Can I ask why the four of you are going to Martials Guild?
[Sage]
Rei has a fight to the death scheduled!
[Rector]
Ok
Bring an umbrella
***
Martials Guild HQ wasn’t dissimilar to ours. Just replace the logos and everything was basically the same. Except for, however, the work environment. Within the walls, the air was heavier as though everybody was counting the number of breaths they take. Their gazes were fixed ahead or straight at the pavement, knowing better than to look over their shoulders. Bags were held tightly to their chests, and their legs went fast, not eager for the new day but fearful when the wrong person woke up slightly more irritated today.
Guess the rumors were true. Of the Big Four, Martials had the most oppressive, cutthroat culture. You had to provide results regardless of methodology and pray you were given the opportunity to climb one rung of the ladder. Supposedly, Jin Junjie approved of the brutal philosophy but no one could come to a consensus on why. Did he want Martials Guild to closely resemble a sect, or did he hold that much disdain for the urban world and wish to see its denizens tortured?
Regardless of the answer you believe, the results speak for themselves. The Martials were in the Big Four for a reason.
As we marched in tandem to the rendezvous point, we stuck out like sore thumbs. Ninety-percent of the reason was the red-headed bastard sticking out like a sore thumb. Aiden was the most famous of the group; he acted as a “flag” so-to-speak, announcing to everybody that we came bearing wings. As for the other ten-percent? That was Rei, the mindless tourist looking up at everything in awe.
I ignored the attention. I’d been the celebrity numerous times before—for better or for worse—and I got decently good at brushing hateful and curious eyes off my skin.
For the next ten or so minutes I reckon, we looped to the rear of Martials Guild and came onto the recreation section. Gyms, simulation rooms, and what we brought tickets for, the sparring arenas. Ours wasn’t high-tech, just a dirt-field with a predefined white boundary drawn in thick chalk.
We had a small and enthusiastic audience taking up sporadic seats on the sidelines. In the middle was the challenger, the urban prince Wang Qiu of the Wang Sword Family. He admired the sharp straight-edge of his signature, an ornate jian, as if looking into a mirror. Well, the steel was reflective enough to act as one.
Wang Qiu looked away from his self-admiration and spotted us.
We breached the white line all four of us, carrying ourselves highly despite standing in our opposition's territory. The prince had home-field advantage, but that’s all he had.
That fact, though, seemed to give him another toxic dose of confidence. He half-smiled and whipped his jian downward, tip almost scratching the dirt. “So you actually arrived, so-called ‘kensei.’ And you’ve brought your friends, I see. I’ve brought my own.”
He gestured toward the audience as mentioned earlier. They seemed to be his colleagues, perhaps his teammates and seniors. Thinking about it, challenging an Angel to a spar was a great risk to your reputation politically-speaking. If he won, it'd be a major boost to his career.
If he wins.
Amamizu Rei wouldn’t let that happen. He held an arm over his heart, having the ferocity of a small kitten. “I shall not lose nor admit defeat, Wang Qiu! What will be the rules?”
Wang Qiu chuckled, pleased with the response. “It’s quite simple. If you admit defeat, step out of the white boundary or become too incapacitated to continue fighting. Let’s…” He pointed at me. “Since we’re dueling in Martials Guild, let’s have you as a third-party. You may step in if the duel becomes too heated or one of us refuses to concede despite injury.”
I crossed my arms. “Fine by me.”
“Good. Are we agreed, little boy?”
“I agree to your terms! Let’s wait not a second longer!”
Aiden huffed. “Let’s go find a seat.”
The three of us decided to sit and stand outside the white boundary, away from the other Martials. Chie was only one sitting, attentively watching both combatants as they walked to their respective corners.
Rei clicked [Hyakken] onto one of the nine blades, his stance tense. Meanwhile, Wang Qiu held his signature jian down, treating this duel lightly.
Chie cheered, “You can do this, Rei! Kick his butt!”
I shouted next, “Tear his head off!”
Aiden followed, “Burn him alive!”
Some Martials cheered for Wang Qiu in response. Assholes.
Rei stepped inwards, trying to block out the noise. “Erm… My name is…! My name is, err…”
Wang Qiu leaned his head back. “What are you trying to say?”
“My introduction! A kensei must introduce themselves before a duel begins! That's standard practice in swordsmanship! If your opponent doesn't know your name or lineage, how can your kenjutsu spread across the land?!”
“I—fine, you juvenile swordsman.” Wang Qiu cleared his throat and proudly boasted. “Hear me, Martials Guild! I am the swift blade Wang Qiu of the Wang Sword Family, here to strike down the foolish aspirations of a child ‘kensei’!”
Rei startled, and for some reason, he turned toward us. “His introduction was really good! What do I say?!” (“Focus!” we all yelled.) “Eek! Okay, okay! Ahem! My name is Amamizu Rei of the Special—! Erm, I mean, of Angels Guild! I am Rei of Angels Guild! Yes! Here I come! Itadakimasu! (いただきます).”
Aiden’s jaw dropped. “That’s…not right.”
I whispered, “We have a big problem.”
Chie still cheered, “That’s right! Eat him alive!”
Despite the rather critical mistake, Rei had the time to look in our direction again and gave us a thumbs-up.
Then Wang Qiu appeared and nearly chopped his thumb off.
Rei, thankfully, rolled out of the way and it wasn’t pretty. Dirt stained his brand new [Loadout], but despite the blunder, he deftly hopped to his feet and reset his posture. “We’re starting?!”
Wang Qiu rolled his eyes. “A swordsman never—!” Jian and katana clashed, yet the former was dominating. “Never takes his eyes off his foe! For every mistake—!” The prince pushed forward, “—I’ll punish you and have you taste despair!”
Wang Qiu knew he had the advantageous position. Despite being far below our skill-level, he did get into Martials Guild. That alone meant he was stronger and likely smarter than most regular Slayers. Thus, seeing the kid was off-balanced, he did the only reasonable thing: give a little tap to Rei’s legs.
A light kick toppled the tower—the small tower—and Rei fell on his ass as a shadow darkened his distress. He took another kick, this time harder, to the forearms. The prince had some leg muscle in his skinny calves, dragging Rei across the dirt and pushing him deeper into the arena. His distress was now stained brown.
“Get up,” demanded Wang Qiu. “Surely as an Angel, you’re much stronger than—”
[Skill Activation: Zerowalk]
There was a katana about to decapitate him from behind.
Steels bounced off each other.
Rei calmly exhaled and stood.
Just like that, the positions were reversed.
“So you do know a few tricks. Speed. I should’ve known.” Wang Qiu flipped his jian around his hand. “Speed won’t be enough to—!”
Taking after the prince—rather, taking after me since I loved to fight dirty—their blades met halfway through his sentence. Despite his assumptions, Rei had more than just speed. He had great delusions, naivete, a love for all things swords, but he also had power. You wouldn't expect his tiny body to pack such a mighty punch.
Because his sudden lunge actually took Wang Qiu off his feet.
The bastard cursed again in Mandarin, but he seemed to be comfortable in the air. Quickly, he recovered and elegantly landed with hardly an imprint in the dirt; however, in the short time underneath Overseer's instructions, Rei had integrated a few lessons into his tactics. One of them was pretty obvious: never let your opponent rest. Don't give them even a single second, because they won't give a second for you.
Wang Qiu met [Hyakken] again.
Swords kissed, and feet skidded along the dirt like skates on ice. The prince’s wrists trembled. His hold was hilariously weak. The swords met again and their wielders danced into a new part of the arena. The prince couldn't properly angle his sword. Again, the swords joined hands and sauntered into new territory. The prince was sweating. It was an unassuming yet tense tango, where neither revealed their sword techniques but tested each other's fundamentals.
Even now, the difference of skill was clear.
Amamizu Rei was leagues above Wang Qiu.
“We were worried for nothin’.” Aiden went into a crouch and picked at the dirt. “Rei’s too good for him.”
I recalled Rei’s previous spar with Leo. “I shouldn't have underestimated Rei."
Chie was pumping her fist in the air. “Finish him off, Rei! Put him in the ground—!”
“My, what’s happening here?”
In just a few words, another urban prince turned a cloudy day in July into a blizzard in January. He sounded genuinely curious which was the worst part, because no matter how innocent he acted or whatever pleasant tone he took, I could never… I could never forget the sight of his cold fingers choking his mother—even if she had been a monster.
Hello again, Jin Tianyou. We might be cousins.
He glanced at the spar. “Amamizu Rei, am I correct? And Wang Qiu. It seems my man is outmatched.”
“So what?” Aiden bounced up and instinctively stood between the cultivator and his girlfriend. “Don’tcha have another woman to choke?”
Jin Tianyou charmingly smiled. “I see you’re as fearless as always, Firebrand. And…” His hollow eyes settled on me. “It’s good to see you again, Conqueror. I suppose the three of you are supporting your friend?”
I slowly nodded. “Wang Qiu challenged him to a duel.”
“To his detriment,” chuckled Jin Tianyou. “He’s a competent swordsman but his talent is…disappointingly average. Not unlike Amamizu Rei. I heard that he ended a ‘crisis’ at Glory Guild. Is this true?”
Aiden opened his mouth—
“Like the rest of us,” I answered before Aiden could. “Rei’s the most inexperienced of the team, so we thought having real-world duels might fill in the gaps.”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Wang Qiu wouldn’t teach him anything. I—hmm?”
Comically enough, here came the asshole. Wang Qiu rolled toward us like timber. Barely, he stopped himself from crossing the white boundary. Personally? Being disqualified might be a blessing in disguise, because when he blinked the dirt from his eyes, he saw his Vice Guild Master and his slightly crazed stare. There was a new subject of his fascination: the kid-kensei. Whatever Jin Tianyou saw, whatever schemes bubbled inside his psychotic mind, it couldn't be anything good.
“Guild Master Jin!” Wang Qiu jumped to his feet and bowed his head, then turned toward Rei. “I-I’ll defeat him as soon as possible—!”
“There’s no need.” Jin Tianyou laid a hand on his shoulder. “The kensei has superior skills to you.”
That one sentence brought more despair to Wang Qiu than any of us could. “Wha—? No, I can defeat that boy—!”
“Are you disobeying me?” Jin Tianyou simply asked.
“P-Pardon?”
“Do you doubt my judgment?” The cultivator viewed him without hostility or aggression, nor without offense. The question wasn't rhetorical either. It was a genuine, honest-to-God question, spoken with an unbothered tone of voice. Somehow, that scared me more than an angry young master.
Wang Qiu couldn't say another word, capable of only babbling like a toddler. Him and everyone else.
"So we're agreed." Disappointed, Jin Tianyou took the prince off the field—forcing him to cross the white boundary—and disregarded him.
Wang Qiu limped to his friends with tears in his eyes, but that wasn't his superior's concern. Wasn't ours either.
This was technically Rei's victory. He won his first duel, hurray.
Now, we had to deal with the consequences.
In what I imagine to be the worst possible scenario, Jin Tianyou took Wang Qiu’s place in the arena.
I spoke up, “Guild Master Jin—?!”
On the other side of the arena, Rei was worriedly looking around. “Wh-What’s going on?! Guild Master Jin, I apologize for challenging your subordinate—!”
“There’s no need.” Jin Tianyou peacefully raised a hand. “You’re here to gain experience, correct? Look no further. I’ll enlighten you to the world of the warriors blessed by the System—of those willing to face tribulations from heaven."
The rest of the audience were on-edge, now, whispering among each other with mixed reactions. Then there were the Angels, us. We didn’t have mixed reactions. We had one reaction and that was fucking panic.
“Don’t fuckin’ touch him!” Aiden roared.
“This won’t be a spar,” assured Jin Tianyou. Supposedly, of course, like we were supposed to believe him. “Nor will it be a duel. It’ll be an exhibition. Let’s see… How about this? If Amamizu Rei is able to move me a single step after five decisive strikes, he wins. After a failed strike, I can counter. If my counter incapacitates him or I deem him unable to continue, it’s my victory."
“I have to do what?!” Rei was shaking his head.
The wind picked up, yet Jin Tianyou's voice melted in the breeze: “With your victory, I will…owe you and your team a single favor, and vice versa. Will you accept the challenge?”
“I…”
Rei couldn’t answer right away.
It was “his” choice to accept or refuse the challenge knowing the risks involved. Again, the challenger was the same guy who’d murdered his own mother—Alternate or not—but gradually, I was getting a better picture of Jin Tianyou. Despite his…previous actions, he was remarkably straightforward with his intentions. Unlike other cultivators, he wasn’t in the practice of constant deception and masking. Should Rei refuse the challenge, he most likely would thank us for giving Wang Qiu some experience and let us go. Yet, there was always this itching dread at the back of our minds, afraid of his unpredictability.
But if I was in Rei’s shoes…
Rei looked at me beyond Jin Tianyou.
I shook my head.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t Rei. Our philosophies couldn’t be any more different. I was primarily focused on survival and practicality: don’t take stupid risks unless you have a really good reason. Rei, on the other hand, possessed a singular goal: defeating Yomiya Yasuyuki, one of the strongest Slayers on the planet, in an honorable duel and claiming the Kensei Throne.
How could he accomplish his life’s mission if he declined Jin Tianyou’s challenge?
Despite our concerns, Rei lifted [Hyakken] toward the Vice Guild Master of Martials Guild. “To prove my strength, I shall accept your challenge!”
A rare, pleased smile formed on Jin Tianyou’s lips, and he rooted himself to the ground. “Good. The floor is yours, Amamizu Rei. I’ll remind you: you have five strikes and must endure five of my own.”
“Hai!” Rei circled Jin Tianyou, his searching eyes taking in every bit of information as possible. Whether or not his observational skills were good enough to find an opening in the armor, that was another question.
“Shouldn’t we stop this?!” Chie exclaimed in a hushed whisper, holding onto Aiden’s arm. “This wasn’t apart of the plan! Rei’s gonna get hurt—!”
“He accepted the challenge,” I said, biting my lip.
Aiden snarled, “And you’re gonna stand there and let your own teammate get fuckin’ annihilated by a matricider?”
“Intervene, then, and explain to Rector how two of his kids got annihilated.” I didn’t tear my eyes away from Rei. “We need to trust the kid.”
Aiden quietly cursed, “Shit. I don’t like this—”
[Skill Activation: Zerowalk]
Rei activated his movement [Skill]. He appeared in front of Jin Tianyou, katana held back, as less than a foot separated them. As [Hyakken] cleaved through the thick air, the kid vanished then reappeared behind the cultivator. The swing was uninterrupted, continuing onward. Then again, he performed the same trick. Was that his strategy? Taking advantage of his speed to confuse Jin Tianyou and make him panic?
It wasn’t a terrible move, however—
As soon as the blade was close enough, Jin Tianyou effortlessly caught the sharp steel and the edge didn’t cut into his skin. Rei gasped. “An interesting and novel attempt.”
Jin Tianyou’s reflexes were faster, and his poise was unparalleled.
Rei may be fast for most people, but not for him.
He held a finger-flick close to Rei’s forehead. “Stay still.”
It loosened.
He had more power in those two fingers than a thousand men put together. Rei literally flipped and landed hard on his belly, but that was probably the softest attack Jin Tianyou ever produced. The kid himself wasn’t badly hurt, getting up almost immediately, but what hurt most was the knowledge.
The next counterattacks would be more brutal from here on out.
Jin Tianyou looked at the three of us on the sidelines. “I would ask you to stay put—” A sword came from his peripheral, and he caught it without looking. “I thought you may strike when my attention was diverted. It’s a shame you fell for an obvious trap.”
“Eh—?!”
A harder finger-flick blasted Rei across the arena, more force than strength, and brought him to the white boundary. It took longer for him to stand, his morale more wounded than his body. In two decisive counters, Jin Tianyou demonstrated the chasm between him and the young kensei. You couldn't measure the distance without using an absurd number.
Any tricks Rei had, Jin Tianyou was too experienced and powerful to be affected by them.
He had three tries left.
Humorously enough, as if the world was a reflection of Rei's state, the sky fell darker as a blanket of dense gray clouds began to roll over the city.
“What can he do to win…?” Chie asked, hand over mouth. I could tell she wanted to tear her eyes away but she needed to watch. She had to watch.
“He has to use it,” I told her. “The reason why he needs [Hyakken] in the first place: his [Broken Sword] techniques.”
But Rei was afraid. He refused to use [Broken Swords] against Leo in fear of her safety. If [Urashiki], the technique that killed the Silverhonor Alternate, had that much stopping power… What did the others have? What did he know about his techniques that we didn't?
Rei… Slowly, he walked. He was battling these questions inside his head. Should he use it? Shouldn’t he? Should he show Jin Tianyou his true abilities? Should he give up and pray the cultivator wouldn’t ask anything unreasonable? But one shining question ruled over them all: could he call himself a “kensei” if he refused to show his kenjutsu toward a powerful opponent?
That’s right.
Everything he did, was doing, fantasized of doing, was for that one dream.
Rei held [Hyakken] out, hands shaking.
Jin Tianyou curiously tilted his head.
“Ko…” He breathed. “Kowareta Ken!”
[Hyakken] was raised over his head. All he had to do was swing down. That’s it. Swing down and call the name of his technique.
But Rei didn’t. His arms and words were stuck. His lips trembled. I didn’t know if Jin Tianyou’s serene countenance paralyzed him or if it was his own insecurities, but the result of his “strike” was clear: he couldn’t execute.
As much as I hated to admit, this counted as his third strike and Jin Tianyou thought so too.
“A pity,” said the man.
A palm strike to the chest.
It didn't have the force found in the previous two counters, but it had the stopping power. Instantly, Rei crumpled to his hands and knees, coarsely shouting in pain.
Aiden nearly breached the white boundary but I stopped him. Barely. With my body in the way, he furiously clawed at the air toward the cultivator. Profanities and promises of arson left his loud mouth as Rei whined and coughed, dragging his nails through the dirt.
I was torn. I wanted him to stand and show Jin Tianyou what he was capable of. I wanted him to stay down and make it clear he couldn't fight anymore. Honestly, I was only amusing his ambition of dethroning Yomiya Yasuyuki. So many other kenseis had the same dream and inevitably failed. Why would he be any different? Someday, Rei would learn there was an even larger gap separating him from his goals.
But…
Maybe this was me beginning to believe in delusions too.
If anyone could do it, it would be him.
A kid that hadn't cracked twenty yet.
Aiden continued to push against me while Chie begged Rei to stand. My eyes gravitated toward the darkened sky, and without thinking, I said, “It’s going to rain.”
They stopped and looked at the sky too.
How could we forget?
When Rei had defeated the Alternate back then, it was raining.
The first droplets landed on my cheeks.
Jin Tianyou held his hand out, frowning, as the rain picked up. “It had been a wonderful day too. What a shame. Amamizu Rei, can you continue—hmm?”
Rei was standing.
Rain streaked down his cheeks, crying on his behalf. His mouth was parted, lips barely moving as though he was muttering a silent prayer. Those bright, starry eyes that had once pronounced hope were as dim as an overshadowed star. It was exactly the same as before.
The rain revealed the melancholy underneath his visions of grandeur.
“I must…” he spoke with the clouds as his audience, “...I must seize the Throne. This so-called 'life' has no meaning otherwise.”
Jin Tianyou glanced toward us, his stance several degrees tenser. “Amamizu—?”
“I apologize, Guild Master Jin. This lowly charlatan will end the challenge now.”
I couldn’t see the fourth strike.
It was like [Hyakken] was invisible amongst the droplets of rain.
Jin Tianyou moved a few steps to the side, narrowly avoiding the invisible strike as it gouged a few inches into the hard dirt.
That was it. Rei won. He caused Jin Tianyou to move, but he didn’t seem to recognize his victory.
Instead, he disappeared into the rain.
From the droplets, he reformed behind the Vice Guild Master.
This time, without doubt or hesitation, [Hyakken] was raised above his head. His fifth and final strike.
“Kowareta Ken.”
[Broken Sword]
The sword came down.
“Makishiki (薪式).”
[Type Firewood]
[Makishiki] created a thin line of destruction starting from the broken metal shards of [Hyakken]. The line dug several inches—five?—beneath the surface. It stretched across the arena, spawning natural cracks in the dirt, and passed the white boundary. The line came onto grass and continued further, further, and further, until it reached a sturdy oak tree. That had been an oak tree.
The tree was perfectly bisected in the middle, from crown to root, and both sides swayed outward into a V-shape.
Powerful martial arts, and powerful [Skills] in general, had a tendency to develop consequential side-effects: intense wind pressure, deafening sonic booms, things that would cause collateral damage like the fight between Archknell and Alternate Lyressa.
[Makishiki] had none of that.
Nothing was disturbed. The grass outside the line wasn’t flattened or bothered. [Makishiki] didn’t form a thick cloud of brown dust or spew pebbles and rocks everywhere. Other than the sound of wood splitting apart, the technique sounded no different than a typical swing of the sword.
It was a sword technique without presence, destroying all that was necessary and nothing else.
I… I had never seen that before in my life.
I’d never seen a [Skill] or technique that produced zero second-hand effects.
Aiden and Chie were shocked silent.
Jin Tianyou was amazed despite his obvious loss. He proudly chuckled, the rain drowning out his soft voice. “It’s your victory, Amamizu Rei. I’ll honor our side of the agreement!”
Rei said nothing.
Little did we know, though, that out of everyone in the Special Task Force, he would become the first celebrity. Wang Qiu and his friends in the audience, they spread the story. By the day’s end, a dozen different variations floated around Martials Guild. A young Japanese boy challenged Jin Tianyou. Actually, Jin Tianyou challenged him. And so on, you get the point.
Rumors quickly escaped your hands, but that wasn’t the most important part.
In every retelling, one detail remained the same: the rain.
“He moved like the rain itself.”
“The rain changed his personality.”
“His sword merged into the rain.”
Not everyone knew his codename—because he didn’t have one—but that wasn’t necessary anymore. Someone made an assumption and that assumption caught fire. It was a simple name. A melancholic name. A tearful name.
Rain.
***
“So.”
We stood in a line of shame against the wall.
Rector looked ready to strangle someone and that might be himself. “Who wants to explain what happened first?”