Inka held her fury in check, flinching at each crack of the whip. Her throat clenched and her eyes stung. The need for revenge burned like acid on her tongue, and her fists shook with the intent to kill. Her gaze never left the masked figure — slight of build, but he possessed the disciplined form of a well-trained warrior. She wasn't mistaken. He was a member of the Nerium, the only one who wore the Oni mask. His would be the first life she would take if given the chance. She guaranteed it.
Rei motioned for her to stay quiet as he figured out a plan. There were six assassins in the basement, including the masked leader and his whipper. "I will take on their leader while you two dispatch the rest and save the prisoners."
"Do what you have to, Commander. Leave the rest to us." She nodded at the leader. "That man belongs to the Nerium of the Oni clan. Don't let your guard down."
"I won't," he said, appreciating her concern. "Take care of my wife."
"We will. Whenever you are ready, Commander," Inka said and crept off with Mona.
Once the women were in place, Rei confidently strode out into the open, alerting the assassins. "You forget that the Emperor is rarely ever alone."
The masked leader spun around, his voice exquisitely calm. "Ah, Commander! How kind of you to finally join us. I have been expecting you. I am afraid your Emperor is currently indisposed, and I advise you not to try anything stupid." He turned to stare into the dark corners. "That warning goes to you to, Ashina agehya."
'Female.' Inka's eyes narrowed to slits. He had referred to her alone, insinuating he was clueless to Mona's presence. Now that she had been caught, it was pointless to hide. She entered the light. "Oni."
"I am surprised you know what we are."
"Just because we aren't in the trade anymore doesn't mean that we are ignorant," she returned smoothly, heart racing a little from the bold lie. "I suggest you release the Emperor and these people before you get hurt."
The leader guffawed in amusement, moving to stand before her. "I don't know if your brazen tongue comes from skilful confidence or plain stupidity. Do you not value your life, agehya?"
"Do not call me that," she warned coldly, looking straight into the holes carved as the devil's eyes on his mask. "While we no longer bath in blood, it doesn't mean we have forsaken our heritage. Unlike your clan, the Ashina retains our honour. Can you say the same, Oni?"
Inka couldn't see his expression but, she felt the waves of his growing displeasure. "All I see is a tribe doomed for destiny. The whole nation has heard of the Ashina's downfall in the hands of this Emperor you seek to protect. Do not talk to me about honour," he sneered, "when your tribe holds not even a grain of existence. Your Chieftain and Chieftess are dead. You are nothing but a lost agehya, ripe for the plucking."
She felt his gaze roaming over her body, landing precisely on her chest. While her fist trembled to crack a dent in his mask, she hid her irritation behind a soft, pliant smile. "Then I must thank you in advance for underestimating me. Because you won't be stepping out of this dungeon alive." Hand slipping to her blade, she cried, "Mona, now!"
If Rei had blinked a second too soon, he would have missed the lithe shadow bouncing across the room. Two severed masked heads rolled, one of it touching the polished tip of his boots. Tiny goosebumps rose across his flesh, a visceral shudder of primal thrill running through him. How long had it been since someone had impressed him?
Mona stood proudly with her bloodied hands and corded weapon, challenging the enemy with a fierce glare. No one else could behead a man as elegantly as she.
Rei didn't have the luxury to acknowledge her skill when all hell broke loose. The remaining assassins attacked, as if awakening from a dream and Inka met them head on. Seizing the opening, he charged for the masked leader with his sword.
Hurriedly, Mona pried open the dungeon locks and untied the prisoners, urging them to escape. Cutting the ropes restraining Lady Sarai, she asked, "Are you alright, my lady?"
"I'm fine." Lady Sarai gestured to her unconscious father. "Please, help him."
"You need to leave right now, my lady," Mona hitched the unconscious nobleman into a sitting position.
"What about my husband?" Lady Sarai fretted, glancing at Rei. As always, her husband looked handsomely fierce when fighting but, there wasn't a day she didn't fear for his life. No one was infallible.
"He'll be fine," Mona huffed. "Your presence will only distract him if he worries for you. He entrusted your life to me and I will do everything I can to protect you. Now please, come with me."
With a reluctant nod, Lady Sarai followed the rest of the prisoners back upstairs.
Certain that everyone was saved, Inka turned to confront Kyou's whipper. Repressed animosity bubbled to the surface and the moment he struck, she caught his bloody whip and curled it around her fist. With a sharp tug, he stumbled forward, and she caged his bobbing throat. This one wasn't a Nerium, she decided. The stench of his fear was so strong, if she were an animal, she imagined he would reek of pungent acid.
"Inka?" Kyou blinked. Was he hallucinating from blood loss? "What are you doing here?"
"She's rescuing our sorry hides, Your Majesty," Jin commented sluggishly.
S-N-A-P!
A brutal twist of the enemy's neck left his head flopping at an odd angle. Dumping the body, Inka rushed to Kyou and eyed his raw, inflamed injuries, noticing a fresh rivulet of blood trickling down his back.
A dull ache throbbed in her chest. The need to touch him was strong yet she didn't want to hurt him. "I'm getting you both down." Surveying the chains, she slid a pin from her hair and picked the lock as she had seen Mona do a thousand times. The sound of it releasing made her smile. Expanding her energy, she gingerly lowered them to the ground, wondering how she was going to carry them out. They couldn't walk to save their lives.
"Take Jin," Kyou implored with his eyes closed. "I will wait here."
"B-but -," she blatantly protested.
Kyou shook his head. "Save Jin." Pain-filled yet stubborn eyes met hers. "I will be fine."
Inka understood by now that Kyou would always prioritise his people. With grave reluctance, she slung an arm around Jin's waist and supported him up the stairs, making sure to steer clear from the Commander's path.
Kyou sagged in relief. Now that everyone was saved, they needed to obtain the antidote for his royal army. Peeking from the corner of his tired eyes, he silently urged, "Come on, Rei. You can do it."
--------------------------------
Rei was amazed by his opponent's skill, as expected from someone in the Nerium. He hated to admit it but, he was in a bind. He flinched when the blade's tip sliced through his chest, drawing blood.
"That's five points for me," the masked man announced happily. "I am honestly disappointed, Commander. After all the rumours I have heard, is this all your swordsmanship skills add up to? It's severely lacking."
Rei's jaw muscles ticked. Parrying a blow, he clenched out. "I don't give a fuck about your opinion. You don't know me."
"Who doesn't know the infamous crutch who supports the Crimson King? Intelligence doesn't compensate for clumsiness, Commander." The man mused. His unruffled behaviour aggravated Rei. "The Emperor's right-hand must be as talented and accomplished as the man he serves. Only then, does he deserve the fame and glory of his status."
"You speak from experience."
"Perhaps."
"Do you work for King Akio?"
"Tsk, not this question again," the man rolled his eyes. "Fine. If your Emperor signs the abdication paper, then I'll divulge the name of my employer."
Rei swung his sword with the force of ten men, cleaving the mask in two. "That's another point for me." He was satisfied to see it crack and fall apart, only to be disappointed when it revealed a cloth mask covering the man's lower face. "What the — how can you breathe under all that?"
Angry, black eyes stared at him accusingly. "That was my favourite mask."
"Oh, my apologies," Rei mocked. "I don't fucking care."
Red faced with anger; the masked leader pounced.
Observing with great interest, Kyou noticed his captor favouring his right leg — not often, but there were moments he refused to put any weight on it. It was enough to slow him down when he did. The flaw was indiscernible, but not to Kyou who saw it as clear as a red flag in an open field. Every flaw or mistake was an advantage to win.
In perfect condition, this masked assassin might prove a challenging opponent – one Kyou wouldn't mind sparring with. He only hoped Rei had noticed it too. Time was ticking, and his Commander had to — no, he needed to win. Hundreds of lives depended on it.