Atop the World

Shiroyama

I danced amid the flames, always just a step ahead of the old patriarch. Despite his old age, he moved fast and harried me through the top of the skyscraper. The bomb and his flames had weakened the top floor. Construction materials cracked and broke, weakening what had been built of the ceiling.

The patriarch, Daima, was more spry than his age would suggest. He leapt about the room, breathing fire while he held his cane in a swordsman's grip. The bodies of his retinue of failed gods were burning and the smell of their bodies and the raging fires stinged my nose.

This would never end if I didn’t change the flow of the fight. Abruptly I changed direction and headed towards the flames spewing from his mouth. I drew Kure-sama and cut through the flames. Daima flinched back, the glow dying in his throat.

First strike.

I swung to cleave him in two, from his right shoulder to the left side of his waist. He quickly blocked my strike with his cane and I was surprised that it was still in one piece. Then his plain brown cane changed. Like ash being shed, the smooth brown surface disappeared and underneath was a white wood with carvings of birds along its length.

Second strike.

I leapt back and he followed me. I blocked and parried each strike of his cane. It was an awakened weapon, a tsukumogami. It wasn’t completely outside expectations but it did make killing the patriarch more difficult.

Do you need help?

In response to Kure-sama’s question I ducked under Daima’s cane and slid the blade along his side. Daima grunted and his cane glowed a fierce white light. Then a gale from his cane tossed me back, and blew out some of the flames. I flew through the air, my white kimono flapping in the harsh wind. I twisted in midair and landed with my feet against the wall in a crouch.

Third strike.

“So, you too have an awakened weapon,” Daima murmured as he put a hand to his side. Golden blood oozed from a shallow slice in his side. The glow from his cane faded as the gale winds died.

I pushed off the wall and landed on the ground. He pointed his cane at me and a pin sized torrent of air rushed towards me. My clothing ripped as I barely avoided being pierced through.

I rushed towards him and he breathed in again, bright light appearing in his throat. I swung Kure-sama and he parried with his cane, a fierce grin showing his teeth on his face. I kicked out and he caught my foot. He whirled me around and jumped, tossing me to the ground.

Fourth strike.

I hit the ground with a crack and rolled out of the way as a ball of fire consumed the area I had been. I rolled onto my feet and cut through another of his fireballs.

Fifth strike.

I reached into my sash for the final explosive pouch I had as I ran towards him. I feinted a thrust and he dodged to the side as I tossed the pouch at him. His eyes widened and he slammed his cane into the floor.

I thrust Kure-sama into the floor as gale force winds buffeted me. The pouch went past me and exploded against the outside wall. Parts of the half finished roof crumbled around us as he snarled at me.

“Enough!” He tossed his cane into the air and jumped after it above the roof. I sheathed Kure-sama and jumped onto the crumbling sides of the walls and onto the rapidly deteriorating roof.

Daima floated above in the air next to his cane. Wings of light sprouted from his back and he breathed out fire into his hands. From the flames he made a sword of pure fire. He twirled the blade and flew towards me. I deflected him and he flew past only to circle back.

I slammed my foot into the roof and shattered large pieces of the building. I hooked a heavier piece of the debris with my foot and kicked it into Daima’s flight path. Daima twisted midair as he came towards me. It was enough of a lapse for me to take advantage of.

I leapt up towards him, and deflected his blade away. Then I twisted Kure-sama to rapidly cut into him. Kure-sama cut into his side and he twisted in midair, still retaining some control over his flight.

Sixth strike.

Then I grabbed onto his kimono and thrust Kure-sama into his chest, sliding him between his scales. It pierced all the way through his body and came out his back. He gasped and his wings disappeared. I twisted us in midair and landed on the roof with him underneath me. His cane fell from the sky and bounced off the roof and rolled off into the air to fall onto the ground far below.

I got off of him and he managed to weakly roll himself over. He looked up at me with golden eyes full of pain. I raised Kure-same to give the final blow.

“Before you end it,” he said with a weak cough. “Tell me why. Why are you killing clanborn?”

I hesitated for a moment, briefly rolling the thought around in my head. Despite his growing godhood, he had once been human. Normally I wouldn’t have bothered, but I could spare the time, even as the rooftop crumbled.

“For your sins and arrogance of obtaining godhood. Man has no right to grasp that which is the divine.” I let Kure-sama fall and his head split from his neck.

Nine strikes total.

I guess I underestimated how many strikes you needed.

“He was old, but powerful,” I said as I sheathed him. My portion of the roof shifted and I looked out below me, towards the burning shipyards. A ship was rising and flying my way. I felt the divinity of a bedding god emanating from it. My sister must have failed to kill the princess. “I’ve found my way out.”

I ran across the crumbling roof and jumped as it collapsed in on itself. I was in freefall for a few moments before I reached out a hand and managed to catch the back of an airship speeding by.