- Samurai Jericho, 2056
Perspective: Yurei Neylan
I stood there, staring at the box laying on the ground in front of me. It had the same design as all the other boxes Stryx got me, the same obsidian black with a stone like texture. But even then I knew that this one was different. Special.
The box was a tad bigger than I would have expected it to be. I knew the measurements of the item hidden inside it like the back of my hand. Likely better, even. But it’s also been a while.
The most striking difference, however, was the text printed on the top. Instead of the item's name this one had thirteen names etched into the surface with white, blocky letters.
Names that I knew better than my own. Lives I had stupided meticulously, learning every habit, every quirk, every last little detail. Friends, family members, spouses, lovers, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, ripped from this world. By my hand.
I tightened my fists as I reread the names for the thousandth time. It had been years by this point, but even all of that time wasn’t sufficient for me to forget the sheer guilt that I felt. Guilt that was only amplified by the fact that, once upon a time, I had been proud of those kills. I had taken great pleasure in my capabilities, in my skill.
It had been the same pride I had taken in my skill with the weapons hidden inside of this box. Weapons that, in time, had sort of become my symbol. Nobody knew who the Ghostrunner was, that was a secret tightly kept. But people knew the chains that grabbed those that would not live on if I was in the building.
It also didn’t help that people liked imagery. And what better image to give to a killer you can’t catch, than the scythe so often depicted with death? Not that it was a scythe, but Kusarigama came close enough in design that the leap wasn’t that far.
I was left torn, standing in the middle of a battlefield, my undead still cleaning up around me. I had chosen to get these weapons because I needed something that I could use to deal with large groups. Something I was confident in and could rely on.
Something that, despite all my misgivings and attempts to forget it, had always, and always would, be a part of me. Somewhere deep down.
If it is too much, I do have other weapons to offer you for this situation.
Stryx’ voice was calm, soothing. Surprisingly, it helped greatly in calming me down. The inner turmoil I felt slowly settling on a sort of… reluctant acceptance.
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “No. As much as it pains me to remember it all… I need this.”
Are you sure you aren’t just doing this to torture yourself? To inflict the punishment you still feel that you need?
I grimaced. Even though I didn’t want to admit it… Stryx was likely right.
I felt… unstable, somewhere deep down. Fighting was fun, I was enjoying myself, able to immerse myself like this… it was freeing. But that small, nagging part of my mind, it told me that I was going too far, too quickly. I worried that I might go down a bad path. And the catharsis of earlier, to just shred the aliens…
Or perhaps I was looking forward to it… Maybe it was that dark part of me that I kept locked away under layers and layers of self-control. That small part of me that revelled in the thrill of the kill. The inhumane monster that I was, under all the layers of normal that I had put on over the years.
I sighed again. The idea to just bend down and open this box… I was reluctant. But I also couldn’t waste any more time. Every moment I just sat around was another moment in which the antithesis could grow, find more people, end more lives.
Resolve slowly spread through me. I had vowed I’d never again let innocent people die. It was the reason I had gotten these weapons in the first place. I felt like I couldn’t handle the situation without them. As much as it hurt to think about it… these weapons were not meant to kill. They were meant to protect against the antithesis.
Finally I found the willpower to kneel down. The box was closed with latches, as any other. Gently I opened them, lifting the lid and revealing the sight inside. Deep purple velvet held two weapons that could be classified as art pieces. Sleek and black, with subtle and artful decorations and accents.
The blades were made of a strange crystal, shimmering black. The handle followed the same design, crafted from a metallic alloy and wrapped in blackened leather. At the end of the handle was the chain. It, too, was made of this strange black crystal, with the weight at the end forged out of the same aloy the handles were made from.
The chain was length adjustable, to a degree. It was part of the reason I had decided upon this specific design. The weight was magnetic, which allowed for greater control, and could attach to the end of the handle. Traditionally, Kusarigama were crafted with the chains attached on the same height as the blade. This, however, forced the user to use this weapon with both hands.
I had always favoured the alternative design, where the chain was attached at the opposite end of the handle. It allowed me to dual wield them with little to no loss in finesse. It wasn’t as versatile as the traditional design, but that was fine by me.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Gently, I ran a finger along the handle of the first. It revealed the subtle grooves of the engraving. Dark grey on black were the names of the thirteen innocent lives I had taken. A reminder for the purpose of this weapon.
It had been the concession I had made to myself.
Picking them up, I found them to be exactly as I had wanted them. Lighter than usual, although not by much, and capable of folding the blade in to better store them. The locking mechanism was robust, preventing damage from use, and the mechanism that could lengthen and shorten the chain seemed stronger than I was.
Of course, the additional length was limited to the length of the handle. The chain had to be stored somewhere. But that alone was enough for me. The thirty centimeters or so would be more than sufficient. Especially, since the chain and the weight wasn’t meant to damage, simply to trip and interrupt.
Giving them a few test swings, it was almost frightening how quickly I found back into the same, old familiar stance. A stance and style I had crafted myself, based upon traditional Ninjutsu and a more modern interpretation of parkour fighting. It traded strength in each individual punch for mobility and adaptability.
A highly skill based combat style crafted to my personal preferences.
A new wave of antithesis is approaching. I would suggest you put your new acquisition to good use.
I nodded at that. Despite my inner dialogue, actually getting my weapons hadn’t taken too long. Glancing at the front line I found it much as I left it a minute or two ago. Hades was doing his best to keep the carnage at bay, supported by Ida’s return fire. Her husband had been terrified to the core when I bought it for her. He had nearly fainted when she picked up the rifle and tested it.
I was almost sorry for the man, obviously entirely shocked by how easily she handled the weapon. He likely wouldn’t ever have thought that his wife was a trained soldier. Or something anyway. I still wasn’t sure what career Ida had in the past.
The incoming wave became apparent rather quickly. Considering that the frenzied xenos couldn’t be overtaken by my nanites, Hades was losing ground already. Now, though? It got so much worse.
Getting up, I swung my weapons. Goosebumps crept up my arms and neck at the silent sound of them cutting through the air. I smiled, despite myself.
Quickly assessing the front line, I decided that it would be best if I helped along the right side of the front. Activity grew in a wave, originating from there, likely closest to the nearest hive or drop pod.
With swift steps I made my way towards the battle, feeling light and calm. The familiar feel of the weapons in my hands reassured me in a way that not even Zuri could. Not that I would ever tell her that. She’d likely worry herself to death.
One of the frenzied Threes tried to jump over the slowly dwindling line of undead. Out of reflex my hand snapped forwards, a subtle, but deliberate motion, sending the weight into its direction. It smacked it directly in the face, not enough to hurt, but enough to confuse. Increasing my pace, I found myself next to it a moment later. The black blade cut through the muscle and tissue with an ease that surprised me a little.
Before I had even finished the movement, I adjusted, taking a slight step to the right. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another alien pushing past my undead to my left. Its claw reached just short of my leg, and I brought down the second blade onto its skull, piercing cleanly through it.
A dull, green flash signalled its recruitment to my cause. It appeared not all xenos were frenzied yet. That was good news. Still, I had to stamp out the root of this trouble before my army was crushed entirely.
The Six was still hiding away in the underbrush, evidently not interested to join the fray itself. That was no trouble, I was confident that I could reach it. But I still wanted a backup plan.
“Flesh melter,” I said softly, judging the distance between me and the Six.
Holding out my right Kusarigama with the flat of the blade parallel to the ground, Stryx got my meaning and placed the flesh melter right on top of it. Not wasting time, I swing the weapon, sending the grenade deeper into the mess of aliens.
My throw was only slightly off, a little more towards the right than I would have preferred, but it would still do. The nanites burst out, attaching themselves to the bodies of the xenos all around them, slowly starting to eat them up. It wasn’t enough to deal that much damage, not really, but considering how close it was to the Six, I was hoping that it’d spook the thing.
Antithesis weren’t smart, but they were bright enough to identify danger.
To my surprise, and a little bit of shock, the Six didn’t move, though. It obviously noticed the grenade, and the effect it had on the xenos, but it didn’t seem bothered. Instead…
The mass of antithesis surrounding the location my grenade had gone up started to put some distance between themselves and those affected. It seemed almost like they understood the nature of the threat and worked to prevent more from being infected.
Curious… And rather alarming. It appeared that my initial assumption of increased intelligence might be correct. Such behaviour is not typical.
That wasn’t good… Smart antithesis could pose a serious threat. The question was how smart?
“Ideas?”
Of course, although it might make more sense to experiment as long as the battlefield is relatively under control. The more information we can gather, the easier it will be to deal with such a threat in the future.
I nodded at that, understanding the logic. “Yeah, but I don’t like it. The shelter is too close by. If things go sour, they might all be in danger.”
Stepping to the side, I idly cut apart a model Four that had already been hurt rather extensively by one of my undead. Another swing toppled a frenzied Three trying to rush for the barricades, the chain wrapping around its feet. I janked at it, sending it to the ground, and opening up to a finisher by one of my undead, a model Four that looked about ready to die itself.
A very good point. Might I suggest obtaining a cheap scanning drone to at least get a scan before you dismantle the adversary?
“That one we can do. Get it, and make it quick.”
New purchase: Mark II Duskstalker Recon Drone!
Points reduced to: 214
A box appeared next to me at the same moment I beheaded yet another xenos. Instead of me needing to open it, it unfolded, revealing a small, six legged metal spider that immediately took off at a great speed.
It will only take a moment. Chances are high that the drone will not survive the mission, however, it should at least be able to get us a solid foundation.
I nodded, focusing back on the fight. With a dash forward I killed another pair of xenos, my blades singing with each swipe.
Each alien that I split open reassured me that I had made the right choice. It was far faster than using my knives and pistol to clean up. And it felt good to use the weapons that I did the most harm with to help protect people.
discord! Come join me and chat!
patreon to get 5 chapters ahead for 'Thirteen Sins'!