Angelos Odyssey: Volume Three

By J. B. M. Patrick

I doubt that you’ve heard the story of the White Boar.
Before the reign of the Meiziki, there was the Odoya Clan: regular samurai who’d subsisted off the trash of others. They stockpiled weapons left over from the Citadel’s countless civil wars, which allowed them to play the game of mob warfare with almost total supremacy.
It’s said that one man destroyed them...

By the time that Tavon had matured, his world consisted of those superior to himself. He would continue to be surrounded by deadly allies who stood to shape him in ways that he couldn’t expect. While partnered with the Meiziki Clan, Tavon vowed to achieve his true potential, to protect his new family as he developed into one of their greatest assets.

This is Tavon’s final account of his upbringing as well as the story of the one who dared to lead the Meiziki into the World Below, the White Boar...

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. B. M. Patrick
• Release date: Nov 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9780578608976

J. B. M. Patrick

J. B. M. Patrick was previously an Emergency Medical Technician before enlisting in the United States Army as part of its Infantry. He was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and became certified in Air Assault Operations (involved rappelling from helicopters, inspecting sling loads, and coordinating aircraft landings), Biometrics, Robotics, and joined his company’s Intelligence Support Team. As part of CoIST, he integrated link diagram analyses and a working knowledge of signalling technology to prepare himself and others to combat insurgency operations.Following the completion of his contract, J. B. M. Patrick discovered that his passion resided in both writing and lifting. He is now the author of Angelos Odyssey, a futuristic epic he believes will span at least eight volumes. He plans on making his dream of a post-apocalyptic series containing authentic and realistic character development a reality.You can find Angelos Odyssey on multiple platforms: Ingram, Kindle, CreateSpace, and Smashwords.To see J. B. M. Patrick's regular posts, follow him on Instagram at weightsteaandpublishing and on Blogger at jbmpatrick.blogspot.com.

Book preview

PART ONE

Catastrophe

-

1

The Song Of Destruction

-

Janelle

-

It began in much the same way as an orchestra would: with four movements.

Sonata

Deep from within Zone H, the black heart of the Citadel and a festering wound threatening to cripple the Dawn Federation, a maelstrom of unknowable terror shrieked longingly into the heavens.

The sound of dread, a scream like no other, blasted against the Mid-City and through it into the highest reaches of the Upper-City. It was the call of a haunted being, one that stretched to rake the eardrums of its sole target.

Human hatred, loss, disillusionment, crushed dreams, vows of vengeance, political impotency, and, most of all, grief seethed and spilled over into one central area and under the hungry eyes of a Mulungu. The dark heart of the Citadel beat with a crazed fervency while absorbing the last of the misery it possibly could. It screamed once more; this time, the whole city shook against the power of a being created from the merging of the Mulungu with an embodiment of suffering so pure that it took on a greater form.

The Centi emerged: a colossal black insect with the face of a ghoul, dense, dirt-colored strands extending from its segmented body, and over a hundred rows of long, slender teeth.

Darkness—or rather, a type of darkness defined as rouketin by zol scholars—exploded out in columns that tore through Akashira Village; the humongous, worm-like body of the Centi congealed and simultaneously crushed the bell tower beneath it. From a distance away, a tornado of swirling grey and black was all that could be seen as it grew and grew, larger than any single construction. Upon its third and final shriek, the Centi’s body sprouted dark follicles which combined to form dark fur; pairs of spindly, clawed legs appeared along the entirety of it.

The Centi curled in on itself, forming a spire that just touched the middle of one of the many major hyper rails near it. Its body inhaled, drawing into it the despair felt all around by those who had survived its emergence. From above, the Centi devoured feelings of frustration. Feelings of guilt. Feelings of madness.

It screamed, and, at last, everyone listening understood the Centi clearly:

DEREIKAUND.

Adagio

And there it was, a twisted god born from human pain, pain that had been buried beneath so much neglected potential. Without knowing it, the dreams of a country struggling with unrest had made themselves manifest.

The Centi’s feral consciousness evolved alongside the clarity of its voice. Every desire it had collected underwent a metamorphosis induced by the malignant nature of the Mulungu, and therefore, at the pinnacle of its development, the Centi resolved to fulfill one purpose: to go after the one responsible. Every woe endured by the Federation’s citizens became fixed upon the fulcrum of a collective desire for civil retribution; thus, as millions of eyes gazed in terror at the malicious spirit, the Centi made its first move.

It uncurled its tail, jerked its head upward, and then swung its lower body in an arc which destroyed and then flattened the bottom landing of Zone H. Supporting foundations caved to bring tall housing complexes with them; the Ministry checkpoints nearest to the Lower-City were obliterated; thousands plunged toward their deaths.

The Centi repositioned its top half at angle so that it faced the skyward tunnel of Zone H. Without giving those above any further clue as to what was to happen next, it sprung up, breaking through the first hyper rail with which it made contact. Once striking a second this rail bent instead of breaking, as it had been part of a greater network of highways spanning the passage leading into the Mid-City. While the Centi flew under, forcing its back against the same rail again, it crashed into a series of smaller lanes above it. Dozens of rails bent against its might, and—just when the Centi seemed to have reached the peak of its strength—it absorbed even more of the dread surrounding it. As fear increased across the Citadel, so, too, did its size and power. Eventually, it broke through at least fourteen rails formed from both steel and moa, but its body remained unharmed; on the contrary, the Centi’s ascent doubled in speed. It collided with several more highways before striking the largest power station contained within Zone H.

Despite the considerably tremendous weight boasted by most power stations, Zone H’s was simply brushed aside. It toppled, breaking into uneven segments after colliding with the walls of the tunnel. From there, each fragment detonated upon contact with the structures nearest to them. The resulting blasts from sections of the station were heard by every citizen before the situation garnered the full attention of all broadcasting stations.

Already many steps ahead of the media, the Dawn Knights of the Soe Brigade decided to act.

General Orito, who had received news of the threat via his SPEC.N, ordered his brigade to organize demolition teams prepared to detonate larger chunks of debris which would fly down, like spears, toward an impenetrable enemy. However, the Miyushi and Iketsun syndicates, believing they were more than enough to deal with the incoming threat, had plans of their own. Rather than fleeing, members of both sides unleashed their arsenals upon a ghoulish skull with eyes somehow fixed on all of them at once, eyes which bespoke bleak, unending torment.

But the Centi approached too quickly. A shockwave enveloped the vanguards who had surrounded it. Time slowed, then the god of anguish emitted energy which decayed everything it touched. The Centi groaned, groaned so loudly and horribly that it shattered the eardrums of all members of the Ministry’s demolition squads. Sudden pain followed by immediate deafness prompted the Knights to flee after detonating what was left of the upper rails of Zone H:

A hail of metal rained down to impale the Centi, yet, when it groaned with a voice that shook the Citadel, the very vibration of it knocked away the larger slabs of debris. Regardless, it was unavoidable that the rest of the hyper rail network which had once layered the Zone would collapse onto the abomination’s head, with several rails rolling over it to press upon its back. Altogether, several thousand tons of weight bore down on the Centi, promising to push it back into the depths.

However, it continued to move.

The Centi steadily forced itself upward as further debris fell across its unfolding form. It crawled in the direction of the first checkpoint, where it was ambushed by the bulk of the Soe Brigade. Behind them, every last Dawn Knight stationed within Zone H had gathered as reinforcements. General Orito, of course, did not spearhead his division; instead, all Captains (except for the Fifth) were expected to confront the Centi from opposite positions and with unique teams of grenadiers.

Thus, when the head of the Centi had barely edged above the beginnings of the great tunnel, the closest riflemen unleashed a barrage of both lead and energy-based ammunition; grenades as well as tear gas were thrown down the hole; from afar, mortar Knights let loose a colossal wave of ordnances strong enough to kill a handful of their own soldiers.

Against this storm of oppression, the Centi made little to no sound. It was speculated that perhaps it whimpered against such an onslaught, that it felt the full force of what was close to half of the soldiers serving the Ministry of Beautification. Those valiant Knights imagined that the Centi would succumb to their trap and fall to its death, fall to crush some unfortunate section of the Lower-City.

Progressively, each of the riflemen paused to reload amidst clouds of smoke…

Scherzo

While on his way to the White Wing Brief, President Derek rapidly became aware of the demonic entity which had chanted his name.

-

Derek

-

Once I’ve sensed it, I ask my subordinate, Ivonne, if he’s caught on:

"What an awful tau. Hmm. I cannot begin to describe it, but it would seem the intent has been made quite clear."

Ivonne barely glances over to acknowledge what I’ve said.

Mr. President?

Ivonne… you are a Death Officer 4, correct?

Yes, Sir.

And yet you can’t feel it? Can’t feel all the dread coming from below?

Sir?

"With Imago, Ivonne. For once, seek with your mind."

Ivonne nods, but he still doesn’t comprehend. Fool that he is, I am forced to sit near him while in my presidential cruiser and traveling through the Upper-City. Because his prowess is insufficient, I must act using my own wisdom as a guide—

Ivonne, contact the Grandmaster of the Angelos Association. Quickly, Ivonne, and preferably before you feel it hit you—

It hits him. The dread I mentioned beforehand.

He now perceives what I had moments ago as he goes utterly rigid. He perceives the frenzied birth of something which has no right to exist. Small jolts of adrenaline race through me, bleak reminders that warn of an evil directed at my very being.

Death Officer 4, Rufino,—I call to the man acting as my chauffeur—"convert this cruiser into a zekokon, establish a concentric route around the Upper-City, and have the Staff Commanders of the White Wing Brief mobilize their vessels so that we may rendezvous whilst avoiding whatever it is which lurks below…"

-

Janelle

-

DEREIKAUND.

With its roar, the Centi generated rouketin, which is known in folklore as the tau of the dead, and it unleashed a great wave of energy. This manifestation of infected zol decimated the ranks of the Soe Brigade in charge of the ongoing offensive.

The Centi spiraled through every formation that dared to block its path into Zone D. It expanded to resemble a human nervous system which branched out in all directions, ripping through the Ministry’s stronghold as well as eliminating all but one Captain of the Soe Brigade. General Orito, rather than ordering attacks using Zone H’s remaining heavy weapon systems, fled in terror despite having been well out of the abomination’s way; as a result, both he and Third Captain Luthicklug were the sole survivors of their unit, the only ones remaining who could testify to the path of destruction wrought by the Centi.

It crossed through Zone D, growling as it left hatchlings in its wake, and what it produced were small, ravenous parasites. Bulbous head peaked from ink-black bodies; ivory teeth gleamed from blacker holes, and hundreds of legs trampled the streets beneath, crawling closer toward the center of the Citadel. Writhing, parasitic bodies of malice beset the first Zone.

When these creatures initially stormed the aquarium in Zone D, those misfortunate enough to catch sight of them were Awakened too early. Both humans and Hayashi, of all ages, morphed into horrid perversions and were overcome by malformed bones that never ceased growing coupled with torn, mangled flesh—which itself was even more appetizing for the putrid worms that devoured them.

Those who didn’t look, those too afraid, ran for their lives; in contrast, those who stole a glance back were instantaneously transformed into gruesome contortions of flesh. Families were split apart by the same foolish mistakes, but the consequences of their actions encouraged other onlookers to continue fleeing as parasites of varying sizes pursued them.

Not only were there creeping, octopoid menaces seeping through every alleyway, but amoeba-like demons stretched their amorphous bodies across concrete and steel; they covered yards with one step, and their claws closed in on those nearest to them before the commencement of a great massacre. The spawn of the Centi were the offspring of bloodthirsty resentment. This resentment tore through a great deal of Zone D as the Centi attempted to soar farther upward. Because of its central obsession, only zones C, E, and what was left of Zone H were invaded by abominations that all but halved the population immediately outside of the Mid-City’s central area. The Mid-City as a whole was polluted with wanton death as well as a hunger which could not be easily sated.

Once the Zone D Projects had been affected, the last of Zone D’s criminal syndicates resolved to protect their families at all costs. Mob elements laid fire upon the enormous worm that soared into the upper reaches of the Citadel. When their attacks proved ineffective, some fled while others worked with Zone police to defend those besieged by the Centi’s spawn.

Terror had become a unifying agent as further efforts to defend the Dawn Federation began to mount.

-

Derek

-

Sir, Ivonne raises his voice with urgency as he addresses me; his eagerness softens my heart as he speaks:

I kindly ask that you allow us to be proactive in handling the beast. We’re trained to deal with threats of this this magnitude, and, if you allow us free reign, Rufino and I can accomplish what the Ministry couldn’t. This I promise you.

-

Janelle

-

More devastating than the Centi or its spawn was the addition of multiple falling power stations that lined its path toward Zone B. As a inevitable consequence, each fall generated a great surge of power which affected the overall status of the Citadel at all levels. For a moment, billions of jets keeping the city suspended were taken off the main circuit, and, suddenly, all of the Dawn Federation was at risk of plunging into the World Below. Furthermore, each fall resulted in deadly explosions that promptly extinguished the lives of hundreds of innocents.

The demonic worm lured in by Noboros, one of the world’s most notorious criminal organizations, had left behind all the woe it contained.

President Derek’s vision of a utopia never took into account the whims of strange forces which might’ve emerged from within. Because of the Centi’s unexpected appearance, the Dawn Federation preserved in the aftermath would be forever changed. The dreams of days past had vanished in the face of a reaper whose hatred showered the Citadel in scorn.

Allegro

-

Derek

-

It’s entered the Monorail, Mr. President. Mr. President?

Yes, Staff Commander Ido? I address his hologram using my SPEC.N.

It was just a normal day in Zone B. We… we couldn’t caution them in time. They were making a regular commute, and we couldn’t save them.

Ieaquim. Be steadfast, Commander. I’ve ordered Officers Ivonne and Rufino to put an end to it.

-

Janelle

-

There was Ivonne, who specialized in Maia, who had synthesized two Spectrums: Pythagora and Maia to better his archery. He sprouted white wings out of his back, wings which symbolized pure intentions and the qualities imbued upon followers of the Mosowashi Interpretation of the Sidogush. His pale bow was said to have been blessed by a benevolent deity who was touched by both his pure heart and disciplined mind.

His companion, who also personally guarded the President, Rufino, swung an iron ball from a long chain with a giant’s confidence. He was said to have killed over three hundred people, adults and children alike. Death Officer Rufino was known for his ability to act without hesitation; thus, he had been chosen for both his strength as well as his brashness.

From the heights of the Monorail—at least a dozen miles above the Centi—a golden light descended. Radiant spheres of molten tau occupied the remainder of the grand passage, pelting the devil in pursuit. Following that, golden clouds descended, thickened, and filled the Monorail. The Centi’s ascent was slowed by the essence of a mighty spirit, and that’s precisely when both Death Officers made their moves:

Rufino acted first, neglecting to work in conjunction with his ally, Ivonne. Rufino directed himself to fall upon a lower platform whilst also expanding his legs to catch the impact. He triggered the full extent of his zol as he landed on the east side of the Monorail—right before the head of the Centi.

He reeled the ball of his weapon behind him, then Rufino refocused his zol so that he could recall the discipline of Shungej properly: both of his legs tripled in size, then he sprang from the steel platform beneath him with enough pressure to crack its surface.

Rufino cleared his mind. He recalled Shungej again and expanded his arm muscles, swung with all of his gathered strength, struck the midsection of the Centi, and miniature spawn soared after him as he landed upon the broken spire of the nearest hyper rail. Rufino thought himself agile; he slid down, sprang from the side of the rail, then he made contact with a platform on the west end. From there, he launched himself in the direction of the Centi.

But human-sized maggots, with raven wings that propelled them through the Monorail, came for his eyes.

They tore the skin from his cheeks, raked his septum through. Vicious beasts closed in on Rufino, biting and clawing until his body sang with upward bursts of bright blood while he fell to his demise.

Ivonne appeared right after his companion, unaware that Rufino had already been defeated. As if he were an angel, Ivonne soared to meet the Centi head on and not so far away now from the Upper-City.

When the Centi sensed the presence of Ivonne’s zol, its face reformed. One thousand devilish mouths tasted the air; at once, this great devil understood that it had encountered a powerful foe. As Ivonne strung an arrow formed from his manifested tau, the Centi lunged for his position.

Ivonne quickly glided away as the body of it ascended past him; meanwhile, a column of clouds drifted down from above to strike the many open jaws of the Centi. The Centi, however, absorbed what was equal to divine destruction. Its wretched body bloated momentarily before it compressed blinding, celestial light into nothingness.

Ivonne increased his notched-arrow count to four, then he released with strength that pushed him back upon recoil: four arrows composed of zol impaled the lower half of the Centi against the west side of the Monorail prior to it breaking free seconds later. Ivonne flew in pursuit, and the Centi reacted to two different forces.

First, the Centi found itself submerged in an armada of dust-hued clouds which forcible slowed its chase. From below, Ivonne soared skyward as he notched another arrow.

The Centi screamed with an enraged and frightening incoherence. It swung its body in a spiral which echoed down the length of a threatening tempest that would continue to expand, to consume. A nervous system composed of human agony shook in an effort to break free yet again. Ivonne narrowly evaded the Centi as it crashed its spine into the wall next to him. He fired again:

This shot imploded against the tail of Centi, which smashed itself against the middle of the Monorail; it broke through both moa and steel, then it rebounded. It dashed Ivonne’s upper body against the Monorail, turning him into half a corpse before he could react. Ivonne’s adversary had been much faster than him, yet, indulged in unbridled patriotism, he had failed to exercise caution against such a terrible opponent.

And so, there remained just one human present and willing to stand against the abomination. As the Centi moved after this new prey, more and more clouds, formed from both fire and gold, surrounded it. Soon, the Centi was ambushed by a field of zol which threatened to encage it. It was flanked, with a number of clouds obscuring its original path as well as the various establishments within the Upper-City surrounding it.

The Centi groaned, echoing sorrow that shook the Citadel…

Looming just before its vacuous eyes, he levitated. The Grandmaster, lost in gentle contemplation.

2

Showdown

-

Janelle

-

The crawling devil Centi encountered the Ayer Kei, the Grandmaster of the Angelos Association, who appeared to meditate amidst the flurry of clouds enveloping him.

Having discovered a new target to consume, the Centi spiraled his way. Above all others, the Grandmaster appeared to be the most prominent source of zol, and so each of the Centi’s mouths combined into one which closed over Ayer Kei. Fumes burst from its jaws, fumes followed by a scream of pain that rattled the skies. Golden flames spouted from in between its many teeth; the great beast swung its head back to growl once more.

From a distance, the real Ayer Kei hovered in meditation, his hands grasping clouds that turned to flames and then to static bolts of lightning fused from bright embers.

Through Lord Adhirohah, I spurn thee. he said.

An asymmetrical orb shimmered behind his form as a crimson sun. It became twice as radiant when a spear of divine zol solidified in the Grandmaster’s hand. The molten spear breathed fire into flowery outcroppings directed away from his body so that it would not be incinerated.

I spurn thee, for your rage is misguided.

—SHUDO: FIRST TRANQUILITY—

Ayer Kei abruptly doubled in size and just as the Centi turned to set its focus once more upon its greatest enemy. The Centi’s distorted face scowled while it simultaneously shrieked, its jaws contorting, spinning, and metamorphosing into a black whirlpool which threatened to consume the Grandmaster as it charged toward him!

But then…

Ayer Kei, backed by thousands of sentinels that had risen from both the Mid and Lower-Cities to defend the President, threw a spear containing merely a portion of the power which really belonged to a fearsome deity:

The entirety of the Upper-City erupted under the light of Roukilis, known as the light of the gods. This very blast broke the sound barrier—subsequent to it, every available sentinel charged in the direction of flames which swallowed the atmosphere, flames shining out across the World Below as if they were beacons warning against further invasion to all who could see. The Centi wailed while it was given little time to respond once endless waves of sentinels, arranged like metallic hornets poised to strike, closed in on its location and with the full extent of their accumulated firepower. If a sentinel came within a few feet of the ethereal being, it self-destructed; after the first twenty soldiers had detonated against the Centi’s body, it at last began to weakly hunch over. It wailed much more quietly this time, perhaps signaling its wish to surrender, yet hundreds upon thousands of sentinels refused to yield.

The Centi’s head arced plainly, producing a resounding CRACK, then it soared down, bringing the whole of its body with it while still more sentinels fired in its direction. And, observing an unnatural as well as sudden distribution of zol, Grandmaster Ayer Kei hesitated. There was only one question left in his mind:

Should I pursue them?

He felt the presence of two sources now. His mind sought what his eyes couldn’t; he cautiously examined the natures of their respective wills.

-

Hadrien, the thirteenth member of Noboros—referred to as Shieldbearer,—also hesitated upon witnessing the defeat of the Centi. Once it had been surrounded and struck with an explosive myriad during its descent, the Centi’s aura unexpectedly diffused across the Citadel.

Rather than dissolving all at once in one fatal death knell, the essence of dread made itself keenly felt throughout the country as narrow, blackened pillars leaked down into the depths of the Citadel. Although no one was prematurely Awakened from encountering the Centi’s essence once more, all immediately experienced intense paranoia that ensnared them within a singular moment of vivid terror.

However, the Shieldbearer firmly believed that he felt the presence of someone familiar in the midst of the chaos.

He’s…

Hadrien paused to brace himself for what was to come.

He’s not dead.

-

The twelfth member of Noboros, Eyes From The Void, was indeed still alive.

His Imago, renowned for being one of the strongest on Earth, sensed his ally long before Hadrien had become aware of his comrade’s survival. Therefore, Eyes From The Void sought Hadrien out first once he had escaped definitively from the dying, steadily evaporating body of the Centi. His expressed tau resembled a dark hand that reached out at Hadrien from the depths of the fog which came to surround him.

This field of shadows will only serve us for a short time. We must hurry if we’re to finish off the Grandmaster.

Eyes?

Hadrien, his teal irises quivering beneath stark-white hair, removed two blue and round shields from his back; two chains dangled from each prior to him swinging both out as he felt the Grandmaster approach. Preceding Ayer Kei’s resplendent zol, a golden light illuminated his arrival.

Eyes From The Void recomposed himself into his usual cloaked body, absorbing what was once fog into a corporeal form, yet black emanations remained in an outline around him. Resting in both of his hands was the Axe of Judgment: a rather weak weapon that’s true power was in a special curse which had been laid upon it by its wielder.

How did you survive, Eyes? Hadrien exclaimed, I thought you’d… you know…

The spawn of the Mulungu did not wait to evolve into perfection. Instead it confronted a foe who matched its strength too closely too soon, then it weakened.

I was set free the moment it broke its own neck, but I took a portion of the Centi’s energy with me.

Eyes From The Void stalled when taking notice of dozens of Kei’s clones having gathered in a tight formation. Each aiming their tridents forward; clouds were evoked from all but one head.

This energy is possibly the only thing keeping me alive, though I feel it fading fast. Hadrien, eliminating the Grandmaster, here and now, will permanently alter the course of the Citadels’ future.

The Shieldbearer grunted in response. He twirled one of his shields behind him while rotating the other in front, keeping it in constant motion. Using the rear shield’s gathered momentum, Hadrien swung with impeccable accuracy at the one he believed had to be the true Grandmaster.

His shield cleanly sliced apart a cloud which gave no resistance; it passed through to implode, and a steaming geyser shot skyward in place of where the clone had previously been.

—SHUDO: FIRST TRANQUILITY—

Each of his puppets expanded in stature, some even bulkier than others, and each charged at Hadrien as his shield reformed in time for him to retrieve it. Hadrien blasted two more clones with a scalding waterfall that exploded out from one shield and destroyed three more while defending himself with the other, but he knew that he couldn’t react in time to avoid two more who had flanked him immediately afterward.

Eyes From The Void touched the blade of his axe; the fingers on both of his hands glowed with shapeless, indigo light, then he broke off two pieces that he flung into the heads of Hadrien’s assailants.

Although its fragments had not pierced their real target, the Axe of Judgment’s curse had been invoked, for its condition only required contact with the extension of another’s will. In this case, touching one of Kei’s apparitions triggered Eyes From The Void’s most dangerous ability:

He created a phantom in the image of the Grandmaster, one barely detailed but clear enough in what it portrayed. In spite of having dulled his Axe, one swing of it would put an end to the fight, as what was done to this phantom would manifest in reality.

Eyes From The Void swung at the phantom’s head—

Ayer Kei, who had patiently waited behind his personal army while playing the role of a true tactician, charged at his prey.

The Grandmaster impaled the twelfth member of Noboros through his abdomen; he then thrusted his trident deeper, into the white, marbled surface below, and ignited powerful flames that engulfed Eyes From The Void in one burst. Not a sound was heard as Ayer Kei’s target burned to a cinder in the time it took to blink.

Meanwhile, Hadrien had already anticipated that his companion would fall. As such, he had been carrying out a plan of his own which involved decimating the rest of Kei’s clones with pure finesse while the Grandmaster was distracted. Once the Shieldbearer had finished off the last of Kei’s doubles, he could only watch from afar as the flaming middle blade of the Grandmaster’s trident erupted through his ally’s stomach and vanquished him before Hadrien had time to act.

Hadrien lunged toward Ayer Kei. He swung one of his shields horizontally, cutting its attached chain links short enough that the Grandmaster was able to evade the attack by merely jumping back.

Hadrien followed with a hard overhead swing—

But his shield landed too far forward of Kei’s position, a hissing lake exploding outward from it. Despite the Grandmaster feeling more than confident that an opening had revealed itself, Hadrien plunged ahead whilst leaving his primary weapons behind him.

Instead of continuing to swing at his target from far away, Hadrien did the unexpected: he tackled Ayer Kei.

Hadrien forced his opponent as well as himself toward the murky lake, then they both fell through what became an aquatic portal.

-

Hadrien was born out of the union between a Hayashi and a human. It was because of this union, particularly his Hayashi heritage, that he felt most at home near open bodies of water. Due to his unique physiology (and much like the full-blooded Hayashi), his speed increased exponentially when traveling via bodies of water. Thus, as part of his strategy for an assured victory, he had developed his Maia in a manner conducive to his talents…

-

The Grandmaster was submerged in an infinite ocean, the world that the Shieldbearer had created in order to trump the defenses of his human enemies.

Whereas Ayer Kei would be forced to hold his breath for an indeterminable period of time, Hadrien would have no issue maneuvering because of the select groupings of gills along both his arms and legs. He flew speedily before the Grandmaster and with both of his shields trailing behind him. In response, Kei generated a light barrier around himself while he entered a very formal style of meditation. Kei rested the ankles of his feet atop his thighs and appeared to ignore the Shieldbearer completely.

What’s wrong? Hadrien taunted him, Have you run out of tricks, old man?

When he noticed small bubbles sift from in between the Grandmaster’s lips, Hadrien seized the opportunity to destroy him. He surged forward, reeling both shields back with the ecstasy of grand ambition!

Bubbles then poured from his eyelids, from his ears as well. Those bubbles were consumed by tiny flames; smoke issued from around Ayer Kei as mere embers turned to grand ruby fire which collected around him and grew to encompass nearly half of Hadrien’s ocean.

The Grandmaster’s eyes became a scorching red and then beamed with spheres of golden magma before he spoke with a gust of ethereal energy:

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA.

-

Light more magnificent than the face of the Sun enshrouded the Upper-City. Such a great deal of zol had gathered in one spot, defying all natural laws, and blazed through with enough power to reach the hearts and minds of those within both the Upper and Mid-Cities. At once, the Federation’s citizens felt the presence of a deity among them.

Moreover, there happened to be one lone assassin who had remained in a deep slumber until he felt faint sensations of a power greater than himself, power which rendered him immediately awake…

3

A Second Chance

-

Tavon

-

Yo, you ready to get up now, fool?

Huh?

You get enough sleep with all that damn ruckus outside? None of it seemed to shake ya.

It sounds like some ignorant kid’s talking. What happened… where am I?

Hey, yo!

Shut up.

I open my eyes:

A kid with dirty braids, a tank top, joggers, and a knife held at the ready faces me—wait, a knife? Does this kid wanna kill me?

I get to my feet—

Who are you?

The kid’s eyes widen a little.

What? You don’t know?

In his other arm, he’s holding a case that he swings in front of himself and opens. I see a grey kimono with pale embroidery showcasing small, foaming waves in neat patterns on the front. Black trimming lines its middle, and there’s a black obi folded up next to the kimono. He says: It’s for you.

For me? What are you talking about, kid? What’s your name—is this… no. Did I… did I lose?

He looks a bit bewildered now.

You mean you don’t remember gettin’ yo ass busted up by the Grandmaster? Your lower lip’s still bloody and everything! Man, have you seen yo face, though? the kid leans in and tilts his head like he’s making fun of me.

But what is he talking about? Along with a headache, I catch a brief glimpse—

Crazy pressure followed by darkness. He beat me so easily…

Name’s Raiko, boss. I’m supposed to be your ‘Death Disciple’ now according to the old guy at the top.

Death Disciple?

"Fool, how the hell am I s’posed to know what it means if you don’t, huh? You’re Tavon, right?"

Yeah.

He arches one eyebrow.

You sure?

Who the hell else am I supposed to be, kid?

Sorry, sir, I was just expectin’ somebody… uh, a little quicker, you feel me?

Wait—what did you say to me!

Congratulations, yo! Old man said you a ‘Death Officer’ now.

For real?

Fuck you think, man? Old dude wants you to wear this shit, said it’s a symbol of your ‘status.’

This has to be a dream.

Even though I lost, he promoted me?

Don’t think he really wanted to.

Yeah right.

It’s true!

I feel a mixture of relief and irritation—where did they get this brat from?

Fine. Believe what you want, mister, but old dude said you were ‘weak,’ that I could learn from you because you’re ‘always an idiot.’

I bet he did.

Then some other shit caught his attention. He looked real worried after the Association trembled a few times. Took off hasty, you know?

I don’t. There was an earthquake?

The Citadel’s too heavy. Nothing could actually shake it—at least, it just doesn’t seem possible.

Look kid, explain to me what’s going on.

I think you’re supposed to wear this first.

I knock the case out of his hands.

I’m not putting that on. If I’m going to be a Death Officer, it’ll be through my own terms. I earned this.

Right. Whatever, man. Just don’t be knockin’ shit outta my grip like that again in the future. I wasn’t ready.

"He assigned you to be my ‘Death Disciple,’ right? Why is that—why did he pick you?"

Somethin’ wrong with me?

His attitude is both annoying and familiar. The way Raiko answers my questions reminds me of someone.

Nah. I just wanna know why he picked you.

"Why do you think he promoted you?"

Stop that.

I take a step toward him and scowl.

Stop what?

Raiko’s defiant, almost too defiant, and Ayer Kei intended for him to be my student? Most importantly, am I allowed to hit students for being disrespectful? Nevermind that—

If you’re to be my Death Disciple, then that makes me your teacher.

Yes, sir. If you fuck that up, it’s your head.

What?

Uh… what?

Yo ‘Teach,’ the Grandmaster passed down some orders he wanted me to repeat to you personally, aight? You think you can handle that?

Get on with it.

Psh. Raiko smirks. All right, he says. I’m s’posed to help you kill four people.

Okay. What else?

Raiko nods, then he continues:

The Grandmaster’s gonna send us a bunch of targets, and he wants me to learn from you as we try to off ‘em. Old man says I can jump rank to Death Officer if we do as asked.

You’re a kid. Are you really up to killing random strangers? Have you ever been to the World Below?

Raiko hesitates, and, in this moment, I sense a hint of childishness in the way he behaves. His wit’s sharp, but his inexperience is obvious.

I killed some people before, yo. I know how it goes. he shrugs and looks away.

I smile.

Do you? How many people have you murdered, Raiko?

Not murdered—

What else can you call it?

"It’s not fuckin’ murder, yo! I was defending myself."

Then you didn’t really kill.

What the fuck are you talking about?

Murder is a willful action, kid. You might’ve protected yourself, but what do you know about stalking an unknown, someone who’s done you no wrong?

Listen, mothafucker, it’s all the same.

Yeah.

My muscles tense on instinct, though I’ve no intentions of hurting him. "Until you have to think over your actions and how those actions have changed you. And they’re never good changes. You think that you’re on the road of reason, but your actions will always be biased in some way or another.

Nevertheless, Ayer Kei is wrong for involving children in his affairs.

I need to make a choice quickly. I was aware of the Association having ‘students,’ but I didn’t know that the old bastard chose them so early on in their lives. Though I might be able to help him, that would make me no better than organizations like Genod & Portis. I’d be helping the Grandmaster warp the mind of a kid…

No. I’ll have him assign me someone else. Someone older.

Sorry, Raiko,—I look him in his eyes—but I can’t teach you anything. I’m going to have to suggest that you choose a better career path for yourself; mine ends in one of two ways.

-

Janelle

-

Though Tavon spoke these words to Raiko, his meaning was misinterpreted.

Rather than considering the dangers of traveling with Tavon, Raiko became offended. He felt that his new teacher had already rejected him, in the same way that he felt the world had. As had happened in his past, someone was determining his fate without a chance for him to prove himself. Bitterness swelled within young Raiko’s heart. He eyed Tavon with fury, but he didn’t speak another word. Instead, Raiko strode past him and resolved to discover another route in order to accomplish his desire; he was determined to demonstrate his true competence as an assassin.

Tavon and Raiko were utterly clueless as to just how much their lives would soon interconnect. Once a Death Officer was assigned a pupil, a bond was formed between parent and offspring. Ayer Kei’s predictions of interpersonal partnerships had thus far been unparalleled; therefore, a mentor, matched to his ideal student, had encountered Raiko for the first time but certainly not the last.

4

Last Recollection

-

Janelle

-

What made you take a second chance on me back then, T? Your heart go soft or somethin’, or was it because the old man took another chance on you?

Would you have preferred it another way?

Like there was any other way—hah! You clownin’. I think you’re just doing this because you feel like you owe someone.

Yeah? And who do I ‘owe,’ kid?

Mendo.

"What? Mendo?"

Tavon froze. Raiko started to laugh but was compelled to a pause upon viewing the blankness of his mentor’s expression. Tavon’s personality seemed to have vacated his body. Shortly after recovering from this brief state of despondence, Tavon continued on to finish the tale of how he came to meet his new pupil.

By telling the rest of his story, Tavon allowed the truth in his heart to be exposed.

--

PART TWO

The Father

--

1

Cengiz Meiziki

--

Tavon

--

I’ve tried to put together a decent list in my head of all the mythologies I’m aware of by now, but there are too many stories, too many gods, and too many demons to keep track of in this world. As a kid I knew what monsters were supposed to be, but the only image I could ever bring to mind then was of Eze’s pet, Anubis. Outside of popular movies and illustrations in digital books, I didn’t think that myths could continue to exist in any form of obscurity, especially in a city like this.

I doubt that you’ve heard the story of the White Boar. In that time, it was generally believed that some common thug had been cursed, that he’d carried something deadly inside of him. Before the reign of the Meiziki, there was the Odoya Clan: regular samurai who’d subsisted off the trash of others. They’d stockpiled weapons left over from the Citadel’s past civil wars, which allowed them to play the game of mob warfare with almost total supremacy.

It’s said that one man destroyed them. That, before the Odoya could continue expand much further, the successor to the clan’s head offended a lower-ranking member. This footsoldier asked one of his comrades to build a simple shrine from polished stones outside of the heir’s manor and to create a hollow opening that would allow enough room for a special candle to burn.

His companion did as he was told.

That same night, the heir to the Odoya Clan disappeared; the only witnesses claimed that they’d witnessed a huge, tusked boar devour what was left of their future boss.

Stories like this spread fast. Not only that, but the number of deaths within the Odoya family itself increased until, finally, there was just Geno Odoya remaining to defend the clan’s legacy.

Geno got usurped about a year after both his wife and son vanished. They say his own men turned on him, and it’s because rumors gave life to an unbelievable nightmare. The Odoya Clan was erased from existence from a terror no one could kill or even track once it had claimed its prey. After the fall of the Odoya, Cengiz Meiziki took control of their men—with the help of both his stalwart reputation and a private circle of soldiers—and established himself as king. Because of his rapid rise to power, each one of the Meiziki Clan’s neighboring rivals eventually came to declare war on his growing dictatorship.

But Cengiz held his own against them, surviving as both the Nagao and the Uesugi were crushed beneath his feet.

Cengiz was the nightmare, the White Boar. We called him the Father.

2

Repercussions

--

Tavon

--

At first, Mendo was in critical condition. He stabilized, then he passed over into a coma.

Abul was considered dead by everyone but Second Seneschal Ududa. She’d insisted on keeping his body for observation at the Pale Citadel’s Clinic, over which she herself presided.

The Pale Citadel was a series of platinum skyscrapers named closely after the creature everyone feared. Each tower was linked to one another by steel tunnels, and, though they looked pretty narrow, the dozen or so of them contained about eighty stories individually. The center tower—also the tallest—consisted of exactly a hundred, and squads of weaponized cruisers surrounded the highest floor.

I didn’t know his name or much about him then… back when they’d brought me into the carpeted lobby right outside of his personal chambers.

Jigen, the Fifth Seneschal, wanted to kill me so badly that the others had to force him to make an early departure. By the time we’d made it into the heart of Meiziki territory on our way back from the battle against Enok, Labou announced that he would take care of delivering an official report to the Father. This, of course, was expected considering that he was the only one who’d seen the boss regularly within the last two years.

I was left alone with the Fourth Seneschal, but he was a lot nicer than the others; he was polite, at least.

Master Tavon, is it?

"Master?" I’d never heard someone address me this way before.

Hmph. Labou turned up his nose at me and walked ahead without saying anything else.

I was still wounded from the earlier fight, but Ududa had administered some kind of sedative to keep me somewhat level-headed. After all, I was the sole survivor of a catastrophe. When the Father requested the truth, he demanded every detail. Ududa was probably just trying to help me out.

I stared absentmindedly at the back of Labou’s tuxedo, quickly trying to think of the right questions to ask before it was too late—

Labou put a halt to any further thoughts by stopping me with one hand:

Please have a seat on the barstool over there. By the window, Master Tavon.

Suddenly, classical jazz played faintly from speakers lined along the walls. The lobby was really a bar, with a shining, mahogany countertop backed by bottles of imported alcohol numbering in the hundreds.

Labou headed off without another word through a door disguised as a black panel, leaving me to consider everything that’d happened. I didn’t know these people; they didn’t know me. The destruction left behind from the fight with Enok meant that any merit I’d shown previously couldn’t be measured. If I’d wanted to bring honor to my name, I would’ve done enough to save at least one of them.

But… no. They both fell in battle, and I was the only one left alive because I hadn’t been good enough to do more on my part. I thought that made my actions dishonorable, so I fully expected them to condemn me. I thought I’d failed.

--

Fourth Seneschal Labou stumbled out so roughly that I jumped from my seat.

I was speechless…

One of his eyes had been beaten shut. There was dried blood around his lips. Labou clutched at his stomach while steadily walking closer in order to address me again:

Master Tavon…

Y-Yes?

He studied me for a second, then he said, Unfortunately, Father was not pleased with my decision to bring you on my own. It would appear that he sorely missed the other Seneschals, thus I’m afraid I must apologize.

Labou bowed. His kindness was so out of place that I never knew exactly how to respond.

Master Tavon, despite my persistence…

—He looked into my eyes—

I couldn’t protect you.

--

I was looking at a minimalistic depiction of Lord Ganesha on a tapestry which hung down in the space between a wall populated solely by liquor bottles. In a place like this, the image didn’t really make sense to me. The Meiziki Clan had no use for what Ganesha represents: love. After all, Cengiz had made that perfectly clear when he’d usurped his master.

The lights went out.

A cold breeze flowed through the room, but I kept still while keeping my eyes fixed ahead. I knew that the room was getting darker, that another force was influencing the area around me… to intimidate me…

And it was working.

Cold darkness covered me to the point where I couldn’t make out my surroundings. A cold chill ran down my spine; still, I kept my head down. I didn’t know what moves to make in a situation like this.

I heard the sound of something being scooted off the shelves; glass clinked against glass; liquid poured for a couple of seconds then stopped.

He came to stand across from me: the Father, with shadows all around.

It was rare for anyone to make face-to-face contact with the boss, and, in that moment, I understood why. I was too young to have an appropriate reaction.

I was