Yasuke
Honnō-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan; 21 June 1582 (R4): 44,995 hTC; 284 ACC
Shit, shit, shit, dammit, I thought; the worst possible scenario appears to have happened, a coup, and to make it even worse, Akechi led them. Something about him always seemed off, but I couldn't place my finger on it. I'd only been serving as a samurai for about a year and in that time, I've seen the head of the Oda clan, Nobunaga, become the most influential daimyo. I don't think I could have ever imagined that, but now? Now, I feel as though my desired quaint life is being ripped away from me.
"Black Samurai! We know you're in there," yelled a man from outside my quarters. "Considering you are a foreigner; it would appear your majesty is taking pity on you. By order of the Emperor of Japan, Emperor Ōgimachi, you will be given two options, you can either surrender your head as a trophy to the emperor or surrender yourself back to the Jesuits where you'll likely be executed for interfering with our political affairs."
Are you serious right now? I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, the choice to go back to that place, anything but that place.
"I—," a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back, it was a black man. The first black man I have seen in this country, but who was he, how did he get in here? Was there a window left open that I didn't know about? Questions plagued my mind, so much so that I couldn't find the words to speak. The black man had midnight purple locs and his eyes shimmered a dazzling gold, "O-rish-a," I managed to croak. He smiled and placed his finger on his lips to shush me, and in that exact moment, the unthinkable happened; the man began to speak, but with my voice.
"Compelling offer," the man said in my voice, "but tell me, how is aiding to unify a nation considered a criminal offense by your monarch?" It was like he was reading my thoughts; I never could make sense as to why the emperor was so against it.
"Surely you jest, Black Samurai," the retainer replied. "You know, as well as all of Oda's men know that the Sixth Demon known as Nobunaga was a tyrant; and humoring and taking pity on a foreigner, even going as far as to bestowing said outsider the title of samurai. Need I continue?"
The black man snickered, "Nothing you're saying is making sense, but I'll play along with you." I wasn't sure what this man had up his sleeve, however I couldn't explain the overwhelming feeling of trust that I should place in him. "If you and your men can find me and take me down, I'll let you do whatever you want to me," and just like that the trust I had began to dwindle.
"Is that all," the retainer yelled with a chuckle. "Clearly, this fool is begging to die; men, storm the building!" All the grunts shouted and began their advance.
My eyes darted in every direction of the room, looking for some way out, but the man, the man just smiled at me while extending his left hand forward, "Gate," he whispered, but it felt like a thunderclap. In that same instant, a sliding paper door appeared in front of us; the door was a lot like the doors here, but it also seemed familiar in another way. The door opened and the inside was something out of an eclectic painting; a swirling blue and yellow vortex to the unknown, and he pushed me forward into the nightmare. I started to think this man may have been a demon of some kind, he appeared as a savior, but would a savior do this?
The feeling of the inside of the vortex was odd, not uncomfortable, but odd. I could breathe, which was a good sign, and surprisingly enough, I could see. What I saw however, I would have to add to my new "List of the Unthinkable," it was another door, and the more I looked around, the more I recognized that this place I was in, looked like a well-lit hallway. I stood up and dusted myself off as the man from earlier approached me.
"Sorry about that; popping in and using your voice like that without saying anything," the man said. In this space, I got a better look at the man; he too was wearing a kimono, but his didn't look like it was made by anyone from this land. It had a familiar and intricate pattern that made my ancestors dance with excitement.
"Where are we? We must go, quickly, or surely, they'll catch up to us," I stated, but the man, just strolled down the hallway, without a care in the world, as if he didn't just provoke an attack.
"Calm down," the man said as he walked past me. There was something about him that made my ancestors perk up and push me, urging me to follow him. "I'll explain it all later, oh and they won't be reaching us any time soon," he opened the door that was before us, and yet again, I was left speechless, we somehow made it to Yasaka Shrine. It was mostly emptied and abandoned due to the siege; there was, however, a window with some light flickering faintly in the furthest corner of the building, "C'mon, they're waiting on us," the man said. Inside the building, the walls that once dazzled and danced with its sophisticated beauty, were now left to ruin due to this betrayal. I can't understand why the emperor would be so afraid of a unified nation; I wondered.
"This way," the man motioned me into a room that coincidentally led to another hallway, but it wasn't too far away from our destination. "Thank you for your patience, Yasuke," the man said as we stopped in front of the door, there was a sinking feeling in my stomach, I wasn't scared, or nervous, but I felt a since of sublime. "We don't have a lot of time, but my name is Myrlin. Myrlin Samael Wyllt-Garyushi, and I wish to fulfill your deepest desire." He slid the door open and upon entering I saw several people, three in total: a man with bronze, brown skin, a pitch-black beard and short golden hair holding a weapon I'd never seen before. He wore an unusual outfit; it appeared to be thin and baggy.
The other man was a young lighter skinned black man with dark hair, however unlike his comrade, he wore plated armor and had a king's robe, in his hand's rested the most perfectly symmetrical blade that I've ever seen. The blade shimmered like a divine road and the smithing on the weapon had to have been done by the gods. Finally, the final person in the room would fit comfortably at the top of my unthinkable list, she was a maid, a maid with skin that was identical to the night sky. She was poised and positioned herself in the center of the other two men, "Welcome, Young Master," the woman said.
"Onechan, please, that name is so embarrassing," whined Myrlin. "When we get home, then you can call me that, but right now, just call me Myrlin." The other two men started to chuckle as we entered and took a seat, "Now Yasuke, like I said earlier, my name is Myrlin Samael Wyllt-Garyushi, and these are my subordinates: the blonde meat head is Gil, the high-yellow Knight-King is Art, and lastly this is my big sister, Jade.'"
The three each gave me a slight nod, "A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, as The Young Master stated, my name is Gilgamesh, and normally in times like this, I would be more than eager to boast of my excellence, but I fear we're pressed for time," Gilgamesh directed his attention to Myrlin. "It's only a matter of time before they find us, do you have a plan to avoid our demise?"
"Neru kimi," Myrlin said with a relaxed demeanor, surprisingly, I found that I could understand what he just said, it was something like a mixture of Japanese and Yoruba, it meant something like, 'chill out.' "It's not like they have any leads to our location, and besides, our main objective was retrieving
Yasuke," he redirected his attention to me. "Yasuke, you are far from your home, aren't you?"
Was this a rhetorical question, is he really suggesting that I'm far from my home? "Well of course I'm far from my home," I exclaimed, "you led me through a mysterious hallway that somehow magically transported us to Yasaka Shrine; and you're really asking me if I'm far from home?" I know that I sounded harsh, but I was seriously pissed, I was finally getting the chance to live a normal life, one where I was free, and now I had the option to die or die by the Jesuits.
Myrlin looked at me with his intense golden eyes and motioned me to sit with the rest of them, and without a second thought, I did as such, but I wasn't the one moving, my ancestors were controlling my body, making me sit, "what's going on," I asked.
"It would appear your ancestors are telling you to hold your tongues and hear him out," the regal young man commanded.
After I was forced to sit down, the four strangers fixed their eyes on me, "Yasuke, what happened to
Nobunaga was definitely a tragedy, coupled with the siege, things are looking pretty meek," he started. "That being said, you are not from here, and you being here, complicates things in this era. So, I will offer my own proposal to you; you can either stay here and hide from Akechi's retainers by yourself, or you can go back to your homeland. The place where you don't have to search far and wide for someone that looks like you."
My vision began to blur, am I crying? I was crying, but they were tears of joy, relief, and a hint of desperation; Myrlin smiled at me, the look in his eyes had a genuine sense of longing to fulfill my truest desire. "I can go back to The Gold Coast," I cried, "my homeland, are you being serious? And how am I to believe this?"
"Yes, that's right, conditionally, of course," Myrlin said, matter of factly. "You just have to serve as one of my subordinates; you're already familiar with the role of a retainer, you'll just be transferring loyalty from a late Nobunaga to me." He smiled, but something about it seemed uneasy, there was no way that was all he wanted. "I've waited for this day in particular for you, specifically," he confessed, "as a swordsman, you're renowned for your skills and precision with a blade, and I want to enhance that."
I stood in the room completely at awe, "what do you mean, enhance it," I asked, "even if you wanted to, how can you take me back to The Gold Coast? The land we are in is deep within the sea's grasp, traveling there surely would be a challenge, unless you were some sort of Kame or Orisha." The already quiet room grew ever more silent after I made that comment. "Or are you—," I asked, "who are you?"
I examined the faces in the room, the blonde man simply nodded his head once while giving a huff, the regal young gently shut his eyes and hummed a validating "mmhmm," while the night woman giggled as if she were a child. Am I really speaking with a Orisha, the thought began to weigh me down mountain.
"Not exactly," Myrlin chimed in, "but something like that, but that's not the focus right now. I want to give to the power to return home, the place where you belong."
Once again, I looked around the room, no one looked at me, I assumed it was because they didn't want to pressure me. "I ask again, how do you intend to do this," I demanded, "though I cannot explain how we got here, I do not know you. You refuse to tell me exactly who you are or what you are, and you expect me to just blindly accept your offer?" At this point, I'd already sealed my fate, I was going to die either by this land's ruler or by the Jesuits. After the death of Lord Oda, I knew that the life I yearned for would come to an end; tears filled my eyes as I began to walk away, but I felt someone grab my arm, it was the regal young man.
"At least give it some thought," he suggested; I didn't want to, but I brushed him off, what does this child know, he's blindly following this man and falling for his deceptive trickery, I thought.
"If you're leaving," Myrlin's voice broke through the tension like a katana slicing a ripe mango, "consider this." He took out a slip of paper, in fact it was one of the shrine's blank talismans, and he began writing on it. I couldn't make the characters, but it was Japanese kanji, although it seemed a bit incomprehensible. Once he was finished writing on the talisman, he walked up to me with probably the most unserious smile on his face before saying, "read this out loud, before you."
I took the talisman and examined the characters, and I had been correct, it was kanji. However, the longer I stared at the characters, the more I was able to understand what they represented and what it was saying. "No-Bu-Naga. Ya-Suke. Ori-Wa," I struggled to read, but the words, the characters, they all just seemed to click the longer I stared at them; as I spoke the characters on the talisman, I noticed that Myrlin moving his katana around the air, almost as if he were writing something.
There was a great flash of light, and the talisman burst into flames, however it didn't burn. "I don't have time for your tricks," I stated, "I'm not declining your offer, nor am I accepting it. I just need some time to think; this is all moving too fast for my liking."
Myrlin approached me with another unserious smile and gave me a pat on my back, "I know buddy," he said.
CLAP—! CLAP—!
At that moment I heard a noise, or at I thought I did, I was distracted by the Night Woman approaching me holding a katana in her hands. "This is a blade crafted by the finest smiths in our homeland," she remarked willing giving me the sword, "you might find it useful in the near future."
Her words were eerie and cryptic, but she then made a complete switch, and her expression softened.
"Whenever you decide to join us, just come back here," Myrlin suggested with that same grin, he definitely has something up his sleeve; I slid the door open without acknowledging him and walked out of the room. As I did, I felt a shift in the atmosphere, like I wasn't still in Yasaka Shrine, what's going on? Am I still at Yasaka? I couldn't shake this feeling in my stomach that something didn't seem right.
One of the hallway doors opened, and I saw, yet again the unimaginable, it was a group of Akechi's men. "What's this," yelled one of the men, "we found him in the east wing!" The men began their chase towards me, and without a second thought I started to defend myself. There had to have been at least forty men attempting to take me down, I wasn't too overwhelmed, however I was at major disadvantage being in such a closed space.
"Parry," a voice rang in my ear as one of the men came charging towards me, and surprisingly I did as such. The feeling was almost instant and instinctual, like I knew that the attack was coming, and I was more than capable of dodging it after hearing that word. "Feint," the voice rang in my ear again, is that
Myrlin's voice? The following grunt hacked at me with his blade, to which I dodged and pretended to strike him from above, leaving his mid-section wide open. "Now SLASH!" Myrlin's voice boomed in my head and as I slashed the man's torso, thinking that my blade would get stuck between flesh and bone, I noticed something strange. Instead of getting stuck, my blade, the one given to me by the Night Woman, sliced through the man like a fruit.
"What? But how," cried one of the men; I too was in complete shock at the cleanest of my attack. "Quickly, inform the general that we'll need reinforcements from Lord Mitsuhide's army," the retainer yelled out as one of his men bolted out of the building into the woods.
I paid them no mind and examined the blade the Night Woman gave me; it was made from a metal that I'd never seen before. It had a bluish-black tint, and the guard and hilt looked like it was crafted with materials from The Gold Coast, "what is this blade," I questioned.
"Black Samurai," yelled the retainer, "I don't know what tricks you have up your sleeve, however I fear you're outnumbered and cornered." I broke the trance the blade held me in and looked at my surroundings and saw something that I couldn't really understand nor describe. As if I had a clear image in my mind, I could envision glowing silhouettes of all the grunts; there were at least forty of Akechi's men, throughout the entire building. The retainer was right, I was both outnumbered and cornered, back against the wall and no allies in sight. The only thing I have now is this incredibly sharp blade gifted to me by the Night Woman and some ominous feeling from that man Myrlin.
"This is mere child's play for someone with your skill," Myrlin's voice echoed in my mind, "as I said, I wish to give you the power to return home, and as such, I would never throw you into danger with the means to overcome it." I looked down at the sword and it started to vibrate and glow intensely, as this was happening, the retainer and his men all moved at a pace that was practically a standstill. "Don't worry about them, I'm communicating with you using both 'Thought Acceleration' and 'Thought Communication.' I know you're new to all this, so just listen to my commands," Myrlin added, I was unsure how to exactly respond, which he coincidentally knew. "The blade Jade gave you is from the nation ran by my sister and its name is called the 'Ryuko Blade,' the blade that can sever space," his words settled in my head, and I was starting to understand how to respond back to him.
"Draco Blade," I responded both aloud and in Thought Communication, and I further examined the blade.
"Good! You're already catching on," Myrlin exclaimed, "I bestowed you with a few things that I believe will make this current situation a bit easier for: the first is that sword Jade gave you, the second is a unique ability called a 'Signature,' this gives you the power to defy logic in some cases. Lastly, in order for you to use your signature, you'll need a name." I was confused, but I have a name already, what is this man getting at? "A family name, something that you don't have," again it was as if he were reading my thoughts. "To pay homage to your late master Oda Nobunaga, I have bestowed you with the new family name of Nobunaga," there was a pulse in my chest and like how my ancestors danced when I was around Myrlin, they did the same when I heard that name.
"Like I mentioned before, you were given an ability, and your new family name is what you'll use to activate that power," Myrlin continued, "this is called 'Scribing,' and it is crucial for spell work." I looked at the men around me, they all still seemed to move at a slow pace, "using the Ryuko and your new family name—," Myrlin began, but as if I already knew what to do, I brought my new blade up and began to write the Ryubá characters for my name in the air. There was an intense glow and a trail of light behind the tip of my blade; I recalled the characters from the talisman and glided the Ryuko in the air as though it were a paint brush.
My surroundings began to resume to its original speed as I finished scribing my name; "You continue to refer to me as 'Black Samurai' knowing that I have a name," I said coldly, "allow me to remind you, my name is Yasuke, Nobunaga Yasuke." As I topped off my mid-air signature with a Chiburi, something in my mind lit up, as if it were some sort of revelation.
"Oh, it looks like someone just received their first spell," exclaimed Myrlin, "they appear to a mage like a divine revelation, I suggest you give that new spell of yours a little test ride." Excitement rushed through my veins as I clenched the hilt of my Ryuko, I can clearly see the name of the spell, although this experience was new and a bit overwhelming, I had no choice but to admit, I wanted more. "Aspect of Time: Sever Signature: Shango-Sakura," the words flowed out of me like a breath, and as it did, I saw an energy envelope my blade. The energy eventually extended the length of the sword up to a massive fifteen feet that appeared to be invisible to the retainer and his men. Once again, I clenched my Ryuko and lunged forward to strike the nearest soldier, and it would appear that even I have made it to my own list of the unimaginable. Instead of cutting down one grunt, twenty of the forty men flopped to the floor.
"The Sixth Demon's Will, lives within you, Black Samurai," the retainer shouted in horror before he and the rest of his men came charging toward me. I scoffed in annoyance, which gradually turned into pity as I realized that their efforts were meaningless.
"Shango-Sakura," I said again swinging my blade and the collective thuds of the remaining men bodies sounded like a symphony. The energy from my sword pulsated throughout my blade and eventually was sucked into the scabbard of the Ryuko, "what a strange weapon," I said as I
continued to examine the blade. I closed my eyes and instinctively, I was able to use the same 'second sight' ability as before. "It would appear they went for reinforcements," there wasn't a single trace of a soul in the building. Upon opening my eyes I was in complete terror, there were two massive slashes in the walls of the room. I did this, I asked myself, the rush of excitement that I was feeling quickly faded away as I sheathed my katana, the room was eerily quiet.
"Concentrate on the direction you think that grunt went," Myrlin's voice broke through the silence; "you should be able to sense his life-force emitting from his footsteps." I did as I was told and closed my eyes, and yet again and began to focus on the grunt's footsteps. About thirty feet to my left I felt the faint presence of energy similar to the bodies I saw earlier, the presence was minuet, but present enough for me to catch it.
"I see it," I said, "he's heading south, through the forest." In this exact moment I felt like a predator hunting his prey and that rush of excitement filled my veins yet again, "Myrlin," I said aloud, I still wasn't sure how to speak using this 'Thought Communication' skill, "what is this sensation that I feel when in combat? It's odd, as if I were a fiend itching to battle."
"Oh, that's just a slight side effect from your signature," Myrlin said nonchalantly, "since the origin of the power is not from this realm, it usually has this 'blood lust' symptom, it should go away in a few days." I looked around the room and could smell and distinguish the blood of each of the men I
struck down. The scent of each was different and unique, one had a sweet smell, another was pungent, there was even one that had no smell; it was strange, though I could smell and differentiate their blood, I found no desire to consume any of it. As a matter of fact, the that of doing such was utterly disgusting. "That being said, this window of opportunity will be you at your absolute rawest of strength," he continued, "use that to your advantage in your next battle."
I nodded my head and made my way outside, not before asking, "Myrlin, you're still at Yasaka Shrine, yes—?"
"But of course," he said with a pleased voice, "finish up in with Akechi, and make your way back here." At this point, I was still undecided on if I could trust him, but I did know that I wanted to learn more about this new katana, this new skill called a signature, and most of all how did he plan to take me back to The Gold Coast?
"I won't be long," I walked off the property and into the dense foliage of the forest.
Mitsuhide Akechi
"Lord Mitsuhide," alerted one of my retainer's men, "we request reinforcements at the Black Samurai's quarters, he's inherited the Will of the Sixth Demon!"
"Takenou couldn't handle one man," I questioned as I sat on top of my horse, "if you want something done, one must do it themselves." I commanded my mount to advance forward as me, and a group of my men made our way into the forest.
The Black Samurai's skill with a katana is mediocre at best compared to the elegance of my swordsmanship. Since I was a child, Nobunaga and I trained vigorously together with the blade, becoming brothers. However, when that man, that black man, came into his life, everything changed.
The Brother of the Blade that I once cherished had been ripped from me, the fact that it had to come to this, I sat on the thought.
My party approached a cliff where we could observe Honnō-ji Temple from a distance; "Lord
Mitsuhide," one of my subordinates alerted, "there appears to be some movement in the trees ahead."
I did an overhead scan of the trees to confirm The Black Samurai's position, deep within the forest between Honnō-ji and Yasaka, I saw a few trees' branches rustling from something that clearly wasn't wind. What is this fool doing, he's practically giving us his position on a silver platter, I thought as I pulled an arrow out of my quiver and had one of my men light it on fire. "Let's see how much you like swinging in trees when they're on fire," I said before drawing and shooting my flaming arrow.
The flames danced in the air as the arrow soared into the forest, setting the trees ablaze. The cheers from my men left me with a sense of bliss, "Lord Mitsuhide took him down! No way he survived that attack!"
I almost pity the man, back against the wall with no one to call a true ally, but alas, you caused my brother's descent into treachery. As my men praised my attack, I noticed one of them had a look of pure horror plastered on his face. "Lord Mitsuhide," the soldier stated, "there's still movement in the trees, except this time is at least two clicks east of your previous attack—…"
I retrieved my spyglass and peered in the darkness of the forest, there was the area I just set ablaze and exactly two clicks east from that position, was more rustling. How is he moving this fast, I wondered as I drew back another flaming arrow and shot it in his direction, but this time instead of the area catching fire, it looked like the flames were smothered somehow. "Did you see that," shouted one of my men, "the flames, they just disappeared!"
He was right, as if the flames were swallowed up by darkness itself, there wasn't even a trace of smoke or soot from the extinguished fire, "what is going on?"
The same subordinate had alerted me again, but he was getting increasingly more worried and flustered, "m'Lord, three clicks south of that position!" I looked in that area and to my surprise, there was more rustling, something doesn't seem right here, I thought.
There was a loud screeching noise followed by the Black Samurai chanting something, "Mi ʋu agboa loo kalɛawo, Agbadza tomevio be mi ʋu agbo loo kalɛawo!" It must have been his native tongue, seeing as I had no idea what he was saying; immediately after he chanted that phrase, however, what I could only describe as a mechanical biwa began to permeate our ears. The mechanical biwa's sounds were both rhythmic and melodic, and oddly satisfying to hear what's happening, who is responsible for this, I wondered.
Nobunaga Yasuke
Moments Prior
As I made my way through the dense Japanese forest, I received several signatures, they each appeared one after another. There were four in total: the first spell I received was called 'Shango-Subayaki' or 'Space God Whisper.' This signature allows me to sever the space between me and an individual to allow me to have a one-way form of communication with them, as though I were right next to their ear. What makes the ability terrifying isn't that, however, it's the fact that there isn't a limit on how many people I can use it on at once.
The second signature I gained was 'Shango-Taberu' or 'Space God Eat' and the basics of the skill allows me to sever and manifest "The Mouth of Shango" and anything that gets caught in its jaws, will be erased from this reality. Myrlin recommended that I use this signature sparingly as it has immense destructive capabilities, although I did want the chance to use it on those that wronged me. The third signature I developed was rather interesting, 'Shango-Step' and it allowed me to travel to my destination in a blink.
"You're approaching your targets," Myrlin rang in my head, "if you want, I can send you something else I think will help you out," at this point, refusing him would be a mistake.
"Oh, is it some mystical enchantment," I pondered.
"Something like that," he responded with a slight chuckle. There was another revelation in my head, this one was different though, it felt more like an ancient memory was being resurrected from a deep slumber. "One of my most important and mastered job-class skills is my 'Bard' skill," he began, "and a long time ago, I found this glowing blue rock with all these songs and memories; they were my memories. This song I'm sending you is one of my favorites, and it reminds me of you a lot. It'll feel weird at first but trust me, you'll get the hang of it; here's the plan." •••
I stood in the trees to get a better look at my enemies, they found themselves atop a cliff that overlooked the forest and to my surprise, Akechi was with them. It was a bit hard to make out, but it would have appeared that he was drawing back a flaming arrow and aiming it in my current position. "Aspect of Time: Sever Signature: Shango-Step," I said as I scribed my name in the air, the ability engulfed me in purplish-white light and slung me the nightmare image I saw when I first met Myrlin, and it eventually spat me out two clicks east from where I was.
There were more arrows fired in my direction, and I was forced to think fast by using my other new signature, "Aspect of Time: Sever Signature: Shango-Taberu!" I slashed a hole in the fabric of space and a mouth with a tongue and teeth began to manifest from it. The impending danger that was once in hot pursuit of me, ceased to exist.
"Okay Yasuke," Myrlin's voices chimed in my mind, "it's ready, just say whatever comes to mind. Don't worry about what to say, it'll come to you naturally."
Keeping in mind with what he said, I took a deep breath in and as I exhaled, I began to chant and sing a song that sounded both familiar and foreign, "Mi ʋu agboa loo kalɛawo, Agbadza tomevio be mi ʋu agbo loo kalɛawo!" As my chant cry echoed through the dense forest, I began to hear what I could only describe as music, mechanical music, but heavy, rhythmic music, "Myrlin, what is this?"
"This is a genre of music called 'metal,'" he began, "and this group is called Arka'n Asrafokor, they're from The Gold Coast, rather they will be from The Gold Coast—. The name of this song is called 'Return of the Ancient Sword,' and Yasuke, it's about you," Myrlin's words empowered with a sense of strength and ferocity, and I felt like I could do anything. With the music playing, I found it easier to maneuver the trees and dodge my opponent's attacks. They continued to shoot flaming arrows my way, this is growing increasingly bothersome, I thought. "Then why not single out the boss," Myrlin asked, and he had a good point, if I singled out Akechi, I'll have a better chance of winning.
I stopped and landed in a small clearing a half of click north from my starting position, closed my eyes, and stabbed my Ryuko into the ground, "Shango-Step," I roared as the space between me and Akechi's men was severed and placed me right at the base of the cliff.
"What's this—?" yelled Akechi, "come to die or beg for mercy?"
"Shango-Step," I commanded once again, this time stabbing the blade into the cliff's side, causing me to appear in front of my foe. "Hi, Akechi, you seem surprised, dare I say scared even," The look on the man that my former Lord once called a Blade Brother, held a face that was petrified in sheer terror.
That feeling was coming back, that 'bloodlust' feeling Myrlin told me about was starting to flare, and the longer I stood here, taunting Akechi, the more I wanted to end his life.
"Mercy—," the traitor whimpered, "Black Samurai, please have mercy—."
I spat at the ground, "I have a name, Yasuke," I said, "Nobunaga Yasuke—."
Akechi's face began to twist in anger once he registered what I said, "You dare make a mockery of my dear brother's name?! I'll kill you myself!" Akechi unsheathed his blade and began his advance towards me. I found it quite amusing, how I can perceive information at a much faster rate now, my enemy's movements were slowed to practically a halt and they couldn't even comprehend anything I was doing even if they could perceive me.
In this state of time, where I can move faster than my opponent can understand and see, I began to carve the Ryubá characters for my name before chanting, "Aspect of Time: Sever Signature: Shango-Sakura; Ni—." I slashed the air in front of me and the same energy that once engulfed my blade, now emitted from its edge, and said energy began to break off into smaller fragments that shot toward
Akechi's men, ending all of them, except Akechi.
"This cannot be," he cried in terror, "You monster! You barbarian—!"
"Sever Signature: Shango-Taberu; Ni: Will Eater—," I drew my blade and swiftly severed the air in front of Akechi. The wind from my attack manifested itself as purple blades of energy that shot towards my foe, however it didn't end his life, "I'll show mercy on you Akechi, however, I won't make it easy for you to come after me and seek revenge. I just severed your will to come after me, nothing too serious, but if you were to ever muster the courage to come after me, the jaws of Shango will devour you and you'll cease to exist." The signature marked Akechi's left breast with the Ryubá character for "Shango," his skin burned, and the traitor let out a screech that could be heard for miles.
"Black Samurai—," began Akechi, "I mean, Nobunaga, I won't forget what happened here today, what you did to my men, and though I can't explain, I know that you are not the same man that served my brother."
"Maybe you're right," I said as I saw the sun starting its ascent, "Farewell." I leaped off the cliff and used my Shango-Step signature to make my way back to Myrlin at Yasaka Shrine.
••Moments Later at Yasaka Shrine
Once I made it to the shrine, I had noticed that Myrlin and his subordinates were outside waiting for me, however there were two other men present with them. The first man had wavy dark jade hair and olive skin, with what appeared to be fins along his arms, and the second man was another darker skinned man with platinum silver hair. The fish man held a trident in his hands and wore armor that looked like it was crafted under water, while the darker skinned man held several books and scrolls in his hands; I'd later find out that these two were Trident and Solomon, two more of Myrlin's subordinates.
"What a fight," exclaimed Myrlin upon my arrival, "out of all my subordinates, only two have been able to get a grasp on their signatures, Gil and Art, and now you, Yasuke." He rushed over to me while patting my back, "I know you said you needed some time—."
"Yes—," I said with no hesitation while kneeling and bowing my head, "I wish to return to The Gold Coast, and I'll serve you in exchange for this selfish request." Tears began to pour from my eyes, I had the power to fight back and leave, I had finally met someone that I could truly put my faith in and will make true on his word. My ancestors danced when I first met him and I questioned why, but now, I know why, he is an Orisha, maybe not one from this world, but he is of the divine.
"It's not selfish at all, Yasuke," he said with a smile, "Trust me, displacement is something that none of us ask for, and wanting to return to where you belong, that's your birth right. Things are about to change here very soon, for the world and for you." As the tears continued to flow, I noticed my vision growing hazy, "Since you've accepted this role, you'll be bestowed with two things that will mark you as my subordinate: the first is an interface system created for high ranking mages and officials' subordinates called LGIN Lite, and the second is something of my own creation, 'The Mark of Myrlin'." My left eye began to burn, and I could feel light and energy emitting from it, however, similar to when the talisman burned in my hand, this sensation didn't hurt, and once the sensation stopped, my vision faded to black.
••
I woke up in an unfamiliar room, the air smelled salty, and it was thick, there was a knock at the door followed by its opening, "Grand Rising, Noble Snake King," it was the regal young man, I think his name was Art. "You were out for about three days, which is normal, I hear," he said with a chuckle, "My name is Arthur Pendragon, The Knight King of Camelot, and before you, I was the new guy, so I totally understand how you feel." I didn't have the words to explain it, but it felt like this young man, and I were kindred in some way.
"You have a signature too," I asked.
"Yes," he responded eagerly, "The Blade Signature, which would make you and I something akin to brothers, no?" It was true, I did inherit Lord Oda's will, I gained his name, the power and means to return home, and a new brother of the blade. "—Oh! I almost forgot, your 'Mark of Myrlin' finished healing, but I'm sure you didn't notice," Arthur said as he reached towards the left side of my face.
That's right, I felt a warmth come from my left eye, I thought, but my vision was fine, more than fine, it was perfect. Arthur continued to remove the bandages and the colors in the room began to intensify increasingly until they were unrecognizable. The colors that my left eye saw looked more vibrant and there were waves of energy that became visible, whereas my right eye saw the world for what it was, keeping me grounded in a way.
"This is the first time one of my marks manifested on an eye," Myrlin's voice rang in the room. I turned and he was standing in the doorway, "Usually it manifests on like the hand or shoulder, but I
guess you really are special. Now tell me, how does it feel, what do you see, —oh I have so many questions!" I was starting to doubt the decision I made, but I'd come this far, and I couldn't deny that his man did do the unthinkable for me. "All that can wait," Myrlin's focus shifted, "We're currently on course for the mainland and from there we'll travel on foot-ish to The Gold Coast. There, we'll begin preparations for our next mission."
"And what will be our next mission, Young Master," Arthur inquired.
"Preventing and stalling a two-hundred-year slave trade," Myrlin's tone of voice, which was usually cheerful and carefree, held a sense of deep hatred and resentment. "Our opponents, followers of The Order of En have already started trading the humans from the continent as well as any nonhumans they can get their hands on. This detour was necessary; Arthur's signature, The Blade Signature has a twin, and that is The Sever Signature, and when both work in tandem with each other, the user's will be able to defeat anyone in their way."
I looked at my Ryuko, which was sheathed and sitting on a desk in the corner of the room, "Who are we cutting down?" I asked with steel in my voice.
Myrlin chuckled under his breath, "The Order of En are not to be trifled with, and their top operatives are known as Paladins, devotees that have dedicated their lives to The Order. Paladins hold a power similar to our own called 'Virtues' and you must always be on guard when facing them."
The road before me seemed to be a difficult one to overcome, however, as Myrlin told me before, he'd never throw me into the heat of battle without the means to prevail. No matter who or what is in my way, I will cut them down in order to return home.
See you next time Book of Mystics: Book One: The Mage Nation of Majidōra