Saikichi still stood in the centre of the ruined stage, while his purple eyes calmly swept the destruction. His fingers opened, as if calling something near.
"Come forth."
There was a pause then a ripple in the air near him, a metallic ring in the hall. Something appeared in the eddy distortion, a blade shining with dim, ominous light, and something else, an unfamiliar feeling, radiating from the object.
Saikichi easily caught the thing by the handle and glanced down.
Mischa's breath caught in her throat.
'That sword…'
The sword that was being called by Saikichi Yoshe was the Nishizi, the legendary blade of the Heavenly Demoness,and the object of the most important auction items of recent time.
'Stop! What are you doing here?! 'Weren't you the one who put that up for auction? And what's with the dramatic way you're calling it over?!' She thought in disbelief.
There were old tales concerning legendary artifacts concerning their abilities to bond with the wielder, to respond to Seidan and to possess unusual capacity and conditions that they had to deal with before being usable. The phenomena varied from weapon to weapon, but it certainly wasn't common for anyone to conjure one out of thin air but Saikichi certainly is conjuring one. Mischa frowned, she stared at the way Saikichi had the sword. He was gripping Nishizi with no apparent effort. There was no sense of struggle, of the need for caution... or the presence of anything else, other than the fact the legendary weapon was in Saikichi's possession. Was it possible that Saikichi Yoshe actually had a contract bond with Nishizi?!
She wasn't sure.
Something about it just didn't feel right. Even without any sort of contract Saikichi just seemed to have a natural ability to wield the sword but just as Mischa was coming to terms with what had happened, Saikichi raised his other arm.
'Come forth.'
Again, a ripple in the air, and another blade emerged from the folds of space, this one distinct from the other. Saikichi caught this one just as easily as the first.
Mischa paled, she had no clue what this was.
The Abberat Katanas of Peace.
Two legendary swords with individual histories were now in the possession of Saikichi Yoshe, who, with no apparent explanation, was brandishing them like they were everyday kitchen knives.
Was there some deeper meaning to this? Some ability that allowed Saikichi to wield these blades so freely without cost?
A strange uneasiness came over Mischa as she regarded where Saikichi was standing, his unnaturally dark purple eyes, the cross shaped pupils, the oppressive sensation that pervaded his mere presence. That look wasn't the same as the man that stood on the auction stage earlier and this man had two legendary blades in his possession that, up until this moment, had no reason to be there.
Saikichi casually lowered his arms, so that the two swords dangled from his fingers and for a few moments, he remained still like that, then looked back up towards Lokei.
***
The Nishizi or the Abyssal Sanctum was the legendary sword wielded by the Heavenly Demoness. After her death, she poured all of her abilities into the blade, and the weapon retained the essence of its former master. The Heavenly Demoness' powers were no longer techniques she performed, but abilities permanently ingrained into the weapon.
However, the weapon possesses a peculiar flaw, the Abyssal Sanctum only recognizes the Heavenly Demoness as its master. Those who attempt to wield the weapon run the risk of being gradually corrupted by it as it begins to impose its existence onto them. The longer an individual interacts with the blade, the more it overwhelms them, until the weapon takes over their physical body.
For the Abyssal Sanctum, the only rightful wielder and now she is dead. It is possible its biggest threat is not what it can do to an enemy, but rather to the person wielding it.
Next is the Aberrant Katana of Peace was the weapon wielded by Su Qing, the Phantom Blade and former master of Sun Yunso and unlike the Abyssal Sanctum, this weapon does not possess a complex array of supernatural abilities. However, its power is much more simple, yet deadly as well.
The Aberrant Katana of Peace can cut Seidan and Seijinism itself, shutting them off completely. Instead of simply cutting an opponent's body or weapon, the blade can cut the supernatural power that allows an ability to manifest.
This can make the weapon exceptionally dangerous against foes that rely on overwhelming supernatural abilities, because an opponent who uses large amounts of Seijinism can suddenly find themselves deprived of it with the blade connecting with the ability itself.
Its strength is also found in its simplicity.
There is no need to overpower an opponent's Seijinism if the sword can cut it off from the get-go.
***
Sun Yunso finally entered the center hall and as soon as he stepped inside, he froze. The auction hall was a complete mess, it was practically depicting the chaos that had occurred in his absence and yet, sitting on the steps in the middle of said mess, was Lokei Yoshe.
The young man had his eyes closed as he rested his back on the steps comfortably, pale clouds floating on the air before being dragged into his body. He looked as though he'd found the best place to take a nap in. He stared at him for several seconds before finally speaking.
"What's with you? Gathering up some points or something?"
Lokei opened up one of his eyes, turning his head to face where Yunso's voice had come from. The look upon his face was one filled with irritation at being disturbed from such a wonderful afternoon.
"What the hell are you yappin’ about?"
Sun Yunso shrugged.
"Not a lot."
Lokei was just about to close his eyes again when he suddenly took notice of something else in the room. He studied his companion's face for a few seconds before asking curiously,
"Wait, were you crying?"
Sun Yunso's expression instantly hardened.
"Crying? Me? I've no idea what you mean."
"Really?"
"Really."
Lokei stared at him for a second before giving a small yawn.
"Whatever."
He didn't pry any further, and Sun Yunso continued to stand there, gazing at the young man in front of him for a few seconds more before looking up at the center stage and that's when he saw him.
Saikichi Yoshe was still standing. Amidst the destruction, the head of the Yoshe Clan stood, holding two blades in his hands. One was a dark blade, and the other was a strange looking double ended Katana. Sun Yunso's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked upon the two weapons.
"Honestly, that guy really doesn't want to die."
"What happened to him?"
"Beats me. I really don't remember much of what happened after my fight with my twin sister Sanori. Though I do remember that I killed him. Well, I think I did at least."
"You think you killed him?"
"Hey! I said I don't remember what happened alright. What do you want me to do? Besides, look at him. Something's obviously wrong with him."
Sun Yunso said nothing. Instead, he continued to look at the two swords his father figure held in his trembling hands.
Something about them bugged him. He couldn't explain why, but ever since he laid his eyes on the blades, he knew that the situation they were currently in, was significantly worse than it needed to be.
Lokei sighed in annoyance.
"...Oh come on. Can't this deadbeat even die for five minutes?”
Sun Yunso couldn't take his eyes off the swords.
There was definitely something wrong with them, the first looked like a dark blade that had a strange aura surrounding it, while the second one was a katana that had two ends. He had never seen any of these weapons in his life. At least, he thought so... But for some reason, the sight of the second sword made his stomach turn.
"What's with that face?" Lokei asked with a grin as he walked up beside Sun Yunso. "Don't tell me you're going to start crying again."
"Shut up."
"Ah, so you were crying."
"I'm not gonna repeat myself. "
Lokei laughed heartily before returning his gaze to the stage.
Mischa moved away from the place she had been previously standing and approached the one where Lokei and Sun Yunso were. She briefly took a glance at the wreckage around and then fixed her gaze on Sun Yunso.
"You sure did take your sweet time getting here."
"What's with you people? It's like you think you're my parents or something, it's incredibly annoying."
Mischa scoffed.
"Seriously, you're unbelievable."
"Likewise."
"Can both of you stop acting like this for a second already?" muttered Lokei from the step behind them, "Some of us are trying to enjoy the view."
Both gave no heed to the comment, eventually all three of them turned their attention to the center of the stage.
Saikichi Yoshe was standing there among the wreckage, holding the two swords. His dark purple eyes, which had cross-shaped pupils, stared them down without a trace of emotion.
Mischa's expression darkened.
"Hey, Sun Yunso, do you remember what you were saying about me having another reason to come to this auction?"
"Right, right, I clearly remember as it wasn't even an hour since we had that conversation.
"You're such a shitty brat."
Mischa raised her hand and pointed towards the dark blade in Saikichi's grip.
"It's right there."
"That sword?"
"It's called the Abyssal Sanctum or The Nishizi, and it belongs to the Heavenly Demoness, Mieshi Meiyin and she was one of the Divine Trio."
Sun Yunso's expression changed slightly.
The Divine Trio.
Even he was aware of the name. They are rumoured to be the strongest Seijinists in history, but he didn't know their names, only their achievements and other stuff and now, one of their possessions belonged to Saikichi Yoshe.
"How the hell did he manage to get that?" asked Sun Yunso.
"That's something I'm going to find out," replied Mischa. "I was supposed to come to this auction to arrest Huo Shuzoh , but some people from my squad had come here to obtain that sword."
Lokei tilted his head as he gazed at the dark sword.
"So father has been collecting some interesting toys behind our backs all this time. That's quite convenient."
Something was coming over him, it started as something distant and vague, like an unformed thought buried deep within his mind, but then the voices began that being of a woman. He couldn't quite discern the words at first; her voice seemed to come from an unfathomable distance, as if he was hearing her across an infinite void.
Saikichi tried to listen to her and grasp at the strange thoughts trying to take root inside of his skull, but it was proving to be incredibly difficult, his own thoughts were already slipping away.
Saikichi realised with a strange detachment as tendrils of foreign thoughts burrowed themselves deep into his psyche, trying to assimilate with his own. It was already too late for him to stop them but even so, Saikichi remained grimly resolute. His gaze flickered briefly to the two swords in his possession before settling on the woman's voice again, which seemed to be growing louder by the second.
'Forgive me, Founding Father. I had hoped to avoid this, but it seems that I have little choice. I owe you my deepest apologies, that I have to resort to using something none other than the Yoshe Clan Seijinisms. But victory must be obtained no matter the cost.'
His whole life, he had dedicated himself to making the Yoshe clan into what it was now, throwing away countless burdens and sacrifices along the way, and he refused to let it all end here, not at the hands of his own son, and certainly not at the hands of these interlopers.
This was his resolve, and it pushed him forward as he raised the two blades in front of him. The last vestiges of his consciousness burned brightly within him, fuelled by his very being.
Sun Yunso, Mischa and Lokei stared down Anzo and they all just looked at him, and for several seconds, said nothing then, as if arriving at some kind of silent agreement, all three gave rather dramatic sighs, and turned to look at each other.
"So, what's the plan? Are we just going to die here, or are we going to charge blindly at him with nothing but hopes and prayers that somehow, this will end well?" Lokei questioned.
Lokei gave them both a pointed look.
"Yes, these are our actual options."
Mischa pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'm surrounded by morons," she muttered.
"Hey, now!" Lokei exclaimed, "I'm asking a reasonable question! We're in front of a man who just came back from the dead with legendary weapons, and I think some planning is a must!"
"Then come up with a plan, already!" Mischa snapped.
"I’m asking the question!"
Sun Yunso sighed again, watching the argument take place between the other two.
"You already know the answer to that. We're not leaving," he stated and a strange note of sincerity entered his voice as he spoke again. "So, I suppose all I'm going to say is, it was a pleasure meeting you guys."
Lokei blinked, staring at him.
"....What?"
"Even if we die here, it was a pleasure meeting you, And I'm not talking about you, Mischa."
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"You heard me."
"You son of a—"
Lokei burst out laughing, nearly losing his balance on the steps.
"Thats what you choose to say before an ultimately possibly life-ending fight?!"
"I'm being completely sincere," Sun Yunso said.
"Then be sincere about how annoying you are!" Mischa shot back.
Mischa took a deep breath, eyes scanning over the others as if weighing every decision that had brought them to this auction.
"I should've stayed at the headquarters," she said.
"Finally speaking some truth for the first time," Sun Yunso said.
"I really hate both of you," Mischa said.
"That's a shame," Lokei said, wiping a tear of laughter away. "Because it seems that we're going to die together."
Their laughter and bickering eventually died down and up ahead, Saikichi stood in silence, the two legendary swords in his possession. The strange darkness of his eyes seemed almost to grow as he watched the three. Sun Yunso raised his blade as he prepared to face him. Lokei stood from the steps, his staff now in his hands. Mischa raised her sword.
No matter what happened next, none of them would go down without a fight. Lokei gave one last glance at his companions.
"Well, then, shall we make the worst choice of our lives?”
Lokei's question was met with silence
Mischa studied the man on the auction stage with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.
Saikichi Yoshe remained motionless, Nishizi in one hand, and the Aberrant Katana of Peace in the other.
The atmosphere was stifling.
Whatever had happened to Saikichi , the man standing before them was most certainly not the same one who had conducted the auction with such poise and grace only moments previously.
Lokei sighed.
"Right then before we get ourselves killed I need something to do…"
Sun Yunso gave him a curious look.
"Now?"
"Unless you'd prefer me to leave two unconscious people lying around a battlefield?"
Lokei turned away from them before either of them could object.
He hurried toward the central stage, carefully stepping over overturned chairs and various pieces of junk that littered the ground. The damage to the auction hall was far greater than he had originally thought it to be.
There was Sa Wayong and Chu Runar, lying near the stage. Neither had moved since their fight with Saikichi .
"Hey, you two."
Lokei crouched down beside them and checked to see if they were breathing.
They were, both of them in fact. He exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Honestly if there ever was a worse time to take a nap."
Of course neither responded. Lokei shot a glance toward Saikichi. The man hadn't moved, but he couldn't shake the impression that those dark purple eyes of his were fixed upon him.
"Wonderful, now I'm carrying two unconscious people while standing in the line of fire of a guy who looks ready to kill everyone in this room."
Lokei slipped his staff through the strap across his back before carefully lifting Sa Wayong up and over his shoulder. He walked a few paces away from the stage before bending down to pick up Chu Runar.
"Runar, what've you been eating? Rocks?"
Lokei adjusted his grip before running off, making sure not to disturb either of his unconscious charges too much. He found a spot of ground, behind a partially collapsed pillar, which was far enough away from the stage to prevent the fighting from reaching him. Lokei lowered Sa Wayong down against the wall before carefully placing Chu Runar down beside her.
"Stay there," he muttered to them, even as he knew they couldn't hear him, "both of you. That's an order from your ever so generous and handsome friend. Actually, don't tell anyone I called myself handsome."
He stood and took one last look at the pair of them and for once his usual smiling expression was absent. Sa Wayong and Chu Runar had fought against Saikichi, knowing full well how dangerous he was. They had held the line so that he and the others could escape. They had done their duty as warriors - he wasn't going to let theirs go unremembered.
With that he turned and headed back toward the stage. By the time he reached Sun Yunso and Mischa they were still watching Anzo.
Mischa's eyes flicked toward him.
"Finished playing nurse?"
"Finished being useful?" Lokei asked dryly.
He grabbed his staff and rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the tired feeling in his muscles.
Sun Yunso gave him a short look.
"Are they safe?"
"For now."
"Good."
No useless platitudes. No elaborate speeches. They were wasting time.
Lokei stepped forward until he stood beside them, his usual expression returning.
"Now then, where were we?"
"Arguing about how we're going to survive this." Mischa added.
"Ah yes, that wonderful little problem."
Saikichi moved from his place near the pillars. He tilted his head in what might have been amusement and the next moment he was gone.
"MOVE!"
Sun Yunso's warning came a fraction too late. Saikichi emerged where Sun Yunso had been standing, both of his swords slicing through the air. The force of the movement sent the stage tiles flying in all directions.
Sun Yunso had already leapt back several metres, his black hair whipping around his face in the wake of the attack. Mischa leapt back in the opposite direction.
Lokei twisted away from the path of the flying stones.
'What the hell kind of speed…'
Lokei knew his father was fast, but this–this was generally way too fast.
Saikichi stood amidst the swirling dust, his hold on his swords loose at his sides. His expression was one of languid amusement - the only real difference was that the deep purple of his eyes seemed to darken with every passing second.
Sun Yunso crouched slightly, his hand resting lightly on the black hilt of his sword.
Something about Saikichi's presence, the way he carried himself, was wrong. Not weak, not dangerous - wrong somehow. It was the way his two swords affected the air around him, the atmosphere in the room.
One was an oppressive darkness that Sun Yunso couldn't quite place, but the other...
Not weak, not ordinary. His mind reeled at the thought.
Empty, as if Seidan's existence had been wiped from that blade's memory.
"What are you holding, Saikichi?"
Lokei spun his staff once before falling into position beside Sun Yunso. Mischa took up a position on their other side, her sword levelled at the stage.
They didn't speak, there was no plan, and precious little knowledge to go off of when it came to Anzo's present power level, and now with Sa Wayong and Chu Runar fainted there wasn't anyone else to stall the man while they thought of something.
Three against one.
Not impossible odds, one had to admit, but nothing that accounted for the feeling of impending doom that gripped Lokei's heart.
The first to move was Sun Yunso, he leapt forward with both blades unsheathed. His feet hammered the broken floorboards as he closed the distance, both swords sweeping downwards in a crossing strike.
Saikichi Yoshe raised his own weapons.
Sun Yunso immediately separated his blades and swept the black one towards Anzo's waist while Elsa came from the other side. Anzo twisted his body away from the black blade and blocked the white one with Nishizi, but the Aberrant Katana of Peace caught Elsa and sent it spinning away.
Sun Yunso twisted his wrists and attacked again but he parried. Sun Yunso changed angles but Saikichi met him.
Their blades rang out again and again, filling the ruined auction hall with the sound of clashing steel. Sun Yunso pressed forward, trying to overwhelm Saikichi with the sheer number of attacks, but his opponent was perfectly calm, blocking and countering every move.
His greatest weakness was revealed.
His left hand was as quick as ever, as fast as he'd ever been with just one blade. But his right hand was struggling to keep up. Elsa wasn't coming when it should have been her turn. Sometimes she arrived too soon, sometimes too late, ruining the rhythm of his attacks.
When he tried to strike with both blades at the same time, their swings were interfering with each other. When he tried to alternate, there were gaps in his defences.
Saikichi was watching closely, then he caught the black blade against Nishizi, then spun his wrist and knocked Elsa away with the Aberrant Katana of Peace. Before Yunso could recover, Saikichi lunged forward and drove the pommel of Nishizi into his face.
Sun Yunso leaned away, the pommel missed, but Saikichi's knee rammed into his stomach. Sun Yunso staggered backwards, nearly dropping both of his swords. He slashed horizontally. Sun Yunso crossed his blades in an X-shape and the blow sent him reeling.
He reversed the direction of his attack and drove the pommel of his own black sword into Sun Yunso's side. He blocked Elsa but Sun Yunso's left hand was too far away to lend any support. Saikichi drove into the white hilted blade and it spun away from Sun Yunso and his guard fell apart and a quick kick sent him sprawling across the floor. Sun Yunso came up from his knees in time to stop himself falling on his back and raised both blades again, though his breathing was heavier than before, he charged again.
This time he led with Elsa, aiming it at Saikichi's face before sweeping his black blade around from the other side.
Saikichi knew what he was doing.
He brushed aside the white blade with Nishizi and stepped forward to trap the black one between his swords. He twisted his wrists sharply and Sun Yunso's arms shot outwards.
Sun Yunso struggled to recover. Saikichi drove his shoulder into Sun Yunso's chest.
The move sent him stumbling backwards and Elsa shot from his grasp. It spun in the air before falling to the floor several meters away. Sun Yunso clenched both of his hands around his remaining sword, he didn't have time to get hold of Elsa.
He was already on him.
Their blades locked again, but this time the shift was even more obvious. Sun Yunso could barely keep up with Saikichi’s combinations anymore. It took more effort to defend, more effort to counter, and more effort to get out of the way of the next attack. Saikichi's swordsmanship was simply too refined.
Sun Yunso changed his stance.
His instincts screamed at him to do it, but he'd fought too many opponents who were stronger than him with only one sword. He didn't have the muscle memory of using a second blade and his movements were clumsy.
It sent his rhythm off balance, his left hand could defend him, but he couldn't get a consistent opening against Saikichi's two sword attack.
Another clash sent Sun Yunso's black blade wide. He slashed across his chest with the flat of his blade, sending him sprawling onto the broken floor. Sun Yunso spun away from Saikichi's next blow as it shattered the stone beneath him. He came up onto one knee, grabbed hold of his black blade, then turned to retrieve the white one.
Saikichi was waiting for him.
Sun Yunso stopped and for a moment the two swordsmen stood motionless, staring each other down the length of their blades then Mischa came forward. She shot in from Saikichi's blindside, holding her blade close to her body. Instead of trying to overpower him, she changed her attack pattern every time her foot touched the floor, angling her strikes so that she moved in on him from different directions.
Her first blow would have taken his shoulder, but Saikichi caught her blade with Nishizi.
Mischa twisted her grip and drove her sword towards his wrist, forcing him to parry with the Aberrant Katana of Peace. She pulled back just as quickly and slashed upwards, trying to get behind his guard. Saikichi stepped back and turned aside. Mischa followed up with another flurry of strokes, using different angles to keep him on the defensive.
She kept him busy for several exchanges before changing the pattern again. He stepped forward to intercept her next strike. He deflected her blade and used the opening to drive at the guard of her own sword. It jarred her arm before she could adjust and Saikichi followed through with another blow that sent her weapon spinning away from her. He turned his hip and swept his leg behind hers, ruining her balance.
Mischa dropped low to keep herself from falling, but Saikichi's knee drove into her shoulder and stumbled sideways. He came forward with Nishizi drawn back for a finishing blow. Mischa twisted away at the last moment, sending the blade clattering to the floor beside her. She backed away across the broken stone, but Saikichi was already waiting for her to stop.
He straightened up and faced her again and just as he prepared to press his advantage, Lokei came into the fight, his staff shot towards his ribs. Saikichi caught the blow between his swords, but Lokei had changed his grip. He spun the weapon over and pulled it free before driving the butt end into Saikichi's face.
Saikichi leaned back just in time to avoid the strike. Lokei used the momentum to turn around him and swept his staff towards his shoulder.
Saikichi blocked.
The impact sent them both back, Lokei landing beside Mischa with his staff held horizontally in front of him. Mischa recovered her blade and took up a position on his other side. With both of his attackers coming from different angles, Saikichi couldn't keep them both in his sight.
Lokei went first.
He jabbed at Saikichi's knee then swept his staff upwards in a wide arc towards his head. Saikichi blocked the first blow with the Aberrant Katana of Peace, but it was the second one that Nishizi met with a clang of steel. Mischa came forward as Anzo turned to face her, slashing towards his flank.
He twisted his body to meet her blade.
Lokei reversed his staff and drove it towards the back of Saikichi's head. He turned away from the blow but it still caught the edge of his shoulder, forcing him to lean back and away from the fight. Mischa's sword pressed against his ribs and Saikichi parried before dropping down to avoid Lokei's staff as it came around again.
They circled each other warily, waiting for an opening. Mischa went high while Lokei attacked low, forcing Saikichi to keep his guard up on both sides.
Every time he turned to face one of them, the other one came forward to take his place. Every time he tried to put some distance between himself and one attacker, the other one closed in until Saikichi felt like he was fighting on two fronts.
Saikichi's swords flashed between them, blocking and redirecting their attacks while countering with short bursts of his own. He kept his movements tight and focused, always making sure he kept enough room to move without getting caught in a crossfire.
It was a close thing, but Saikichi was holding them off. Lokei's unpredictable staff play forced him to keep adjusting to his movements and Mischa's precise, fast attacks made sure he didn't take advantage of the openings.
Both of his attackers were forcing him into a defensive position without giving him much in the way of options. Saikichi blocked a thrust from Lokei and turned around to ward off a slashing attack from Mischa. Lokei changed grip again and swept his staff towards his ankles.
Saikichi jumped over it, Mischa came forward as he landed, slashing towards his chest, he caught her blade with Nishizi but Lokei's staff came around from the other side and forced him to block again before he could retaliate.
Across the ruined hall, Sun Yunso was watching the fight carefully, his fingers curled around the black hilt.
Elsa lay several meters away, separated from him by the path Saikichi had just blocked. His attempts to fight with both blades at once had failed.
His body was still recovering from the last exchange. Even so, Mischa and Lokei had created an opening. Small, but an opening nevertheless. Saikichi parried another combination and backed away, his two blades held wide as Mischa and Lokei closed in.
Neither of them gave him any breathing room and for the moment, that was all Sun Yunso needed.