by Ryan Kirk
Akira dug his blade into the ground and supported himself on it. He didn’t think he could fight anymore, but he didn’t want to fall.
A shout rose up, but it wasn’t from his own men. It was from the Azarians. Akira managed to raise his head and follow the gaze of the Azarians. Off in the distance, he could see people in black robes running down the hill, the glint of steel clear as day. Akira smiled. The nightblades would break what was left of the Azarian lines. His kingdom would survive.
Akira’s strength left him, and he fell to the ground. His mind was still clear. He thought it silly that after all he had been through, it would end with a single cut on the battlefield. But, he supposed, that was the way it always was. They were all just hanging on by a thread, a thread that was all too easy to cut. Still, he had killed a hunter by himself, and there were few men alive who could say that.
He heard the sounds of his men retreating, and he hoped they would be okay. They had given everything for the Kingdom, and he would honor their memories forever. He hoped they would honor his.
And then his vision swarmed with black robes, darting all across the battlefield. Akira tried to smile, but the effort hurt. So he gave up and looked at the blue sky. And then Akira's world went black.
Ryuu struggled back to his feet, but there was nothing left. He had no energy, no strength to fight the monster of a man in front of him. Nameless knew it, too.
“Your strength is great, and your skill is similar to my own. But your body and mind lack the stamina for a fight of this magnitude. You cannot win.”
Ryuu glanced over at Moriko. She was bleeding from dozens of small cuts, but still she circled, preventing any hunters from reaching the duel happening between the two warriors. But there was no way she could hold out much longer. This battle would be decided in the next few moments. Ryuu wanted to hold her one last time.
Nameless saw him looking at Moriko, and his gaze followed Ryuu’s. Surprisingly, his attitude softened for a moment. "You are both very strong. This has been a good fight. It has been a very long time since I have needed to raise my blade against another."
Ryuu took it as a compliment. "Thank you. You are by far the strongest I’ve ever faced."
A hint of a smile played upon Nameless’ face. "I did not believe such strength still resided in this land. The People will tell stories about you for generations. You were our final test."
Ryuu didn't know what he could do. He had done everything in his power, but he hadn't even gotten close to Nameless. And Nameless wouldn't give him a chance to figure out a new strategy.
Nameless attacked. Ryuu searched desperately for strength, leaping out of the way, running backwards, staying out of Nameless' reach. He was able to avoid being cut, but he couldn't evade forever. He would run out of space or strength, and it would all be over.
His mind raged against him. There was no way he could allow himself to lose! He had come too far, had accomplished far too much. There had to be a way to beat Nameless.
Nameless halted his attacks to taunt Ryuu. "What's the matter, boy?"
He pointed his sword at Moriko, still desperately fighting off hunters. "She can't hold out much longer, and all you're doing is running away. Is that all you have, after all of this?"
Ryuu's mind flashed back to his fight with Moriko in the woods, back when he had been without his sense. Then, he had found clarity of purpose. There was a reason for him to live. He thought of Takako, beautiful and innocent and dead. Shigeru, the man who had been much more than just an adopted father, who had been a master and a friend. Orochi had been a strong warrior, the man who pushed Ryuu to realize what he was capable of. He thought of Tenchi and Shika and Rei and Akira and everyone else who was depending on him. This fight was bigger than the two of them.
And there was Moriko. She was the strongest person Ryuu knew. More than anything, he wanted a future with her in it. She was worth it.
His mind calmed, and he found the energy that flowed around him. It had always been there. He just needed to move beyond the fear he felt. He summoned it, and his exhausted limbs filled with a newfound strength. Losing was not an option.
Nameless straightened up, sensing the difference in Ryuu. "Good. I was hoping it would be more of a fight."
It was all the warning he gave. He leapt forward, and he and Ryuu's blades met for the final time. Their first passes had been powerful and focused. These were still, but now they had a desperate edge. Ryuu knew if he lost his focus again he would never regain it.
Their swords clashed, and Ryuu kept himself low to the ground, slashing at Nameless' ankles. Like their first battle, Nameless danced backwards, but Ryuu didn't give him time to strike back. He kept attacking, kept Nameless moving. When he thought he had a chance, he cut upwards, hoping to catch Nameless off-guard. His hope was in vain. Nameless dodged the cut and got his blade in between them.
They passed again, Ryuu trying to make use of the extra length of his blade. He kept himself just outside of Nameless' range. But Nameless was patient and wouldn't make any mistakes. Ryuu couldn't get inside the hunter's guard.
Desperate for something, Ryuu closed the distance with a single thrust. Nameless slid to the side of Ryuu's blade, and a quick cut sliced into Ryuu's right forearm. It wasn't deep, but Ryuu grunted in pain. He couldn't bring his sword around in time, but his body was inside of Nameless' guard. He focused all his effort on driving his elbow into Nameless' chest.
The blow knocked Nameless backwards, and each of them took a moment to catch their breath. Neither of them had landed a fatal cut, but Ryuu was the one running out of time. The circle was closing around them, and Moriko and the other nightblades were having a hard time holding their ground. Already the battle was pressing uncomfortably close to Ryuu.
Ryuu didn't see any options. When all was said and done, Nameless was faster, stronger, and just as skilled a swordsman as Ryuu. He didn't see any way he could win. But he wouldn't give up.
Ryuu summoned more energy, afraid of what would happen when this battle was over. Even if he lived through the combat, his body might give up after this.
Nameless attacked, and immediately Ryuu found himself on the defensive. He kept his guard close to his body, favoring protection over a counter-strike. His only hope was to wait for Nameless to make a mistake. Nameless attacked and attacked, and although he was faster, he wasn't quite fast enough to make it past Ryuu's guard.
When it happened, Ryuu couldn't believe it. He and Nameless were engaged, their swords a furious blur of steel. And then she was there, behind Nameless, and a single cut was made. It wasn't deep, and Moriko went right back to defending against the hunters, but she had somehow found the time to cut Nameless.
Ryuu was astounded. She was fighting multiple hunters, and still had positioned herself behind Nameless. Her skill was beyond compare.
The cut slowed Nameless down, but more importantly, it made him wary. Ryuu took the advantage away from Nameless, pressing the attack. He summoned every bit of energy he could, cutting with all his speed. Nameless retreated, and Ryuu thought for a moment he would win.
Then Nameless exploded once again, an incredible burst of speed and energy, and Ryuu found himself on the defensive once again, doing everything he could just to stay alive.
When all of Nameless' focus was on Ryuu, she came again, her sword slicing through his calf. Nameless howled in rage and turned on her, but she had disappeared once more, placing a hunter between her and Nameless.
Ryuu seized the opportunity, thrusting his blade deep into Nameless' side. It wasn't necessarily a fatal blow, but it had the chance of killing him.
The giant hunter turned on Ryuu, his face a mask of rage and pain. Ryuu had never seen a sight more terrifying. Nameless swung his short sword with all his strength. It was an obvious and slow attack, and Ryuu got his blade up in time to block it. The attack hit with such force Ryuu's own blade snapped back towards his body, and he felt his wrist break as he held on to the sword. He flew back
wards, struggling to push himself up on his good wrist. His focus fled, and he collapsed, unable to move his body.
Ryuu lifted his head and watched as Nameless approached him. He saw Moriko slay the hunter who had been a shield from Nameless' wrath. She leapt forward, and Nameless never sensed her coming. She was a ghost on the battlefield.
Moriko's sword went straight through Nameless, piercing his heart and coming through his chest. He looked down in surprise, the rage disappearing from his face. He tried to turn, but Moriko held the blade firmly, preventing him from turning.
Nameless fell to his knees, and Moriko pulled the sword from his chest. She didn't hesitate. As soon as her sword was clear she whipped the blade in one smooth cut, taking off Nameless' head.
Ryuu smiled at her. After all his preparation, she had been the one to kill Nameless. He wasn't dissapointed. They had won. He laid his forehead on the ground, completely spent, and passed out immediately.
Chapter 37
Moriko fell to the ground. She felt as though she had run the entire length of the Kingdom with a horse on her back. She never thought she could be so tired. Never before had she pushed herself so hard.
There was a satisfaction there, too, the pleasure of a job well done. She had never put forth so much effort, but never had the results been so pleasing.
All around her, the hunters broke and ran. The death of Nameless threw them into utter chaos. His passing was a shock, even to her. He had possessed so much power. In a moment, it had all disappeared, and to everyone gifted with the sense, it was as though a deep blackness had suddenly opened up in the middle of the battlefield. She didn't blame the hunters. If she possessed any strength, she would flee the battlefield, too.
It was all over. All the fighting, all the killing. The desperate desire to survive. All of it was gone. In its place was a simple peace, a relief that she had survived.
Ryuu was unconscious but alive. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed. His power had grown, much more than even the last time he had fought. He truly was a remarkable man. She may have made the killing blow, but it was only because he was strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with Nameless.
She watched the nightblades as they pursued the hunters. She didn't care. The spine of the Azarians had been broken, and she and Ryuu had given more than enough. She crawled over to him, unable even to stand on her own feet.
She sat down next to him and lifted his head up onto her lap. Gently, she felt his forehead and extended her sense. He was weak. Much weaker than she had initially thought. He had told her he feared using too much power, and perhaps his fears had come true. But there was nothing to be done about it now. She had no ability to heal him, not from this.
Eventually, with nothing to do, she lay down next to Ryuu and stared into the blue sky. It really was a beautiful day. She closed her eyes and rested.
Her sense warned her awake. Two people were approaching. She sat up and saw that it was Rei and Shika. She cursed softly to herself. They were both fine people, but she was enjoying the peace.
It was Rei who spoke. "How is he?"
"Very weak. He used up everything he had to fight against Nameless. I think his wrist is broken, too."
Rei flared her energy. "There should be a dayblade here shortly."
Shika spoke softly. "He did it. He actually killed Nameless. From everything I heard, I wasn't even sure it was possible. I could feel his strength all the way across the battlefield."
Moriko thought about correcting her, but abruptly decided she didn't want to. She didn't want the recognition as the one who had killed Nameless. Ryuu knew, and that was all that mattered. She was happy with as little attention as possible. Anyway, he had done the hard work.
Shika and Rei continued their rounds of the battlefield, trying to aid as many nightblades as they could. As promised, it was only a matter of time before a dayblade came to Ryuu's side. She laid her hands on Ryuu and focused.
"I've never felt anything like this before."
"What do you mean?"
"It's hard to describe. Imagine him as a candle. He has burned himself all the way down. He's recovering, but I think he’s very close to dying."
"His wrist?"
"A clean break. It will be easy to fix."
The dayblade began to work. Moriko watched, but there was little to see. She could sense the connection between the dayblade and Ryuu, but nothing else was apparent to her sense. She lacked the finesse with the ability the dayblades possessed.
A little while later, the dayblade opened her eyes and looked up at her again. Sweat was on her brow, and she looked exhausted.
“This is more than I can handle on my own. He’s dying from lack of strength. His body is completely burnt out.” The dayblade flared her energy, calling for help. “When they come, let them know what I told you. I’ll need them to join me.”
Moriko didn’t have time to respond. The dayblade closed her eyes and focused on keeping Ryuu alive. Fear clutched at Moriko’s heart. Had Ryuu pushed himself too far this time? He couldn’t die, not now, not when they were finally safe. She wouldn’t allow it.
It seemed an eternity before three other dayblades appeared. Moriko told them what the first dayblade had said. They looked skeptical, but knelt down and went to work without question.
Moriko stared, wishing there was anything she could do. She had never seen the dayblades work in unison before. She panicked when the first dayblade collapsed next to Ryuu. One moment she had been kneeling down and healing Ryuu. The next she was unconscious next to him. A few moments later a second dayblade fell. Her heart raced. What was happening?
Finally, the two remaining dayblades opened their eyes. One looked at her. "He should live now. I don't know how long it will be until he wakes up, but his body should be healed."
“What happened?”
The dayblade spoke slowly. “I’m not sure. I’ve never felt anything like it before. He used all of his strength and more in his last fight. We had to find a way to give him more strength, and the only place we could find it was within ourselves. It took all of us to pull him back, but still he’s weak.”
The dayblade saw Moriko’s concerned glance at his companions. “They’ll live. They just need to recover. Like he does.”
She bowed slightly, and the dayblade moved on to the next patient, stumbling as he went.
The sun was beginning to set when Ryuu finally awoke. He looked up at Moriko, affection and relief in his eyes. "I didn't think we were coming back from that one."
She looked down at him. "You almost didn't. It took four dayblades to bring you back."
Ryuu laughed and sat up. He grimaced, and Moriko thought it took him more work to sit up than it should have. He was alive, but exhausted. "Better than Nameless having the pleasure."
He surveyed the scene around him. "You were amazing. I don't know how you managed to defend me and attack Nameless at the same time. I owe you my life. The Kingdom owes you."
Moriko shook her head. "No, they owe you. I told them you killed Nameless."
Ryuu looked puzzled for a moment, and he looked as though he was about to ask her a question. But then he thought about it. Of all the people in the world, he understood Moriko best. He nodded. "I see."
"The hunters all scattered after Nameless died. I think it's all over now."
Ryuu looked off into the distance. "I hope you're right."
The sun was starting to fall when Rei, Moriko, Shika, and Ryuu met again. They had saved all the injured they could, but still their losses had been substantial. They had come into the Kingdom with three hundred and seven blades. There were a hundred and three left. Moriko didn't underestimate the strength they had remaining. It was still the strongest force the Kingdom had seen in over a thousand cycles. But it was a third of the strength they had come with. Each death weighed heavily on her mind.
Ryuu had been meditating, extending his sense, trying to find out what was happening. Nameless' death had had a cascading
effect. The hunters had panicked and run back to the Gathering. When the hunters scattered, the nightblades swept down on the main battlefield, breaking the lines of the Azarians who still fought against the Kingdom. Losses had been tremendous on both sides, but all the Azarians had retreated back to the confines of the Gathering.
They had to decide what to do next. Ryuu's worry was the Gathering itself, and he was trying to use his sense to determine what was happening. They were waiting anxiously for his information.
He came out of his trance and looked around. He fixed his gaze on Moriko. "Moriko, you know the Azarians best. How will they react to their losses here?"
His tone was serious, and she guessed he was hoping her opinion would help him understand what he was sensing. She thought carefully, aware her answer might have serious repercussions.
The problem was, it was hard to generalize the Azarians. Although they claimed a single heritage, clan loyalties were stronger than loyalties to the People as a whole. Each clan would react differently. But what would be the dominant reaction?
They wouldn't leave the Kingdom. Every single Azarian knew how rich the land they had come into was, and they had sacrificed too much to get here. Even with their defeat, most Azarians would view the citizens of the Kingdom as weak, and wouldn't hesitate to attack. They certainly wouldn't run with their tail between their legs. The Kingdom had won today, but the Azarians would only view it as another setback, a challenge to be overcome.
She spoke carefully, considering her words. “I’m not sure what they will do, but if you forced me to guess, I would guess they would take one of two actions. They won’t consider themselves beaten, and their reaction will be fierce. They will either use today to unify to a degree we haven’t yet seen, or they will split for good and cause chaos throughout the Kingdom. Nameless held their alliances together, and I’m not sure exactly how they will react to his death.”
