Capítulo 86: Chapter 86
Unlike most of Musashi's awakeners, the Third Sword eschewed dual-wielding.
And now that they were no longer in motion, Jake was able to get a good look at the Third Sword: he did carry two swords, but only wielded one at a time.
The Third Sword also looked like a stark contrast of the old man leading the Grand Duelists: instead of a kind old man, the Third Sword looked more like a retired military general, and his outfit of a brown hakama and haori over a black kimono, combined with his bearing, made Jake look like this guy meant business.
He grabbed his sword with both hands, and struck.
At the same time Jake blocked, he made the Aqua Blade strike.
The old man cried out, and with a wave of power, dissolved the Aqua Blade into nothing but steam.
'Amazing. Reminds me of Gramps. Nohas has a lot of strong people.'
In a place as diverse as Nohas, there simply wouldn't be a single absolutely powerful awakener; meeting other strong awakeners is understandable.
"…!"
The Third Sword used the same wave of power to propel his sword in a single, two-handed sweep of the blade, aiming for Jake's neck.
Jake changed his weapon into a sword to parry the attack.
The resulting clash pushed Jake back several steps.
"Jake!"
"Mr. Smithson!"
And then the Third Sword stepped back, surprising everyone who thought that he would push his advantage.
However, the Blue crashed into the ground where the Third Sword was standing.
"Oh, that's a shame," Jake said as he clicked his tongue in disappointment. It was an inventive move: using the Blue to change the sword's length and attack from beyond line of sight.
Too bad the old man figured it out immediately and stepped away.
"What a wonderful display of fighting. But my style is the opposite of yours, young man," the old man said after letting out a chuckle at the maneuver he saw.
"Jake, he's telling you he likes your fighting, but your personality doesn't fit his swordsmanship!" the Evergreen's lieutenant called out to Jake, translating the old man's words.
"Tell him to stop acting like a man of honor," Jake said as he found out his frustration had reached a high level, "It's despicable."
Some of the samurai in Musashi had now caught up.
'They already know I'm going to use a surprise attack and escape in the confusion – but this won't happen again.
They also already know part of the things I have planned.
This is not good.'
The samurai were beginning to close in on him, and the Third Sword was looking at him with guarded curiosity, the sword still in his hands as he was in a ready stance.
That was when the old man asked a question.
"What made you do such a reckless thing? With that much power at your age, I am sure the Grand Duelists would prevent you from doing such a thing. Was this a mandate of your division?"
"Are you seriously asking that question now, old man?"
"What do you mean?" the Third Sword asked, having no idea what Jake spoke of.
"Your samurai tried to kill us first, goaded Froad into a war with Evergreen and wiped out the division we were supposed to be protecting," Jake explained.
The Third Sword's reaction, however, wasn't what he expected.
"What…? What are these atrocities I hear of?" the old man replied, outraged.
Jake just spat on the ground and continued.
"Nice going," he snorted. "Talking about honor when your men tried to murder us in cold blood?"
"At which point did my vassals try to… murder you?"
"Liam and I were on our way to Evergreen to mediate the war between divisions – a war that had already started when we arrived. And your elite – what was his name, Kinjo Toshihiro or something – he tried to kill us as soon as he saw us on the battlefield. You guys started a war between small divisions like Evergreen and Froad, and now you're pretending you don't know how many lives you've taken away?"
As he heard Jake's story, the Third Sword's expression subtly changed, and then he called out.
"Shogun!" he cried out, and the Seventh Sword, the Shogun, made his way to where the Third Sword was calling him.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Is what this young man saying true?"
"It's… it's…."
"I know when you're lying," the old man said, and the huge man's posture was a lot different than usual. "Being the Seventh Sword is going to be the least of your problems if you do not tell me the complete truth… right now. Again, is what this young man saying true?"
"It's…" Shogun said, pausing for a moment before closing his eyes and dropping his shoulders in resignation. "Yes, my lord, everything he says is true."
At the Shogun's answer, the Third Sword looked up at the sky and sighed, and then turned towards Jake.
"It seems that our division has been doing these things for quite some time now. My apologies."
He turned and bowed to Jake and his group, but Song had to join in.
"Apologies? What use are fucking apologies when your own samurai bribed my awakeners to betray their own division and assassinate my father, Evergreen's master?"
Jake and Liam were surprised at the story, and were now able to understand why Song decided to attack Musashi's fortress in what was for all intents and purposes a suicide mission.
'So, Song's father was the master of Evergreen… I never got to see him once.'
Traces of a fight in the master's chamber, a dead body lying on the floor: it looks like every piece of the puzzle was put in place.
Jake and Liam couldn't even turn their faces at Song and his lieutenants: their anger and sorrow would have been unimaginable as they carved a trail of vengeance and death from Evergreen Castle to Musashi's fortress.
"We assassinated your division's master?" the Third Sword asked in shock.
"That's right, you bastards! Pretending to be noble, but stabbing people in the back and financing wars, your division is trash!" one of the lieutenants answered for Song.
"I had no idea… our great division is doing things like this…? I have been content with meditating and training for too long and turned a blind eye to matters unrelated to those," the Third Sword muttered, before turning to the Seventh. "Shogun, by whose orders were these atrocities committed?"
"My lord… I am sworn to… I cannot…"
The old man drawing his sword and returning it to its sheath with an audible click had the large man standing up straight again.
"It was by our master's orders," Shogun replied, and as soon as he did, his shoulders dropped.
The Third Sword sighed.
"I knew our master is an ambitious man, but never expected him to stoop this low for his goals…" he said with remorse, and then turned to Jake and his party. "You may leave."
The samurai of Musashi were shocked.
"Third Sword!"
"My lord, why?"
"They charged into our headquarters; we can't just let them leave like this!"
"Silence!" the Third Sword shouted, clicking his sword again to still the crowd.
"You have done us a great favor, but struck down many of our good swordsmen today. On the honor of my blade and my title as the Third Sword of Musashi, I declare an end to hostilities here."
"But know this! Your brazen actions will neither be forgiven nor forgotten, and should we meet on the field of battle once more, it will be as opponents battling to the death."
The Third Sword continued, as he put back his sword into the sheath.
"Now, Grand Duelists – leave, and return to your division. I have a herd of samurai to tame, and my own house to place back in proper order."
He turned back and began walking away, the other samurai following suit, leaving a stunned Jake and Liam in their wake.
***
It was a close call.
Jake and Liam managed to pull off their daring rescue, but no one was happy at the outcome – and what they learned about it.
"Looks like I owe you guys once more; I – no, we – really appreciate it," Song said as he sighed.
'Is he really grateful? Is he trying to redeem his honor? Go out in a blaze of glory?
Was our help even wanted or needed?'
Jake's heart felt heavy at the thought, so he had no choice but to apologize.
"I'm sorry, Song."
"What are you talking about? If it wasn't for you, all my friends would be dead. I was crazy for a while. I was arrogant. I thought I could do some damage, but I wasn't strong enough."
Song's reply was sad.
"Soon enough, the Grand Duelists will deal with Musashi. Be patient. I'll just wipe them all out," Jake said, looking at where the Third Sword stood, just moments before.
The Third Sword was an honorable man, and allowed them to leave due to what he had learned.
If it had been Musashi's master, the outcome would have been much different.
Also, it would be logical that war would be declared if Musashi's master realized that two of the Grand Duelists attacked their fortress to mount a rescue of their vassal awakeners.
Jake knew the consequences and made the decision to go ahead anyway.
After all, Master Li gave him permission – and he didn't want Musashi to get away with nearly killing their novices and leveling Evergreen.
That was one of the laws of Nohas: an eye for an eye.
It was how the first awakeners did it; it was how the awakeners in Li's generation did it; and it is how awakeners today should do it, Ten Stars or otherwise.
If you didn't, other divisions would walk all over you.
"I don't want your division's situation to worsen on my account," Song continued.
"No," Jake replied. "The Grand Duelists wouldn't ever let go of anyone who attacks its awakeners. I feel the same way – I tend to keep away from those who bother me, but I can't stand anything or anyone getting in my way of my s—never mind."
Now wasn't the right time to tell Song about his personal skill, and he almost accidentally let it slip out.
And then Song laughed.
"That's the Jake I know. I'm really glad to see the both of you. Everyone, cheer up! We've all grown stronger from this! If we keep going, we're going to get stronger, and we'll be prepared for any opportunity that eventually comes our way," Song said with a smile as he continued helping his lieutenants out.
'Lost his master, his father, his division, but he is still going strong in taking care of whoever is left… I have no doubt that Song will become great one day.'
"The only thing we need at the moment is you, Vice-master."
"We are good to go!"
'His lieutenants are also matching his fervor – maybe this is why they still see hope in the direst of situations.'
"So, what do we do now?" Song's lieutenant asked, bringing up an important topic.
Now that Evergreen was destroyed, they could go back and rebuild, but not with the remnants of Froad and the samurai of Musashi telling them where they are.
"Let's rest and heal up while we make plans," Song replied confidently, because as long as they were together, they had a chance to start over.
"Why not go back to Carter with me until you find a way to rebuild?" Jake asked, offering them sanctuary.
"Song, let's go to the Grand Duelists. Let's start there together," Liam added.
"I appreciate the offer, but can I go there and decide it later? I think we'd better see the place first. I think it won't be late for us decide after that," Song answered prudently.
He had nowhere to go, and he didn't want to bother Jake and Liam anymore, so he didn't accept Jake's suggestion right away.
For a man like him with powerful enemies like Musashi, the Grand Duelists could be the safest place to stay, but Song wasn't greedy.
"Pretty sure gramps will welcome you and your lieutenants," Jake said. "Let's go, then."
Thus, as minds were made up, shopping carts chained together, motorcycles righted up and engines started, Jake and his party began their return to Carter.
And as they traveled, Song and Liam spent some time catching up as they haven't seen each other for a while, with Jake as the main topic of their conversation.
"Liam, what happened to Jake? He's changed a lot since I last saw him."
"Don't ask. You'd never know the stranger things he's done."
"Tell me what the hell I should do to become as strong as him, as fast as he does it," Song said seriously.
At this point, they had no choice: barely a year out of the tutorial, but Jake was able to stand toe-to-toe momentarily with one of Nohas' strongest.
Was there ever such an awakener to ever exist in Nohas' history?
Despite Jake being unable to completely elude the samurai of Musashi, it was still remarkable progress.
Liam answered Song's earnest question rather awkwardly.
"Shopping."
"Is that what it was?" Song asked.
"He's been doing some weird things by himself these days," Liam answered.
"What do you mean?"
And just when Liam was about to explain the reason why Jake was, frankly nonsense, they heard Jake rant once more.
"Superstore, what's wrong with you? You have a customization shop? Why didn't you tell me? Okay, what do you want me to do? What the hell! Huh? What? Oh, I can just buy them all? Fine, if that's what you tell me."
Song gave Liam a puzzled look while he just sighed at Jake's nonsense rambling starting all over again.
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