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It’s been two days since I got here.
I’ve been isekai’d into a LEGO show, one I watched the first four episodes of in 2011, when I was a dumb kid in first grade. Last I checked, it was 2026, 15 years since the show started. The show? Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. Me? I worked a dead-end job doing manual labour. That was until I woke up here, isekai’d into one of the show’s characters.
My name? Cole Steel. My job? Security Guard. A year ago, my dad sent me to the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts. Not my thing, so I dropped out and got a job here. The schedule is flexible, and it pays the bills. That’s about all I can ask for.
In the show, I’m supposed to one day meet a man named Sensei Wu, a veteran of the Serpentine Wars, become one of his ninja, and fight his brother, Lord Garmadon, another veteran of the Serpentine Wars, who, for all I know, disappeared about a decade ago. In other words? Feudal lords fighting feudal lords, the same as most of Ninjago’s history. If it wasn’t clear, I’m not interested. I want to earn my paycheck, pay my bills, and just get by.
It's late. The sky is black, and you can see the stars. The lanterns paint the streets a warm orange. I stretch my back, then start my shift, my hammer’s fastened in its sheath. Today’s gig? Bouncer for a mid-sized club. It’s in the city’s historic district, the kind of place frequented by academics and historians. Most people would think those types don't need security. Most people would be surprised by how shady those types get. The club itself is for the upper class. Elites, for lack of a better word. They’re picky about who they let in.
“Cole, thanks for coming in. I know you had plans today, but the last guy ghosted us. Had to get someone to cover his shift.” I spot my coworker, Paul. Solid guy. Good with a spear. Good to see him.
“A job is a job,” I nod back. We both get a slight laugh out of that. Truth be told, I did have plans for today. Climb the shogunate’s tallest mountain. Test my limits. See if I could. But rent isn’t going to pay itself. So here I am instead.
Paul and I guard the rear entrance. There are two other guys guarding the front. I can hear the music from inside the club, it’s some traditional overture. Strings and flute. How cultured.
“So, did you read yesterday's paper?” Paul asks.
“Not my thing,” I shake my head.
“Fair enough,” Paul gives a sheepish laugh. We settle into a solid silence. That’s one of the things I like about Paul. He’s down to earth. Won’t talk your ear off if you’re not that interested. There’s another moment of silence before…
Thwack, “Hey, I told you you can’t come in!”
“And I told you I need to help someone!”
More fighting, before, “Sorry, but like I said, I really need to get in.” There’s a brief charge of energy before I hear someone get thrown into a wall.
“Security, we need backup!”
Alright. That’s my cue. I give Paul a nod. He stays here, I’ll take the front.
I can hear punches. I get to the front of the building and see a kid throw a guard, a grown man, into a wall. The kid’s wearing an orange hoodie, has messy black hair cut short at the sides, and looks to be maybe 18 or 19, a few years younger than me.
He takes a fighting stance, “I already told you guys, I don’t wanna do this.”
I sigh, “Save it, kid.”
I throw a punch, he dodges, then throws a kick, I block, he recovers, steps back, then flips forward, kicking down. I block again. He’s fast. But I’m stronger. I throw an uppercut. He blocks and staggers back. I tackle, he dodges. He slips behind me, I throw an elbow, he weaves past, then whips around and throws a kick, I block and punch him down, he rolls and gets back on his feet.
We break off, both of us taking a fighting stance. He’s well-trained, I’ll give him that. I look around. There are two security guards on the floor, one of them just getting up. Grown men, armed with swords and spears, and the kid took them out on his own. Still, I’ve got the edge in raw power, and with the stuff I’ve seen as a security guard, I’m not inexperienced myself.
The kid is catching his breath, then looks at me, “Like I said, I’m really sorry about this.” Suddenly, he spins, then sparks, then becomes a whirlwind. Orange streaks of energy whip around him. He speeds up, then becomes a tornado. He rips forward. I barely have time to unsheath my hammer. I grit my teeth. He’s a Spinjitzu user, a martial art that relies on the body’s innate energy and weaponizes it. He slams into me. I block and skid back. He’s good… but he’s not a master, you can tell by his footwork. I steady my breath, he spins back and prepares for another blow. I take a defensive stance. He speeds forward. Then…
Boom. I charge forward and slam my hammer into him, sending him flying. He’s knocked out of his vortex and hits the wall, slumping down.
It’s over, I sigh, walking up to him. He looks up, panting. “Wait…” He raises a hand. “I’m… looking for a missing person. A classmate, her dad… went missing yesterday… I…”
I narrow my eyes. I expected a lot of things, but… that surprises me. A missing person, not uncommon, even in the Shogunate. Bandits kidnap people all the time, or a warlord catches someone and forces them into service, or someone gets killed by a giant snake while travelling…
I’m going to regret doing this. I turn to one of the other guards, an honest guy named Josh, and sigh. “Let the kid in. He’s looking for a missing person.” Josh sighs too. He gets it. His brother works as a merchant. Comes across bandits all the time. His mom worries about him. He told me about it a while back on a different job.
I turn to the kid, “Next time, lead with that.”
The kid’s eyes widen, “Y-yeah. Thanks. I owe you.” He scrambles to his feet and goes into the building… Odd kid, but…I decide he’s alright.
11:00 PM. My shift ends. I give the guys a nod and get ready to start the commute home. I live in a cheaper area of the city. Not bad. Not great either. It gets the job done, I can’t complain. Before that, I need something to eat. There’s a Mister Chen’s Noodle House not far from here. Might as well head there. The protein’s cheap, like most of the menu. That might be why the chain is so popular.
I start walking when I hear someone call from behind me, “Hey, wait up!” I turn around to see the kid from earlier jogging toward me. I stop and raise an eyebrow.
The kid grins, “I didn’t get a chance to thank you earlier. My name’s Arin, nice to meet you.”
I grunt and nod, “Cole,” then keep walking. He follows and keeps talking.
“You probably already figured this out, but I’m a private detective. Sort of, just started. I inherited my parents’ agency… after they went missing about a year ago. This is my first real case. I heard a classmate in need, and I figured I’d help them, and-”
“You’re telling me this, why?” I ask as we arrive at and enter the Noodle House.
Arin shrugs as we sit down, “I don’t know, you seem like a good person.”
I sigh, “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?” I order a protein bowl for me and a seafood bowl for him. Seems like something he’d like.
“Yeah, I’ve been told,” he rubs his head sheepishly, then pauses, “You ordered me a bowl?”
I shrug, “You followed me here, would be weird not to.”
He grins, “See, I knew you were a good guy.”
I sigh, “I’m just trying to get by.” I decide to humour the kid, “So, did you actually find anything in there, or were you chasing a bad lead?”
Arin smiles at that, “Yeah, I think I’ve got a good one. The guy I’m looking for, the girl’s dad, recently got a job as a groundskeeper. At the old site of the Temple of The Airjitzu Master.”
I blink at that, “You mean in the valley province? That place is practically a bandit den. No wonder the guy went missing.”
Arin nods, “That’s why I’m planning to head there myself. Can’t afford to waste time.”
I pause, “By yourself?”
“That’s the plan, if there’s a chance the guy’s alive, I’ve got to take it. I can’t just let an innocent man die.”
“That’s insane. Do you have a death wish, kid?”
Arin shakes his head, “It’s not like that. I know it’s dangerous, but I have to do something, right?”
I take a long breath. I should let him go. It's not my job to look after him… But… mom would be disappointed if I didn't… and I promised before she died… I sigh, “Not like I can stop you… Fine. I’ll escort you there.”
The kid’s eyes widen, “You mean it?”
I scoff, “Don’t mention it. Just don’t want a dead kid on my mind, that’s all.”
***
The wind is strong, carrying sand and blowing my hair back behind me. It’s 5 minutes to midnight when Arin and I get to the Temple. The Temple itself is massive, a pillar of crimson wood built into traditional Edo-period architecture, and backlit by the moon. I turn to Arin.
“You ready?”
He nods. We go in… And the door locks behind us. I immediately take a fighting stance, drawing my hammer and moving to defend the kid. Arin takes a stance behind me, back to back, and draws a sword of his own. I scan the room… But there’s no one else here.
Arin is the first to relax, “Might’ve been dark arts. To keep intruders out or something.”
I raise an eyebrow, “Dark arts? In a temple?”
Arin shakes his head, “This isn’t just any temple. It used to belong to Kodokuna Yang, the Master without a Pupil.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of him. The guy made Airjitzu. He’s a good martial artist, sure, but what does that have to do with Dark Arts?”
“You didn’t know? Airjitzu is one, by technicality. It’s the same principle behind a martial art like Shatterspin or something. Draws on the body’s innate violent emotions. The more you have the stronger it is.”
“The more you know,” I nod. “Let’s just find the girl’s dad and get out of here.”
We move up the stairs, making our way through the building, when I hear a clap behind me. I turn around to see Arin fall through a trapdoor, before it disappears, almost like the trapdoor was never there to begin with.
“Kid!” I call his name, but get no response. I grit my teeth. Now I really can’t leave, not until I make sure Arin’s alright. If this really is dark arts, I’ll need to be on my guard. I grip my hammer tighter and charge down the halls. It’s endless. I’m going through door after door, room after room. My mind is racing. What kind of place is this?
Then I see him.
Standing in front of me is an ethereal man, made of green smoke, wearing a sensei’s robes and a wide rice hat. It looks old and decayed. His black beard blows in the wind, and his eyes are dead and empty, save for a cold white glow.
Standing in front of me is a ghost. The ghost of Kodokuna Yang.
I have to force my body to stop shaking. “Where’s the kid?”
He doesn’t speak. He draws a weapon from his sleeve, a massive shuriken attached to a chain. The weapon is glowing green. Then he strikes. I barely have time to block before he speeds at me and swings again, breaking the floor and knocking me back. I let out a roar and charge, smashing my hammer through the walls as he dodges and swings his chain again, knocking me down. I roll to my feet, but he’s already on me. He swings, and I block, but he keeps on swinging, attacking again and again. I can barely hold my guard. My back’s against the wall before- Bang. He kicks my kidney. I drop like a sack before rolling back to my feet. Crap. My vision’s blurry. I’m fighting the ghost of a martial arts master. What did I think would happen? He raises his shuriken.
Slash.
I jerk back. The blade rips into my forehead. The pain is sharp. I slam the butt of my hammer into him and break off. I get back into a fighting stance. But he doesn’t.
He smiles, “As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student.”
I grit my teeth and charge him again, only for him to read me like a book and sidestep. I swing my hammer, he dodges, and I smash the floor. My vision is blurry. I need to focus. It's difficult. I take a deep breath and charge him. I swing again. He dodges. Again. He dodges. Again. He moves through me and hits my back. I wince. I guard. I scan the room. Now. He swings. I block. I tackle. The earth shakes from my footsteps. Yang's eyes widen. He's knocked back. He smiles.
“As iron sharpens iron, Sensei sharpens student.”
I narrow my eyes. I charge forward, I swing. He dodges. He swings. I dodge. I thrust. I slam the head of my hammer into him. He blocks but staggers back. He speeds forward. He swings. I block. I slam down my hammer. He staggers back. I tackle him. He cuts me, flips over me, then cuts my back again. I wince. I swing. He's knocked back. He stabs me. I recoil. He cuts me again. I grit my teeth. He swings. I block. I hear a charge.
“Ninja… go!” Arin breaks through the floorboards. He kicks Yang. Yang blocks easily. Yang grabs his foot and throws him down. Arin sees white. I move to guard him.
Yang narrows his eyes. “I've seen enough. Stand down, boy.”
Arin grits his teeth, “Where's the girl's dad?” Yang raises an eyebrow. Arin narrows his eyes, “The groundskeeper, where is he?”
“Oh,” Yang scoffs, “You mean him.” Another ghost steps forward. He's glowing green. He's hunched over. He's a civilian, judging by his build… or at least he was.
Arin steps back, “What… did you do to him?”
Yang raises an eyebrow, “He did this to himself. He failed the test. As did they.” More ghosts surround us. Some armed, some not.
I narrow my eyes. We should leave. Cut out losses before things get worse. But my mouth moves before I can, “How much to get him back?”
Yang blinks, “You're serious?”
I grit my teeth. Am I? I pause. I made a promise. “I am.”
He looks at me, “What's your name, boy?”
I step forward, “Cole Steel,” I say. He chuckles.
“An elemental master, and a Spinjitzu user… Yes, that will do nicely…” He pauses. “There's something I want. An artifact… The Realm Crystal. Bring it to me, and I won't just give you the groundskeeper, but every other soul I've trapped here.”
“And how do we find it?” I ask.
He smiles. It's horrifying. “At the First Spinjitzu Master’s Tomb. Legends say you'll find its entrance at the Caves of Despair.”
I nod, then turn to leave, Arin follows me.
“One more thing,” Yang says. I look back. “You passed the test. Take it.” He throws me a scroll. I catch it.
He grins, again, “The fate of these spirits are on your shoulders, boy… Good luck.”