Hello everyone! We're going through 2023 and I'd like to believe progress is being made. Of course it's not over yet and there are still plenty of things to come. I just hope my sanity can hold on. For all the short comings, this could be a good year for anime at least.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Sakura knew Sinbad to have a loose tongue, and to be bold, but even she was surprised by his declaration against the Knight King.
"If you win, you can take care of me as you like."
Stepping away from Sinbad and moving past Darius, Sakura went to Mystras and began healing his injuries.
Mystras coughed "Has Sinbad lost his mind?! He cannot defeat my father!"
Sakura smiled "Don't worry about Sinbad, he may be a bit devious, perverted beyond belief, and weird beyond comprehension but he's dependable when you need him."
"I heard that." Sinbad glared at her, to which Sakura responded with a curt smile.
"What is your goal?" Darius asked.
Sinbad looked at Mystras, "I'll take him and you have to deal with my trading company."
Mutters were going all around again from the knights, everyone was surprised that some outsider was challenging their king. Sakura figured out the angle Sinbad was working here, the people of this country believed that the djinn's power was exclusively for them but the two of them had created doubt by showing off their own djinns power and there would be questions about their religious beliefs not just the power of god but everything that Sasan stands for.
"Well, what do you say? Will you accept to fight me?"
The Knight King narrowed his eyes at Sinbad "You are a kind man. Especially if you are a trader from the outside world." Darius looked at his son. "He is an apprentice who has lost a fight; I don't care what happens to him. However, I cannot let a stranger meddle in the affairs of this country. I accept your challenge."
Mystras attempted to intervene again, "Don't do it, Sinbad! No attack can beat my father. He is protected by a wall, in addition, the stronger the power of the attacks the stronger the counterattacks, he-
"Mystras," Sakura slapped her hand over his mouth, "I told you didn't? You have nothing to worry about; Sinbad's not the kind of person to pick a fight he believes he can't win."
Sinbad grinned back at Sakura "Well that's a surprise. You still have my back, even after turning away from me? I knew you couldn't resist me,"
"Then again, his arrogance is bound to cause his downfall at some point so I'd keep my fingers crossed," she added quickly turning away from him while Sinbad gaped at her and looked like he was about to retort.
"But this time he appears to have a plan so I wouldn't worry."
"You're still the same after all huh Sakura?" asked Hinahoho with a sly grin on his face that made her a little more than suspicious.
With a fierce glint in his eye, Sinbad made the first move, lunging forward to clash swords with Darius. The metallic ring of their weapons echoed through the room as the two combatants engaged in a furious exchange, their movements fluid and precise. Despite the intensity of the battle, neither one had yet unleashed the full power of their djinns, and they fought with only their physical prowess.
Suddenly, Darius saw an opening and launched a swift attack at Sinbad, but the nimble swordsman was able to dodge the strike with ease. With a graceful leap, Sinbad propelled himself high into the air, holding his sword aloft as a brilliant star materialized above him.
His grin widened as he shouted out the name of his djinn's power: "Bararaq!" A bolt of lightning surged forth from the star, hurtling towards Darius with deadly force. However, the barrier created by Darius's djinn, Alloces, absorbed the impact of the attack, deflecting it back toward Sinbad.
With a deft movement, Sinbad raised his sword to intercept the blast, the force of the impact sending him hurtling backward toward the ceiling. The onlookers watched in awe as he skillfully redirected the lightning into the roof, where it exploded in a shower of sparks and debris.
"I told him that would happen!" Mystras exclaimed
Sakura shrugged "I was kinda expecting some form of future construction work needed."
Sinbad rushed forward to attack again before getting blocked by Darius's Djinns barrier.
Sitri whined, "Aw I wanted to fight!"
'Forget it,' Sakura scolded.
The audience of knights was in disbelief and disarray at the fact that there was someone who could stand on equal footing against their king.
Sinbad grinned back at them, "Hand to hand? Thinking it's a dog fight with just this? I never would've imagined..."
Sakura narrowed her eyes at Sinbad's tone 'What is he up to now?'
"I think your power is very good.....if only it were at its highest level....I'll show you." An intense burst of energy erupted from Sinbad, sending shockwaves through the room and causing everyone to shield their eyes. As the pulsing light intensified, Sinbad's form began to shift and contort, his body twisting and warping in an otherworldly transformation. Sakura gasped in awe at the sight before her, hardly daring to believe what she was witnessing.
Ja'far and Hinahoho looked on with equal surprise and amazement, realizing the gravity of what was happening.
"Could he have mastered it already?" Ja'far wondered aloud, his voice filled with awe and respect for his king.
Sakura turned, her eyes wide with wonder and excitement. "Don't tell me he's actually..." she trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
As the transformation continued, Sinbad's body was covered in a shimmering blue armor-like material, with scales running along his arms and legs. His bare torso was exposed, revealing the rippling muscles underneath, while a large blue tail emerged from behind him. At the center of his forehead was a gem that glowed with a fierce light, with two lines of flames emanating from it. Even his hair had changed, from a deep purple to a vibrant blue.
Breathless, Sakura realized what she was seeing: "Baal's djinn equip," she whispered in awe. Sinbad had never mentioned that he had mastered such a powerful technique. A technique that she had struggled to obtain.
With a sudden burst of energy, Sinbad raised his sword high, his voice ringing out with power and conviction: "Make the power of the djinn enter into you and become one." The air around him crackled with electricity, and a blinding light surrounded him, making it hard for anyone to look directly at him.
Sinbad's voice continued, commanding and strong: "The djinn equip can use the true power of the djinn. How long can you resist this?" With a fierce determination, Sinbad called forth the power of his djinn: "Bararaq!"
A powerful bolt of lightning surged forth from the sword, crackling with immense energy and striking down toward Darius with unprecedented force. Darius used his djinn to create a barrier to shield himself, but even he could feel the difference in the attack, straining against the sheer power of Sinbad's djinn equip.
There was dust everywhere, the knights building was barely standing, everyone looked around in search of Sinbad and Darius but neither could be found. There was a giant hole in the ceiling though. "Where are they?" asked Mystras looking around
Sakura sighed looking up before she began making her way out of the building.
"Hold on where are you going?" asked Ja'far
"To make sure you'll still have someone to negotiate with,"
"Shall we my king?" Beleth asked with eagerness
"Let's go Beleth."
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Sinbad whisked Darius away from the building, their forms soaring through the air, deeper into the rugged mountainous region. He maintained a firm grip on the barrier that Darius had conjured around himself, preventing any escape or retaliation.
As they reached a suitable spot, Sinbad abruptly released his hold, allowing gravity to take over. Darius plummeted down towards the ground, a mix of shock and panic etched on his face. The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the surroundings, stirring up a thick cloud of dust and debris.
When the haze finally settled, a breathtaking sight came into view. A colossal crater had been gouged into the earth, its edges jagged and uneven. Darius lay sprawled at the center, his body battered from the fall. The once impenetrable barrier had vanished, shattered by the sheer force of the impact.
"As expected." Sinbad said landing in front of Darius "You managed to withstand my lightning attack and resisted the fall from that height. The power of you spear is great."
Darius scoffed as he stood up from the crater, his clothes now layered with dirt "You act like you've already won. Just because I held back a little."
Sinbad sighed "Wow, I'm sorry. I thought I made clear the difference in power with the fight just now but it seems that it no enough. I should've shown you this from the beginning."
With unwavering resolve, Sinbad extended his sword towards the towering mountains, his back turned to Darius. His grip tightened around the hilt as he called forth the immense power within him.
"Bararaq Saiga!" he declared, his voice carrying a commanding tone. In an instant, an awe-inspiring surge of lightning burst forth from the blade of Baal's sword. The initial blast expanded in size, crackling with an intense electrical energy that illuminated the surroundings with a blinding brilliance.
For a fleeting moment, a powerful radiance bathed the landscape, casting long shadows and revealing every detail of the terrain. The light seemed to stretch on, lingering only momentarily before fading away. When the luminosity dissipated, the once-mighty mountains stood transformed into mere large hills, their once-imposing peaks reduced and reshaped by the devastating force of the attack.
Darius stood frozen in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief at the sight that unfolded before him. The magnitude of the destruction left him speechless, his gasp escaping as a mere whisper amidst the aftermath of the cataclysmic display of power.
Sinbad turned back to him "Now you understand? If I wanted to, I could destroy all of Sasan in one attack."
Darius glared at Sinbad after he said that.
"You cannot use your djinn equip, so you can't beat me. Although you are the king you cannot protect this country."
Sinbad stated before he could continue to say much else Sinbad was flat on the ground, his face buried in the dirt. A painful throbbing in the back of his head from the attack that came behind him.
"YOU IDIOT," Sakura scolded glaring down at Sinbad as he picked himself from the ground. "Did you have to be such a show off and destroy the mountains?!"
Sinbad groaned, he recognised the voice as Sakura's "Ouch! You didn't have to smack me into the ground you know."
Sinbad slowly turned his gaze towards Sakura, his eyes widening in sheer astonishment. His jaw dropped, hanging open as he struggled to comprehend the incredible transformation that had taken place. Sakura's once vibrant pink locks had undergone a mesmerizing metamorphosis, turning into a striking shade of reddish-gray that seemed to emanate an ethereal glow.
But it wasn't just her hair that had changed. Two magnificent horns now protruded gracefully from her elegantly styled locks, adding an air of mystique and power to her appearance. As Sinbad's astonished gaze trailed down, his eyes fell upon a pair of bat-like wings that gracefully stretched out from Sakura's back.
His attention was then drawn to her attire. Sakura now donned in a black material, its fabric flowing and caressing her figure with an almost magical allure. The dress, held together by a tie at the back of her neck, showcased a daringly cut diamond-shaped opening at the center, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of her chest and abdomen before gracefully closing, cascading down in three distinct sections of material. As the dress descended, it unveiled Sakura's transformed legs, now encased in sleek silver boots that reached up to her thighs.
Sinbad's mind raced to comprehend the remarkable sight that stood before him. Sakura snapped her talons in front of Sinbad's face after realising he was gawking "Eyes up here!"
He looked at her before gesturing to her djinn equip "Okay you never mentioned this to me!"
"Same way you never mentioned Baal's djinn equip to me!" Sakura retorted evenly before turning back to Darius who seemed equally surprised. Sakura went over to him before bowing her head.
"Kind Darius, I apologize for Sinbad's actions. He seemed to have taken things a bit too far but he meant no disrespect for you or your countries religion, and only wishes to extend his hand in friendship toward Sasan."
"Friendship?" Darius asked narrowing his eyes at Sinbad who confirmed.
"Yes, it's as she said. I wish to start trading with Sasan and make a treaty with this country."
"That is his goal, pure and simple." Sakura reassured him "He only wished to find a way to negotiate with you; if he was really a threat to your country he wouldn't have gone through such lengths just to speak with you."
Sinbad came up beside Sakura and bowed his head as well "I apologise for my disrespect earlier with this I can finally talk to you about what I want to try. Right now humans around the world are beginning to conquer dungeons and gain power. This power will eventually destroy the balance of the world and cause chaos; that also involves Sasan. At this rate it will also be involved in the destruction. However I do not want war. On the contrary, I want to change this world that is full of war and make a world in which countries and people are accepted. For that I want to use this power."
"A world in which all respect each other." Frowned Darius "You really think you can achieve a silly dream like that?"
Sakura gave a soft chuckle "He get's that a lot; Sinbad's aim is to become king someday for that he needs allies who will help him change the world."
Darius's eyes widened "Change the world?"
"For that King Knight of the Kingdom of Sasan. Darius Leoxses. I need your power."
Sakura sensed that familiar feeling she got whenever Sinbad talked this way; he stood strong and confident as usual. He had abilities that many could only dream of attaining. He was defiantly special.
Sakura narrowed her eyes 'But, this kind of power can be very dangerous.'
It would all depend on Sinbad though.
Darius placed his spear down in defeat "This reminds me of a certain legend that is transmitted in Sasan."
"Legend?"
"Yes. You know that Sasan has a religion. The beginning of the legend is this; Long ago the world was full of sorrow, the population of Sasan came to this land and used 'The power of God' he brought from distance places in order to eliminate the sorrows, the god was the king of all, a great leader of everything. He handled everything and led wisely, that meant everyone was under the same belief. The premier king who had the power of god. It closely resembles the world you want."
Sakura's sweat dropped nervously as she looked at Sinbad; while it was just a legend, something like that had to start up from somewhere; legends don't just appear from thin air but what concerned her was that ambitious look in Sinbad's eyes. Though she didn't have a problem with him building his own country to change the world, she could only imagine what might happen if he was driven to rule the world, implementing his beliefs and ideals. It wasn't a farfetched solution to his goals if he found a way to do something like that.
'What's scares me is that I'm actually believing his capable of that.'
It was true; Sinbad was as far as she could tell, a good person-though sly at times, a strong believer of his own goals, willing to do anything to achieve them. But there was something about him that made her worry at times. She stood by him and his goals for she had seen the ugliness of this world but there was this feeling, faintly in the pit of her stomach that told her Sinbad was a man to be concerned about.
"This god of Sasan, what is his name?" asked Sinbad
"It was lost long ago," Darius told him
Sinbad nodded before smiling "Well then, shall we return? I imagine your knights must be getting anxious."
"If that's the case I'd be worried about Ja'far and Hinahoho." Sakura said before turning back to the Knight King "King Darius, before we go back, I need to ask you something...."
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As the sun gradually descended on the vast expanse of Sasan country, casting a golden glow across the horizon, a sense of calm settled over the land. It had been a day of tumultuous confrontations, of trials and tribulations, but now the evening air carried with it a promise of serenity.
After the confrontation between Sakura, Sinbad and Darius. Sinbad returned with The Knight King while Sakura remained behind sure that things were going to be fine now. The party of Sindria Trading company returned to the inn without a scratch and found Sakura waiting patiently for them in the lounge.
"So how'd it go?" Sakura asked
Sinbad grinned "Like you didn't already know."
After they returned Darius was going to admit his defeat but Sinbad told the knights that it was a draw, they came up with a story that there were changes in the world and because of that like Darius himself, Sinbad was chosen by god to avoid crisis in this world.
"So you're not only the first company to trade with Imuchakk but now you have Sasan on your side as well, nicely done Sinbad."
He grinned at her "Well I've got one heck of a team to back me up."
Ja'far sighed before glaring at Sinbad "Why do you always have to be so reckless?"
"Some things really never change." Sakura muttered shaking her head "I'm guessing you're taking Mystras with you huh?"
Sinbad nodded "As promised, he said he wants to come along so...."
Sakura stood up from the table "That's good to hear,"
Everyone then noted that Sakura looked very ready to leave, already holding her bag.
"So you're heading out as well?" Sinbad asked, his expression gave little indication to his true feelings. But Sakura didn't care to try and decipher them.
Sakura nodded "Yeah,"
Taking the mirror she looked at it now with six shards filling the frame; it hadn't taken much after everything to get the shard from Darius's djinn.
Hinahoho and Ja'far's expressions fell "You're leaving?"
"Yeah, I'm finished with my business here in Sasan so it's time for me to go."
"At least you didn't run off this time." Ja'far muttered crossing his arms.
Sakura looking between the three "It was nice seeing you guys again."
Hinahoho nodded smiling back at her; he pulled Sakura off the ground into a tight hug "Same kiddo, stay safe."
Ja'far looked at her; she was half expecting a scolding from him even though he was so much younger but was surprised when he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"See you."
Sakura gently patted Ja'far's head affectionately, Ja'far pulled away with a small blush on his face. Just then Mystras came running into the building with a bag over his back.
"I'm ready to go," he said
Sinbad nodded "Great, we were just saying our goodbyes to Sakura."
Mystras titled his head to the side in confusion "You're not coming with?"
She held up her hand and shook her head "I've got my own journey to make."
With that she walked over to Mystras and gave him a hug "Enjoy the outside world for yourself okay?"
Mystras nodded hugging her back a little nervously.
Pulling away she heard someone coughing behind her till she turned around to see Sinbad with his arms opened and an expecting look on his face "You weren't going to forget about me right?"
Sakura rolled her eyes going over to him; Sinbad pulled her tightly dipping his head down to whisper in her ear, his voice only heard by her "Next time you're not getting away so easily."
"You so sure about that?"
"I can guarantee it."
"It's a bet." Sakura said smiling
'Because there won't be a next time.'
That's all folks! Don't worry you can find the new chapter schedule on my Tumblr page along with a few other projects that are progressing, soon enough I will be able to share and I'll tell you where.
Until next time!
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-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 49, 50, 51
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes movie
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter 17, 18, 19
-Through the looking Glass chapter 16, 17
-Through the Spyglass chapter 1,2,3
-Crossroads of Fate chapter 12, 13
Public Post 30 August
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 49
-Kunoichi amognst Pirates chapter 16