Kozuna
Orion's fanged smirk grew larger as he turned to face us directly. His chilling response instantly sent me beyond uncertainty.
He called us by our names- even Nikai!
I noticed Nazun suppressing a deathly smile. He reached for his pocket. But just then, I felt my headset buzz.
"Fire, NOW!" Kaiten shouted, almost bursting my eardrum.
Did Kaiten..?
A loud bang went off in the distance. However, Nikai and I bore witness to the new menace right in front of our faces. A thin, glistening, veil of black-bordered, gold gas wafting from Orion's skin. A transparent, vapor-like emanation that flowed fluidly. It enveloped him, and Orion flickered in place for a second- it was unreal! Nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye! But when his body returned to its natural state, we saw a red-hot, steaming sniper bullet caught between his fingers! He blew on it before tossing it aside in the sand.
"Cat's outta the bag now," Orion devilishly laughed out. "Let's get this moving, Nazun! We've got bodies to bring in!"
Nikai and I exchanged glances. Even while unarmed, the two of us assumed fighting stances. Wasn't like we'd just let Orion and Nazun do whatever they pleased. We weren't the only ones, either. Kaiten's snipers started planting bullets in the heads of every enemy soldier they could, and quickly. But many escaped death and found cover.
Bodies dropped around us, left and right. The only ones who didn't seem to care were Nazun and Orion. Both of which continued laughing. And when more shots barreled their way, Orion extended his palm faster than the bullets could move. That same gaseous substance boomed from his hand like a fucking beam, illuminating the surrounding area with a blinding flash. Nikai and I ducked low as a reflex.
However, that accursed blast was far-reaching.
Not only did it melt the bullets down to nothing, but anything caught in the path of destruction suffered the same fate. And that included the snipers and their tower back in Sanzo. Within a flash of a second, Nikai and I had no means of protection whatsoever. And that was when another enemy soldier exited a building.
He took a knee as he handed over Nazun's blade. "Here you are, Lord Nazun."
What is happening right now!?
Nazun unraveled the wrappings from his weapon. Finally, I saw the stains of blood on that wretched thing. And the aura shrouding Orion suddenly burst. It melted his tattered cloak to dust, revealing a short-sleeved tee and an arrow-shaped marking. One that stretched from his hand to seemingly the entire length of his right arm. It was the same as the gas- black bordered, with a white-gold, actively swirling interior. It almost seemed alive.
The two of them appeared to be at full capacity.
"The fuck is going on?" Nikai muttered, his eyes fluttering rapidly.
"Oh, it hasn't clicked yet? Haven't either of you ever heard of curse seals and energy?"
I really didn't wanna believe it. But the proof's right in front of my eyes.
Orion lifted and snapped his fingers. The remaining Bahsin soldiers circled and aimed their rifles straight at Nikai and me. All we could do was throw our hands up. The sheer number of times we could've been shot in seconds made it painfully obvious that resistance wasn't the best move.
Not yet.
The game's been flipped on its head. Gotta play this smart. One wrong move and we're dead meat. But why us? Why are we in the middle of all this?
My teeth clenched as I scanned the area, trying to find some means of escape. But it was to no avail. How long did we have before Kaiten and the others showed? I knew they could hear everything.
Stick to the plan, even if the situation's changed. Buy time, Kozuna!
"What's going on? Why are you guys doing this?"
"You already know the answer, Kozuna. "Nazun pulled away his top momentarily, granting us a glimpse of his upper back. He revealed a giant, diamond-shaped black marking, with smaller dots scattered around it. "Why don't you examine that crescent on your hand?"
My eyelids twitched. The entire world seemed as if it'd frozen in time. I was slow to turn my glare toward my hand. However, within the blackened edges, a deep, glowing orange swirled. The very sight ignited an intense burning sensation. What was previously a mere tingling sensation had evolved into internal agony! I bared my teeth, struggling to keep my eyes open as I gripped my wrist. All Nikai could do was watch me suffer, and he didn't look happy about it.
It was rare to see his smile gone.
"We're members of the Hanakai. And what you've got there is something our organization is- let's saaay- researching. Something of a unique curse seal, and untapped powers born from the shadows of another realm just dying to come on out!"
The Hanakai?
"Explain where this came from, then!" I managed to keep one eye open just to glare at Nazun. I let out quick gasps of air between tooth-gritting. "These things don't just magically appear overnight!"
"Actually, they do," Orion answered. He crept closer until he was practically looming over me. "You were born cursed. And the Hanakai has a method of manufacturing special ammunition. Bullets with the power to cause a curse seal to visibly manifest, where it'll begin to take its toll in exchange for power. This is the phenomenon we call curse awakening."
I struggled to contain the pain welling up all across my body. "I was your target, then!? You two set all this up just to awaken my curse?"
Vision's already starting to get blurry. Need to stay conscious- especially now!
"Pffft. You're so self-important."
Nazun whipped a pistol out and didn't hesitate for a second to fire straight into Nikai's gut. He maintained that creepy smile while my heart rate continued to climb. I could almost feel the very moment Nikai was struck. And Nikai grabbed at his gunshot stomach, only to begin throwing up blood moments later. As if bleeding from below wasn't already enough.
Nikai fell to the ground, barely catching himself as blood quickly pooled beneath. I tried to stand and get closer, but the sheer pain of my curse seal awakening dropped me back to one knee. I was beginning to make out black specks forming across Nikai's face.
"Nikai!"
Not good!
I felt myself sweating all over. My palms started to clam up, and even my breathing quickened. My best friend was bleeding out two feet away, and I couldn't even bring myself to stand and fight!
Orion glared down menacingly. He let off this ominous presence of pure wickedness. An all-encompassing darkness that seemed to blur and blacken away the world around him. All ambiance left my ears. I could only hear two distinct sounds. My own breathing, and Orion's cold, unhurried tone.
"Don't worry, Kozuna. To utilize your seals and their unique attributes, we need you and Nikai alive. You won't be killed. Not unless deemed necessary."
Orion kicked Nikai onto his spine. Black energy bubbled up from his hand until it shimmered into a glistening gold. Right then, Orion covered the wound, causing it to seal shut. However, the damage was already done. With so much blood loss, Nikai barely appeared conscious at all.
My blood boiled as I watched, and my bloodshot eyes threatened to burst from their sockets. I struggled to get back to my feet, but it was still no use! The pain raced up my arm and afflicted the rest of my body with just the slightest of twitches! However, I finally heard the noises of engines roaring nearby. Both Orion and Nazun perked up.
"Ah," Orion glanced over at Nazun. "Now, who do you think it could be?"
"Heh. I'll take Kaiten. You go and handle the others, Orion. They're nothing special."
"I know." Orion turned away from Nikai and me, but he maintained distant eye contact as his body bubbled up in blackish-gold curse energy. "Be back in a flash."
Orion flickered away and out of existence just as Kaiten's buggy came barreling in from the gate. Nazun tucked his gun away, choosing only to wield his oversized black blade.
"Can't wait. Finally get to collect Kaiten's soul. He'll be an excellent addition to the collection."
Unlike Orion's, the energy drifting from Nazun's sword was black-bordered and gray. It kinda resembled smoke more than anything. And that energy quickly started to stir, twist, hiss, and scream around the blade. A miniature tornado entirely under Nazun's control. It was no longer any wonder why he kept the blade wrapped up.
The wind whirled as Nazun's whirlwind amassed to massive heights. Unable to hold our ground, Nikai and I were blown away. We slammed into a building by the edge of the road. But even then, Nikai didn't wake. I wasn't sure he was still alive.
His power has a voice to it. Is he really collecting souls in that thing? How does all this curse seal shit even work!?
Nazun faced the buggy directly. He made a singular movement as Kaiten and his men raced closer.
"Get clear of the vehicle!"
Kaiten leaped out and kicked his way through a nearby window. He took cover inside just in time.
One heavy slash from above was enough to release that enormous whirlwind of energy from the tip of Nazun's blade. It cascaded down the path and cleared sand until ultimately cleaving Kaiten's buggy to shreds. The blast burst on impact. Even some of the nearby Bahsin were caught in the attack, ripped down to piles of blood in the dirt. The other Ozukashi soldiers suffered the same fate.
The only man to escape the blast zone was Commander Kaiten. Despite his old age, he was still as agile as a cat.
"Kozuna, sorry I didn't get here quicker. At least we managed to divide them."
"Managed?" Nazun burst out laughing. He was clearly having the time of his life, no longer having to hold up a charade. "My plan worked even better than I anticipated!"
"I'll be the judge of that," Kaiten quietly answered. He unsheathed one of the three swords hanging from his waist and pointed it directly at Nazun. "You'll pay for what you've done to my comrades."
"Heh. I've been waitin' for this…"
***
A few moments of silence passed as the wind stilled. Kaiten and Nazun stared each other down like they were sizing one another up; neither moved a muscle. The growing tension could cut through anything.
However, the instant Kaiten took one step forward, Nazun rapidly slashed out whirlwinds in his direction.
"You're not the first energy-wielder I've dealt with before, Nazun!"
Kaiten practically disappeared from view until Nazun and I caught a glimpse of his shadow. He'd sprung high above each of the energy tornadoes and so fast- I couldn't believe it! Kaiten shot down at Nazun, already wielding a second blade. He smashed into the dirt with such force that the earth seemed to quake. But Nazun had gotten out of the way.
His arrogance wasn't enough to hold him still, clearly.
The stories really are true.
"No curse seal or energy to speak of, and yet you can achieve such inhuman physical feats. And for someone so ancient. Now, I wonder. How do you manage that, Kaiten?"
Kaiten remained quiet. He vanished. Out of nowhere, his hilt busted straight into Nazun's chin, and a roundhouse kick followed a second later. It was a quick combination that rocked Nazun off his feet and sent him hurtling back.
"Don't be outdone by a curse-free, old man, Nazun!"
Kaiten didn't skip a beat. He kept his momentum up and burst across the battlefield with spinning blades and head-hungry slashes. In a matter of moments, it appeared that Nazun was struggling to keep up. He had to wield one sword with two hands just to protect himself.
The commander isn't just some normal human like everyone else.
"Looks like the stories are true!" Nazun released a whirlwind at point-blank range, amidst the flurry of slashes. "But that'll just make reaping your soul all the more satisfying!
Kaiten's eyelids lifted. If the world felt slow for me, it was absolutely the same for Kaiten. I watched him sway right for probably a millisecond before the cutting winds could touch him. Then, Kaiten bolted out of the way. His inhuman levels of reaction time actually began to make me wonder how it was even possible.
I could only be glad he was on my side. Kaiten came from the side and rocked Nazun in the skull and to the ground with a sword-gripping, pummeling fist. Before any of us knew it, Kaiten towered over Nazun. One of his blades was already pressed against Nazun's larynx to the point of drawing light blood.
And even then, Nazun maintained that undefeated look in his self-satisfied eyes.
"You don't think you've won, do you?"
My eyelids twitched. Kaiten's brow twitched. We were both twitching, and we gazed beyond Nazun to see Orion at the exact same time. He stood there, simply waiting for Kaiten to take notice.
Kaiten's teeth clenched and showed themselves. "Make one fucking move and Nazun's life is forfeit."
"How hasty." Orion flickered away from his position and reappeared in front of Nikai and me. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious, water-thieving pupils, would you?"
Kaiten's fidgeting glare bounced between Orion, Nikai, and me for a quick second. But he didn't give an answer. Not when he saw me quietly rising to my feet behind Orion's back. For a moment, the pain had become manageable, replaced by an immense surge of energyrushing through my entire bloodstream. It was the other aspect of awakening a curse seal.
Taking a toll to grant power, or whatever these fucker said…
I blinked just once and shot well to my feet. My fist cracked against Orion's jaw in the blink of an eye with enough force to send him sliding through the sand. I ended up half-hunched and breathing hard, while Orion shook his head, composed himself, and manually adjusted his jaw back in place. I almost thought I heard some bones fracturing when I hit him.
"You like that!?" I blurted out, between heavy breaths. "Stuck-up fuck!"
My left arm was pretty much dangling. My right was the only one with any strength remaining. I could only describe the feeling of energy coursing through me as both invigorating and empowering, but also draining and muscle-shredding.
"Incredible speed… and explosive striking force-"
Orion's words were abruptly cut short when a pair of holes opened up in his flesh. Blood splattered out as bullets broke his flesh, and I glanced over my shoulder to find a bloodied Wutann and a battered Korydo backing me up. Both had fierce, piercing looks in their eyes of not backing down, and it was just what I expected of the other squad leaders.
They're alive!
"…and here I thought I'd gotten rid of the weaklings."
Orion's smile faded immediately. He blinked away before more bullets could so much as graze his skin, and reappeared between Korydo and Wutann. His superheated energy coated his fists and melted through their guns as his punches connected. That same energy short-fired from beneath his boots. It propelled Orion higher. He twisted and kick-launched Korydo and Wutann in opposite directions.
Those two went flying through building walls, coated in wounds and covered in blood. And with Kaiten keeping Nazun hostage, there weren't many other soldiers around to put up a fight.
But I was still there, and that rush of energy flowing through me hadn't worn off. Not yet.
My toes tucked together. I rocketed across the sand with a single shooting step and reeled my speeding fist back, just as Orion glanced over his shoulder. But he reacted.
He reacted with an open palm and a blowout of glistening gold-and-black energy. I pivoted and shot elsewhere, narrowly avoiding whatever Orion was throwing at me. Instead, it struck another building and blew the wall to smithereens. When I noticed that, my eyes opened wide and my lips flattened shut.
Starting to seem like Kaiten and I are the only ones who can speed-match these guys. Why can't Korydo or Wutann? They're more skilled than I am.
"Well, now. That was unexpected. Catching me with my back turned was one thing, but to move with such fluidity? Enough to evade my power? "Orion scoffed and smirked slightly, shooting a glance at his once-colorful curse seal, already fading toward transparency. "You've begun acclimating, haven't you, Kozuna?
Acclimating? I can barely feel my limbs!
"Maybe I have... Is that the best you've got, Orion?"
Orion didn't respond. Instead, my head swiveled elsewhere when I heard Kaiten grunt and begin coughing. He slid back in the sand, but managed to catch himself before hitting a wall. Nazun had gut-kicked him away in all the confusion and got back to his feet. All the while, my legs wobbled. The energy coursing through me was more than just invigorating.
I'm on the verge of collapsing.
"Tch. We don't have time for this right now. Nazun! "Orion's gaze traveled beyond me. "Binding Light is running dry. And we need to keep your reserves intact."
"Time to go, then?"
Orion nodded. "For now."
He and Nazun backed off in opposite directions, each pressing their earpieces and muttering a single word.
"Dri."
I didn't know what it meant. Kaiten probably didn't know, either. What mattered was that science fiction and fantasy were coming out of the woodwork that day. A pair of elliptical-shaped, swirling, black-and-red portals appeared from thin air, behind Orion and Nazun. They each took a couple steps backward and vanished as the darkness of those portals closed in and consumed them before wisping away.
Just as quickly as everything had gotten out of hand, things had simmered down. Orion and Nazun hadn't exactly succeeded in their mission, whatever it was, but Nikai was unconscious, Korydo and Wutann were injured, and plenty more were dead. Kaiten didn't waste a moment calling in our medical troops.
But in that brief, sudden stint of silence, my adrenaline subsided. The symptoms of pain I'd felt before returned. And ten times harder.
My heart shot through the roof as I shrieked loud enough for the heavens to hear. Beyond the earlier tingling, my insides felt like they were being electrocuted nonstop! Was that just one side effect of a curse taking its toll?
Kaiten glanced in practically every direction. The only ally he had nearby was wailing out in pain, and the rest were either dead or unconscious. His brow twitched before ultimately rushing to my side.
"I know I'm askin' a lot outta you right now, Kozuna, but you're gonna need to get a hold of that thing. And fast. The Ozukashi Clan isn't fond of curse wielders."
"I'm… aware of that!" I toothily struggled out. I gripped my wrist to the point of digging my own fingers through the skin. "You gonna turn me in or something?" I shot a painstaking glance at Nikai and the curse seal expanding across his face. "What about Nikai!?"
"Despite my rank, I refuse to persecute you for matters out of your control. But we need to get you two somewhere safe and away from anyone who might turn you in. Outside of myself and your close friends, there are few members of the Ozukashi who won't want you locked away. Or worse-"
Buggies vroomed in the nearby distance. The signal that Yvira and the other soldiers were getting closer.
"They responded quicker than I anticipated. Put your hand away. Tuck that pain deep, Kozuna, and stand tall. Don't let it show until we're safe."
I struggled just to keep an eye open, let alone nod. I could only go one quivering foot at a time and force myself up. Luckily, I was just in time. Five buggies pulled in, and Kaiten immediately got up front and got to work.
"Yvira! I need you and your buggy over here! Everyone else- canvas Jigen for survivors and prioritize saving those you can over those who are already too far gone!
***
"Your current assignment is suspended until further notice. Things have taken a drastic turn for the worse."
Jigen really has become a town of slaughter now.
Kaiten was quick to pack Nikai into the back seat and me up front. He summarized the situation and had Yvira tend to the gunshot Nikai, while I was forced to try and tolerate my pain. He barely said much to the other soldiers in person before speeding off. However, Kaiten continued listening to updates and giving orders over the radio. Clearly, he had set his priorities.
"So, where are we headed?" Yvira asked. "We've been driving for a little while now. And you haven't said where yet, Commander."
"Apologies. Things are still hectic at Jigen. "Kaiten muted the radio. "I'd like to help them, but if other curse wielders are hunting Kozuna and Nikai for their curses, the Ozukashi Clan could have big trouble on the horizon. We're headed to an isolated, subterranean facility beneath The Primary. Zara's lab. She has some knowledge on curses, and is one of the few I know that will not turn someone in for simply bearing a curse seal."
"Kozuna and Nikai will be safe there?"
"Yes. For now."
For now?
"By the way, have you spoken with Anari at all? Kozuna and I haven't really had the chance."
"I have. She's resilient- already up and about. Though she should still refrain from strenuous activity."
"She probably won't," Yvira mumbled. I glanced back to find her staring at the seal on Nikai's face. "Looks like it keeps growing."
Nikai wasn't as lucky as I was. His curse seal started at the very center of his forehead, looped down to his eyes, and then all the way to his jaw. A kind of horseshoe shape.
No way he can hide that thing.
"Hang on tight," Kaiten quietly commanded. "I'm kickin' this thing into high gear."