Fubuki’s neck in appreciation for her service as he dismissed her, he readied his own Golden Chrysanthemum Hanwarimono.
Just as the group had planned, the White Dragon soon emerged. Like a living constellation, milky silver against the dark night sky, the mystical beast crossed over the shophouses onto Trade Street. Ippei gave his signal, and a barrage of green and blue sparks shot towards the dragon in the air.
Seiki watched the White Dragon turn westward. The angle was perfect. On both sides, the darkened buildings were basked in equal white light as the serpent flew down Trade Street. The Golden Hanwarimono Rocket in Seiki’s hand gave a click, but it was not yet time, and he afforded himself a quiet moment to appreciate the dragon’s graceful serpentine route through the air.
Ippei and the rest of the group had started running toward the predetermined spot in the middle of Trade Street, and more people were bursting out of alleys as they prepared for the final part of their plan. Seiki waited for the dragon to fly past him, before breaking into a jog after it to stay within range. Ahead, slightly further down the street, Kentaro and the Honor Warriors houshi Harue stepped forward and started waving their hands to cast double Wards on everyone.
“Okay!” cried Kentaro once both of them had spent all their energy.
Seiki aimed the rocket at the dragon’s tail and pulled on the handle. The bamboo parts snapped into place, and a deafening explosion went off. Perhaps because it was one of the largest rockets they had, the tube gave a violent kick strong enough to send Seiki staggering back. A whistling stream of smoke shot toward the White Dragon, striking the bright silver scales and exploding into a dazzling sphere of gold.
Golden Chrysanthemum Hanwarimono activated! All players directly under the trajectory of the fireworks and within a 60-foot radius receive a full refill of their energy. The White Dragon is changing directions!
Instead of simply making a u-turn, the dragon flew up and completed a full somersault in midair before flipping around once again to start heading eastward back down Trade Street.
Seiki turned around and raced the dragon toward the group. Ippei had given him the option to sit out the last bit, as they already had the required number for the challenge, but there was no harm in adding another person to help share the damage.
“Over here!” In the middle of Trade Street, Ippei’s team had joined the pre-assigned ‘stackers’, who had already gathered at the designated spot. Together, the group numbered twelve people.
The moment Seiki reached the group, Ippei gave a Shout, which functioned to boost everyone’s stats and to give the signal at the same time. The other samurai joined in with their Shouts, and the world turned blinding white as the dragon caught up with them. Around, the rest of the group started shooting white fireworks upward to slow the dragon, timed to go off every second, to make sure the group could stay within the illuminated patch on the ground.
Just like what Seiki had experienced before, there was no sensation of ice, but only a strange lightheadedness not too different from vertigo. The overwhelming brightness seemed to be more psychological than physical, and the familiar crowd around him looked as if they were partially perceived through sight and partiall
y products of his own imagination.
You are in the shadow of the White Dragon. 9 seconds remaining until the challenge is complete. 8 seconds. 7 seconds.
“This is going well,” shouted someone.
“This is giving me a seizure,” muttered someone else.
The complaint was slightly exaggerated. Despite the disconcerting effect, there were no other physical ills. The health drain was significantly less with more people stacking for the damage, and it did not seem like the healers were having any trouble keeping them up. Seiki felt another Soothe and Ward coming from the two houshi, as well as one bout of Mairin’s Spirit Mend.
3 seconds remaining until the challenge is complete.
Glancing around, Seiki could see that the group was remaining easily above three quarter health.
1 second. Challenge complete!
The dizzying sensation vanished and the bright patch under their feet dimmed into a comfortable glow as the dragon came to stop right above them. Nothing much had changed, but the group stirred as if waking up from a lucid dream, blinking as the White Dragon adjusted its position and turned back toward them.
One of the Honor Warriors girls next to Seiki grabbed for a potion, perhaps to clear any lingering sensation of nausea.
The White Dragon was hovering closer to the ground now, directly facing them, and Seiki found that he could not look away from its gleaming onyx gaze.
Well done, children of Shinshioka. The White Dragon’s mental voice was gentle.
By completing the challenge set for you by the guardian deity of Shinshioka, you have unlocked the [Shinshioka Patriot] Path Element.
“Path Element?” said Yamura. “What’s a Path Element?”
Something appeared in Seiki’s consciousness, reminding him of an Achievement entry, but it occupied a space separate from the rest of other information and for a moment he could not quite locate it.
Before Seiki could check what it was, a gigantic stream of black smoke shot from one of the alleys. A serpent-like creature lunged at the White Dragon, jet-black length twisting around the body of silver, the force of the impact sending both beasts tumbling uncontrollably through the air. Seiki yelped and leapt out of the way as a black spiked tail whipped out toward him.
With a deafening crash, the nearest building crumbled into bricks. The group cried out as they scattered to dodge the incoming destruction. The two dragons were now completely entangled, with the black serpent exuding dark smoke that filled the area. Claws flashed close to the ground. The next moment, Seiki felt another wall collapsing next to him and all he could do was shield himself from the falling debris.
The White Dragon roared soundlessly. Be careful. I will hold off this foul beast.
The dragon burst higher from the ground, bringing its opponent out of range. The dark smoke cleared a second later, revealing the group members in disarray, most with missing health.
From the top of an opposite roof, gleeful laughter rang out. The newcomer was humanoid, and a strangely familiar one, with dark gray skin and red-glowing eyes, matching the red jewel on the hilt of the dagger on his hip. Seiki let out a soft curse.
Kagenoannaisha [Rank 3 Demon] cackled. “Behold my Shadow Serpent, made especially for this festive occasion.”
High up in the sky, the White Dragon was twisting violently as it struggled against the pitch-black serpent. The demonic beast was almost identical to its silver counterpart, but its body seemed to be part smoke, part shadow, which made it difficult to see against the night sky. Save for the red-glowing eyes that indicated the location of its head.
With a sharp, grating sound, the Shadow Serpent twisted its head to close its jaws over the back of the White Dragon. A subsonic roar trembled through the air as several silver scales flaked off the mystical beast, dropping like pieces of broken mirror and shattering in bright flashes of light on the street below.
Scanning the scattered group, Seiki quickly located Ippei, who was picking himself up from the midst of the rubble of a collapsed shophouse.
“Phase Two.” The samurai turned to meet Seiki’s eyes, a hint of delight in his tone. Then he grimaced. “But pickup group.”
“This is where the White Dragon of Shinshioka dies.” Kagenoannaisha laughed shrilly as he turned his red-blazing gaze to the players in the street below. “Just like that useless dog Tsukuda.”
Even as Ippei shouted to the group to hold their fire, angry cries rose from the Honor Warriors, mixed in with curses about avenging Captain Tsukuda. Whistling streams of pink, green and red sparks shot straight at the roof where the demon was.
Kagenoannaisha smiled as he swept up his hands, the movement bending the trajectory of the smoking fireworks toward the two dragons in the sky.
Multiple explosions burst against the serpents, throwing both of them through the air. The group gasped as they hurtled toward the Mani Shrine pagoda like a derailed locomotive, but the dragons managed to right themselves before crashing into the structure. The Shadow Serpent’s tail clipped one edge of the top green-tiled roof, sending loose tiles in the corner crashing down on the front courtyard.
On the ground, leading from the middle of Trade Street, straight toward and over the wall into Mani Shrine, was now a large trail of black blood and broken silver scales.
Before anyone could comprehend what this development meant, the tar-like blood pools on the ground started to move. From within, clawed arms shot up, and out crawled a Demonic Assassin [Level 16], followed by a Demonic Swordsman [Level 15], and another, and another.
Ippei stifled a sigh. “And… we pulled when everyone’s below half health.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Seiki rushed in to engage the nearest Demonic Assassin [Level 15] before it could lunge at his friends, and Ippei stepped up beside him to do the same, allowing Kentaro and Mairin to retreat into a safer zone behind them. Luckily, Harue, the Honor Warriors healer, had been sticking quite close to Kentaro, and automatically followed him behind the line of defense.
“We have to stay together. Run to us, not away!” shouted Ippei.
Around them was chaos. The demons spawning right in the midst of the players had effectively split the group into tiny units of twos and threes, all battling different enemies. More demons were still crawling up from the pools of black blood, their levels ranging from around Level 13 to 18 to match the wide range of the group. They attacked indiscriminately, however, and the lower level players were having a difficult time holding off much more powerful foes.
“Come this way. We’ll pick up the demons!” Ippei cried as he spotted several Honor Warriors being chased down Trade Street by a Demonic Swordsman. “This way! Don’t get out of range of the healers!”
The Rank 3 demon Kagenoannaisha had disappeared as soon as chaos broke out, leaving only his delighted cackle lingering in the air.
“So this is the demon who killed Captain Tsukuda, hence public enemy number one according to the Social Guild?” said Kentaro as he quickly cast a Ward around one of the ryoushi who was dashing towards the group.
“Yeah. Pity we don’t get to fight him right now,” said Mairin.
Ippei was still trying to organize the rest of the raid members. “Hey, Yamura, leave them. Join us. We’ll pick the demons up.”
Glancing over his shoulder at the group, Yamura threw two more Traps to delay the enemies and rushed over, with two more nearby Honor Warriors in tow.
Seiki stepped up to intercept the demons in pursuit, knocking them away with Sweeping Blade, trying to get them to trip over their comrades. It was a little chaotic, considering he was facing five or six enemies at once, and with limited energy to spare, he resorted to just concentrating on keeping them off his friends. Occasionally, a demon’s blade or metal claws cut through his armor, but all three healers were focused on keeping everyone alive, and whatever damage he and Ippei sustained was quickly remedied. It was a strange sensation of going back and forth between the icy
numbness blooming on his limbs and the warm gentle Heals that instantly cancelled them.
“Just a warning. I’m on potion lockout and I’m almost out of energy,” said Kentaro. “Mairin and Harue, too.”
“Yeah, this isn’t working,” said Mairin. “The demons are spawning too fast.”
Ippei glanced around uneasily. “Okay, uh… okay, Seiki, cover me for a sec.” A thought occurred to him and the samurai grabbed a bamboo rocket from his inventory.
“Health incoming,” Ippei shouted as he shot the white fireworks right into the midst of the spawning demons. The dazzling white sparks did no damage to the enemies, but instantly restored 15% health to all players in range, including those cut off from the group by the demon army. “Anyone with white firework rockets left?”
“I’ve got one,” a voice replied, before another burst of white sparks exploded in the midst of the demon.
The rapid influx of health gave the stranded members enough confidence to make a mad dash toward the main group, but also doubled the number of enemies being pulled their way.
“I need more frontline swords!” Ippei yelled.
“Me!” shouted a female voice from behind them, followed by a man’s. “Level 17 samurai here.”
Two people stepped up beside Seiki to reenforce the line of defense, just in time to ward off the moving forest of sharp claws and blades rushing at them. Against so many enemies, the icy cuts from unavoidable attacks started to become more frequent, putting strain on the healers. Seiki occasionally had to rely on his own potions, which was not an easy task to pull off considering the wall of close-range enemies trying to tear him to shreds. On his own, he would never attempt more than three enemies at a time, unless he greatly out-leveled them, but now he found himself only having time to knock them away while Parrying bigger attacks.
