Game Plan

“Hey Shen, what’s the game plan right now!?” Kaito yelled out.

As the sun started to set, Shen and the rest of the present Relic Raiders were on the run westwards through an open plain.

“We're making our way to Nakamura,” Shen announced.

“We’re running there!? Why!?” Kaito complained.

“I know Kouki,” Shen explained. “He’s the type to wait until the rest of his allies have fallen to act. He won’t initiate if he doesn’t want to. If Kaede ambushed us at the guild building, the rest of them must be on their way.”

“Then shouldn’t we have just jumped them all together while they’re separated?” Estelle asked.

“That plan was an option, but it has no backing,” Shen analyzed. “Kaede is the most rash of my allies, but there’s no guarantee that we’d get to face the rest of them alone. If the rest of them all appear all at once, we’d be in trouble, and even more so, if Kouki initiates before we do, it could be checkmate.”

“Is Kouki really that dangerous?” Khrom asked.

“Like I said before. He could defeat everyone except for me easily,” Shen clarified. “Our best option is to confront him before he has time to react to his allies falling. To do that, we need to—”

Shen stopped his sentence and advance, halting everyone else in their tracks. An enemy stood before them.

“I’m not sure if this bodes well,” the enemy stated.

It was Henry. He stood before the group, his sword on the ground, and his arms resting upon it.

“I went ahead to assist Kaede, but she seems to have let more than a few stragglers get by,” analyzed Henry. “Though a few of you are missing as well. Care to share what is going on, Shen?”

“I don’t have to share anything with you, Henry,” Shen announced.

“I suppose not,” Henry agreed. “But you should know I won’t let any of you pass me.”

“Kaito, I’m leaving you to fight Henry alongside Fiona,” Shen whispered. “If you manage to defeat him, you should be able to catch up with us on Fiona’s back.”

“This doesn’t exactly sound like a plan,” Kaito whispered back.

“Hah, it isn’t,” Shen responded. “I’ll at least part with this. You’re key to defeating him is Infinity.”

Shen then teleported away with a bunch of the Relic Raiders.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect Shen to abandon his new allies as well,” Henry acknowledged.

“It’s not abandonment,” Kaito stated. “It’s trus—”

“Why am I still here!?” someone yelled.

Kaito looked to the side, and Gurkin was standing there. It seems Shen forgot to mention that Gurkin would also fight alongside Kaito and Fiona.

“It looks like we’re all fighting this guy,” Kaito announced, prepared for battle.

“You’d better tell the female Kaito how hard I beat this guy up,” Gurkin joked, also getting into his fighting stance.

“Let’s get this guy, Papa!” Fiona added as she transformed into a dragon.

Henry started laughing, but he quickly calmed himself down. “I’m sorry, I just realized who that thief girl was in Elvasia. I had my doubts, but this confirmed it. That monk really must be stupid to think you two are different people.”

Kaito honestly agreed with Henry, but kept quiet.

“Y-you take that back!” Gurkin responded. “We’ll see who’s delusional after this battle!”

Gurkin immaturly rushed down Henry, activating some skill. Henry simply slashed in front of him to create a slash in space.

“Gurkin, wait!” Kaito tried to warn him, but it was too late.

Gurkin went for a swing and collided with the invisible slash, but it didn’t cut him. His arm clashed with the space-time slash like two blades stuck in a deadlock. As his arm refused to press forward, Gurkin backed off.

Gurkin used a skill called Bulwark. It hardens the user’s body to be as strong as steel.

Kaito looked at Gurkin in surprise. “I didn’t know you had a skill like that. That’s going to help a ton against this guy!”

“Save the praises for the female Kaito,” Gurkin demanded, remaining focused on Henry.

“Yeah, yeah, I hear ya,” said Kaito, getting serious. “Let’s smoke this guy.”

Fiona flew off into the air, causing a sonic boom from her takeoff point.

“Fiona! Stick to ranged attacks!” Kaito ordered. “He can create invisible air slashes, so watch out for those too!”

“Aye aye, Papa!” Fiona responded, blowing breath of blue fire towards Henry.

Henry slashed to create his time-space projectiles to counter Fiona’s flames. While Henry was focused on Fiona, Gurkin appeared at Henry’s side to launch an attack. Activaint Impact, the skill that strengthens strikes, Gurkin punched Henry, but he blocked the attack with his crystalline greatsword.

Because of Gurkin’s skill, Henry flew backwards, but remained balanced.

Kaito suddenly appeared behind Henry to make his own strike. Kaito swung, but Henry disappeared and reappeared behind Kaito.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that weird space crap,” Kaito complained and turned to face Henry.

“Then I suppose I’ll go with ‘time crap’,” said Henry, altering Kaito’s complaint.

Kaito stared at Henry, but then he was suddenly hit by a slash, sending him backwards.

“Kaito, now’s not the time to fool around,” said Gurkin in response to Kaito suddenly being launched.

“I’m not,” Kaito said, slowly getting up. “He can also control time. If you don’t wanna end up like me, you’d better keep Bulwark activated at all times. As for me…”

Kaito disappeared, activating Phase.

“We need to determine the criteria for his time stop,” Kaito whispered. “It likely has a certain range.”

“Got it,” Gurkin responded.

Henry watched Fiona fly around the skies and then back to the hardened Gurkin. He wasn’t exactly in danger, but he viewed his position as problematic.

“One is invisible, one hardened, and the other flying about where I cannot reach,” Henry analyzed. “Their defense is sound. I guess I’ll have to thin the horde.”

Henry closed his eyes, and upon opening them, they glowed teal. Gurkin and Kaito flinched, wondering why Henry was getting so serious. Before they could think any further, Fiona dropped to the ground, landing behind Henry. He didn’t even flinch despite Fiona almost hitting him.

“Fiona!?” Kaito thought confused.

Without warning, Henry then darted right to Kaito, knowing where he was despite being under the effects of Phase. He slashed at Kaito, but Kaito barely got away by utilizing Feint.

Kaito grouped up with Gurkin and proclaimed. “What is going on!? I thought you couldn’t use your space and time abilities in cohesion!?”

Henry fixed his hair as he stood upright. “Normally, I wouldn’t, but under the effects of Infinity, everything space and time bends to my will,” Henry vaguely explained. “I can use my Astral Greatsword’s abilities without draining my energy. I can see everything in space and control anything within time. It’s best that you give up.”

Kaito was by no means going to give up. “Not without a fight, you—”

Time froze.

Kaito and Gurkin were stuck in time. In the same teal dimension where Henry controlled all.

Henry walked up to the two and stared at them. “You pursue our king Shen but cannot even defeat his pawns.”

Henry tested the waters. He raised his greatsword and swung it down on Gurkin, but the attack was deflected. He was still under the effects of Bulwark.

Henry scoffed, “I take it back, you’re not stupid,” Henry stated. “At least you can save your own life. On the other hand…”

Henry turned to face Kaito and aligned himself in front of him. He raised his sword once again and dropped it towards Kaito’s neck…

“GREAT TYPHOON!!!”