Tales of a Lost Sword 24

Episode 24 Rift
The bright red sky glows ominously as a new morning begins to rise in the Rift World. Streams of light from the rising sun splash across the broken-down, simplistic stone houses of the city, dousing them in half light and half darkness.

Ryuu takes his time striding into the city, looking about him. His sword is sheathed by his side. At last, he comes upon the gates of the city, where a guardhouse stands. A half-sleeping guard jumps in alarm upon sight of Ryuu. He raises a hand, stopping Ryuu.

“Halt! Who are you, and what is your business here?” the guard asks suspiciously, eyeing Ryuu’s sheathed sword.

Ryuu merely glares at the guard with his bright green eyes. “I’m here to see Lady Silver of the Rift World. Tell her that I am Ryuu of the Maple World.”

“Y-You want to see Lady Silver?” the guard stutters. “No outsiders have ever come looking for Lady Silver. I’ll have to consult my superiors to see whether that’s allowed…”

“No, I want to see Lady Silver now,” Ryuu says impatiently. “Screw the bureaucracy. She knows who I am.” He places a finger on the guard of his sword threateningly, lifting it out from its sheath ever so slightly.

“Y-Yes sir!” the guard cries in alarm. He quickly opens the gates, allowing Ryuu to pass through them.

Ryuu strides through the gates, peering at the identically constructed stone houses all around him grimly. He looks up ahead, where a larger building adorned with tapestries and flags towers above the other buildings.

“That must be it….”

Kunai and Xavier continue to navigate their way through the desolate wilderness of the Night World. A light fog creeps about their ankles, and the wind blows fiercely through their ears as they travel at high speed. As always, the moon continues to gaze down at them hauntingly, shafts of moonlight providing the only lighting in the otherwise dark and quiet world.

Xavier peers over his shoulder as he and Kunai continue to move forward. Kunai glances at Xavier, a puzzled look in his eyes. “What’s the matter, Xavier? You keep looking behind us.”

Xavier comes to a stop, and Kunai follows suit. The two stand silently at the top of a small hill, clods of dirt at their feet. “I think we’re being followed,” Xavier announces.

Kunai narrows his eyes. “Is it my other self?”

Xavier peers into the surrounding darkness, attempting to discern the black shapes littering the landscape near and far. He finally shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Then what is it?”

“Beats me.”

Kunai now stares into the darkness as well, attempting to trace any sight or sound of the culprit. However, the black landscape remains empty and silent for miles all around, devoid of any signs of life.

Suddenly, a bright light shines behind Kunai, briefly illuminating the night. Kunai throws a Steely into the air in reflex; the knife strikes a ball of yellow light and explodes, singeing the ground with black ash. Sparks leap into the air before dissipating into the night.

A shadowy figure lands on the ground in front of Kunai and Xavier. Kunai’s eyes widen upon the sight. “Y-You!” he cries in shock.

Rill straightens up before Kunai, still dressed in his black Fatalist robes. His face is cold and stern, as he peers icily at Kunai through the darkness.

Ryuu sits down at a large round table. An attendant places a cup of hot tea in front of Ryuu and bows low. “Lady Silver will be with you shortly,” she says, bowing again before retreating from the room.

Ryuu crosses his legs and picks up the cup of tea, taking a sip from it. He places his sheathed sword flat on the table and folds his arms pensively.

At last, with the click of a door opening and closing, another figure enters the room. Ryuu looks up, staring into the vivid eyes of Silver.

“Silver,” Ryuu says, standing up.

“It’s been a while, Ryuu,” Silver replies. She takes a seat across the table from Ryuu, and signals for Ryuu to reclaim his seat. “I know what you’re here about.”

Ryuu nods. “Yes. I’m counting on you to provide help for the war ahead. We need all the help we can get.”

Silver sighs, clasping her arms together on the table. “It’s been difficult since I came back, Ryuu. Ever since we lost Jirgen and the others…and…and Tide…to the Fatalists, very few people have been willing to join the fight against the Fatalists. Moreover, the fact that the Myougun has fallen in the Rift World has led many to think that the fight is over. The people of the Rift World are simple human beings…they do not understand the enormity of the situation we’re up against with the Fatalists.”

“I see,” Ryuu responds solemnly. He sighs. “I suppose that is to be expected. So you haven’t made any progress at all?”

“No, it’s not like that at all,” Silver replies quickly, “we’ve made tremendous progress. We have been able to set up a free government in place of the rule by the Myougun. Things have gotten much better in the five years since the Myougun Empire fell. However, the people are disinclined for more fighting.”

“It can’t be helped, I guess,” Ryuu mutters under his breath.

“That is not to say that I have not been able to recruit any men who are willing to fight, though,” Silver adds. “But they are few and far in between.”

Ryuu sighs again. “Well, however much you can provide is good enough. This isn’t just a war for the Maple World or the Rift World. It’s for our entire universe as we know it. As such, we have to fight together.”

“Yes,” Silver responds softly, “I’m sure…Tide would have wanted this as well.”

Ryuu frowns upon hearing the name. He furrows his eyebrows. “I’m sure of that as well.”

Silver lowers her head, her silvery eyes glassy. Ryuu shifts correspondingly in his seat, looking at Silver with sympathy. “Tide was another unfortunate consequence of the Fatalists’ actions. We’ll definitely make them pay for all the tragedies they’ve caused.”

Silver jumps to her feet suddenly, slamming her palms against the table and bowing low. “Please, Ryuu! Allow me to do whatever I can to help. I want to defeat the Fatalists at all costs.” She stares down at the ground as she speaks. Silver sniffles slightly in the brief pause following her exclamation.

Ryuu flashes her a smirk. “Of course.”

Kunai’s eyes progressively widen as he stares at Rill standing before him. His mouth drops open. Beside Kunai, Xavier raises his weapon, a crossbow. He clutches it tightly in his hands, a frown on his face.

“Kunai, who’s this guy?” Xavier hisses suspiciously.

Kunai ignores Xavier. “Rill…what are you doing here?” he asks. “And those robes…”

“It’s been a while, Kunai,” Rill whispers in response. He disappears in a flash.

Xavier lets loose a bolt from his crossbow. It smashes into Rill, who blocks the attack with his right arm. He stops just inches from Kunai. Meanwhile, the bolt penetrates deep into Rill’s arm. A thin film of frost develops around Rill’s arm, encapsulating it in a shell of ice.

Rill glances at his arm, still raised to block the attack. “An ice hybrid, huh…” He shakes off the flakes of ice from his arm rather callously.

“Rill,” Kunai says again, standing right between the two combatants, “what are you doing here? Why are you wearing those Fatalist robes? Don’t tell me…”

“I have joined the Fatalists,” Rill answers bluntly. “But do not worry. I don’t intend to follow their orders. I only want to kill you, Kunai.”

Rill leaps backward, and launches a star at Kunai. The star glows brightly, a ball of golden light. Xavier jumps in front of Kunai at the last moment, using his crossbow to block the attack. The ball of light explodes against the crossbow, unleashing a flood of electricity running through it.

Xavier clenches his teeth, doing his best to endure the attack. He turns to Kunai. “Kunai! Get out of here. I’ll take care of this guy, you go after your clone!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me, Xavier!” Kunai replies. “Rill is after me! Let me straighten this out with him. He’s not an enemy!”

Rill suddenly creates an Avenger in his hands, made entirely out of lightning. It sizzles and crackles dangerously as its sparks brush against the air.

Kunai watches Rill prepare his attack intently. “Rill…when did you…learn this new power?”

“Master Arai taught it to me…” Rill breathes, the lightning in his hand lighting up the entire field around them.

All at once, Rill launches forward, sprinting at full speed straight towards Kunai. Responding quickly, Kunai pushes Xavier roughly out of the way, himself leaping out of range of Rill’s attack just in time.

Rill hurls himself forward; his Avenger crashes into the ground, creating a massive explosion that sends dust and rock up into the air. As the haze of debris clears, a large crater appears in the space around Rill.

From the ground, Xavier looks up, shocked. “This guy…!”

Kunai lands just behind Rill, already panting heavily. “Guess there’s no choice…” he growls, forming his own Avenger made of metal. “If it’s a fight you want, then here I come!”
—END TWENTY-FOUR—
All of my I/Ls are antagonists? What now, darkness? What now?!