Retribution

by Charles Tillman

  Kimura smiled and nodded, motioning to Kion to bring two sakes. “Join me for a glass, my treat,” he offered when Kion placed the cups in front of him.

  The old man smiled as he held the potent alcohol under his nose and sniffed. “Ah, this is the good stuff. Domo.”

  “Think nothing of it. I like company when I drink, and I wished to speak to you anyway.”

  Ichizo looked up from his drink, confusion in eyes already glassy and red from the drinks he had consumed. “Me? Why would you want to talk to me? I’m just a useless old man.”

  “You are far from useless or old. You have led an interesting life. I heard you talking about Kume before the WWDE, how people from all over Japan came here to see the beauty of the island. I would like to hear more.”

  “Hai, Kume was a tourist destination. The beaches were pristine, and the people from the mainland enjoyed the slow pace of life here. It differed greatly from living in the cities, always bustling with people everywhere.”

  Ichizo launched into a story about things he saw while working at an island hotel before the WWDE. Kimura motioned to Kion for a bottle and continued to pour as Ichizo talked. When his story ran down, Kimura jumped in before he could go into another.

  “What about after the WWDE? How did you survive here then?”

  “I fished and raised cattle. Kume was a large producer of beef before the WWDE. When the ability to ship it dried up and the disease and storms ravaged everything, I found four cows and a bull that had no owner. I could trade beef and fish for other things until…” He stopped talking and a haunted look crossed his face.

  Kimura took the cup from his hand and filled it again before handing it back. “Until?” he prompted.

  Ichizo shuddered, his face visibly pale under his tanned skin. “Until the monsters came.”

  “Monsters?”

  Ichizo looked around before he slid his chair closer. “Hai, monsters. They came after dark several months ago. A beast claiming to be the emperor and his henchmen.”

  Kimura watched as Ichizo raised his cup, his hands shaking so badly the sake spilled over the side. “They set up in the castle across the island and took people in the night, some to work on the castle and others.” Ichizo swallowed hard. “Others they turned into raging beasts with eyes that glowed like an oni’s. Dark creatures that fed on whatever flesh they could find.”

  Kimura filled the empty cup and motioned for him to continue. “Those beasts were terrible, but we could keep them out with a strong enough shelter. So long as you were in by dark, you were okay ‘til morning.”

  He pointed to the scars on his neck and arms. “They didn’t come close to the ones who took over the castle. They were different; they came in the night for blood. If you failed to open when they called, they would take all inside the house. No matter how strong the doors, they went through them like we’d made them of rice paper. We never saw any they took like that again.”

  “What happened to them? Surely they are not here any longer?” Kimura asked.

  “No, our saviors came from the sky. They destroyed all of them and burned their bodies not far from here. The government sent help, and now we are rebuilding.”

  “Who are these saviors?”

  “Yuko-sama…” He cut off abruptly, remembering the warning Yagi had given everyone not to talk about what happened and never to mention the roles the saviors played.

  “Pardon me,” Ichizo said as he climbed unsteadily to his feet. “I need to be getting home.”

  Kimura raised the almost-empty bottle. “One more before you go?”

  “No, no, I really must be going. Thank you for the drinks,” he called as he staggered to the door.

  Kimura shook his head as he sipped from the cup he had hardly touched. Interesting. As drunk as he is, he won’t talk about the people from Tokyo. This business about monsters was strange but not unbelievable. There had been animals who turned into men in the rural areas of the country. Even the Oyabun had warned everyone to keep the silver ammunition close.

  Kimura finished his drink and pushed away from the table. The job was almost finished, and it was time to go home to report his findings to Kishi. He knew she would be angry he hadn’t secured the businesses she’d sent him for, but he also knew she was not ready to openly defy the old man yet.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The Palace, Tokyo, Japan

  Akio and Eve stood in one of the Palace’s many simulation rooms as the AI explained, “The program will adapt to the skill level of the user. It's rudimentary now, but Takumi will adjust the program as it runs. I imagine this will be the foundation for future sims, once we eliminate the bugs.”

  Akio quirked an eyebrow. “So, you want me to do what, exactly?”

  “I have set up this sim as a training aid for Koda and Asai. Since you’re ultimately going to handle their training, I wanted you to try it too and make suggestions for any changes it needs to provide them the best training it can.”

  “I need all this to play a videogame?” He motioned to the bundle of clothing Eve had passed him when he entered.

  “Yes. It is what gives the wearer positive feedback during the sim. It has sensors that will show where an opponent scores a hit,” she explained.

  Akio nodded as he looked at the outfit, skepticism obvious in his expression.

  “Just try it.” The AI smiled. “If you don’t think it is worthwhile training, I’ll stop, and you can work the girls into your schedule. I only did this because you have been so busy acclimating Kenjii and haven’t been able to work with them.”

  “I’m sorry, Eve. I do appreciate your time and effort. It is just that I see the sims as entertainment. That they’re useful for training is a concept I have not yet embraced,” Akio apologized.

  “I understand this is new, and you have many years of experience with traditional training methods. No apology needed. Would you like to begin?”

  Looking at the clothing once more, he nodded as he pulled on the suit. Once he finished, he pulled the goggles over his eyes. “I’m ready.”

  The darkness faded to a green glow that resolved itself into a room with a video monitor on the wall.

  “Welcome, Akio,” Takumi’s voice announced. “Please choose the clothing and weapons you would like to train with.”

  The monitor came to life with a selection of clothing that ranged from a simple gi to a full set of Jean Dukes armor. Akio selected a dark blue gi without shoes, and the screen changed to weapons. As with the first screen, there was a varied assortment. He selected a rattan training sword and learned the system had already selected an opponent for him.

  “This is impressive,” he murmured as he tested the weight of the sword. He could feel the clothing shift against his skin as he took several practice swings. The sword in his hands felt identical to other training blades of that type he had held.

  “Are you satisfied with your selections?”

  “Hai.”

  “Training sequence initializing. One opponent similarly armed.”

  The room faded to black, and in seconds, Akio found himself in a dojo. The floor was polished wood with the image of a black dragon in the center of a marked circle.

  Takumi’s voice filled the room, coming from all around him. “The rules for this match are as follows: all combat will take place in the marked area.” The circle lit up, a red light marking the area.

  “You score points based on the number and projected lethality of the hits. If you’re forced out of the circle, it counts as a point for your opponent. Is this acceptable?”

  “Hai.”

  Akio stepped to the edge of the circle and waited for his opponent. The space directly across the combat area wavered, and a figure materialized.

  The figure was a man a little shorter than Akio, with white hair surrounding the balding top of his head and a white goatee on his chin.

  “Welcome, Akio-san. I look forward to our match,” the figure called as he stepped to the center of the
ring.

  Akio’s eyes widened as he looked his opponent up and down. He seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place him.

  The vampire stepped into the circle and met the man in the center. His opponent bowed slightly, not low, but at the angle a master would bow to a student. Akio quirked one eyebrow as he returned the gesture, his eyes focused on his opponent.

  The elderly gentleman took a stance with his weapon in a high guard position and nodded for Akio to advance. The vampire moved forward at human speed and brought his sword up, intending to slash the man across his chest.

  The gray-haired man brought his blade down, intercepting Akio’s and twisted his body, pushing the blade up and out. Before the vampire recovered, his opponent changed direction, and Akio felt a sharp blow to his side.

  “First point to the master,” Takumi announced as the man resumed his high guard position, a slight smile curling the corners of his mouth.

  “Eve, whatever are you giggling about?” Yuko asked from where she was studying a map of Tokyo on her screen.

  “Akio’s in the training sim.” She grinned as she looked up. “I don’t think he expected to have to work so hard in a,” she made air quotes, “videogame.”

  “What do you mean, work so hard?” Yuko pursed her lips as Eve’s grin got larger. “What have you done?”

  “Want to watch? Eve asked, motioning to a large monitor on the wall of the office.

  It came to life, showing two side-by-side windows.

  “The window on the right is the sim world. As you can see, it shows what the player sees.” Eve giggled again. “The one on the left is a view of the sim chamber. It monitors the player to ensure they don’t injure themselves. Not that I’m worried about that with Akio. I just thought it would be fun to watch.”

  Yuko pushed her chair back and stood, cocking her head as she watched the scenes play out.

  The left showed Akio and his opponent trading blows and a number beneath each of their avatars. The one on the right showed Akio as his feet left the floor and he flew backward several feet before landing on his back.

  Yuko winced. “Eve! What have you set the feedback to? That should not be possible.”

  Eve looked up at Yuko, her pupils moving to the tops of her eyes as she feigned a look of innocence. “I didn’t adjust the settings. Takumi has full control and is adapting as Akio uses more of his abilities.”

  “Still, the settings should not be capable of going that high. Someone could get hurt.”

  “That suit might some features unique to it,” Eve waffled.

  Yuko shook her head as she turned back to the screens. “What are the numbers under each opponent?”

  “The current score for the match.”

  “How is it that… Oof, that looked like it hurt.” Yuko winced again as Akio’s opponent elbowed him in the head while their swords were locked together.

  “Okay, I think I see why Akio’s score is as low as it is.” She shook her head in wonder as the avatar hit Akio twice in rapid succession while he deftly dodged each of Akio’s counterstrikes.

  “Is Takumi cheating?”

  “I resent that,” Takumi answered, his voice taking a hurt tone. “I do not cheat. Is it cheating that I can predict Akio’s actions with ninety-six-point-two-five percent accuracy and counter his moves?”

  Eve shook her head. “Takumi has analyzed footage of Akio during training with you, Kenjii, and in actual combat. He programed the sim opponent to be slightly faster than Akio at each level of his abilities. He has not gone full Queen’s Bitch yet, but so far…uh-oh.”

  The window on the left froze as Akio disappeared from the window on the right. “Looks like he just turned it up to eleven.”

  Akio shook his head to clear the sweat from his brow as he went out of the circle once again. The last time he had been hit this hard this many times, he was sparring with Bethany Anne.

  “Balance is key.” The kindly looking old man smiled. “Again!” He ordered as he resumed a guard position in the center of the ring.

  Akio had been going hard for the last ten minutes. Every time he launched an attack, his opponent thwarted it and gave similar advice. His patience was at an end. He pushed himself off the ground, his eyes glowing red under the goggles. He stepped to the center of the ring and bowed. As soon as his opponent straightened, Akio hit vampire speed, running to the left of the man as he brought his practice sword down on the master’s neck.

  He stumbled when his sword failed to meet resistance, and the room went black.

  “Simulation parameters exceeded,” Takumi announced as Akio ripped the goggles from his head, breathing hard as he looked around the room.

  The door opened and Eve entered, followed by Yuko. “What do you think of my…videogame now?” Eve asked.

  “It is very annoying,” Akio told her as he noticed Yuko trying to contain a smile.

  Eve smiled at Akio. “I understand why you would feel that way, but how did it perform?”

  Akio looked at her through hooded eyes. “It performed as if it knew my tactics and movements before I did—almost like…magic.”

  “No magic, only science and Takumi’s ability to make over a million calculations per second.” Eve chuckled.

  Akio pulled the suit Eve had given him off and looked at it closely. “How is this suit able to cause physical pain from the sim?”

  “The goggles stimulate your optic nerves and signal the pain receptors in your brain to coincide with the location and force of the hits. It is literally all in your head.”

  “The sim pushed me hard, but what happened at the end?”

  “Your use of your full enhanced abilities was too fast for me to track with my current video capabilities. You went into Queen’s Bitch mode, and I couldn’t keep up. I need better equipment.” Takumi huffed.

  Akio nodded as he turned back to Eve. “I commend you and Takumi on a match well fought. Do you think it would be possible to add a shuang gou as a weapon of choice with the same opponent?”

  “I already have that option loaded,” Takumi advised.

  “Good,” Akio mumbled. “I hope he’s seen the movie.”

  Yuko had been fighting hard to keep a straight face since she walked in. Akio’s muttered comment was all it took for her to start to shake. Seconds later, a giggle escaped, and when she saw the questioning look on Akio’s face, she couldn’t contain her laughter.

  “The…the look on your face.” Yuko’s voice trailed off in another fit of laughter. She took a deep breath and continued, “When he gave you those tidbits of advice each time, he scored a point.” She went into gales of laughter again, her face red and tears streaming from her eyes.

  Akio sniffed in derision until he couldn’t help it any longer and started to chuckle.

  “When I realized who my opponent was, I lost focus for a moment and ended up on the floor again. That is brilliant, Eve. What gave you the idea to base the avatar on him?”

  “Koda and Asai.” Eve smiled. “They walked around here for a week quoting him after Abel showed them that old movie. I thought it fitting that he be their instructor since they liked his sayings so much.”

  “I hope Kenjii has seen it too. I want to see the look on his face when he gets his ass handed to him by Morita-san.”

  “Is Kenjii ready to venture out among the human population?” A faint frown creased Yuko’s forehead. “I know you had an issue when you went to Chiba.”

  “Hai. Kenjii stopped the men from harming an innocent and restrained himself from hurting her. I think if we come here just before closing time, he will be fine. I won’t bring him out of the sim until everyone has departed for the first time or two, though.”

  Yuko nodded, trusting that Akio had the Kenjii situation in hand, then suggested, “Perhaps it’s time to introduce him to the girls. I know they are happy staying here, but Koda has mentioned wanting to visit Abel. They formed a bond when she was staying at the base.”

  “Hai. I can do that the night I br
ing him. What does tomorrow night look like, Eve?

  “Our last sim is scheduled to end at eleven thirty-seven. All the staff will depart by midnight. Horst is supposed to be back too, so I’m not sure what plans Koda has.”

  “What plans Koda has when?” Koda asked as she walked into the office. “Konichiwa, Akio-sama. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Are you well?”

  “Hai, Koda-san. We were discussing bringing Kenjii here, and Yuko suggested that you and Asai meet him.”

  “I’ve been looking forward to it. When?”

  “Tomorrow, close to closing time.”

  “I’ll make it a point to be here. Horst will be back tomorrow. We have plans for an early dinner and a movie afterward. I’m sure he won’t mind if we skip the movie.”

  “We will see you then,” Akio advised as he nodded to the rest and took his leave.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sakutaro Apartments, Ome, Japan

  “Kishi, do you have a minute?” Asaka Shuko called through the door of her bedroom.

  “Only if you stop yelling,” came the muffled reply.

  “I warned you about that rotgut gin you were drinking.” Asaka laughed as he pushed open the door while balancing a tray with a carafe and three cups in one hand.

  “Shut the door,” she moaned as she covered her eyes with her hand.

  Asaka gently pushed the door closed with his foot, moved to the king-size bed that dominated the room, and sat down next to the body that had curled into a fetal position under the covers.

  “Sit up. I have aspirin and water for you.”

  Kishi rolled toward him and moaned. “Just let me die in peace.”

  “No dying allowed. I have news from that idiot Juba. If you take your aspirin, I have coffee for you.”

  Kishi sat up and winced, one hand on her head as she reached out with the other. Asaka dropped two white tablets in her outstretched hand and pulled a cup from the tray.

  Kishi’s face twisted into a grimace as she swallowed the bitter pills and gulped the water. “Oh, those things taste nasty.”