Trial

A thick, choking vapor slithered throughout the continent of Sylvia, consuming the air. More would fall to its poison. Every second wasted was another life at risk. Rikku clenched her fists. She didn’t have time for this.

Three fairies, the size of children and ugly in appearance, stopped her mid-flight. This was not her first time.

“Move it, you three are in the way!”

The shortest and loudest, Zhang De, rudely pointed at her. “Not until you fight us, Demon of Yokai!”

The tallest, Guan Yun, stroked his lengthy beard. “After all, you are the strongest reikishi. Surely, you won’t back down from a fight.”

The leader, Liu Xuan, stepped forward. “When we work together, there is nothing that’ll stop us. And we brothers want to put that to the test.”

Sylvia’s dense forests thrived with ancient trees, their roots intertwined with the land’s deep reservoirs of reiki. This abundance of natural energy made the region a haven for the fey, their magic flourishing in harmony with the untouched wilderness. The air pulsed with their presence, the very essence of the land strengthening their spirits.

Rikku stifled a groan, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. Fighting was near second nature to her, but she was in no mood to spar—not when lives were at stake. Still, if this was the only way to get past them quickly.

At last, she sighed, tightening her grip on her purification rod. “Argh, fine! I’ll fight you three.” A smirk curled her lips. “In fact, I will fight all of you under two conditions: the first is that I won’t move, and the second, I can only use two Skills.”

The brothers glanced at one another, their eyes shimmering with excitement, and their butterfly wings twinkled every second. This was their chance to prove themselves.

“Very well then, Demon of Yokai!” We accept your deal.”

They flew into the sky, assuming their positions. Zhang De hovered behind the shrine maiden; Guan Yun stationed himself above her; Liu Xuan remained ahead, his focus unwavering.

“Attack Skill: Changban Bridge Roar.” Zhang De puffed his chest, inhaling as much air he could, and bellowed. Shock waves rippled through the air. Trees thrashed. Birds scattered from their nests, their cries filling the sky.

Rikku’s hand raced to her ears, to no avail. The scream reverberated throughout her body, rattling her bones and piercing through her defenses. Her muscles tensed. Her vision blurred. Sounds meshed into an indistinguishable hum, and this was just the beginning.

Though the haze clouding her senses, she caught flashes of green light. A long polearm materialized in Guan Yun’s grip, its broad, curved blade gleaming with an emerald sheen. The spear’s crescend edge cut through the air as he swung it, conjuring a spiraling torrent of energy.

“Be consumed by my Green Dragon Blade,” Guan Yun proclaimed. “Attack Skill: Stormy Rage.”

The swirling tempest took the form of a dragon, its roaring wind surging towards her. Rikku braced herself for the impact. The gust struck her, its relentless fury clawing at her body from all directions. She grit her teeth, enduring the pain even as Zhang De’s deafening roar left her reeling. Then, with a brutal final push, Guan Yun’s storm hurled her toward the earth.

Liu Xuan’s twin blades gleamed with crackling violent energy as he raised them high above his head. The air itself hummed with power. “For the finishing blow, be struck by my lightning. Attack Skill: Thunder Fang Sky Howl!”

The sky darkened in response. Thunder rumbled. A series of lightning bolts arced down from the heavens. With blinding speed, they descended upon the shrine maiden. Smoke billowed, obscuring her from view.

The trio slowly descended, waiting for the dust to clear.

“Did we win?” Zhang De inquired.

“Now, now, Zhang De. Be patient,” Guan Yun responded.

As the dust hung heavy in the air, silence enveloped the battlefield. The anticipation was palpable, seeping into the trio as they waited.

Then, a voice pierced the stillness like a beacon in the darkness. “I know you three can hear me!”

Their eyes widened. They exchanged wary glances. Disappointment danced across their faces. A creeping unease settled over them.

Like a flicker of hope in the darkness, a dim light caught their attention. With bated breath, they watched as a figure emerged, glowing ethereally. “For my first Skill, I’ll use this. Trick Skill: Maiden Duplication.”

Their breath caught in their throats as hundreds—no, thousands of Rikku clones materialized around them.

“Since I can’t move, I may as well use this Skill to mitigate that issue,” she said, her smirk visible through the sea of doppelgängers.

“But how?” Liu Xuan demanded. “We hit you with our strongest Skills?”

Rikku shrugged. “I have a high pain tolerance, so an attack like that isn’t going to finish me off that quickly.”

The clones raised their hands, each brandishing an ofuda inscribed with glowing kanji.

“And now for the final act. My second Skill. Attack Skill: Orb Weaving Seal.”

With perfect unison, the clones hurled the ofuda. The paper talismans seemed unassuming, but the energy radiating from them was overwhelming—a spiritual force that monsters dreaded. And for fairies, it was even worse.

To them, it was the sting of a hundred hornets. The battle had been decided.

As the dust settled and the last remnants of the battle’s energy faded, silence blanketed the clearing. The once-defiant trio now lay motionless on the ground, their forms slack with defeat. Rikku sighed, lowering her arm.

She had been through this before. It was never a matter of ‘if’ they would challenge, but ‘when.’ Annoying as it was, she had to admit—they were persistent. It didn’t help that they lived so close to her shrine. And thanks to Melissa, evicting them was all but impossible. That black-and-white magician had an irritating talent for making things disappear.

A groan broke the silence.

Liu Xuan stirred first, blinking groggily before frantically searching for his brothers. Finding them sprawled beside him, he shook them awake. “Wake up! We lost, brothers!”

Rikku folded her arms. “Advice for you three. Perhaps learn your limits?”

Zhang De grumbled, still dazed. “Curse you, Demon of Yokai!”

“Huh?” Rikku raised an eyebrow, more amused than insulted.

Liu Xuan hoisted his still-groggy brothers onto his shoulders and took to the skies. “We’re going to get stronger. And then, we’re going to come back and fight you! You hear me!”

His voice carried on the wind, his curses fading as he disappeared into the sky. Rikku watched him go, wondering how long it would take before they tried again.

Not that it mattered.

Her senses prickled—another presence had made itself known.

Rikku turned to face the tree behind her. “You can show yourself now.”

A man stepped into view, calm and collected. He wore a pristine white jacket and pants, accented by a metallic green shirt with a red jabot at his collar. Everything about him exuded elegance and authority.

The shrine maiden rolled her eyes. “Great, what business do you seek in me now? A fight?”

“As much as I’d enjoy that, I’m here for different reasons,” said Bái Rùn. “Consider this a warning.”

“Warning?” Rikku’s eyes narrowed, her muscles tensing. “You threaten me?”

Bái Rùn shook his head. “The outsider. The one who carries the Scarlium within him.”

“What of him?” Her caution deepened into suspicion.

“I have been assigned by the sylvan supreme,” Bái Rùn continued, his voice stern. “Should the outsider proceed to destroy the Project Device Production, he will face trial. Sylvian Section Eight states that the destruction of sylvan property carries dire consequences. The severity of his punishment will be decided by the sylvan supreme himself.“

Rikku’s mind raced. “You can’t be serious? If he doesn’t destroy it, Sylvia’s people will only grow sicker.”

Bái Rùn showed indifference. “These are the laws imposed by the sylvan supreme. If you wish to challenge them, speak to him yourself?”

Her brow furrowed. “Why address me now? You think I will stand idly and do naught?”

Bái Rùn flared his nostrils. “Do what you must. You humans always create conflict amongst each other.”

“That’s rich coming from you, Dragon King.” Rikku’s gaze sharpened. She saw through his deceit. His entirety was dishonest, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “How long do you hide in human skin until they learn of your species?”

“Long enough to put you on trial,” he replied, confidently.

Rikku raised a brow. “You test me on trial? Are you truly mad to challenge the shrine maiden?”

“I have evidence.”

“Spill it.”

Bái Rùn stepped closer. “Ever realize why the monster crisis never truly ends?”

Her fingers curled tighter around her gohei. “Where are you going with this?”

The dragon king pointed at the shrine maiden. “Because of you. You are the reason why the crisis persists. You spare every one of them.”

Rikku’s jaw tightened. “Monster or not, they all deserve to live. That is why the Skill Rules exist. To give humans a chance to fight back, and for monsters to continue existing.”

“By that very logic, Susano’o deserved to live. Yes?” Bái Rùn countered.

Rikku gritted her teeth. The name alone stirred bitter memories.

She tightened her grip, her resolve wavering for a fraction of a second. “Susano’o was different. He sought to destroy Densetsu and the Outside—”

“And you decide who deserves to live or die?” Bái Rùn interrupted. He reached into his pocket and unfurled a scroll. “Allow me to prove my point. Lucian Dracula, the One-Eyed Devil—you spared his life even though he sought to enslave Sylvia. Fuuko Doji, one of the Four Foundations of Strength…you’re willing to spare a drunkard who kidnaps women—”

“How long will you spew lies?” Rikku rebuked him. “Spare me your accusations, Dragon King. Lucian hasn’t made another conquest since the One-Eyed Incident. And Fuuko? The oni respects humans. He’d never kidnap a woman.”

Bái Rùn was unconvinced. “You defend them despite their actions? Their past? Each of them has the potential to bring about great harm. Yet, time and again, you always spare the perpetrators.”

Rikku’s gaze hardened. “I don’t defend their past actions, Bái Rùn. I defend the possibility of change—the hope that they can rise above who they were. And you? You’ve no right to act as judge, jury, and executioner.”

Silence loomed between them, thick as fog. Their gazes locked, neither willing to break first. Finally, Bái Rùn exhaled, disinterested in further debate.

“Our talk here is done,” he concluded. “I know you’ll remove Joe from his position as sylvan supreme soon enough. But regardless of your influence, Kotaro Nishiki will face trial.”

Rikku stood firm. “I will defend his name. An outsider, separate from my homeland, welcomed by the home of the All-Creator, deserves to have his name be free from crime.”

He turned away, a small grin playing at his lips. “Then I’ll see you in court.”

Without another word, metal spikes erupted from the earth, encircling him before sinking back into the ground. And just like that—he was gone, as if he had never been there.

Rikku sighed slowly, tension still humming through her muscles. Bái Rùn’s words lingered, a weight pressing on her chest. She was never one to back down from a fight, but politics left a bitter taste in her mouth. And now, more than ever, she felt the weight of the world bearing down on her shoulders.

As much she hated to admit it, time was evolving. Forces she couldn’t control were slowly exerting their influence into her life. Sooner or later, she would have to involve herself with politics—especially with her role as the Kamiyama Shrine Maiden. The last of her kind.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. The fairies came to mind first, their earlier challenge now a distant memory. She needed help—someone with a sharp mind and a different perspective. Melissa Higashi. The witch didn’t live far from here, and her unorthodox methods might be exactly what Rikku needed.

She ventured further into the Forest of Nothingness, passing a wave of pink-spotted trees. These trees marked a waypoint to Melissa’s home, which was eight kilometers away. If she changed direction and went right, she would reach her shrine, forty-eight kilometers further on.

Among the forest’s many creatures, few were as peculiar as the chittersqueaks. These crimson-furred rodents, no larger than a human hand, were known for their high-pitched squeaks and their tendency to mimic those around them. Fey scholars believed they possessed a fragment of ancient magic, making them unusually perceptive.

As Rikku flew by, a family of chittersqueaks scurried among the trees. As soon as they glimpsed her, they kowtowed in reverence. Nature seemed to dance around her. Unlike the Fairy Brothers, the weaker fey would willingly submit.

It didn’t take long to reach Melissa’s home. She approached the mushroom-shaped house and noticed a guest sitting on a bench near the porch. Alex Kendall, another friend.

He had the physical traits of an Infernian—azure eyes and blond hair. He wore a white dress shirt with a light-blue sash draped around his neck and black trousers. A gold ornament was tied to keep the sash in place. Native to Infernia, a neighboring content, Alex Kendall had made Sylvia his new home. Although, Rikku suspected it was primarily to be with Melissa.

“Ah, Rikku. What brings you here?”

“Is Melissa home?” Rikku asked. An awkward silence filled the gap. She saw the frown in his eyes. “Well?”

“She is sick,” he answered. “The vapors have taken a toll on her.”

Her worst fears had come true. Rikku planned for Melissa to assist her. If anyone was as strong as the shrine maiden, it was the witch. Without her, Rikku had no choice but to solve this incident on her own.

She glanced at Alex, noting how unaffected he seemed. Then again, it made sense—Alex was a Magi, someone born with magic woven into their very being. Unlike Melissa, who worked tirelessly to master her craft, Alex’s innate magic protected him from most mystical ailments, including the vapors.

She bowed to Alex and took off, the wind howling in her wake. Within seconds, the shrine maiden soared across the vast landscape, the world below blurring into streaks of color. In less than the time it took to take a deep breath, she was home.

“Speak of the devil, and she appears,” Yuuki announced.

Rikku flinched to see Yuuki with several guests, including two familiar faces—Noel and Victor. The third guest caught her interest; Kotaro.