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Chapter 70: Mind of the Enemy
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Dragon-kissed Chapter 71: The Time Thief
“My invisibility lasted a full week. During that period, I alternated between wearing my Type B uniform and my overly formal battle surcoat, even though no one could see them or appreciate my sense of hygiene. I of course could’ve walked around school butt-naked, but I’ve dreamt enough times of being discovered without clothes on in public that the thought of risking it thoroughly frightened me. I didn’t even know why I bothered because I didn’t sweat and neither of my sets of clothes ever got dirty in The Maw. That was probably heaven-sent now that I think of it because I seriously suspect that, at that age, my sense of hygiene stopped at getting changed regularly and didn’t include doing my own laundry. “I didn’t mind having a vacation. I was glad to be away from the rigors of study. Still, I continued to attend some of my classes. I just found it impossible to do oral participation and always sat in the back because I didn’t want to distract my classmates and call attention back to
Dragon-kissed Chapter 72: The Shaman
“After a week of failed attempts to recover me, a Gnomus Clan shaman was brought in by my mother. As soon as he stepped off a boat onto the school glacier, I sensed he was different from everyone else that had come. His kind was actually unwelcome in a place like Wani Academy because of their devotion to the mystic arts. I guessed it was the nature of Undines, or most any Slayer for that matter, to fear what they didn’t fully comprehend. But this was exactly the sort of thinking that had gotten me into the mess. And like what a great Slayer once said: We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. “Ironically, till the shaman arrived, all the so-called experts and authorities who tried to bring me back had been the ‘sham’. It was a good thing no one of the school administration or faculty wanted to risk my mother’s wrath by questioning her latest choice of solution. “‘What do you say, Sasha Babor?’ the shaman suddenly asked out of the blue, surprisi
Dragon-kissed Chapter 73: The Slayer Mom
“I know it’s the cardinal rule of Slayers to never cry but I couldn’t help it. My tears fell in great rivers. I was sobbing my heart out and making a wet stain on my mom’s parka. “‘It’s all right now, son,’ my mom soothed me while rubbing my back. ‘I’m right here. Nothing’s going to hurt you.’ “As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t stop crying. I had realized then that a Slayer’s life was inherently sad and strict because of all the rules we kept making for ourselves. All the virtues of chivalry, honor, self-discipline and even duty to the Clan had tired me out.” “‘I was so afraid…’ I told my mom. “‘I know,’ she said. ‘But it was very brave what you did. Defeating the Ayakashi. Your father and I are so proud of you.’ ” Aki found herself sniffling a little. Temujin had never felt the care and affection of a real parent but he had often observed them in families outside the mines. Koumori-shishou once told him that Salamander senseis taught their students to be as hard as metal, espe
Dragon-kissed Chapter 74: The Experiment
“It was his paper for a science fair experiment,” Sasha explained, “the one that got featured on the local news nishikie with Himiko’s portrait. I was finally able to confirm it in the library archives.” “But Tamerlane…” Aki mumbled. She still found it hard to say the name of her father’s murderer. “I know,” Sasha said. “I have a feeling that Tamerlane and the ‘Trailblazer’ are one and the same person.” “I see…” Aki said. “So he was the one who left behind the transcript on Ichi Geki Ken, the One Touch Death Strike.” “That’s right. And based on that book, the experiment that he pioneered was the one in the old alchemy laboratory with the dynamo and the fish tanks. Apparently it was done in preparation for creating the Nagas.” “How could Wani Academy allow such a depraved experiment on their grounds?” Aki asked with frustration in her voice. “When it blatantly subverts the natural order?” Temujin was flipping through the pages of Tamerlane’s book. It had some sketches in it so he
Dragon-kissed Chapter 75: The Crux
“He was mad!” Aki exclaimed. “Only the gods have the power to create or bring back life. It’s blasphemy!” “Is it though?” Sasha asked, his eyes lowered. “What’s forbidden and what’s fated? Who are we to pass judgment? The boundaries are muddled. If the shaman hadn’t reactivated my ki, I wouldn’t be here talking to you. And if my eldest brother hadn’t died in the hands of pirates, who knows if my parents would still have sought to limit me. Even the grownups can’t tell what’s right from what’s wrong. They’re so scared of death that they hold back from liv—” “Sasha!” Aki shouted in an admonishing tone. “Don’t tell me you believe the ravings of that lunatic? Shame on you. You of all people should know that some borders aren’t meant to be crossed, some secrets are never meant to be discovered by ordinary mortals.” “Gomennasai,” Sasha quickly apologized, suddenly realizing how he might’ve sounded to Aki. He had lifted his thoughtful, lowered gaze as though from a broken spell. “All I wa
Dragon-kissed Chapter 76: A Rough Morning
Temujin woke to a day full of noise and confusion. Sasha was shaking him and screaming in his face. Temujin blinked his eyes once, twice, and saw dust motes floating through a ray of sunlight streaming through the cracks in the wall. The morning was otherwise bright and clear. All at once, there was a deafening, rending sound like that of wood splintering and it occurred to the red Slayer that the cracks in the main hold wall were much bigger than they normally were. His eyes flew open. “We’re under attack!” Sasha screamed at him while using his water manipulation to turn back the water that was entering the main hold in a gush. On their alarmingly inundated floor, Temujin could see cannonballs rolling around, a few of which were not their own. He was wearing nothing but his pants. There was no time to get dressed and he only grabbed his shukos (tiger claws) from inside his cork bag. “Where’s Aki?” he shouted above the din of whistling cannonballs and more splintering wood. Their
Dragon-kissed Chapter 77: Emergency Maneuvers
“Ok, here’s the plan,” Temujin said in a quick huddle. “I’m going below deck and shoot the cannons. When they close the distance, we’ll make a sharp turn. Sasha, you drop our sea anchor on the left—” “Port side,” Sasha corrected. “— portside and fill it with as much water as you can. Aki, channel all the wind you’ve got to the sail. We’ll swing broadside so they’ll be in our firing line.” This was because their longship had no bow or stern cannons; all their cannons were located on the sides. Temujin finished with grim determination: “We’re gonna make these pirates regret targeting a Slayer ship.” “Yeah, we got this! The wind’s on our side,” Sasha said, referring to Aki. Temujin instinctively held out his hand for a hand-pile cheer and Sasha quickly accepted. Aki hesitated because of what happened last night, but when she saw both boys’ faces, she couldn’t help sharing their spirit and followed suit. They gave various cheers as they raised their hands. “Slayers!” Temujin cheere
Dragon-kissed Chapter 78: Slayers vs. Pirates
Temujin couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The thing that crashed through the deck was now standing in front of him. Its size made it look like a bear but it was actually human. A giant covered in tattoos. The pirate grinned with malice. His hair was swept back and tied up in a bun and it gave him the look of a sumo wrestler. The sumo theory explained his extraordinary bulk and warned that underneath all the layers of fat lay a whole lot of muscle mass. What it didn’t explain though was how he managed to clear the distance between the two ships in a single bound and carry steel melon hammers like batons. “Methinks I shall have ye fer breakfast, Salamander,” the pirate said. “I won’t be easy to digest” was all Temujin could think of as a retort. He hoped Sasha and Aki were having better luck above. × Things didn’t look good for Sasha and Aki. They counted a total of nine pirates in the boarding party, including the human wrecking ball that had made a hole in the deck. They were o
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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
Dragon-kissed Chapter 88: Rooftop Fisticuffs
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
“What took you?” Koumori-shishou asked. The old man remained seated on the driftwood, his back still turned and exposed to the newcomers though all three of his students had sprung to their feet. “Cor blimey! Whar be our manners?” Captain Fang said sarcastically, drawing a water-saber that he instantaneously generated out of an empty, solid scabbard. “Apologies fer keepin’ ye waitin’.” The saber was made possible by the Undina Clan’s Mizu Funsha no Jutsu (Water Stream), which produced a very high-pressure jet of water that was as strong and sharp as regular katana. “Well,” Koumori-shishou said, “we would not be very good Slayers if we threw away fifteen minutes of head start, would we?” “Maybe you’re just stupid,” Ganzorig said. “It was precisely the light in your pipe that led us here.” “Death on a hook is food in the eyes of a fish.” “Be ye sayin’ ye lured us out here, ye treacherous cur?” Captain Fang roared. “This shall nah end well fer ye.” “As I be a soul,” Kosano said, “
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
Dragon-kissed Chapter 85: The Emperor of the Dark
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
