Freed from the confines of adversity

Floor 200.

A handful of steps further, and I’d be facing down the most powerful woman in the world. And the most powerful magic guide to boot.

The culmination of every damn thing they had put me through. Right here. Right now.

“Are you nervous?” asked Time.

“People keep asking me that recently. Truth is, Time, that there ain’t been a single moment I haven’t been nervous since we first went on the run. Takes every ounce of courage I got left just to stop my damn knees shaking.”

“Then… how have you stayed so composed all this time?”

“‘Cos I ain’t got a choice, Time. If I let the nerves take hold of me, what would happen? I’d end up in a shallow grave, probably buried next to the people I love on one side and the revolution I failed to finish on the other. The world would continue to be a shitty unfair place run by shitty unfair people, and I wouldn’t even be alive to suffer through it with everyone else. So when I start doing something dumb like listening to second thoughts, I just remind myself what the cost of failure would be. If I can’t afford to lose, I’ve got no choice but to win, right?”

“...I really did make the right choice by picking you, didn’t I?”

“What, after all this time you still had doubts?”

“No, just… thinking about how lucky I was to find you.” Time looked down and pawed at the ground for a moment. “...I’m terrified to face Space, y’know.”

“I could tell by the claw marks you dug into my shoulders on the way here.”

“Geh- sorry ‘bout that…” she sighed and shook her little head. “Even though we’re two halves of the same whole, he and I aren’t exactly equals. He was always the stronger of us. I mean, everything is space. It’s the plane that the entire universe exists on. Without space, time is meaningless.”

“And without time, space is static. You’re forgetting just how powerful you really are, Time. Sure, Space is ridiculously strong. But if there’s one being in existence that can take him on, it’s you. Don’t go dropping your guts at the last minute.”

“...right. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Now come on, it’s turning midnight now. We’re just on time.”

I kneeled down so Time could get back on my shoulder, and slowly, ever so slowly, I climbed the staircase to the roof, the falling of heavy rain the only sound I could hear.

“Well, colour me impressed, little Ronin. I thought you’d turn tail after realising that even the electric girl was doomed.”

There, on the roof of the tallest skyscraper in Japan, was a tall woman in a long white robe. There was a glowing halo on her head, and a white cat on her shoulder.

“Aki…”

“Im surprised you even came at all to be honest. I’m not sure whether to be enamoured by your bravery or disappointed at your stupidity.”

“That tongue has done a lot of talking today. Maybe that’s what I’ll cut out first.”

“My, so quick to threats? And we haven’t even had a chance to chat yet.”

“My fiancee is downstairs risking her life to buy the time I need to put you in a coffin. I’m not too eager for small talk.”

“Haaah… you truly are no fun.”

Aki’s heels clacked as she approached me, stopping to face me just outside the range of her ridiculous swords. Judge and jury, huh? As if it wasn’t obvious enough that she considers herself the arbiter of all justice.

Though, it wasn’t her that my feline friend had her attention on.

“Space…”

“Hello, my foolish sister. Come to offer me our reunification so soon?”

“Over my dead body, bastard.”

“I had hoped for the diplomatic option, but that way is acceptable to me as well.”

“The diplomatic option went out the window when you enslaved the whole world, Space.”

“Enslaved is such a nasty word. I’ve freed them from the confines of adversity.”

“By forcing them to live in squalor?!”

“A necessary sacrifice to prevent in-fighting. After all, we do have a war to win.”

…that didn’t sound ominous at all.

“A war? The hell are you talking about?” I asked, pointing my katana first at Space, then at Aki.

“Are you really so slow on the uptake, dearie?” Aki sighed dramatically and shook her head. “The mainland has become weak. The governments of China and Korea are falling apart at the seams. Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Phillipines, all of our neighbours have failed to adapt to the cyber age. And as such, they’ve fallen into chaos and civil war. As the only civilised nation left in the East, is it not our job to set them back on the straight and narrow?”

“Only civilised na- you’re talking about conquering billions of people!”

“We’re talking about saving billions of people, my dear. From themselves.”

“You imperialist bastard… how many people are gonna have to die for your deranged ambitions?”

“As many as it takes, dearie. If the cost of future eternal peace is war and bloodshed in the here and now, then so be it. Honestly, girl, for someone who can see the future you are far too stuck in the present.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. This misery and poverty that these two maniacs had forced on Japan, they were planning to enforce it in the rest of the damn continent? Millions would be killed… maybe billions… this was so much worse than I thought.

“So… what? You think that after you butcher their military the CCP will just bend to your will?” I argued.

“Oh, dearie . You truly still believe this is about economics, don’t you?” She paced back and forth, never breaking eye contact. “It is not the mere accumulation of wealth that makes one powerful. Power itself is the prize. The trivial economic ideas do not matter, so long as those ‘in control’ are dancing at my fingertips. State, corporate, the difference is meaningless to me. They are pieces on the board, and I am the only one truly playing. I’m surprised you’ve yet to understand that, dear girl.”

As we stood there, face to face in the pouring rain, the entire city sprawled out beneath us, I could think of only one thing. Putting my sword through that bitch’s heart. For all the people she had hurt, and all the people she was planning to hurt.

“I think I understand plenty,” I said, raising my sword next to my head and taking my stance. “I understand that you’re even more of a fucking nutjob than I expected. The type that can only be dealt with on their deathbed.”

“Yes, well, I suppose the theatrics have gone on long enough,” she replied, drawing one longsword in either hand. “Come, Tokiko. Give me the fight I’ve been looking forward to. Come at me, with lethal intent!”