Wind (Buryoku Book 4)

by Aaron Oster

  This was a bit of a problem as far as he was concerned. With his own plans of advancement so close, Duncan had already been preparing for his eventual takeover of the continent. But if another clan had a Scion, it would severely impact his ability to do so, especially if his son was fond of the man in question.

  For nearly fifteen years, he’d believed that Leroy had perished alongside his mother, and now that he saw him once more, he wasn’t prepared to lose him again. He’d made the mistake of sending him away, but now, he would keep him close, no matter the cost.

  ***

  Hermit watched the fight with an ever-growing fascination. Roy’s power and technique were improving, even as he fought, and although it should have been impossible, his power was growing closer and closer to that of a true Purple-Belt’s. More than anything, Hermit wished he could sense Roy’s Core, to be able to see what was happening inside his student. But, as with all the others here, he was functionally blind.

  “Get ready,” he said, directing his thoughts to the Core inhabiting his body.

  He received an affirmative, letting him know that the message had been sent.

  Roy moved faster and faster, his attacks growing ever-more powerful and impressive. He moved with a speed and grace that should have been impossible for his level, and his blows landed with the force of Martial Artists far beyond his Advancement. Even from up here, Hermit could feel the shockwaves, blasts of air that rippled from the force of Roy’s attacks.

  It was clear the arena itself was feeling it as well, as more and more of it was destroyed. Benches were shattered, walls crumbled, and had it not been for Pelata’s intervention, the entire thing would have come crumbling down around them.

  “Wasn’t this arena designed to hold Purple-Belts?” Ikari asked with a sneer.

  “In case you hadn’t realized, there is a Scion down there!” Pelata snapped.

  His thoughts were on his clan. Everyone had managed to get away — at least, those who mattered. In his mind, it didn’t really count if a few of the slaves he’d captured were to expire. His daughter and Sage had escaped, and so long as they got the Scion to leave, their clan would probably be fine.

  “A Scion who’s restricting his power,” Ikari said, clearly fighting hard not to laugh at Pelata’s expense, though Hermit wasn’t sure why.

  Her own seat of power, Light City, had been all but leveled in the wake of the Cavern Beast. Even if Pelata’s city fell, this wasn’t his main seat of power. So, in the end, only the Itachi clan would have suffered a severe blow, leaving them the worst off.

  “But a Scion nonetheless,” Pelata said, his brows furrowing.

  Duncan, for his part, remained silent, taking note of the interest displayed by the other Sovereigns. After this battle, if they all survived, every single one of them would try and get their hands on Roy. Any Martial Artist who showed as much promise as Leroy did would be a valuable asset to a clan’s overall strength.

  Duncan wanted Roy because he was his father. Hermit would want him because he was his teacher, and the other two were just greedy. He also had no doubt that the other Sovereigns would be hearing of the Martial Artist who stood up to a Scion and lived. They would all be coming for him, and unless Duncan could prepare his son, even he wouldn’t be able to keep him safe.

  It was in that moment, when all four Sovereigns had their minds fixed on Roy and how best to get him for themselves, that the opportunity to get him out finally presented itself.

  “Now,” Hermit said, not raising his voice.

  All of the other Sovereigns heard him well enough, and, pooling their considerable might together, they acted.

  48

  Roy watched with growing horror as the monstrous tornado continued to grow, spreading farther and wider as more Wind Essence, Qi, and purer energies were fed into its center. Green lightning crackled across its surface, and remaining on his feet was starting to become difficult.

  “What do you think?” Komura yelled, his body hovering a few feet off the ground. “Isn’t my full-area Chakra technique magnificent?”

  Roy felt his soul recoil at that. Was this really only a full-area technique created using Chakra?! Based on its massive size and scale, he was sure it had to be a Conqueror technique, one using Reiki at that. Apparently, he’d underestimated the true strength of a Scion, and now, he and this entire city were about to pay for it.

  “Do exactly what I say if you want to live,” Geon said.

  “Geon, now is not the time…!” Roy began, but this time, it was Geon who cut him off.

  “No. You’re going to listen. The Sovereigns have a way out for you, and I just received a message from Hermit. So, do exactly what I say. Now!”

  Roy felt a huge sense of relief when he heard that and gave Geon a mental nod.

  “Good. Now do exactly as I say, and repeat after me…”

  Roy looked up to the towering tornado as he listened to what Geon had to say, giving the Core a mental nod to let him know he understood. Then, despite his instincts screaming at him to do anything else, he began to advance, walking toward the very center of the spiraling windstorm.

  “While I appreciate the time and effort that went into this, I’m afraid I’m not impressed,” Roy said, fighting to keep his voice steady and his pace even. “Come back to me in a hundred years, or when you’ve finally earned your 1st Dan. Until then, I’m afraid you’re just not worth my time.”

  Roy nearly felt his heart leap out of his chest as he said this, but before the Scion could reply, a glowing tear appeared right in front of him, and before he could stop, Roy walked right into it. A second later, he stepped out into the vast desert, miles away from the arena, and nearly collided with the very last person he’d been expecting to see.

  ***

  Aika fought down the mixture of anger, worry, and exhaustion as their group continued moving at a breakneck pace, her feet sinking deep into the sand with each powerful stride. It didn’t help that the combination of Wind and Fire Essence beat at her spirit for all they were worth. Never in all her life had Aika been in a place that was so abundant with Essence, especially of this strength.

  Not even inside the Trials of Water, when she’d literally been surrounded by it, had she felt so drowned as she did now. Still, she kept pace with the ground, encouraging Ferry along as she did. Despite the ferret’s higher constitution and greater overall speed, she was still the weakest in their group, which made her job of keeping up even harder than Aika’s.

  They’d been moving at this pace for a couple of hours now, and in order to reach the city where Roy was being held, she knew she’d have to keep this pace up for several hours more. Her Essence was nearly drained, and her Qi would soon follow. She’d been trying to use as little of it as possible since Qi took so long to create.

  Their group reached the bottom of another dune and Ferry let out a long wheeze.

  “Wait. Need rest.”

  Kaeru and Violet slowed, giving Aika an excuse to do the same.

  “We need to keep moving,” Kaeru said, turning a troubled gaze on the horizon. “Something big is going on there, and I want to get there quickly, just in case my help is needed.”

  It wasn’t any big secret as to why he wanted to reach the city. Even from here, Aika could sense the massive power radiating from it. It had less to do with her ability to sense things and more to do with the fact that the powers gathered there were so vast, they stretched all the way to where they were standing.

  “Need rest,” Ferry repeated, leaning over and placing her hands on her knees.

  “I agree,” Aika said. “The two of us just can’t keep up with you. Why don’t you go on ahead and we’ll follow at our own pace?”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Violet said.

  “I’m not leaving you,” Kaeru said, his shoulders going stiff. “I owe your grandfather at least that much.”

  “Can you sense anything that could hurt me?” Aika asked.

  She knew he didn’t.
Anything with half a brain would have been sent bolting as soon as the massive powers gathered in the city had been unveiled. They were the only idiots still out and about, and not only were they not fleeing, but they were running toward the source of the danger.

  “No,” he finally admitted, looking as though he wanted to protest.

  “Then go,” Aika said, waving him off. “We’ll be fine.”

  “They can take care of themselves,” Violet said, and Aika noticed her hand sliding into one of his. It seemed the two of them were growing quite attached to one another.

  Kaeru hesitated for just another moment before slowly nodding his head.

  “Fine. But I want the two of you to follow as soon as you are able. If you don’t arrive in the city within two hours after we do, I’m coming to look for you.”

  Aika nodded, giving him a reassuring smile.

  Though he was obviously still hesitant, Kaeru turned – still holding Violet’s hand – and began moving up the next dune. Aika noticed Violet’s hand squeeze a bit tighter, before she released him and the two of them sped off, vanishing over the top within a few heartbeats.

  As soon as they were out of sight, Aika collapsed back, allowing her composure to slip as she gasped for air.

  “Thanks for that,” she panted, looking to Ferry as the humanoid Beast straightened.

  “Aika tired. Ferry stop,” she said, suddenly looking a lot less winded than before.

  It seemed that Ferry had been pretending to be more exhausted than she actually was. This led Aika to examine the ferret’s spirit and make a surprising discovery. Ferry was now at 3rd Dan Green, which was quite a bit higher than Aika had thought she was. She looked down at her own solid Blue-Belt and suddenly felt inadequate.

  She knew that she was being hard on herself. After all, with each advancement, the subsequent one would be more difficult, and reaching 1st Dan at her level could be the work of several months. Still, she couldn’t help feeling like she was letting Ferry and Roy down by remaining as she was.

  She was about to say so when a tear suddenly appeared in the air between them, and Roy stumbled out. Aika was so shocked that she didn’t even know how to react. Ferry had no such reservations.

  “Roy!” Ferry squealed, hurling herself at the disoriented man and tackling him to the ground.

  “Ferry?!” Roy exclaimed, his voice sounding muffled from under the ferret’s bulk.

  Ferry might have taken on a humanoid appearance, but she was still quite large and all but covered him with her oversized body.

  Ferry didn’t respond verbally, but judging by how she was squeezing even harder and nuzzling her face into his, she was communicating with her mind.

  Roy turned his head toward her and gave her a tight smile. It was only then that Aika realized how hurt he looked. There was blood on his face, and his hands, which were trying to hug and shove Ferry back simultaneously, were slick with the same.

  “Ferry, I think you need to let him go,” Aika said, moving to try and pull Ferry off him. “He’s hurt, and you’re not making it any better.”

  Ferry turned to her and let out a low growl.

  “My Roy!” she snapped. “I hold!”

  Aika felt a sudden flare of anger and jealousy, which she quickly tamped down. She reminded herself that Ferry was basically an oversized child who viewed Roy as family. However, she had to repeat that to herself nearly a dozen times before reaching out to drag Ferry off of him. This way, her fingers looped into the ferret’s robes instead of around her neck.

  Ferry struggled, and with her massive strength, it took more than a little effort to drag her back. But, when Ferry was finally pulled back enough to notice Roy’s injuries, she moved on her own.

  Her eyes widened, and she reached out to place a hand on his stomach, her large eyes going wide as she met him and a worried look coming to her face.

  Aika’s eyes were fixed a bit lower on the Belt sitting around his waist. She blinked, rubbed her eyes several times, then looked again. No, she wasn’t imagining things. The Belt around his waist was a solid Purple.

  “Um, Roy,” she said, grabbing his attention. “It’s great to see you again, but would you mind explaining that?”

  Roy looked to where she was pointing, then a sheepish look came to his face.

  “If I’m being perfectly honest, I have no idea.”

  He winced then, nearly doubling over in pain, eliciting a worried squeak from Ferry. Aika realized that in her shock at seeing his Belt, she’d completely forgotten about his injuries.

  “Here,” she said, quickly fishing into her robes and removing a Restoration Pill.

  “Thank you,” he said, giving her a tight smile. “I’ll explain everything as soon as I’m able. Until then, I’d tell you to keep your attention fixed on the mass of power coming from the city.”

  With that said, he popped the pill into his mouth, got into his cycling position and closed his eyes.

  Aika still had no idea what was going on, nor what had happened to him in the few weeks they’d been apart. The Belt around his waist told her that he had a lot to tell her, but right now, she could only focus on one thing.

  Roy was finally back with her, and she couldn’t be happier!

  49

  Hermit watched Roy disappear through the portal that he and the other Sovereigns had opened using their combined wills. A Scion like Komura would be able to open one on his own, but as Sovereigns, they were still forced to travel by normal means. Of course, opening it without the Scion detecting it was them had been a monumental task and one that wouldn’t have been possible without the Core in his chest. Still, now came the most dangerous part of the plan — seeing whether Komura bought it.

  He tensed up as Komura stared at the space where Roy had just stood, the Scion’s expression inscrutable. The mass of Wind Chakra continued to gather overhead, darkening into a raging storm and still spreading wider.

  Hermit estimated the cyclone to be some thousand feet wide by now. It held the power to devastate not only this city but at least a half-dozen neighboring ones as well. But, if Komura left now, he and the other Sovereigns could take it apart, sparing all the innocent lives.

  Of course, there were plenty who weren’t innocent, but honor would not allow him to simply stand by and allow thousands of innocents to die, just to rid the world of the thousands who were guilty.

  Komura looked between the portal, the group of Sovereigns standing in the sky, then back to the portal. The man clicked his tongue in annoyance, then his presence seemed to vanish. The man spread his wings wide, and with a single powerful flap, blasted into the air. Halfway up, a tear opened in space, glowing green around the edges, and the man vanished through it, leaving the four Sovereigns to sigh in relief.

  “Good. He bought it,” Pelata said. “Now, if you all don’t mind, can you please help me get rid of that?”

  “What? You want me to stop that from destroying part of your clan?” Ikari asked with a snort. “I was willing to work with you to stop the Scion from ending us all, but this is your problem.”

  “I agree,” Duncan said, already turning to leave. “This is none of my concern.”

  “What about your promise to tell us what you know about Roy?” Hermit asked, causing the man to halt in place. “You can’t just leave without telling us. We have your word.”

  The word of someone at their level was pretty much a binding oath, one that could not so easily be broken.

  “Fine,” Duncan said, turning back around and crossing his arms. “I will tell you about my son, but I made no promises to save this dog’s city.”

  Pelata was about to lunge at the man, but Hermit held out a steadying hand. Ikari shrugged as well, then reclined in the air, interlacing her fingers behind her head and letting out a long sigh. It seemed her mind was made up as well.

  “Looks like it’s just the two of us,” Hermit said.

  “You would really help me?”

  “No. I would not,” Hermit
replied bluntly. “You forced my student into slavery and made him fight for his life. If it were up to me, I’d strike you down where you stand. But at least some of the people down there are innocent, and I won’t allow your mistakes to cost them their lives.

  “Now, how much Reiki do you have?”

  Destroying a Scion’s technique was not going to be easy. Even though Komura had created the cyclone using Chakra, his authority over Wind was far more powerful than theirs over their respective Paths.

  When two Martial Artists of the same Path fought, the one who had a higher Belt would win. This was because of the simple fact known as authority, the power of will one commanded over their Path. A Scion’s authority was another beast entirely. As one of the four more powerful beings on the continent, his authority could rarely be challenged, which was why Hermit had only been confident in taking down the technique with all four of them.

  Now that there were only two, it was going to take every drop of Reiki they had at their disposal to put an end to it, and even then, it might not be enough.

  This also presented him with another problem. Ikari still wanted revenge, and Duncan never promised he wouldn’t attack once he’d explained why Roy was now a Purple-Belt. Hermit had gone from 9th to 10th Dan in just a few short days, the last of the Cavern Beast’s power settling into him, and now, he had a clear path to Scion. Duncan may take the opportunity to kill him here, and now, so he couldn’t challenge his power later.

  But, right now, he couldn’t worry about that. He needed to concentrate on stopping the technique before it struck the city. He could worry about the future after that.

  “Enough,” Pelata replied, his powerful muscles flexing as he began to work his Conqueror technique.

  Normally, someone as powerful as a Sovereign wouldn’t dare pull out a technique that powerful. A Conqueror technique born of Reiki could wipe out literally thousands of miles, leaving the land barren of life and Essence. But, with a technique like this raging before them, it would probably not even be close to enough. That was why Hermit was going to use his as well.