Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sen Kaibara is the ruler of a kingdom, much to his own annoyance.

Bearing the royal blood of his lineage, and with his parents long deceased, Prince Sen led the kingdom of Spiralis with not a gentle hand nor an iron fist, but an apathetic shrug.  He had claimed the throne at only 14, and at 17, things were going, in his own words, “fine, I guess.”  His people were safe and healthy, his knights well-trained and chivalrous, his court mages learned and scholarly, his borders secure, and his neighboring kingdoms at peace.  All this maintained by young Prince Sen’s hands so that eventually, he wouldn’t have to be bothered by it all.

Sen was bothered by work and bothered by boredom too.  He’d spend his days either working and complaining about it, or complaining that there was nothing to do.  “Teen angst,” some older fellows claimed behind his back, but Sen didn’t know whether that was true.  All he knew is that any sort of spark or passion in his life was absent.  He enjoyed fighting and sparring, and he enjoyed a newer trinket created by his scholars – the Pictobox; a portable image-capturer that he’d use to photograph whatever caught his eye – but otherwise, he didn’t feel much of anything too strongly.

Today wasn’t a boredom day, much to his chagrin when he awoke.  A meeting of utmost importance was taking place between him and the monarch of a neighboring kingdom.  Princess Saiko Intelli was on her way with a small entourage to discuss something Sen dreaded – a marriage between them.  Purely political, obviously, but it still seemed like a hassle.  In his master bedroom, swaddled in silk sheets, Sen groaned, stretched, and wished to lay there for a good, long while.

“Up and at ‘em, Your Highness!”

“Wake up already, Your Highness.”

Sen had known these two voices so long that their disrespectful commands didn’t faze him in the slightest.  He pushed himself to sit up and stared across his royal bedchambers at his two personal attendants, Setsuna and Reiko.  Both in their usual maid uniform, they waited for him to answer with more serious expressions than usual. 

“I’m awake,” Sen assured them.  “I know, I know.  That thing’s today.”

“That thing could use a bit more excitement from you,” Setsuna advised.  “If that princess feels slighted, you may have a mess of new problems.”

“Don’t start a war just because you say something sarcastic or rude,” Reiko requested.

Having known these two since childhood, Sen took their comments on the chin and finally dragged himself out of bed to change.  As he dressed himself in his “regal enough” outfit of light blue pants and a matching longcoat, dark blue-gray shirt with a dark red cravat, and high metal boots with a spiral pattern.  The last piece was his kingdom’s “crown,” which was a modest silver circlet with two spirals above the forehead.  As he dressed, he once again started to dread the presence of his upcoming guest.  Princess Intelli wasn’t unbearable, but she carried an energy that he could only call “difficult.”  The fancy bearings, the haughty grandstanding, the veritable legion of maids and servants and guards attending to her whims – it was too much for him, personally.  But if it meant securing safer and more fulfilling lives for his people, and perhaps saving himself from a truly unbearable spouse in the future, he may have to suck it up and get hitched.

For the morning, Sen went about his usual routine of wishing he had something to do, and then pushing aside any suggestions.  Training sounded like a hassle, he wasn’t in the mood for photography, and he didn’t have time to go walking around.  So, lazing about it on a couch in the drawing room it was.

“Hey, hey, someone looks a bit too chill, huh?”

Sen smiled when he heard the familiar voice enter.  Captain of the royal guard Kosei Tsuburaba had arrived, his thin spear in his hand as usual.  Kosei had never been that traditional in his knighthood, always causal and joking, which extended to his uniform.  He simply wore a normal sky blue hooded shirt and pants with some dark grey metal armor pieces like the breastplate and arm guards, along with olive-green cloth pads beneath them with similar green boots.  He simply did what he wanted, and not many would argue with the king’s closest confidant.  If there was anyone who could make Sen smile, it was the young knight he had known for many years.

Kosei approached and made a show of looking over Sen.  “Princess Intelli’s about to arrive and you’re lounging?  What’s this kingdom coming to?”

“If she’s not here yet, then what’s the problem?” Sen asked.  He wasn’t interested in actually defending himself; any time he and Kosei went back-and-forth, he was more interested in what wisecrack Kosei had up his sleeve.

“Fine, be a lazy bum.  She could be at the door and you could still be in bed cuz what’s the problem?  Greet her while you’re brushing your teeth.  Sure, sure.”

Sen chuckled and finally got up.  Out the window, he could see a small procession of foreign soldiers arriving and mingling with his own.  The princess was on her way.  “Guess I should greet her at the door.

“No shit,” Kosei prodded.

Now in a better mood, Sen made the trip through the castle to the front entrance.  By the time he made it, the princess’s procession had arrived.  Waiting for Sen with obvious annoyance was another of his own personal guard, Yosetsu Awase, who had met the visitors at the border and led them.  Donned in heavier armor than Kosei, dark brown in color aside from the ashen gray chest plate, and carrying his great ax on his back, he was the picture of a prepared guardian. 

“Cutting it kinda close,” he grumbled to the prince.  “What kept ya?”

“The usual,” Sen told him, making Awase grimace.  Sen brushed off the silent condemnation and finally went to meet the girl heading the foreign convoy.  Princess Saiko Intelli was, as far as Sen could tell, was as beautiful and graceful and she presented herself to be when they’d met in the past.  She had come wearing a glittery blue dress with a lighter blue petticoat and puffy sleeves.  Said sleeves had massive purple bows on them that matches the ribbons trailing down the skirt.  Her hands were folded neatly, both covered by short white gloves with a blue stripe.  The monocle over her eye was a bit much, but “a bit much” was an apt descriptor for her overall.

“Prince Kaibara,” she greeted with a grand curtsy.  Her smile was curt and small, with her usual hint of ego in her eyes.  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.  We have much to discuss, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yeah.  I mean, yes.”  It had been a while since Sen had needed his “princely manners.”  After catching himself once, he was able to slide naturally back into his good behavior and lead the princess inside.  Her small entourage of soldiers stayed behind with Awase, with Intelli only brining a pair of a maids with her.  Before leaving, though, she had her soldiers pass off a small chest wrapped in white silk to her, which she had one of her maids carry.  “A gift of good will” she had called it, never once wavering in tone.  For being on foreign ground, they were surprisingly calm.

They exchanged idle chat as they walked, never going beyond benign small talk.  It was more than a relief to Sen, who expected some level of dramatic declaration from his guest based on their correspondence.  Sen took them to this fanciest room in the castle, which had been gussied up even more for the meeting.  They sat down in a large brick room with several high stained-glass windows as well as a balcony that overlooked the kingdom.  Once they sat, the private meeting began, with Setsuna and Reiko flanking Sen, standing opposite Intelli’s attendants.  Kosei had told him that he would also be around, but he hadn’t caught sight of him yet.  Sen wished he would arrive already; the meeting would be much more bearable with him around.  Oddly enough, Intelli mentioning the marriage proposal made Sen want Kosei their more.  Why’d that pop into my head? he wondered.

“So, what do you say to it?” Intelli asked politely.  Sen wasn’t sure of an answer, and didn’t bother trying to hide it.

“It’s too big a commitment to decide here and now,” he admitted.  “I’m sorry if you expected a decision today.”

Intelli took the news with a smile and snapped her fingers.  The maid with the long blonde hair carried the wrapped chest over and let Intelli take it.  “Perhaps this gift will help you to decide.”  She placed it on the table, unwrapped it form the silk packaging, and made a show of opening the finely-built wooden chest.  His interest piqued, Sen leaned forward to get a better view.  Inside the chest sat an ornate, jewel-encrusted golden lamp.  Intelli reached inside and held up the lamp, then set it on the table in front of her.  “Does this take your fancy?”

“It’s certainly beautiful,” Sen complimented.  “A gracious gift.”

“Oh, this is not the gift,” Intelli revealed.  “What’s inside is the gift; or more accurately, what’s inside will grant your gift.”  Intelli sat back down and leaned in to the lamp.  “Inside is a being that will grant both of our desires.”

It took a moment, but Sen recalled the details of a certain legendary type of spirit and realized what Intelli was saying.  “There’s a Djinn in there?”

“Indeed.  It was discovered by my scouts not long ago.”  Intelli stared longingly at the treasure.  It seemed like even he had fallen away in her world; all that remained was she and the lamp.

“So, it’ll grant both of us a wish, you’re saying?”

“In a sense.”  Intelli composed herself and stared back at Sen, but differently.  No longer were her eyes sweet, but somewhat cunning instead.  “It cannot grant a wish in the way you are thinking of, but it will grant our desires.  I know that you desire a reprieve from your royal duties, so it will do you that favor by granting my own wish – control of this kingdom.”

Now, when it was too late, was when everything slid into place for Sen.  The proposal, the meeting, this Djinn – it was coming into focus.  Sen grew unnerved, but was confident that he could outmatch her.  If he could reach the lamp in time and grab it, he was in the clear.  All there was to protect it was the princess and her two maids.  That is, until Intelli snapped her fingers.

“Camie, if you would.”  The blonde maid puckered her lips and inhaled, bringing into her mouth a sparkling stream of illusionary fog.  They were never as alone as Sen had thought.  Surrounding the parameter of the room was a horde of assassins, covered until now by an illusion.  When he looked behind himself, Sen saw Setsuna and Reiko were gone from his side.  Some of the assassins had silently pulled them away, leaving them muffled and trussed to a pillar in the corner of the room. 

“All illusions have been turned off.  The invasion has begun.”  The blond maid known as Camie rips away her uniform, revealing a blue-gray and yellow dress.  Her blue-haired comrade did the same to reveal a dark and light gray gown with red gem accents.  From her eyes projected a small magic map of Sen’s kingdom.

“Everyone has started assaulting their targets,” she reported.

“Thank you, Intelli.”  Intelli stood up beside her advisors and smirked at Sen.  “I’m sure you have much to take care of, now that the whole of your kingdom is under assault.  I’ll just take my lamp and—”

“Don’t you dare!”  With all the sudden revelations, one couldn’t blame Sen for remaining in shock.  Quickly, though, he found the strength to move and made a grab for the lamp.  One of the assassins jumped in, though, and swatted his clumsy move away. 

“Thank you, Tatami,” Intelli said while taking back the lamp.  “Now, kill him.”

The blonde, black-clad assassin nodded and grabbed a knife from her turtle shell like armor.  Sen grabbed her arm, but the stalemate couldn’t last.  He was surrounded and unarmed.  He needed an out — anything.

“Incoming!”

Perfect, Sen thought.  From above came Tsuburaba leaping towards them, spear aimed for Tatami the assassin.  She dodged away, pulling Intelli back with her, and gave an order.

“Attack, Nakagame Stealth Unit!”  All at once, the assassins pounced.  Had it been any other guard of his, Sen might have been worried.

“Air Dome!”  Kosei stuck out his spear and surrounded him and Sen with a wall of Solid Air – his signature magic.  The blades and darts of the assassins bounced away and all retreated from the unfamiliar spell.  Unfortunately, Intelli still had the lamp, and with how fiercely she rubbed it, whatever was inside would be out soon enough.

“Come on out, Inasa.  It’s show time,” she beckoned.  Based on the billowing hair of its summoner, it was likely a Wind Djinn.

“If only I had my weapon,” Sen seethed.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have it soon enough.  I sent for it as soon as I suspected this little trick.”

Sen looked around at the human wall of assassins surrounding him, wondering who’d be daring enough to try and break through.  With this mindset, it made all too much sense that she would be the one.  Many assassins were starting to waver where they stood, to the surprise of their compatriots.  When they fell, it revealed glowing mushrooms on their back, which Sen knew had sapped their strength and magical power. 

“Delivery!”  Stepping over the unconscious bodies came Kinoko, the court’s white mage and avid fungus enthusiast.  Dressed in her favorite frilly beige-and-yellow dress and matching veiled bonnet, both of which, she always looked a bit funny stood next to the soldiers, but her skills were unmatched.  In one hand, she held her usual wooden mage staff topped with mushrooms, and in the other, she lugged Sen’s weapon —  the ancestral drill-lance Helix.  With so many assassins down for the count, Sen felt safe as the air barrier was removed.  Weapon now in hand, he stood confidently before they invaders.

“That makes no difference,” Intelli claimed.  The wind around her and her companions, which likely protected them from Kinoko’s magic attack, grew stronger.  A twister was building above their heads, from which shone a set of eyes. 

Interesting.  Sen had never faced such a being, but his inner fighter was all too willing to prove his mettle.  A smile broke across his face as he aimed his lance.  The twister built and built until finally, from the top of the funnel, appeared a barrel-chested man.  Draped in a furred black coat and cape, he didn’t seem all too Djinn-like, but Sen was never one to judge a book by its cover.

“Hey, we’re here!” the Djinn realized.  “This is the place, right, my mistress?”

“It is,” Intelli told him, “and those fools there are your targets, Inasa.  Be a dear and sweep them away, would you?”

“Your wish is my command!”

The Djinn waved his arms and set them forward in preparation.  Sen, to match him, aimed his lance up at the being’s neck.  “Never got the duke it out with a being like you,” he admitted with a satisfied smile.  “Now I can notch that off my bucket list and get out of this dumb arranged marriage.  Here’s to the fight, then!”

“Yeah, let’s get this going!” Inasa cheered.  He and Sen were equally raring to go, but to an outsider, it might’ve looked like an instant victory.  Inasa waved his hands to the side and suddenly, a gale wind was rushing through the corridor.  Intelli, her henchwomen, and her assassins were protected by air bubbles, but everyone else was forced to bear the storm.  Though Sen couldn’t see them, Kosei had put up a barrier to protect himself and Kinoko, and Setsuna and Reiko were held in place by their restraints.  That left Sen as the only one unanchored, and thus, he was sent flying through the window.  On instinct, his magical powers activated when he crashed.  A spiral of light enveloped him, guiding the glass shards around and then off of his body.  Still, he had a long fall to contend with, and contend with it he did.  Quickly gaining his bearings, Sen thrust his lance downward, releasing a twister of energy that slowed his fall and let him land somewhat safely. 

“What was all that?”  Sen asked while steadying himself.  He wondered if Kosei and Kinoko were OK, but realized it was a stupid question when a bright white flash appeared before him.  Kinoko’s powers as a mage included teleportation, and while it wasn’t something that could be used in rapid succession, an emergency escape was a snap.  With them off of his mind, Sen could finally take in all that surrounded him.

“Damn…”  The kingdom was in utter chaos.  Fires billowed smoke from all around.  His armies were clashing against the troops of the invaders once hidden by illusions.  An entire army had been hidden from them, much to Sen’s anger.  The citizens were running for their lives as enemy troops were let loose upon them.  If he couldn’t turn the tide soon, then more and more would be lost.

“It’s terrible,” Kinoko commented.

“What’re your orders?” Kosei asked.  “What can we do to stop this?”

Sen had never been that great of a leader.  Any accolades earned on his own came from his solo victories on the battlefield.  Still, even he knew what was important here.  “Focus on protecting the civilians,” he commanded.  “Lead them out of harm’s way.”

“Roger!”  The two members of his inner circle were on-task and ready to go, but Sen was still missing two other key players. 

“Awase should still be around here,” Sen guessed, “and knowing him, he’s likely thinking what I am and went to go get her.”  Sen would soon be proven right when, out from the castle under siege, Awase ran around the corner with the exact person Sen needed.

Yui Kodai, once upon a time, had been a barbarian, and from the outside, she still was.  It wasn’t her outside appearance that had changed.  She still wore the gray and red animal pelts and ragged light purple scarf, but had since added dark red pants and shirt and purple boots.  Her taste in weaponry hadn’t changed much either as she still wielded her bulky iron club.  The only major thing that had changed since she had once tried to attack Sen alone was that she now worked for him.  What a difference it made, though, when someone like her was an ally.

“What’re your orders?” Awase asked, having already gotten over his shock.  Yui, rock-solid in her countenance, merely nodded and waited in turn.

“Awase, you’re on civilian duty too,” Sen said.  “Yui… go nuts.”

Awase saluted and took off in the direction of the chaos.  Kosei and Kinoko split off and did the same while Yui was figuring out where the most enemies were.

“OK,” she finally answered, and walked towards her targets.  Magic bubbled up around her, and her size shifted.  Along with her clothes and weapon, Yui grew steadily until she was half as tall as Sen’s castle.  She had grown to the size of a Giant, or more accurately, she had returned to her regular size. 

“With something like that on our side, it’s in the bag,” Sen confidently decreed.  He looked back up his castle and found the room he had been thrown out of.  Out on the balcony was Saiko Intelli, waving to him daintily and smugly taking in the sights.  Her two helpers were at her side, watching their handiwork.  Over them floated Inasa, who ecstatically descended.

“Do you wanna keep going?” he asked, blustering wind around himself.

Sen raised his lance and smirked.  “You’re the strongest player in this fight,” he noted.  “Once you’re taken down, the rest is just clean-up.  Eager to fight, are you?  So am I, and I’ll give you one you’ll never forget!”

It had been a long time since Yui could be at her normal size.  After her defeat by Sen in the past, she realized her choices going forward had gone down to just three options — die fighting, escape into exile, or join him.  Her aloof nature led her to what she considered the path of least resistance, and from then on, Sen trusted her as a friend.  Yui wasn’t one to speak these feelings out loud, but she hoped her battling would show now just how much that trust meant to her.

Carefully stepping around the brick and wood houses to avoid collateral damage, Yui swept her club along the cobblestone street and into the invading armies.  The common soldiers were no threat at her size, and she was sure any foes of real power would fall to her club.  With how conspicuous she was, those kinds of hotshots wouldn’t be far by now.

“Target sighted!”

From down the road marched a large unit of soldiers in armor much bulkier and tough-looking than the normal kind.  At their head was a red-armored soldier with a form-fitting metal helmet that completely enclosed his head.

“Don’t lose ground, men!  We of the Makabe Armored Unit will not back down!”

“Raaaaagh!”  The noisy platoon rushed in despite only coming up to Yui’s ankles in height, splitting off and heading to her sides.  Only Makabe stayed before, like he was waiting.  Yui raised her club overhead to see how “armored” this unit really was, but as she swung down, something whizzed by above her head.  Her club was held back by a wire, likely attached to an arrow that had flew by and stuck into the tower beside her.  Another arrow joined it and exploded on impact, making the tower’s top fall onto Yui.  It crumbled into her skull, getting her to crouch down and grunt in pain.

Several roofs away, she spotted a black-haired archer.  “Toteki Archery Unit, loose rope arrows now,” he commanded.  By her feet, with the Armored Unit, she saw scattered archers firing arrows with attached wires over her.  Once they fell on her other side, the Armored Unit grabbed and pulled, forcing Yui flat on her stomach.

“Mm.”  Though she would’ve liked to squash these soldiers at her regular size, escaping this trap would be a pain.  At least for a short while, she had to revert to human size.  Once she did so, she slipped out from the ropes easily and Makabe already upon her.  Armed with gauntlets, he rushed in and threw a flurry of punches.  Yui dipped and parried with her club, then returned fire, but the armor he wore stood up against her human-size strength.  It wasn’t all in the armor, however.  When he finally landed a clean strike across her jaw, Yui was staggered.  His men all cheered their leader, prompting Yui to rush back in with her club.  They traded blows once more, and Makabe once again struck her head.  This time, he followed up with more strikes.  Soon, he disarmed her, and by the time he finished, Yui had fallen to the ground.

“She’s defeated!” he declared to the cheers of the two units.  “Toteki, you finish her.”

In Yui’s hazy vision, she saw the rooftop archer appear clad in black.  “Don’t want to stain your hands with the blood of a worthy opponent?” he asked while readying an arrow.  “Fine, then.  I’ll do the dirty work.”

Yui couldn’t force herself to move.  Her view was darkening by the second, but she could still make out the archer pulling back the fatal arrow.  She wondered if this would be it.

“Yui!”  Suddenly, a shot of white light flew from out of nowhere.  Toteki leapt away as it crashed where he had been.  Yui heard Kinoko’s pattering footsteps come up behind her.  The enemy forces rushed in.  Swords were raised and bows were drawn.  As Yui’s consciousness finally left her, she felt Kinoko’s magical powers surrounded the pair, teleporting them away from the danger.

“Faster, Faster!  Don’t bring too much!  I promise you can return soon!”

Awase had wanted to focus on the battle when he first started.  Why evacuate civilians when you could just beat all of the enemies?  It seemed simple enough.  Now, he was leading a crowd out of the eastern gate of the kingdom, burning up inside how a single enemy had made him withdraw.  The two didn’t actually fight, but seeing that power in action had swapped Awase’s plans completely.

The evacuation seemed to be going well.  As the crowd was starting to thin out with everyone leaving, and no invading soldiers in sight.  There was only one person left who Awase was waiting to make sure definitely left, and luckily, she was rushing towards him at that moment.

“What’s going on?  I was in the middle of crafting something new, I’ll have you know!”  The girl venting her complaints to Awase was Mei, the premier blacksmith of the kingdom and his girlfriend.  On her back, she carried a small metal forge with tools strapped to it.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re under attack!” Awase pointed out.  “And did you not hear me yelling about travelling light?”

“This is as light as I’ll ever travel,” Mei claimed.

Awase would’ve kept arguing, but a distant thundering of footsteps drew his attention.  Mei also noticed and snapped out of her building fervor enough to circle Awase to hide behind him.  “It’s those things again,” she guessed.

Awase reached back and took out his main weapon – a giant metal cleaver made by Mei long ago.  Even with it, he was anxious to face what was appearing down the road.  He had seen this strange gas engulf the soldiers under his command, the civilians being led by them, and even the enemy’s own soldiers without mercy.  It changed them, turning every man, woman, and child from their normal selves to a moaning, shambling monster with sunken eyes and a gaping mouth, all like black voids.  The enemy’s necromancer was slowly turning the tide with zombies, and Awase feared that this kingdom would be completely undead by dawn.

“Keep moving!” he shouted to the last of the civilians.  Mei was the last to cross the border gate and Awase followed.  Though he was ashamed to leave the kingdom, protecting the civilians was his order.  The zombie mob was closing in, and stood over them was the controller. 

“Yeah, that’s right!  Trample all of them!  They’ll be fodder for the Fujimi Corpse Unit just like all of you!” 

“Fuckin’ fuck.”  Awase grumbled under his breath and thought of what needed to be done.  While the civilians ran, he removed to small throwing axes from his pack of tools and took aim at the ropes that kept the gate raised.  With expert precision, he sent them flying up wards the ropes were cut clean, sending the sturdy wood and metal barricade falling.  It thundered closed, cutting off the “corpse unit.”  For now, they were safe and Awase could breathe easy.

“That’s some quick thinking there, Mr. Knight.”

At the unfamiliar voice, Awase spun back around.  Only one enemy was before him, but the confidence he exuded made him wary of the invader.  He was a boy about Awase's age with poofy black hair and earthy-red armor.  The civilians had all retreated to a safe distance already except for Mei, who stayed somewhat closer to watch despite Awase glaring at her.

“And you are?” Awase asked.

“General Shindo.  I lead the specialized units.  Felt like taking a walk.  Lucky me, I ran into a kingdom bigshot.”  The poofy-haired boy was charming in speech and expression, but that only put Awase more on edge.  It had to be a façade, and sure enough, a snake-like grin was creeping over him.  “Taking out someone like you should be a great hindrance to the enemy forces.  Hope you don’t mind.”

“In fact, I do.”  Awase charged and swung his cleaver at the unarmed enemy general, hoping to see shock and horror once he realizes he’s outmatched.  Instead, the look of horror was on his face as Shindo grabbed the cleaver with his bare hands. 

“I’m glad you fought back.  Would’ve been boring otherwise.”  Shindo’s inner sadist had come to the service.  Awase felt his arms shiver, but they wouldn’t stop even as he tried forcing them too.  He then realized the shaking was coming for his weapon.  Shindo was vibrating it somehow, and his strength made it impossible to wrench out of his grip.  The blade shattered and Awase tumbled back, unarmed.

“Now, the coup de grace!”  Shindo dashed in just as Awase was standing.  The vibrations had weakened him, but he was still able to land a punch to Shindo’s unguarded cheek.  It wasn’t enough to stop his own punch, though.   Awase was struck clean in the face, where a tremor worthy of an earthquake pounded through his body.  He was sent flying back towards the gate, where he fell and convulsed as the quakes circulated his body.

“D-Dammit,” he hissed while trying to stand, only to feel Shindo’s boot on his back.

“You gave me a big bruise on my cheek.”  His tone had become deadly serious.  Another tremor coursed through his body, laying him out completely.

As Awase drifted closer to unconsciousness, he heard the Necromancer’s voice.  “Get the fuck back in here, Shindo!  We’re almost done!  Princess says we need everyone for the final push!”

“Grrr… Fine!  I’m coming!” Shindo shouted back.  “You’ve been saved a slow death.”

Shindo scaled up the wall and returned to the battlefield.  Awase wanted to give chase, but could feel his body shutting down.  He could see Mei running towards him through his darkening sight.  All that was on his mind before it blacked out was the fate of the prince.

“This battle’s going all sorts of bad.”  Though he tried remaining optimistic, Kosei could see the writing on the wall.  He had been working to get civilians out of the kingdom and succeeded in returning to fight some more, but had become pinned down.  A squad of invading troops with cannons were laying waste to everything, and if Kosei go up and faced them, even his Solid Air shields couldn’t hold out.

“Keep firing!  By orders of Princess Intelli, the Tadan Artillery Unit will not cease!”

For now, Kosei had one objective — find Sen.  He’d have surely won against the Djinn by now, and together, they could overcome even this bombardment.  In the crevasses made by the destruction, Kosei slinked away, darting in and out of shadows to get back towards the palace. 

“I’m probably keeping you waiting,” Kosei said under his breath.  “By now, you’ll have spun the life outta that thing and be ready for more action.  Well, I won’t keep you waiting much longer.”  Across alleyways, he sprinted until he could finally see an exit that led to where he had last seen Sen.  “We’ll beat back these damn invaders together!”

The hopeful grin on Kosei’s face faded when he saw Sen crumpled and unconscious in the dirt.

“Bwa ha ha!  That was fun!  A real nail-biter!”  Inasa’s bellowing laughter went uninterrupted.  Kosei was sure Sen would’ve chimed in and said he wasn’t done yet.

“Sen?”  Without heed, Kosei stepped out of the shadows and towards his sworn protectorate.  “Sen?!”

“Oh, another opponent!”  Inasa waved his hand and conjured a gust, but Kosei slipped past with the help of an air shield and reached Sen.  He wasn’t moving, but at least wasn’t dead.  The same could be said for his lance, as Helix was in terrible shape, but not yet fully broken.

“C’mon, Sen!  C’mon, wake up!”  No matter how much he shook him and how loudly he yelled, Kosei couldn’t rouse him.  In anger, he raised his spear to Inasa.  “Don’t think you people have won.  We’ll be back, and we will beat you!”

“I look forward to it!” Inasa heartily proclaimed.  “He’s a fun opponent, that guy!”

“I don’t think so!”  Kosei heard her voice from high above.  The petulant, demanding Saiko Intelli.  Sternly, she ordered, “Kill them both, Inasa!”

Though disappointed, Inasa raised his hand to fulfill the order.  “Yes, ma’am.”

Kosei raised a Solid Air wall between them, but the wall of was turned back to its natural state by a wave of the Djinn’s hand.  “Oh.  Right.  Air wall, and you’re a— Right, right.”  Despite the dour circumstances, Kosei still had time to feel like an idiot before laying himself over Sen’s body.  “I’ll protect you to my last breath,” he promised while squeezing his eyes shut.

“You guuuuuyyyyys!”

Out from the sidesteps ran Kinoko, who Kosei realized was their perfect exit.  He picked up Sen and Helix and leapt from their spot just as Inasa attacked.  Though the missed the fatal blow, the aftershock of powerful winds sent them flying.  Kinoko had always been caught up in it, but luckily, they were sent flying in the same direction.  Once they landed, Kosei saw Inasa readying another attack and grabbed onto the dazed Kinoko.  “C’mon, c’mon, let’s go, go, GO!”

“Whuuh—  Oh, right!” she said, and in a flash of light, they escaped the kingdom. 

Though Sen was unconscious to see it, he and the others had been utterly defeated.

By the time all the loud fighting outside had calmed, Setsuna and Reiko still hadn’t been moved.  Unable to escape their bonds, they simply waited to be rescued, or at least overhear some news on the battle.  Eventually, their worst fears began to be realized.  More and more troops from Intelli’s kingdom entered the castle.  The other servants had been rounded up, with the choice of either swearing loyalty to the “new ruler” or be sent down to the dungeon.  The choice had apparently been assumed for them as they had been Sen’s closest attendants, so when a Stealth Unit member finally came to them, it was to take them to the dungeon below the castle.  Setsuna struggled and fruitlessly mumbled obscenities while Reiko tried to keep her ears perked, hoping to hear what had become of the others.

“Excellent work, my friends.  The day is ours.”  Intelli’s voice was coming from the throne room.  As she was led past it, Reiko saw her upon Sen’s throne.  Her two accomplices, Camie and Sekigai, flanked her while the Wind Djinn Inasa floated overhead.  Six soldiers knelt before her.  “We must not take any chances.  The prince was teleported away, you say?  Find him and end him without delay.  Loose our Three War Beasts if you must, just do it.”

“As you say, princess,” the soldiers all said.  The throne room was silent again, but when Reiko and Setsuna neared the passageway down to the dungeon, they heard Intelli’s voice echo across the castle.

“Even if he’s alive, there’s no changing what’s been done today!  Victory is mine!”

Sen couldn’t remember a lot from his fight with Inasa.  A rare thing for him, as he loved a good brawl and obviously, he wouldn’t go and lose.  Only losers wake up not knowing how the fight had ended.  Only losers awoke the next morning with a pounding headache, wishing the morning sun would dim just a little damn bit.  Only losers woke up after hearing their mage friend talking about how much healing magic they had performed last night.  That only happened to losers, and Sen isn’t the type to lose.

“…Shit.”

Sen had lost.  It was clear even before his eyes opened, though that didn’t help his denial.  Instead of his bedroom, he was under a canvas tent.  All around him, he heard the bustle of his people asking worriedly if he’s OK and when they can go home.  Kosei and Kinoko were outside of the tent, wondering to themselves just how much healing he’d need after that thrashing from the Wind Djinn.  The previous day came back slowly to Sen, letting him quickly piece together what had happened.

“She won, didn’t she?” he asked aloud.  His two aides paused their conversation and rushed into the tent, immediately kneeling at his sides.

“Alright, you’re awake!”

“I don’t know how much more healing I could’ve done!”

“Guys,” Sen interrupted, “give it to me straight.  What’s the situation?”

With a glum expression, Kosei explained in detail how they had been defeated, and how Saiko Intelli now sat upon the throne.  He also explained how they had joined up with refugee civilians and set up this camp miles from the castle.

“And what about my weapon?” Sen asked.  Kosei looked especially guilty when sharing this news.

“Helix was damaged when we found you.  Hatsume is working on it now.”

Sen sighed out of his nose.  “Help me up,” he groaned.  Tsuburaba and Kinoko pulled him up him by his arms, but were shook away when they tried to help him walk.  “I’m fine now,” he claimed, ignoring the aches and pains across him.

Outside the tent, he could look over the ramshackle tents of his soldiers and citizens, some injured, others hungry, and all despondent.  They were all looking to Sen for guidance.  He turned away.  What the hell could I say? he wondered, walking along the outskirts of this shanty town.  What could a loser tell them?

Not far away, they found Mei hard at work at the small forge she had lugged all the way from her shop in town.  Helix was inside of the fiery maw, and Mei told them her good news.  “Seems like the magic in this weapon is trying to put itself back together!” she happily blabbered to Sen.  “If I melt it down, then it should reform perfectly on its own!  Quite the stunning weapon you’ve got, huh?  You’ll have it back by the end of the day, Prince!”

“Thanks,” Sen answered listlessly.  For reasons he couldn’t explain, Sen felt it was both too soon and not soon enough.  He wanted to get back into the fight, find a way to bring down that Intelli girl and Inasa, but if he tried again too soon, it felt like he’d mess up again. 

Sen dawdled at the outskirts of the camp for a long while, requesting to be left alone.  His guards and everyone else respected his wishes until Awase barged in with urgent news. 

“Hey, so, there’s a dragon,” he bluntly reported, his voice a bit shaken. 

“A what?”

“A straight-up dragon.  Saw it myself.  Landed over that-ish way.”  Awase waved his arm in the direction of some nearby mountains. 

Despite the rarity of such a creature, Sen knew Awase wouldn’t come to him without due cause.  A fire of excitement was kindling in his stomach.  “I haven’t fought one of those in forever,” he recalled, glinting an eager spark in his eye towards Awase.  “You wanna join?”

“You’re kinda forgetting that the one you’re reminiscing about almost fucking ate me,” Awase reminded him.  “No thanks!  I’ll hang out here and keep an eye on your weapon.  Since Mei’s working on it, you can grab a sword from the soldier’s stock.”

“No need,” Sen bragged, cracking his knuckles.  “A bare-knuckle throwdown against a beast like that is just what I need.”

While Awase was struck silent by his swaggering assertion, Sen walked past him and went to Kosei, Kinoko, and Yui.  “Anyone wanna come, then?”

“Nope.”  Yui, as always, answered curtly and quickly.  Kinoko looked to want to answer the same way, but Kosei preempted her.

“Me and Kinoko will come,” he said.

“Why me?!” Kinoko whined.  “Dragons are scary!”

“We need a quick exit in case of emergency,” Kosei reasoned.  “As for me, I need to make sure Mr. tough guy here doesn’t bite off more than he can chew.  I know you healed him up, but I don’t think Sen here is at 100% quite yet.”

“I don’t need to be at 100% to take on a dragon bare-handed,” Sen claimed.  Kosei grimaced at the bravado, but resigned himself and followed Sen into the mountains, dragging Kinoko along with him despite her protests.  They were quick to climb, following a trail for the most part before Sen eventually took them on the rough and rugged rocks to make it to the top.  The prince forged ahead, eager to clash against the beast, while Kosei brought up the rear with a sour expression and Kinoko trailed behind, trying to keep her dress hiked up for the climb.

“Hear that?” Sen asked as a low grumble shook the mountain beneath their feet.  “That’s a dragon, alright.”

“Oooohh, can we still turn back?” Kinoko whined.

“Yes, we can,” Kosei loudly answered, though aiming his voice towards Sen instead.  “We can certainly turn back if anyone is having second thoughts…  Any second thoughts?”

Sen ignored the obvious goading and grabbed onto the last cliff.  As he pulled himself over, began to see a giant, scaly green body.  “I see something!” he called down.  Kinoko, evidently fed up, simply transported herself magically to his side while Kosei run up.  By the time they reached, Sen was a top the mountain and staring down the rosy teeth of a dragon.

The beast, looking to have just awoken from a nap, looked as if he could lunge forward and swallow Sen in one gulp.  Undeterred, Sen raised his fists.  Magic power that would normally go into Helix flooded out of him and casted a set of swirling, snaking energy ribbons around Sen’s fists and forearms.  “Ready?”

The dragon roared and snapped its maw forward.  Sen dodged, slipped around, and nailed its jaw with a powerful punch.  As always, his spiraling energy produced a wave of force that spread across the dragon’s body, throwing it to the side.  Even without Helix, Prince Sen was a threat all on his own.

But it still wasn’t enough.  Something’s up, he thought while rolling his shoulder.  That didn’t look as strong as my punches usually are.  He looked down at the slow undulations of his spiraling magic and closed his fist.  My powers are supposed to be better than this.  Am I doing something wrong?

“Uh, Sen?!  Quit spacing out when you’re fighting a goddamn dragon!”

Kosei’s shouts brought Sen back to reality in time to dodge a tail swipe.  The dragon followed it with claw strikes, both of which Sen slipped away from.  Afterwards, it flew a short distance into the air and reared its head back.  Sen could see flames licking out from between its teeth.

“Incoming fire-breath!”  Kosei jumped into the fray finally, appearing by Sen’s side and putting up a dome of solid air.  Kinoko rushed under as well just in time for a blast of heat to come towards them.  Sen didn’t flinch at the attack.  He was positive Kosei’s shield would be as stalwart as him, and his faith proved well-placed.  The barrier was in perfect condition when the flames died out, leaving the dragon visibly confused.

“It’s not looking so confident anymore,” Kinoko noticed.  “We should finish this before it leaves, just in case it flies back towards the camp.”

“Right, just get me up there.”  Sen stepped out from the shield and braced himself.  From beneath his feet, a giant mushroom sprouted to life, the force up which sent him rocketing into the sky.  He extended two fingers, summoning great power to them, and encased them in a thick spiral of power.  Now feeling more confident and fully immersed in his battle, his power was surging.  Sen struck the dragon’s underbelly and let loose a twister of power into him, making it roar out in confusion and pain.  The two landed, the dragon in defeat and Sen in victory.

“You alright now?” Kosei asked.  “Get all that out of your system?”

“Don’t patronize me,” Sen grumbled.  He turned his back to the defeated foe and glared out from the mountaintop, finding a faint image of his former castle over the horizon.  “I’m plenty strong, but I can’t beat that Djinn, Inasa.  I just… can’t.”

“Geez, this must be serious,” Kinoko noted.  “I can’t remember the last time you’ve said you can’t beat someone.”

“That’s because I haven’t.”  Sen clenched his fists, feeling the power within him slow down.  “This Spiral Magic I’ve inherited is supposed to be all-powerful.  If I lost, then that’s on me.  For some reason, I can’t let the power flow how my ancestors or even my father had done.  I need to fix this, guys.”

“Sounds rough, man.  Maybe I could help.”

“I wish you could, but— Wait, that’s not Kosei.”  Despite the embarrassment from his late reaction, Sen quickly whipped around, having been answered by an unfamiliar voice.  He saw Kosei and Kinoko staring in shock and confusion as they stared at the imprint left in the mountaintop by the dragon’s fall.  The beast was gone, and in its place sat a lone boy about their age.  He had black hair in a braid and wore a simple sleeveless dark blue shirt and green pants with serpentine dragons drawn coiled around the legs.  His identity was pretty clear to Sen, but it was such an unbelievable idea that he couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you?”

“C’mon, you’re not that dumb,” the boy joked.  “You just beat me up, remember?”

“Uh, Sen?” Kinoko began.  “He’s not lying.  We just watched him transform.”

“Hi.  Name’s Rin,” the boy said, flashing a set of fanged teeth.

At this point, having been overthrown and put on the run, having his weapon broken and questioning his own powers, Sen wasn’t in the mood to think about how crazy this was.  All he did was extend a hand to Rin and say, “Hi.  I’m Sen.”

“That’s it?!” Kosei and Kinoko blurted out.

“It’s been a long morning,” Sen muttered back to them.  “So, Rin, you said you could help me with something?”

“Hey, you adjusted to talking to a Weredragon quickly,” Rin complimented.  “Not me specifically, but I know a guy.  He’s a wizard.  A little funny-looking and his boyfriend’s kind of mean, but I think they could help.  They don’t live far from here.  Wanna go?”

Though he found the proposition dubious, Sen had yet to find a way around his problem.  If there was a chance this would work, he had to take it.  At least I know I’m stronger than him, in case this is a trick, he figured.  “Sure, sounds good.  Kosei, Kinoko, we’re following this guy.”

“Are you sure about this?” Kosei asked, giving a sideways glance to Rin.

“It’s better than waiting for some miracle realization to hit me on its own,” Sen shrugged.  “If I don’t figure something out soon, more of my people are gonna get hurt.  If this works, I may be able to do something right by them.”

Kosei didn’t voice any more concerns.  Sen missed seeing the worry in his gaze, too focused on the path Rin was pointing out to them.  They left the mountain together, moving further and further into unmapped territory.  Entering dense woods that reeked of thick, natural Magic, the prince and his helpers had all been put on guard.  At least it feels like a place that a wizard might hang out in, they all thought.  Rin led them along jovially, making polite conversation as if he hadn’t been trying to eat them earlier; an incident he referred to as a “faux pas in human society.”

Eventually, they happened upon a small wooden cottage beside a crystal-clear lake.  Sen was set to follow Rin inside and finally see if this would lead to anything, but he paused when he heard Kinoko cry out.  He whipped around to see her flat on her face, a figure in dark brown leather crouched on top of her.  Kosei held up his spear and lunged in, but suddenly, a pair of sword blades burst from the attacker’s arms.  One blocked the spear and the other pointed towards Kosei’s neck.

“Leave this place.”  The voice was scratchy and low, staying deadly serious.  His head rose, leaving Sen to see an elongated, insectoid head with a pair of bladed mandibles, as well as an odd green Mohawk haircut.

“Get off of my friend,” Sen demanded.

“You have no sway here, you stuck-up royal,” the man growled.  “Rin!  Why the hell did you bring these people?!  Especially a damn prince?!”

“Considering my kingdom’s been taken over, I don’t know how applicable that descriptor is to me at the moment,” Sen admitted.  Hearing this, Kamakiri’s eyes bugged out in shock, and his odd face was alight in a mocking smile.

“You got deposed?  Hah!  That’s hilarious!”

“Yup.  Sooo funny,” Sen answered sarcastically.  “Everyone’s having a laugh about it.  Especially all the people that are dead or imprisoned by the invaders… Hilarious.”

“I thought Manga could help this guy figure something out,” Rin finally said.  “They’re nice.  Give them a chance, Kamakiri.”

The strange rogue in the patchy leather didn’t move from his spot, but Sen knew he wouldn’t stay that way for long.  Kinoko’s Magic was welling up above.  Before Kamakiri noticed, a strange fungus sprouted across his body.  Kosei moved back, knowing that any movements Kamakiri could make would be dulled.  He knew Kinoko’s strength-draining mushroom spell at a glance, having been a victim of her pranks with them several times over.

“Goddamn,” Kamakiri seethed once the effects were too obvious to miss.  Kinoko finally pushed herself up off the ground, giving Kamakiri a swift kick in the side just after.

“You got my dress dirty,” she angrily stated while brushing herself off.  “What do we do with him now, Sen?”

Sen looked to Rin.  “Will he be cool?”

Rin looked to Kamakiri.  “Will you be cool?”

Kamakiri looked to the dirt, as he couldn’t move his head with his strength so tapped.  “Up yours,” he grumbled

“He’ll be chill once I introduce you to Manga.”

Sen took a long breath.  “…I am filled with confidence.  Kinoko, let him up.”

“OK, but Kosei should have his spear at the ready if I’m doing this.”

“Way ahead of you,” Kosei said while aiming his spear’s tip at Kamakiri.  Kinoko then lifted her spell and the rogue rose to his feet, slowly and without sudden movements.  Sen could still sense some hostility, but Rin seemed eager to keep it from boiling over and hurried to the cottage’s door, giving it a quick knock. 

“Manga!  Got some visitors,” he yelled before turning back.  “By the way, he’s kinda weird-looking.  A speech bubble for a head; you get it.”

“A what for a what?” Kosei asked.  Rin ignored the question and knocked on the door again, then greeted by a figure short enough to be hidden by his body.

“What kinda visitors?” a youthful voice asked.

“The prince is here.  Long story short, he’s a touch on the homeless side right now and his powers are a bit out of whack.”

“I can help with the second problem, but not the first.  My couch isn’t big enough.”  The voice, evidently the wizard Manga, pushed aside Rin to see the people gathered.  He was dressed in a common wizard’s apparel, with a purple suit and longcoat, a matching pointed hat, and a golden sash and boots   To the shock of Sen and his entourage, his head was in fact a giant white bubble that showed the words he was saying.  “Hi.”

“What’s up with your face?” Kosei blurted out.  Sen couldn’t exactly blame him; he was about a second away from doing the same thing.

“Spell went wrong,” Manga shrugged.  “Anyway, come on in.”

“That’s your only answer?!” Kinoko asked.

“I mean, do you need more?” Manga questioned.  Putting aside that strangeness, Sen entered the wizard’s abode first.  Shelves and tables were cluttered with potions, magical artifacts and tools, and strange ingredients.  Once everyone was inside, he quickly got straight to the point.

“I need your help.”

“So I’ve heard,” Manga answered.

“We’re not in the business of helping people like you,” Kamakiri claimed.

“Ignore my boyfriend,” Manga offhandedly said.  “I know you, and I know what your powers can do.  What do you need me for?”

Sen gripped his fists.  “I’m not strong enough, and I can’t wait to build my strength the normal way.  If I’m to take back my home, I need to draw out more from this stupid spinning power.”

Manga nodded a few times, then sat down in an old wooden chair.  “It’s certainly not stupid,” he began.  “The problem is with you, not the power.”

“I kinda figured,” Sen agreed.  “It felt like when I was most down on myself over… what happened, that was when my powers were at their weakest.”

“Then the solution is simple,” Manga stated as he rifled through a drawer under his desk.  Out from it, he pulled a glass vial of strange purple liquid.  “Drink this.”

“Well, that’s not suspicious,” Kosei commented.  “Sen, this is bunk.  I bet you this is all some kind of elaborate trap to finish you off.”

“I’m with Kosei,” Kinoko said.  “Whatever that juice will do, you don’t need it!  You’re strong enough already.”

Sen looked to the vial in his hands.  His mind replayed all he could remember of his battle with Inasa.  How the wind tossed him around like anyone else, how it tore apart his kingdom around him, how Saiko Intelli looked down from on high at him.  Sen found a seat in the corner of the cottage and fell down into it.  With his thumb, he uncorked the vial.  “You guys… I’m not strong enough.  I lost.  Even if it’s just a chance, if this will help me win and turn things back to normal…” 

Wordlessly, Sen drank down the potion.  Instantly, his mind fogged.  As consciousness faded, he gave a smile to Kosei.  “Keep an eye on me while I’m out, ‘kay?”

“Sen!”  Kosei watched as the prince slumped back against the wall, letting the glass via drop from his drooping arm onto the floor.  He turned to Manga and stomped forward.  “What was that?  What’d he just drink?!”

“Just a mental stimulant,” Manga began.  “He’s going on a little journey into his mind.  It’s meant to help clear your head and let you interact with your magic in certain ways.  Does it not sound like something he might need right now?”

Kosei huffed and crossed his arms.  He wanted to be as confident as Sen, but looking at his unconscious body, driven here by desperation and wounded pride, he couldn’t put his heart into this.  “I’m worried,” he mumbled to Kinoko.

“Me too, but perhaps this can work out?”  Kinoko shared a nervous look with Kosei, leading both to mull around to try and occupy their time.

“I wouldn’t stray too far from your prince,” Kamakiri advised.  Recalling his earlier provocations, Kosei moved to put himself between Sen and the rogue.

“And why is that?” he asked.

“You must be novices in fighting if you missed it,” Kamakiri vaguely answered.  “You were tailed here, genius.  Did you seriously not notice?”

Before Kosei could fully comprehend what Kamakiri was saying, the roof above himself burst.  Someone darted out from the hole they had made and landed right in front of Sen.  Kosei, purely on instinct, stuck his spear out towards Sen and formed an air barrier.  A knife blade flew towards the prince only to be blocked just in time by Kosei’s shield.

At the momentary pause the assassin experienced, Kosei realized it was the Stealth Unit’s leader, Tatami, who he had seen just when things were going to shit.  With her path to Sen being blocked, Tatami darted back and took aim for another target — Manga.  She had blitzed around Kamakiri faster than he could see, leaving Kosei to flip his spear around, once again blocking Tatami’s knife.

Having stopped her twice, Kosei became her next target.  She grabbed the shaft of his spear and pulled herself in closer.  Kosei raised his arm in defense, figuring her might be down for the count after this, but Tatami was stopped once more.  Kamakiri had extended a blade of his own, using the flat of it to shield Kosei.

Having been on the outskirts of the skirmish, Rin had been able to slip in undetected.  As Tatami tried to press through Kamakiri’s blade, Rin appeared behind her and grabbed her arm.  With deft agility, he disarmed her and pushed her to the side.  Tatami remained on her feet, though, and looked ready to fight it out until a mushroom sprouted on her nose.  Across her body, Kinoko’s power-sapping mushrooms appeared.  Moments later, Tatami was on the floor.

“That was way too close,” Kinoko huffed in shock.  Kosei nodded in agreement, then looked to Kamakiri, who was making sure Manga had been unharmed.

“Why protect me?  I thought you didn’t want us here.”

“Eye for an eye,” Kamakiri answered.  “You protected Manga, so I protected you.  Don’t expect another favor.”

Kosei nodded in understanding and watched as Kinoko secured Tatami with rope.  Kosei aimed his spear at her and decided to do some interrogating.  “Where’s the rest of your little stealth team?  Hanging around here?”

“As if,” Tatami groaned, still weak from the spell.  “We split when I saw you go off without the prince’s whole entourage.  This is just a clean-up job, getting rid of a broken ruler.”

Kosei gritted his teeth at the insult.  “Say that again,” he dared.

“Wait, question,” Kinoko interrupted, putting her hand on Kosei’s spear.  “Don’t do any stabbing yet.  You split up when we left the camp?”

Tatami’s eyes suddenly went wide, as if she had said something she shouldn’t have.  “Um… no?”

With Kinoko finished securing Tatami, Kosei picked her up by the scruff of her neck and brought her to eye level, showing her a fiercer glare than any would expect from him.  “What is happening back at our camp?”

“…This is weird.”  Sen wasn’t sure what to expect when he gulped down the potion without a second thought.  What he was seeing, though, was far from any expectations he might’ve thought of. 

Alone, he floated weightlessly in an odd space.  All around him were spirals of light, as if he was caught in some kind of slow-motion tornado.  The light around him was like rainbow streaks all melding together, only to diverge somewhere further down the spiral.

“I don’t feel any more connect to my magic!” he called out, as if the others were just above and could hear him.  “I’m not feeling all that Zen either.  Kinda bored, to be honest.”

Unsure of how to proceed with whatever he was meant to do, Sen busied himself by watching the pretty lights, hoping it would just come to him, like snapping his fingers.  Instead, he just watched the light spin and spin, spiraling upwards and downwards with him in the center.

“I wonder what’s down there?” he asked, looking down at what seemed to be the bottom of this twister, but he couldn’t quite see it.  Whatever the starting point of this spiral was, it was infinitely too small to see.

“I wonder what’s up there?” he asked, looking up at where the lights swirled wider and wider.  Again, he couldn’t make out exactly where the top was.  Whatever the ending point of this spiral was, it was infinitely too large to see.

Slowly, adrift in his own mind, he followed the spiral with his eyes, only to find that his body was traveling along it.  He could barely find time to appreciate the apparent progress of this when he saw two light beams separate.  A hole had opening in the twister, and inside was a vision of a long-distant king wielding Helix.

“An ancestor?” Sen thought.  Again, part of the spiral opened ahead of him, and inside was the vision of another ruler than held his ancestral weapon.  One of them was clearly holding it broken in half, making him feel a touch better about his own breakage.

You’re starting to see it, aren’t you?

A voice in his mind, or perhaps more accurately, a voice all around him.  Sen knew immediately their identity.  They were who he inherited his power from.  “Maybe?” he answered, unsure.

The spiral is a point of infinity, and that infinity will affect all.  You, our fellow son of the spiral, are the point of infinity.  If you decide something shall change, it will.  It is a great power, one that must be ruled with utmost clarity of mind and heart, both of which much be just and righteous.

“So, what’s wrong with me?”  Sen reached out to the light beams beside him, finding them just out of reach.  “I get that I lost, and I accept that, so—”

Wrong.  You have not accepted this fact.

“Like hell I have!” Sen shouted into the infinity.  “I’m not denying it, and I’m ready to move past it, so—”

You are prideful.  The words hit Sen like a cannon-shot to the back.  You are lazy.  He grimaced and floated limply along the winding light.  You blame your ability to use your powers for your loss, when they are not a guarantee to victory even with a full grasp of them.  Say it.  Now.

Sen muttered the words at first.  “I… lost.”  Then, he grew louder.  “I lost!  I’m a damn LOSER!”  Even in his mind, Sen could feel his throat burn and his eyes sting.  “And who would follow a loser, eh?”

Plenty.  A hole opened in the twister once again.  Inside, Sen saw familiar faces.  Kinoko, always pleasant and fun.  Yui, silent yet caring.  Awase, rugged and tough, with the reliable Mei on his back.  Setsuna and Reiko, his trusted helpers.  Even Rin, Kamakiri, and Manga were present behind them.  There seemed to be one missing, though.  “Hey, where’s—”

Another hole opened.  In it was Kosei, smiling his bright smile.  Seeing him alone, floating past his visage, Sen felt something different than when he looked to the others.  “Oh.”  He felt a flutter in his heart.  “Ooooohh.  Maybe… Maye that’s part of what was clogging up my head.”

Be honest with yourself.  Let yourself be open to others.  Let yourself give your all to what’s right, win or lose.  Do not think of your ego.  Think of who needs your help.

Sen nodded.  The voices were warm and soft in his ears.  “That’d be my people.”

Then go to them, son of the spiral.

Sen’s eyes popped open faster than any other time.  Right in front of them was another set of eyes; Familiar bugged-out eyes, that is.

“Finally, you’re awake.”  Kosei leaned back and smiled.  “It wasn’t too long, but I was getting a bit worried.”

Sen smiled back at him.  He stood up, noting the sun in the windows had lowered in the sky.  Behind Kosei, the others waited with grim expressions.  Also with them was the assassin Tatami, who was securely tied and gagged in Manga’s chair.  “Seems like I missed a bit.”

“You were almost killed in your sleep,” Manga briefly explained.

“That doesn’t sound like me,” Sen replied with a snicker.

“Bad time for jokes,” Rin interrupted.  “It took some… ‘coaxing,’ but our little home intruder spilled a bit of intel.  Your camp is about to be attacked.  It might have already started, as far as we know.”

"What?!”  Sen stormed past the group and grabbed Tatami’s shoulders, shaking her in a rage.  “Why you little—”

“Save it for later,” Kinoko advised.  “We need to go back there now.  I’ll teleport us.”

With the sound advice of Kinoko breaking through his rage, Sen calmed his head and took a breath.  “You’re right.  And we’ll need all the help we can get.”  Turning around, he faced Manga, Rin, and Kamakiri and bowed his head to them.  “My people are in jeopardy, as are those still in the kingdom.  If you’re able to, I need capable warriors and mages like yourselves on my side.  Please.”

Though Rin and Manga seemed open to the idea, Kamakiri was clearly hesitant to help out a royal.  Thinking back on his foe, Sen cracked a smirk and addressed him directly.  “I’ll let you go wild on the snooty, snobbish princess and her helpers later.”

“How snooty and snobbish?”

“Think of the most caricatured idea of that kind of princess you can.  Now double it.”

“Interesting,” Kamakiri answered with an excited sneer.  “Count me in.”

“Sure, that sounds fun,” Rin shrugged, clearly just glad to feel included.

“I’ll add some of my own magic to the teleportation,” Manga offered.

Sen gratefully nodded to them and stepped towards Kinoko, meanwhile giving one last cocky look to Tatami.  “We’ll tell your underlings you said hi.”

“Mmph!”

“Right, and that too.”

With Sen gone and Yui her usual silent self, Awase had taken charge as the others went off to face the dragon sighted nearby.  Awase considered himself to be calm and cool-headed under this pressure, even when he started to think Sen, Kosei, and Kinoko had been gone for a fairly long time.  He simply pushed it to the side and focused on whatever tasks had been at hand, as well as checking on Mei’s progress with Helix.  As the weapon was nearing its complete repair, Mei’s focus was fully on it.  He had been watching her staring at it when the first cannon shots rang out.

From there, it had been utter chaos.  Awase couldn’t remember much of the orders he was barking or how many enemy fights he had taken on.  All he knew was that he needed to hold the line and protect the people.  As waves of assassins dashed in, Awase took them all on with his axe, assisted thankfully by Yui.  In her true form, she was easily stomping through the enemy enforcements, though this left her open to the heavy cannon blasts.

The worst came when Awase realized certain soldiers weren’t dropping or running, but somehow being turned into stone statues.  In addition to the enemy soldiers, they were being assaulted by a giant, snake-like monster with red hair and a golden sash and shirt over the more humanoid upper-half.  The beast, overhead to be called Habuko by some enemies, had light beams shooting from her eyes that petrified people en masse.  Whether or not they could be saved had to wait until it was defeated, though.

On and on, Awase battled.  Adrenaline kept him on his feet, but soon enough, the wear and tear on his body, armor, and weapons were becoming starker.  This happened just as he heard a terrible shout from behind him.

“Let go!  It’s finally almost done!”

Awase spun around to see a pair of Stealth Unit soldiers grabbing Mei’s arms.  He thundered back towards her, taking on both with his axe and bringing them down in quick order, clearing away the enemies hounding Mei.  “You have to leave!” he shouted, hoping that raising his voice could finally shake some sense into her.

“I need to finish my work!”  Mei was resolute, past her usual madness and into a resolve that matched Awase.  More soldiers came at them, forcing Awase to protect her once more.

“Then I’ll guard you!  Sen will need that weapon when he gets back!”

With his line in the sand drawn, Awase fought back all comers while Mei reached her metal tongs into the hot furnace and removed the crimson-hot Helix.  In a vat of water set aside earlier, she dunked the weapon in, letting out a spout of steam and a sizzling sound from the bubbling cauldron.

“Aaagh!”

Awase heard Yui bellow in pain and raised his head.  She had been knocked flat, lorded over by the gorgon monster.  Beside the snake-like beast came the leader of the Artillery Unit, Tadan, who was covered completely in heavy, multicolored armor that featured cannons mounted to the arms and back.  He aimed that for Awase while Habuko slithered towards Yui.

“Target acquired,” Tadan said.  “Enemy figurehead Yosetsu Awase.  Firing in 5… 4—”

“Yui, get up!” Awase begged, watching as the beast’s jaws slipped open.  Yui shook and shivered, unable to move a single muscle under the watchful eyes of her opponent.  Awase wanted to rush towards her, but stopped when he remembered Mei was behind him.  Caught between two people he wanted to save, Awase realized that he might fail both.  He turned his great axe to use as a makeshift shield and waited as the countdown finished.  The cannons fired, and he awaited the outcome.

But, the explosion was nowhere near him.  In fact, it sounded like the cannonballs exploded right where the one firing was standing.  Awase looked back hesitantly.  At the edge of a cloud of dust and soot, Tadan was flat on his back, his armor broken and torn, and in front of him was an air barrier.

“Damn, that’s gotta sting, huh?  I’m surprised your shield held up against those blasts, but that was worth the risk.”  Out of the dust cloud, flanked by Kosei and Kinoko, appeared Sen.  He looked to Awase and approached him with an air of confidence.  “Sorry I took so long, Awase.  While I was trying to get my head on straight, you were fighting for your life.”  When he reached, Sen put his arms on Awase’s shoulders and gratefully smiled at him.  “Thanks for holding out this long.  I’ll take it from here.”

Awase, stunned by how suddenly his weight and stress had been lifted, simply laughed in response.  “Don’t be gone for so long next time, or else I’ll have to take your title, man!”

“You wouldn’t last a day as a prince,” Sen laughed back.  As the two boys talked, Hatsume ran up between them with Helix, fully reformed, in her hands.

“Finished it up for ya, guy!”

“You wanna be a bit more respectful?” Awase chided, bumping Mei with his elbow.  “He is the prince, you know.”

“It’s fine.  Thank you, Mei.”  Sen gratefully took Helix’s hilt, feeling nostalgia at its familiar weight in his hand.  Turning back, he locked his eyes on the monster Habuko, who was being held at bay by the fully-draconic Rin.

“New friend of yours?” Awase asked, staring quizzically at the dragon he swore Sen went out to slay.

“His name’s Rin,” Sen answered, pointing to him as if Awase could miss what was going on.  As the two lizard-like monsters battled, Yui, now shrunken down, was being helped away from the battlefield by Kamakiri and Manga.  Sen ignored Awase’s further questions and ran up to Yui.

“Sorry I’m late, Yui.  Will you be alright?”

“Mm.”  Yui nodded and sat down right where she had stood.  “You go do something,” she requested, clearly miffed at having to fight so much with the others gone. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get right to it,” Sen answered as he waved Kinoko over.  She took one look at Yui and gasped, then rushed over to start healing her.  With his injured teammates in capable hands, Sen held tightly to Helix and rushed into the fight.

Seeing Sen approach, Rin got the message and flew over the Gorgon to attack the enemy troops.  Having lost one of their leaders, they were more than frazzled enough to be sent running by an incoming dragon.  Their hopes, it seemed, were pinned on their monster.

The gorgon aimed its glare at Sen, forcing him to dive out of the way as a petrifying blast flew by him.  As he hit the ground, he released some of his power.  The way it came from his center was immediately a clearer process, as he released a great burst of spiraling power.  Using this boost, he aimed himself for Habuko and came in close.  The snake’s fangs zeroed in on the prince, aiming to swallow him whole.

All it took was one thrust of Helix.  The spiral power fully realized, channeled through the ancestral weapon of his kingdom, flowed in a maelstrom of magical light.  The beast was swallowed up as if a tornado had pulled it from the ground.  It screamed out and crashed far away, and it did not get back up. 

 “Seems we’re back in business,” Sen commented while looking down at Helix, “and better than ever, at that.”

“Hey, Sen!”  Up to him ran Kosei, followed by Kinoko, Awase, and Yui, and then joined by Rin, Kamakiri, and Manga.  “That was nuts!  How’d you pull off an attack that big?”

“I guess things can flow more freely when you don’t have any blockage,” Sen answered elusively. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll tell you later.”  Sen let his gaze linger on Kosei just a bit longer, then looked to the sky.  The sun was beginning to go do.  “Awase, Yui, how’re you feeling after some healing?  Good enough to keep going?”

“I think the regular soldiers can deal with the enemies left,” Awase advised, “but I guess I can keep it up.”

“Mhm,” Yui said with a nod.  As Sen pondered his idea, a grin spread across his face.

“It’s time for a rematch, I think.  Let’s go take back my kingdom.  Tonight.”

His four attendants, and his three new allies, all had the same answer.  “Say what?!”

In the stolen castle of Sen Kaibara, his throne was occupied, as it had been all day into this second night of control, by Saiko Intelli.  Performing a coup was supposed to be a walk in the park, but so many annoying loose ends were left.  From loyalists and rebellious spirits among the people to adjusting to this new kingdom’s infrastructure and even layout.  It had been a long day, but hopefully, things would be settled soon.  “Perhaps Tatami could bring back the prince’s body for all to see.  That may help quash any ideas of rebellion,” Intelli suggested.

Sekigai, at her side like always, said in response, “A fabulous idea, princess.”

Camie, on her other side like always, added to this by saying, “Genius as always, princess.”

“My lady!  I bring news!”  In ran a soldier in a great hurry.  Having expected a message form either Tatami or Tadan about the final defeat of her foes, Intelli was ecstatic at the update.

“Ah, perfect!  Have the escapees been destroyed?  Or better yet, has the prince met his true end?”

“No, ma’am, we’re under attack!  Eight invaders have broken down our main barricade!  Sen Kaibara has returned!”

Intelli’s glare went wide so quickly that her monocle fell from her eye.  Sekigai caught it quickly, and Intelli snatched it from her hands.  With a forced return to outward composure, Sekigai placed her eyepiece back in its proper place, calmly took her lamp from the armrest of her throne, and walked elegantly down the throne room.

“Come along, ladies,” she said to her two companions.  “Shall we greet our guests properly?”

“So, question…”  Kosei had to take a moment of pause to really take in what he had seen.  As soon as Kinoko’s teleportation had dropped them in front of the city’s main gate that would lead them to the palace, Sen unleashed a giant, flashy drill of energy that obliterated the giant wooden gate.  With that as their arrival, Kosei was left wondering, “What happened to sneaking in?”

“Changed my mind.”  Even with such a casual answer, it was obvious to his posse that he was in no mood for anything less than everyone’s unwavering determination.  Seeing their enemies start to rouse themselves after witnessing their entrance, Sen immediately gave his orders one last time.  “Now, I think I’ll walk straight ahead and make it to the castle.  Everyone else, you know your role.”  Pointing his lance forward, Sen gave the command.  “Begin the operation!  Tear apart the enemy forces and reclaim the kingdom!”

The seven under his command, enthused by his call to action, all rushed forward.  “Yes, sir!”

And now on his own, Sen coldly and calmly walked forward, his eyes dead-set on his castle.  “Now then, it’s time I state my intentions to Princess Intelli.”

“Wait, seriously?  He’s back?”  General Shindo, the absolute leader on the battlefield, felt little more than bemused surprise when he heard of Sen’s sudden charge.  He led the three other leaders out of the castle’s gate and into the city street.  “Why the worry?”

“Yeah, we beat his ass once already!” Fujimi added.  Makabe and Toteki remained unsure.

“If they had just avoided Tadan and Nakagame, we should’ve heard from them by now about failing to find the prince and his group,” Toteki posited.  “They may have been beaten.”

Shindo shrugged off the idea, then deciding to humor it.  “All the more chance to grab your own glory,” he stated.  “Now, let’s get to hunting.”

Though his words inspired little confidence in his fellow leaders, Makabe and Toteki to their Armored and Archery units and ran off towards a giant figure in the distance.  Fujimi, meanwhile, summoned his legion of zombified followers in a call to raise havoc.  Shindo simply kept walking straight.  He felt that if the enemy was confident to stroll right up and blast the front gate so soon after their first thrashing, they’d likely be confident enough to stroll right down the street. 

Sure enough, when he neared the broken gate there walked Sen Kaibara, staring through him as if Shindo did not even exist. 

“Well, don’t you looks pristine.  Someone must’ve healed you up nicely.  Mind telling me who it was?  I’ll give them a call on your behalf for after out fight.”  Shindo kept approaching, seeing no change on Sen’s face.  Shindo felt his expression strain, urging him back to his true self.  “You don’t really think you’ll win, right?  We’ve all seen how this song-and-dance went.  You’re gonna lose, and unlike last time, you’re gonna die.”  Once more, no reaction from the prince.  Now, Shindo was angry.  “SAY SOMETHING!”

Shindo charged a magical attack in his fist, covering it in a quaking power.  He slammed his fist down and released it, sending out an earth tremor.  Her was sure he had caught the prince off-guard, but when he looked to see what kind of shocked face Sen would make, he was gone.  More than that, Shindo heard something falling towards him from above.  Twisting himself around, Shindo raised his free arm and blocked a powerful strike form a giant ax.  Awase had attacked, and more than that, the ax shattered the armor on Shindo’s arm.

In the scant second Shindo felt unsure, he dove away.  Awase landed where he had attacked the earth.  Now back on his feet, Shindo watched as Sen fell from the sky, landing far ahead.  Shindo didn’t other questioning how he had jumped like that; he was more convening with his blemished armor.  “You bastard!”

“Yeah, that’s me!  A real bastard!”  Awase put up his ax and smirked devilishly at Shindo.  “Why don’tcha let this bastard give you the realest fight you’ve ever had?”

At the thought of being looked down upon, all rationale left Shindo.  He charged with an animalistic battle cry, launching a fist filled with his quaking Magic at Awase.  His fist landed upon the chest plate and let loose a deadly shaking, but when the steel shattered, he found that nobody was in it.  Awase had ripped off the armor at the last second, and having fallen for the diversion, Shindo’s back was wide open.  The ax fell on him, cracking apart his own armor.

With his face in the rubble, Shindo grabbed the ax and pumped it full of tremors, shattering the blade.  He rose up and struck Awase in his unprotected stomach, loosing even more Magic.  He was damaged, but hadn’t fallen. 

Awase shed the rest of his armor, seemingly content with stripping Shindo of most of his.  He raised his fists.  “Ready to get real?”

This is how two of the highest-ranked soldiers on the two sides wound up in a battle of fists.  Without weapon, without armor, and without mercy.  Shindo used his Magic freely, trying to rattle Awase to the bone, but even after every hit, he did not falter.  Shindo could feel each punch, fortified with resolve, slowly chip away at his stamina.  He grew desperate.  At the cusp of defeat, he stomped the ground, releasing a quake from his foot.  Awase’s footing was shaken, and Shindo reach for his head, hoping to pop it like a cherry.

“Gotcha!”  But instead, Awase revealed his feint.  Still in perfect control of himself, he dipped around the grab and closed in.  One last punch rang out on Shindo’s jaw.  The enemy general fell, and Awase raised a fist in victory.  

“Fuh… Finally!  Fuh… Fuck!  That hurt!”  Awase’s arm dropped and he held it in pain.  The ground below him shook, and for a moment, he thought Shindo was still up.  Only when he spotted Yui’s giant body rise from behind the buildings in the distance did he let out a relieved sigh.  “Man, I kinda feel bad for whoever’s facing her.”

“Stand firm, dammit!  She’s just one enemy!”

Makabe’s orders to the remaining troops of his Armored Units feel on deaf ears.  Even their mighty shields and armor couldn’t withstand Yui’s club swing in her giant form.  Though it pained him, he had to now rely on the Toteki’s archers, yet even they were on the ropes.  Their earlier tactics that had brought decisive victory in their last battle had fallen flat.  Now, they fell group by group.  Toteki leapt down from the rooftops towards Makabe and made the obvious known.

“There’s no wining this as is.  We should go.”

“No way!  I’m fighting until the last, even if I’m fighting this giant alone!”

As the soldiers either scattered or lay defeated, Yui looked down at the two enemy leaders.  They expected an attack.  Instead, without a word, she shrunk back down, slowly returning to her normal size.  Makabe and Toteki were both confused until Yui raised her free hand and beckoned them closer.

“You’ll regret giving up your advantage,” Makabe warned as he put up his gauntlet-covered fists. 

“A fool’s folly is our boon,” Toteki stated while drawing his bow.  “Any last words, giantess?”

The ever-silent Yui, having not said a word to them in this entire confrontation, shook her head.  “Anything I say,” she began, “is a waste on the likes of you.”  She raised her club in challenge and stared daggers at the ones who had bested her last time.  “Come on.”

With a loosed arrow, the battle was on.  Yui deflected Toteki’s attack away from her right side with her club, leaving her left open for a rush of punches from Makabe.  She was knocked away, but stood her ground and swung her club at her attacker.  Makabe blocked, but his right gauntlet was shattered by the blow.

In came an arrow, whizzing by Yui’s head, all just a distraction for Makabe to stomp her foot and trap her.  His left fist shot across her face, forcing her to lean to the side, but unable to fall over.  Her eyes shot open in time to see Toteki aiming his arrow straight for her.  “Farewell.”

Faced with what could be a fatal attack, Yui’s life flashed before her eyes.  A life on the outskirts of society.  A life of survival.  A life with no one to talk to.  It was only when she chanced upon this little kingdom did she hear those words: “do you want to stay with us?”  That day she met Prince Sen, and the day she found people who would welcome her.

Yui gritted her teeth.  She bent forward, forcing herself up and out of the incoming arrow’s reach.  Her club swung up and over her head, then down into Makabe’s head with ferocious strength.  The Armored Unit’s leader crumpled under the weight of her mighty blow.  Never one to miss an opportunity, Toteki drew back what would be his last arrow shot of the fight.  Yui twisted her body towards him, pulling her club away from the freshly-felled Makabe and hurling it at Toteki.  Even after blocking his arrow shot, the weight of the throw carried the club harshly into Toteki, sending him flying back.  He did not get back up. 

 Yui finally caught her breath.  That’s two leaders down, she told herself.  I wonder who’s left?

As Yui questioned the enemy’s forces, those forces made themselves known.  She felt a rumble underfoot.  Around the corner came a mad rush of enemies, but not normal soldiers.  Their ghastly, rotting exteriors were that of zombies.  Yui picked up her club, and she slowly began to rise above those soldiers in height.

As long as that Necromancer is in play, this won’t end.  Someone has to get rid of him soon.

“GYAAAAAHHHH!  ZOMBIES AREN’T CUTE AT AAAAAAALL!”

“STOP SCREAMING!”

Kosei had no time to ponder his hypocrisy as he was slightly too busy running for his life.  He and Kinoko were booking it down the street in a dead-even pace with the hordes of zombies behind them.  Crashing through abandoned vendor stalls and wooden tables, this half-conscious horde of their own soldiers and enemy soldiers came with their only purpose being to rip them apart.  Though she had never been especially athletic, this sudden burst of fear brought with it adrenaline forced Kinoko ahead of Kosei.

“Hahahaha!  Yes!  Crush them underfoot, my loyal undead!”

And as if being hunted by hordes of zombies wasn’t and enough, Kosei had to keep his patience with the Necromancer Romero’s grating voice in his ears.  He lorded over them from his perch atop a small chapel’s spire, high above even the other rooftops.  We’ve gotta get up there or we’ll be caught in this cat-and-mouse game all night!  “Hey, Kinoko!”

“Whaaaat?!” Kinoko yelled back, her voice a half-sob out of fear. 

“We need to go up!  Lay down some footholds!”

Kinoko pouted back at Kosei, but when the zombie hoard made a lurching gain on them, she relented.  Far ahead, across the alley wall of a shop, Kinoko magically sprouted a handful of large mushrooms with flat surfaces pointing up.  A perfect stairway; reaching it safely would be the hard part.  Kosei furiously pounded the pavement, overtaking Kinoko once again.  Unfortunately, this came paired with the added slow-down of Kinoko latching onto his back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, and screaming loud enough to rattle his brain, “Don’t leave me behind!”

“Stop choking me!”  Kosei could feel the rumbling of the zombie hoard grow louder, but his goal was in reach.  He leapt forward, planted his foot firmly on the first mushroom step, and hoofed it straight up.  A handful of the first undead troops followed him up, but lost their footing immediately as Kinoko made them disappear.  Finally, they were on the roof and out of reach for the moment.  Both stopped to catch their breath.

“No rides next time!” Kosei decided.  “Not unless you ask first!”

“I gave you a stairway!  Is that not enough to get a favor?” Kinoko shot back. 

Whatever strife stirring up now, they had to put it aside for later.  Not only where their zombies trying to claw their way up the building, but just a few rooftops over was the source.  The pair of royal retainers both ran across the roof, then across the gap thanks to a solid air platform, and finally earned Romero’s direct ire.

“You want some of this?” he questioned.  In his hands formed a swirling miasma of darkness that he dropped down towards the roof.  It splashed like water and spread like a puddle, but what Kosei recognized as a magic vortex.  “Sorry, but you’ll have to get past him first!  One of our Three War Beasts!  You may have somehow eluded the Gorgon, but none survive against my special Swamp Wraith!  RISE, SHISHIKURA!”

Out from the black portal rose a zombie like no other.  All they could make out of its humanity was a human form and some pink hair on top, as anything resembling human boy was covered up by swampy muck.  As soon as he was out, this special zombie reached forward and magically sent blobs of its swampy body out towards Kosei and Kinoko.

Kosei raised an air dome around the pair, protecting them only for the moment.  “I don’t wanna know what that’ll do to us,” he said as the muck encompassed their barrier.  “Dammit, what now?”

Kinoko was green in the face by this point, averting her eyes from the disgusting swamp sludge around them.  Kosei was sure she wouldn’t last against this kind of enemy.  This made it all the more shocking to him when she squeaked out, “I’ll handle it.”

“Y-You sure?”

“I’ll teleport us outside and deal with the wraith,” she decided.  “You go for the Necromancer.  Deal?”

Kosei bumped his fist on her arm and gave a grateful smile.  “Deal.”

Overhead, a crack appeared in the dome.  Shishikura’s attack dripped inside.  The pair huddled together and Kinoko prepared a short-range teleportation, telling Kosei to make a platform for them as soon as they shift places.  More cracks in the dome.  Magic welled in this enclosed space.  The air shattered, but all that sludge could find was empty space.

Kosei and Kinoko reappeared above the battle, about on-level with the spire Romero grandstanded from.

“Shishikura!  Above you!  Get them now!”

On the solid air platform, Kosei and Kinoko split up.  Kosei made a jump for Romero while Kinoko dropped down towards Shishikura.  The special zombie’s mucky arm rushed towards her, oddly slower than last time, and deflected with a magic-infused swipe of Kinoko’s staff. 

Kosei landed on another of his platforms and checked on his friend.  He had no clue of her plan, and as she hit the roof, she seemed to be trapped.  Only on closer inspection of Shishikura’s mucky body did he spy a white moss-like fungus on his back.  It was spreading gradually, sprouting mushrooms in its wake, and the swampy-body of the wraith continued to slow.  Kinoko stood her ground and watched as her spell took over.

“It’s a purifying fungus,” she revealed.  “You will be cleansed, you… gross, icky zombie!  Hate you!”

Should’ve known she couldn’t be mysterious and mature for more than a second.  Now confident in putting his back to Shishikura, Kosei made another leap and reached the thin tower, landed beside Romero.  “You can give up now and release your spell, or I can stab you a bunch with my spear.  Your call.”

“Heh!”  Romero smirked in response.  Kosei was prepared to unload a rush of attacks on the villain, but something remarkable appeared in the corner of this eye.  The hordes of zombies left behind on the street were converging, climbing on top of one another until they had made their own tower of bodies.  Like a giant serpent, this tower curled and swung down at Kosei, who stuck out his spear on instinct and put up a solid air shield.  The body stack fell apart on impact, breaking down the barrier but leaving Kosei untouched.  That’s when Romero, cloaking his hand in dark Magic, reached forward and chopped through the center of Kosei’s spear.  The spearhead fell below, leaving Kosei with little more than steel bar.

“Now, you’ll join them,” Romero mocked, basking both hands in dark power.  “You’ll join my zombie hoard!  YOU’LL—”

Romero’s threat would go unfinished, as across his jaw cracked Kosei’s broken steel bar.  “Hm?  I’ll do what now?”  Another swing and Romero’s arm was knocked away.  “You’re a bit too presumptuous, dude.  I can’t go being a zombie now!  There’s a guy I still need to protect!”

As quick as lightning, Kosei unleashed a barrage of hard swings with his broken weapon, far too fast for any recovery from the necromancer.  On his last swing, Kosei sent Romero flying from the spire and into the crowd below, who had long since frozen without orders from their leader.  Kosei could see soldiers of both sides returning to their normal selves. 

“Finally!  You sure took your time!”  On the rooftops below, Kinoko stood triumphant over the fallen wraith, currently covered from head in shining mushrooms and fungus.  “My Purifying Shrooms had this done a while ago!”

“I’m sure they did!  Good job!”  There was still much to do, but with a moment of stillness and this high vantage point, Kosei turned his eyes to the castle.  “We seem to be doing well out here.  I just hope the infiltration team is having as much luck as us.”

“There it is again!  Did you feel that?”

Tremors from the battle outside had reached far enough to be felt in the castle’s dungeon.  Said dungeon was currently far past capacity with loyalists among the castle’s staff, so much so that the long-unused solitary cell was occupied by a pair of extremely-loyal maids, Setsuna and Reiko.  Stuck sharing a single small bench, both with shackles holding their wrists and ankles, and not allowed to speak up for fear of punishment, they had spent their time in slow, monotonous agony, unsure of their fate.

“Would you shut up?”  Despite her answer, Reiko did feel the same tremor that made Setsuna pipe up.  She had felt something similar the other day when the fighting began.  Perhaps this was a sign that Sen had returned?  She decided to put the thought out of her mind, as she didn’t want to get her hopes up.  Setsuna, on the other hand…

“They’re back!  They came back for us!  The Prince lives!  I knew it!”

“Keep it down,” Reiko demanded.  “If you keep that up, you’ll be lucky if you’re merely gagged.  Perhaps they’ll just pull out your tongue instead, and knowing my luck, I’ll get punished along with you.”

Suddenly, from the small, barred window on the door came a shout from further away.  “What’s going on out there?!”

"Now you’ve done it,” Reiko griped.

“You were the last one to talk,” Setsuna pointed out.  “…Wait, he said ‘out there,’ not ‘in there.’”  The girls listened curiously, as they could hear something further away.  “What is going on out there?  Sounds like a scuffle.”

“A break-out?”

The guard who had menaced them during their imprisonment was heard getting up and going to the door this row of cells, only to then be struck by the door itself with a loud gong.  They heard him drop to the floor.  Interspersed with the groans of fallen guards, they heard footsteps.

"Who’s there?” Setsuna asked.  An unfamiliar face with black braided hair popped up in the window; one they knew wasn’t an enemy jailer.

“Hey, you match the description,” he jubilantly stated.  “You’re Setsuna and Reiko, yeah?  Friends of the Prince?”

“Y-Yeah, are you?” Reiko asked.

"Yup.  Name’s Rin.  I’m here to free you so you can lead me around to places I can clear out.  Sen’s orders.”

The girl looked to each other in excitement.  “Then, those tremors,” Reiko began.  “Are those—”

“Him and his friends saving the day?  Yeah.  Now, how to get you two out of here…”  Rin put his hands on the two bars as he thought.

“Oh, the guard should have keys,” Setsuna told him.  She might’ve said more had Rin not, at the exact moment she finished speaking, ripped the bars off of the window with his bare hands.  Speechlessly, the girls watched him crawl inside through the door, tumble onto the stone floor, then get up and inspect their shackles and chains.

“Now, how to get you two out of these…”  Rin put his hands on Setsuna’s wrist cuffs as he thought.

“…Um, the guard should have keys—”

It was less of a surprise this time to see Rin rip the shackles off with his bare hands.  The only surprise this time came from seeing his fingers turn to scaly and clawed, used to great effect in ripping up their chains.

“OK… that worked,” Reiko said, still in shock, “but I don’t think I can crawl through that window, especially in this dress.”

Rin nodded in understanding, then spun and struck the door with his two fists.  It burst form the hinges and slammed against the far wall.  He then dusted his hands and extended one to them.  “After you, ladies.”

At this point, Setsuna had acclimated to Rin completely and accepted the hand with a giggle and a playful, “Oh, thank you, my hero.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Reiko said, stepping out normally and seeing a litany of fallen guards.  She simply shrugged and took the keys from the closest one.  While Setsuna flirted with their rescuer, Reiko went to the next cell and freed the maids locked up, telling them to get to work doing the same for everyone else.  “Alright, we’re ready to go.  Where to?”

“Uuuuh, I dunno,” Rin revealed.  “The Prince’s specific orders were ‘wherever that monocle bitch is,’ soooo…”

“What a coincidence!  I want to go there too,” Setsuna stated while punching her palm.  “I can think of a few guesses, so just follow us!”

When Intelli and her two attendants reached the same balcony where they had seen Sen Kaibara lose so terribly, they found their newest kingdom in absolute chaos.  Her soldiers were frantic and dropping like flies to the leadership of the enemy and not a single one of her battlefield leaders was in sight; even General Shindo.  Worst of all, Sen Kaibara himself was approaching.  Intelli held the lamp close.

“Come out, Inasa,” she called while dragging her gloves hand across it.  “Come out and kill this fool.”

A plume of mist popped from the lamp’s mouth and floated forward.  As it took a humanoid shape, a low voice, undoubtable brimming with excitement, said “understood,” and the mass of air floated away.  Intelli watched with unbridled glee, giddy at the possibility of seeing this reckless prince bent and twisted in the wind once more.  “How foolish can one man be?” she wondered, her lips curling into a grin.  “He has returned only to die!  And soon, all will know my absolute power!  Oh-hohohohohohoho!”

“U-Um, princess?”

“Not now, Sekigai.  Can’t you see I’m gloating?”

“Yes, but I think you should look behind us.”

Intelli didn’t expect much.  When she entered and walked across it to the balcony, this visiting room had been filled with many of her personal guards…

“Why are they all passed out?!”

Not even Intelli’s shrieks roused the soldiers.  They were all down for the count. 

“It must have been magic,” Sekigai assumed.  “Is it that mage girl?”

“Nope.  That was me.”  The casual voice that called to them wasn’t in hiding, like that expected this attacker to be, but walking out into the open.  A strange mage with a white circle for a head had somehow taken out all of their troops from under their noses.  “I just told them to sleep, and they did.  That’s the magic of words, ladies.”

“Cheeky,” Intelli said with a venomous tone.  “Sekigai, where is our third War Beast?”

“Why, just outside, princess.”

“I see.  MORA!”

From behind the girls came strands of brown hair that reached like ropes up and over the balcony.  From outside swung in a hairy, humanoid monster that anyone could recognize as a yeti, had his shaggy hair not covered him so much that he was basically unrecognizable. 

“Yikes.  Magic hair, huh?” Manga asked.  “Setting him on fire would be cruel, so…”

“Mora, attack!”  While the mage was busy thinking, Intelli commanded her monster to strike.  Its hair extended like snakes, aiming to entangle and rip apart the mage.

“Kamakiri?” 

With just one word, Mora’s extending hairs were sliced apart.  Intelli was confused by these magic words until she saw that it wasn’t a command, but a name.  Before them was a leather-clad rogue with blades upon his arms.  Intelli felt a pit in her stomach. 

“So, these are our targets?” Kamakiri asked.  “I’m liking this mission more and more by the second.  Now, to cut off their last lifeline!  C’mere, yeti!”

Mora charged at the two foes with flaring whips of hair readied, yet its attacks were pitifully powerless.  With a blademaster’s skill, Kamakiri slashed away everything that neared him and Manga.  Soon, he accomplished what Intelli had never seen before and made it within arm’s reach of Mora.  The sounds of ripping blades were all Intelli needed to hear in order to switch to her back-up plan.

“Camie, an illusion.  Now,” she whispered.  Camie inhaled to do just that, but her exhale came out as a sputter with nary an ounce of Magic.  Intelli didn’t hear this, though, as the cause of Camie’s flub was nothing less than the deafening roar of a dragon behind them.

“Ooooh, I’m beginning to feel I’ve miscalculated…”

The sound of battle had raged across the kingdom in all directions, but Sen never waved in his pace.  He knew to trust his friends, and he knew what opponent only he could face.  He had made it to the space before his castle that he had been defeated in last time.  There, he found a thick mist condensed in a single cloud before him.  Intelli had seen him coming.  Unfortunately, given the fact that Rin had just sent her and her attendants scurrying back inside, she wouldn’t see his upcoming victory.

“I’m here,” he said to the mist, “and I’m ready for my rematch.”

“So you are…”  The mist swirled and drew towards its center.  A pair of eyes flashed between the cloudy trails.  Two arms emerged and rose up.  Inasa was revealed once more.  “That was pretty fun last time, but I don’t want more of the same!  You’ve gotta pull of something way cooler, alright?!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Sen replied cordially.  “It may not have been long, but I’ve gotten a whole lot stronger.  Are you ready?”

Inasa grinned in pure excitement.  “Oh yeah!”  The wind around him whipped and whirled, but never making Sen budge and inch.  “Let’s do this!”

Sen raised his Helix and instantly began to fill it with his swirling magic.  He had a plan, but needed a specific move to be made by his opponent.  Whatever Inasa threw at him, he had to outlast it and wait for the right moment.

Inasa began with a gale force wind directly at Sen.  The lance’s power emerged from the tip, swirling back around Sen and protected him.  Inasa picked up the speed of his wind, strong enough to blow down buildings down the street, but unable to make Sen move even an inch.

“You have changed,” Inasa realized.  “I don’t know how, but it’s exciting!”  He flew into the air, positioning himself above Sen, and shouted down, “here’s something a bit stronger than yesterday!”

Sen recognized the maneuver; this was the technique that had defeated him yesterday.  Wind circled Inasa, then rushed downward.  The spiral became a funnel with a bottom point.  A tornado had been formed, and its bottom point flew downward like a lance’s strike towards Sen.  This was the moment had had waited for.

Sen raised Helix and its point met the tornado’s.  Magic met wind.  Nature met infinity.  Sen’s shinning form glared across the kingdom.  His power, rising into his lance, felt limitless.  The tornado and his spiraling power ground against each other.  One had to stop eventually.

“Wh-What the hell?” Inasa asked.  His twister had slowed.  In fact, it was started to spin the opposite way.  Light rose up the wind funnel.

“Your power may be great,” Sen called up to the Djinn, “but I cannot last against infinity!  I’ll spin the power right out of you!”

All across the kingdom, people could see a swirling tower of golden-white light rise into the sky.  From his position at the bottom, Sen watched as Inasa was drawn into the spin and swirled away. 

And then, it stopped.  The battle was over.  Sen lowered Helix.  He looked forward and saw a small cloud of mist gather before him.  An ethereal body came together — Inasa, reduced to a simple spring breeze.

“Sorry about that,” Sen said, not knowing what else he could say.

Inasa shrugged.  “No hard feelings!  That was an awesome fight!  I’ll need some time to regain my powers, but we should do it again sometime!”

“Are you sure?” Sen asked.  “Do you really think you can stand up against what I just pulled off?”

“Well, you lost to me before.  We’re tied now!  Gotta break it one of these days!”

In the face of his adversary’s logic, Sen could only laugh.  “I like the way you think.  Build your strength, and come fight me anytime.  I’ll make sure to break that lamp so no one bugs you will your train.”

“Aw, thanks!  I’ll get started right now, then!”  Inasa’s spirt-like body dissipated before Sen’s eyes, carried away on a strong gust.  “I’ll fly across the world and gather up some windy powers!  You’ll see!”

“Any time, friend.”

As the breeze carried away Inasa, Sen took a breath.  He had won.  It was over.  Well, not quite over yet, he realized as some familiar faces walked towards him.  From the castle walked the infiltration trio of Manga, Kamakiri, and Rin, alongside Reiko and Setsuna.  In the center of this group walked a line of prisoners, shackled together by their wrists and with bags over their heads.  Intelli and her two partners-in-coup, he could see.  Sen walked to greet them and his two loyal attendants rushed to him.  Reiko and Setsuna both gave him a hug, but without saying a word.  It seemed they wanted him to be a surprise to their forced tag-alongs.  Sen obliged and held in a laugh as he walked towards Intelli.  Kamakiri stopped and so did this train of defeated foes. 

“So glad you could welcome me home!” Sen said in his most boisterous voice.  Camie and Sekigai huddled in fear, letting out muffled squeals of surprise.  Intelli cringed, but remained composed even as a prisoner of battle.  With a nod, Sen let his attendants know to take off Intelli’s hood.  Once it was off, she stared back at Sen unwaveringly. 

“Well?” she asked.

“I’m waiting,” Sen told her.  “You’ve got something to say.”

“Are you waiting for an apology?  Because I have none to give.”

“Nope.”

Sen kept up a stony expression until Intelli sighed and, with great difficulty, sputtered out the words, “you’ve won.  I surrender.”

And so, the conflict ended.  Sen expected some great happiness and pride to wash over him, but mostly, he felt nothing but exhaustion.  “Defeating Inasa was way more fun than getting a surrender out of you.”

Intelli rolled her eyes and sarcastically answered, “My deepest apologies.”

Sen rolled his eyes right back and put his lance on his shoulder.  “So!  I’m thinking this whole arranged marriage thing you suggest is a bad idea.  I’ll have to decline.  So, here’s the deal.  You can swallow your pride, hike up your skirt, and run all the way past the edge of my kingdom back to yours, or… actually, that’s your only option.  Leave.  Now.  Or else I’m putting you and your two gal pals in stocks.”

Sen’s offer had, naturally, stunned all parties silent.  Letting them go was leniency beyond leniency.  Even Intelli lost her composure and had to ask, “Are you serious?”

Sen looked past them and called out, “Hey, where do we keep those old wooden stocks?  Grab some old fruit too; tomatoes and stuff.  We’ll make a day of it.  Target practice, y’know?”

By the look on Intelli’s face, the message had been received loud and clear.  Still with her wrists shackled, she lifted her dress and tugged the chain connecting her to her attendants.  “Come along, ladies!” she ordered in a half-panic.  Her hooded, dazed cohorts were dragged along, muttering muffled questions as Intelli clicked her heels down the street.  As much as he enjoyed his rematch with Inasa, seeing her scramble away so inelegantly would be an entertaining memory.

“You could’ve let me have a bit more fun with them,” Kamakiri grumbled.

Sen thought it over and decided, “As long as they’re in the kingdom, they’re fair game.  Just don’t kill ‘em.  Go prod them in the butts or something.”

It surprised Sen just how giddy Kamakiri became.  He grabbed Manga’s arm and shouted, “C’mon, this’ll be fun!”

“If you insist,” Manga agreed, and the pair rushed off to torment their fallen foes just a bit more.

“Hey!  You guys!”

Sen turned with a smile when he heard that wonderful voice calling out.  Kosei led the while with Kinoko, Awase, and Yui backing him up.

“What’d we miss?” Yui asked.

“And why were the enemy leaders running off?” Awase asked.

“I let ‘em off the hook,” Sen said with a shrug. 

“What?!” Kinoko shrieked.  “After all they’ve done?!  All we’ve been through?!”

Sen simply nodded and began his explanation calmly.  “After all this, she’s not going to be trying again.  Things are gonna stay quiet and peaceful, and if she ever pipes up again, I’ll be right there to remind her what will happen.  I don’t wanna go take over her kingdom.  Way too much hassle.  But if peace is ever in jeopardy again, I’ll handle it.”

His royal attendants all shared a look and then stepped forward.  “No, you won’t,” Kosei began.  “We’ll handle it.  Together.”

In the face of this loyalty, Sen smiled and shook his head.  “How can I say no?” he replied.  “…Hey, now that this is all done, uh… Kosei, come take a walk with me.”

“Hm?”  Kosei, along with everyone else, were confused by the request, but went along with it anyway.  Sen led Kosei towards the castle and around the outskirts, hoping to find somewhere a bit more private.  “What’s this about?” Kosei asked once Sen stopped.

After a long day of fighting dragons, confronting his inner demons, and staging a winning battle against an enemy force, Sen was surprised to find that only now was he feeling nervous.  “Oh, uh, y’know… I just wanted to say that uh… well, you mean a lot to me.”

Kosei was visibly stumped by the assertion.  It took a while for him to respond as he was visibly turning the gears in his head.  “Oh,” he finally said, his face now a little red.  “Uh, thanks, your highness.  I mean, I’m your bodyguard, so you mean a lot to me too.”

Sen rubbed the back of his head, wishing for another way of wording his feelings outside of just blurting something out.  “Y’know, I was feeling unsure about that whole marriage proposal thing even before shit went down,” he began, “and when I thought about it, I started to think that I’d rather be talking to you about anything than sitting there doing that.”

Kosei nodded.  Whatever conclusion he had come to for himself, he had been confirmed right by Sen.  He stepped closer.  “I mean, I felt similar.  I wasn’t around for it at first because, well… I couldn’t bear it.  I didn’t want to see you, uh…”

Sen knew where he was going.  He put a hand on Kosei’s shoulder.  “Listen,” he said, “when you became my bodyguard, you wore to stick by my side always.  Can you… Can you say it again?  For me?”

Kosei smiled.  He put a hand up on Sen’s.  “I’ll always be by your side.”

Sen smiled back.  They drew closer.  Their foreheads touched, and they stared into one another’s eyes.  “That’s all I needed to hear.”