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Chapter 61: The White-haired Czarina
Last Updated:
2023-12-15 21:50:03
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Dragon-kissed Chapter 62: Darkness is Thy Friend
“The Blackest Maw now lived up to its name. I sought to regain my bearings but I was doubled over in paroxysms of coughing. When I heard the familiar clink of swords being screwed together, I knew that the Ayakashi had assembled a double-bladed staff. “The Ayakashi took her time and toyed with her prey. She walked around slowly and taunted me with her new weapon. She kept flipping over and swishing the staff on either side of her to let the blade slide and spring out on one end and then the other. The sounds sent a chill down my spine. She reminded me of Lorelei once again, except the Ayakashi stayed quiet and let her blade do the ventriloquism. I tried to open my eyes but the most I could achieve was a blurry image of the Ayakashi. Worse, I felt extreme pain each time. The other fear I had was that I had gone blind. I was desperate to summon my mother element and wash all the foreign particles out. The effect produced by pepper was a burning sensation under my eyelids. “I swiveled
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“Another crucial factor was the non-existence of a true double-bladed sword. A double-bladed long weapon like a spear or naginata can be wielded effectively without hurting oneself. The same goes with a double-bladed dagger or knife. But a double-bladed sword is a completely different matter. The only time such a weapon can work is if the blue Slayer alters the length of the hilt in the middle by stretching it and shortening the blades, basically transforming the weapon into a polearm. The problem was, in a real match between blue Slayers, we’re able to inhibit each other from liberally making or changing ice constructs. This is the very practical reason a sliding blade function was designed for the jotō along with a mechanism that would lock it on either end, not both. “The Ayakashi must’ve forgotten I didn’t have any recourse to my elemental powers in The Maw. Out of pure habit and training from Wani Academy, she was once again reduced to making single-blade, single-sword attacks. B
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“I tried calling out to the Ayakashi in the hope that she would not be a sore loser and bring me back to the human dimension. No luck. I thought I could shout myself hoarse but she would never come because I had in fact exorcised her from her old haunting ground. Instead of fellow students celebrating me as a hero, I had never felt more isolated in my life. I had a nagging feeling this was the fulfillment of my earlier wish to be swallowed by the earth, to disappear. I certainly hoped it wasn’t some kind of monkey’s-paw deal, or the part of the lore about someone having to take over the Ayakashi’s accursed existence. “It was cold comfort that I now had all the time in the world to study my environment. Like I first observed, it was a pitch-black womb, but it wasn’t an oppressive, crushing darkness like how the Meikai Abyss would’ve felt. It wasn’t the icy darkness of polar night either, which you two have had a taste of. It was simply… nothingness. Like the black neutrality donned b
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“The exact same thing happened. There was a muffled whoosh like that of air exploding, or bits and pieces of me scattering and then I felt another sensation of reverse plopping. My brain must’ve made up the feeling for such an unnatural experience. “I spun around and called out to the kunoichi, hoping this time things would be different and she would hear me. I hounded her like a street casanova but she acted as though she was deaf or I had gone mute. I knew the second hypothesis was false because I could hear my own voice. As much as I hated to admit it, everything pointed to the explanation that I had replaced the Ayakashi and I was now on an altogether different plane from the rest of Wani Academy – perhaps even the rest of Pan-Terra. Terror and panic were gradually winning against my forced positivity. “The kunoichi was knocking on a door with a number above it. It took a while for another female student to answer. The second one looked disheveled like she’d been sleeping in
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“Lorelei was in her room surrounded by her usual retinue of fellow Ice-nins. Several Jock-nins were there too, including Alrik, who appeared to me now to be vying for Lorelei’s affection. He was acting like a puppy ready to fetch her anything her cold heart desired. “But something also told me all those students endured being cramped in that small dorm room not because of their concern for one other. They simply didn’t know what to do. Something had rocked their perfect world and they would stay together even if none of them was dangling any bright ideas. It was like how wood ants would huddle together in a cluster when one of them was in distress. Though they tried hard not to show it, they were all afraid. The fear was palpable in that room. It was fear of the consequences of their actions, of the Ayakashi, and of my unexpected demise. “I knew it was wrong but I felt pleasure knowing they were afraid. Lorelei’s mascara was running down her face in streaks, proof that she had be
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“As both of you know, in the summer night sky, there are three prominent stars: Wega, Altair and Dhanab. Among easterners, the legendary weaver girl and cowherd symbolize Wega and Altair respectively, and their love story inspired the Star Festival. To us northerners though, the Milky Way looks like the vast blue sea and we see Toyotama-hime in Wega and Hoori in Altair. “According to northern lore, Toyotama, the daughter of Watatsumi the sea god, fell in love with and married a handsome mortal by the name of Hoori. For three years, the couple lived in Ryūgū, the undersea palace made out of red and white coral and fish scales. However, deep down Hoori felt lonely and missed the surface world. And so, with the sea god’s blessing, the couple ascended to the surface world, riding the back of a one-fathom-long wani. Once they arrived, Toyotama announced her pregnancy and Hoori built for her a child-delivery hut thatched with cormorant feathers. She requested that her husband not watch
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The next morning, the day broke bright and clear but Aki and Temujin were late getting up. Sasha prepared breakfast and started the hippocamps pulling again. Even then, Aki and Temujin looked bleary-eyed and had trouble staying awake. “Step to, me hearties, and keep a weather eye on the horizon!” Sasha shouted to them as he came down the companionway to the main hold. In one corner was a long table where they would spread out maps and navigational charts or, like now, eat their meals. “There be pirates afoot round these waters!” “Well, you can tell those pirates,” Aki said, not lifting her head up from the table, “that we’d rather brave the planks than eat burnt omelet.” “Opps! My bad,” Sasha said. As they had proven many times, he was good at preserving leftovers but wasn’t keen on using fire to cook. “But seriously, we’d soon be passing the tip of the Terra Furca continent. You better get some grub in those tummies of yours because we don’t know what’s waiting for us round those
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“Nevertheless, another part of me felt oddly conflicted about running out of time and everything going back to normal. I wasn’t sure I was ready to give up my extraordinary circumstances just yet. I mean, I hadn’t completely tested the span and limits of my unexpected abilities. Think about it. I was probably the only Slayer in the world who had defeated a ghost and ended up in an in-between realm. Apart from the obvious goal of scientific research, I had plenty other things I wanted to do before I lost my newfound freedom.” “Really?” Aki asked. “What things?” “Well, for one, I had to make a quick trip to the school library.” “The library?” Aki echoed. She admired Sasha’s devotion to study but wondered if it wasn’t a bit much. “Oh,” Sasha said, guessing what the other two were thinking, “it’s not what you think. You remember the numbers the Ayakashi gave me right before she disintegrated? I had figured out what they were. They were book call numbers.” “Call numbers? That can’
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“’Tis a sin tah suffer such a numbskull as ye live,” Captain Fang said, “but it appears we be a perfectly even match. Ye know as well as I do ’tis futile tah resort tah our mother element.” The pirate could barely stand in his exhaustion and was leaning on his sabre. Sasha was also down to his last reserves of energy. He was poised low on the ground, ever ready to strike with his shinobuken held horizontally in front of him, his left hand behind. “Were we in a trainin’ dojo where ye’ve been raised,” the captain said, “no one would claim victory… BUT HITHER IS NOT A DOJO!” Captain Fang thrust his amputated right arm and released the harpoon on the end of it. As a matter of fact, Sasha had earlier grabbed a handful of salt when he tumbled forward across a drying pan. Now he swung his left hand from behind him and flung the salt to the captain’s eyes like a sumo wrestler purifying the ring. Sasha felt a certain amount of pleasure when he heard the captain utter a pained squeal. In a s
Dragon-kissed Chapter 89: The Cleanup
Yuriko poked her head inside the hole in the roof. The building was a temple. Its ceiling was high above the floor and the whole place, although spacious, was empty. There were plenty of Everlite crystals to keep the temple well-lit. She regretted that she didn’t bring a grappling hook. She made the hand seal of Pyō the Great Thunderbolt to execute a Kyūbanjutsu (Suction Pad). It was one trick she inherited from her clan and had been useful during her stint as a cat burglar, till she scaled the hull of Captain Fang’s ship and became a stowaway. She channeled her ki to the soles of her feet and created partial vacuums on them so they would stick to any flat surface. The suction was enough to let her stand completely upside-down on the temple’s ceiling, her braided hair hanging down from her scalp. “Thanks for dropping in.” Yuriko gasped. Aki was across from her and also upside down. With the better lighting, she looked formidable in her white Slayer suit, at ease and back in her ele
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Aki leapt from roof to roof. Her tabi boots touched the tiles lightly before pushing off. She was harnessing Karamijutsu (Body-lightening). Without warning, a tile she was stepping on broke and she slid straight down to the edge of the roof, only managing to grab the gutter in the nick of time. She was dangling there when Yuriko appeared on the incline, just a few feet away, crouching and fanning out a set of throwing knives. Apparently, she had launched a projectile that broke Aki’s foothold. “Fancy a prince tah rescue ye, princess?” “I’m not a princess,” Aki replied through gritted teeth. “I’m a SLAYER princess!” With a back flip, Aki brought herself upside-down with her legs spinning in a wheel kick. Yuriko held her forearms up in an X shape and the casings of her katars blocked the kicks. Aki landed right in front of her. They were soon locked in hand-to-hand combat; something rare for Stork Slayers who emphasized defense over offense, evasion over brute strength. Yuriko projec
Dragon-kissed Chapter 87: The Teacher
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Dragon-kissed Chapter 86: First Class
They sat around Koumori-shishou on the moonlit beach. Like real students, Aki thought excitedly. Sasha had returned to his human form and was still half-naked. Apparently, shrinking back down was relatively easier than blowing up to the fearsome scale of Dragonkist Ryūjin. The master sat on a large piece of driftwood. He took off the tunic-like uniform of the Dark Emperor and revealed his usual attire underneath: the saffron robe and pom-pommed surplice of the hermit monks, the Yamabushis. From inside his sleeve, he drew out his shakujō staff with the six rings. Like Aki’s bō staff, it could be retracted and extended. Next, from his slightly hunched back, he produced his straw conical hat and placed it on top of his head. Finally, he unclipped his one-toothed geta sandals from his belt and put them on. He was completely transformed. Aki clapped and Sasha muttered, “Wow.” Koumori-shishou bowed with a flourish. “You’re a true master of disguise, shishou,” Aki complimented. The monk
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From the strong rocking movements, Aki could tell they were on a small boat. Her captors were using oars. All at once, the bag was pulled from over her head and the wind coating was removed from her mouth. “Get your stinking hands off me or I swear you’ll lose them!” Aki blinked to adjust her eyes. It was still night. Have they arrived in Dragon’s Horn already? “Spoken like a true warrior-princess,” said a familiar voice. Aki couldn’t believe it. She strained her eyes in the dark. “Temujin?” she blurted out. “That’s right. It’s me.” “But I thought…” “I had some help,” he said, gesturing to a second figure behind him. Aki let out a frightened gasp. In the pale moonlight, she could make out the Dark Emperor! “Oh, don’t be alarmed!” Temujin said. “It’s just my master, Koumori-shishou.” To Aki’s great consternation, the Dark Emperor swept back his hood and took off his iron dragon mask. An old man with slanted eyes and a long wispy beard like a mountain goat’s was beaming at her
Dragon-kissed Chapter 84: Hard Truths
“What do you think they’re going to do to us?” Aki asked Sasha. They had eventually given up hope that Temujin would return. As much as it pained Aki to admit it, she knew he would succumb to brainwashing. Most Slayers did, sooner or later. “Well, at first they were pointed south like us but then they made a U-turn, which explains why we didn’t see them coming. My guess is they’re now taking us to Dragon’s Horn. It’s a big and busy trading port, for all things legal and illegal.” “They’re gonna sell us as slaves?” Aki said in horror. “No, we’re much too old to be submissive. But they know you’re the heiress apparent so they’ll demand a princess’s ransom.” “A princess’s ransom? How much is that?” “Let’s just say they’re gonna try and bleed your empire dry.” “My grandfather would never allow that. I’m sure he’ll have imperial soldiers waiting for us when we reach port. I’ll have these pirates arrested before they even—” “They probably wouldn’t tell anyone about you just yet. The
Dragon-kissed Chapter 83: Torture
In the afternoon, after their cheerless and tasteless brunch, the captain came down to the brig to grace them with his presence. Aki was right, the four most important people on the ship were: Captain Fang, the Dark Emperor, Kosano and Yuriko; in that order. But because they were pirates, it was easy to imagine incessant politicking among the last three. The entire crew was of course curious about the young Slayers who had kicked their butts, but they were under strict orders to stay on their posts and perform their duties. Nevertheless, Aki recognized Zaterra and Ganzorig; the first was endlessly cutting his nails with a dagger. Temujin also noticed his cork backpack slung on Zaterra’s shoulder. “Hey, that’s mine!” Temujin shouted, gripping the dragon-bone bars of his cage. “Finders keepers,” Zaterra replied and stuck out his tongue. “Give it back to him!” Aki demanded. “Be yer companions knowin’ yer secrets in this here bag?” asked Kosano. Temujin fell quiet. “Cat got yer ton
Dragon-kissed Chapter 82: Prisoners
They were held in separate cells down the ship’s brig. Aki’s and Sasha’s were adjoining while Temujin’s was across from theirs. Each cell had an additional feature. For instance, Aki’s had a water barometer to monitor the slightest change in atmospheric pressure if she attempted to form winds inside the ship. Sasha’s had a quicksilver thermometer to keep the room temperature in check. Last, apart from confiscating his flint and steel, the pirates put Temujin in a cell with the fire-proof bones of a red dragon for bars. In case the prisoners showed any signs of defiance by using their powers, the pirates also had a weird-looking contraption like an electrically charged spear. Sasha figured it was a weaponized version of the Leyden jar. If it touched their prisons (the conductor), it would discharge tens of thousands of volts. This last piece of technology suggested a link between the pirates and Tamerlane’s research on the fifth element, but all of them pointed to the fact that the cap
