Dragon's Tower

Shiroyama

“Halt! We are not allowing visitors to the skyscraper at this time.” I heard the guard slam the butt of his spear into the ground. I listened to the conversation within my palanquin taking place between my men and the guards to the first skyscraper in Japan. Speaking of, it was odd that the Ryu clan had yet to choose a name for it.

I sat cross-legged with Kure-sama resting on my knees. Today's plan had been set up in haste. Many things could go wrong even with the best laid plans or even odd consequences. Such as the Kirin princess and her guard heading to the Ryu shipyards.

Through the use of our spies and much money being used to grease palms, we had found out where they had stayed the night, who they had talked to and where they were headed. As well as finding out that the Shinsengumi were tracking them.

That provided a major flaw in the plan. The Shinsengumi were like wolves that would follow their prey to the end of the world. My sister would have to be careful when going in to kill the Kirin princess. If she harmed the Shinsengumi in any significant way, they would stop at nothing to bring us down. And while we could kill them, they were normal humans and I would prefer not to since they too opposed the clans in their own way.

“-lord would like to pay respects to the esteemed leader of the Ryu clan.”

The guards began to shuffle and mutter. This was going nowhere fast. In the best case scenario, they would try and detain me for a time. I slid open the palanquin door and slid out. The guards eyes widened as they took in the white funeral clothes. I held up Kura-sama and slid him from his sheath.

The guards made to rush with me with their spears but they were much too slow. With a quick flick of my wrist four heads separated from their owners bodies and fell to the ground. Shaking my head I sheathed Kure-sama and put him back onto my hip. I motioned for my men to leave and I headed into the skyscrapers entrance.

The doors were of western make and were made of glass with a wooden frame. I pulled them open and stepped into the foyer. Two large young men stood next to a new contraption recently brought into Japan, the elevator. The men had bald heads and were twins by the look of it. Their broad hands ended in claws and they each had golden dragon scales on their necks. The most telling aspect of them being failed gods were their feet. They were bare but the scales were rumpled and discordant.

They didn’t hesitate and fell into martial art stances. They didn’t run towards me, instead they glided across the floor on silent feet. They mirrored each other in movement and detail.

“Two cuts please Kure-sama.”

Mhmmm, do as you wish. You’ll have need of more than that today.

Accepting his judgement I flew into motion and threw a small pouch at the twin on the left. The pouch exploded the moment it hit the ground and sharp caltrops littered the ground. As he grunted in pain I focused on the right twin.

I ducked under a palm strike and weaved to his right side, thumbing open Kure-sama as I did so. As he turned to follow me in a swift movement, I launched Kure-sama from his sheath and the pommel hit him on the forehead. Kure-sama flew into the air above us, turning lazily.

I laid several strikes with my fists into his midsection in swift succession, all into vital points. With a final blow I pushed him back and caught Kure-sama. With a swift thrust I pierced through the throat scales and the spine. With a gurgling cry he slumped down to the ground.

His twin flew forward with a cry of rage, ignoring the bloodied messes his feet had become. I used his brother's body as a shield and threw it into his path. A moment of indecision flickered in his eyes and he chose to catch his brother's body, unable to batter it away. I stepped past him and slowly I sheathed Kure-sama. The twin’s head fell from his neck and onto the floor, rolling away softly.

I walked into the elevator and studied the inside. According to my sources I would just flip these switches and head up. The elevator gave a light shudder and began moving up to the top floor. The head of the Ryu family could have been anywhere in the skyscraper but my gut told me he’d be at the fourteenth floor which was currently the topmost floor.

“Hold one cut for me please.”

As you wish.

I moved to the back of the elevator and braced my foot against it. I positioned my thumb against the guard of Kure-sama and readied myself. There were no walls for the elevator, it was a floor and wooden beams enclosing it with a lot of space to see out of it. The moment the elevator crossed into the fourteenth floor I pushed off of the back of the wall and sliced through the beams.

I burst onto the fourteenth floor to several surprised failed gods. Each sporting draconic features. I separated the nearest guard's torso from his legs. As he fell I threw several short fused bombs towards the other three. One was full of shrapnel while the other two were smoke.

“Three more cuts please.”

Mhmmm.

I danced behind a column supporting the building as all three went off at the same time. Screams of pain echoed off the half built roof. I slid out into the edge of the smoke and ducked under a large sword swing. I pivoted behind him and sliced through his tendons. As he fell to one knee I stabbed him through the back into his heart.

I shut my eyes as I dove into the thick smoke. Their breathing and shuffling was obvious to my senses. One was on the ground having taken the brunt of the shrapnel, while the other extended their half formed wings on their back. As he made to flap them to help clear the smoke, I cut through one.

Instead of crying out he leashed out with a kick to where he thought I would be. Instead I flashed Kure-sama up, severing the leg. As he was off balance I ended it by cutting through his neck.

One more cut?

“Yes please, Kure-sama,” I said, accepting his amusement. The smoke started to clear from the wind coming from the unfinished parts of the building. I opened my eyes and ended the half-dead failed god on the ground.

I turned at the sound of a cane tapping on the floor. The old wizened patriarch stood there with sorrow in his eyes. He wore a gold kimono and leaned on a black cane. Golden green scales were on his hands, feet and neck. He sighed deeply and shook his head, the stiff golden strands of his hair hardly moved at all.

“Such violence,” he said with a voice like cracking gravel. “Tell me specter, do you hold such a grudge against us?”

“Kure-sama, thirteen cuts.”

That could be a bit arrogant.

I flicked the blood off of Kure-sama and sheathed him, my thumb under the guard. The patriarch narrowed his green eyes and stood up straighter. He let go of his cane and it wobbled and slowly dropped to the floor.

As I sprang forward, he drew in a breath. Bright golden light shone through his throat and I quickly changed direction and threw a pouch towards him. Fire erupted from his mouth, consuming the pouch and an explosion reverberated through the building.