Assistance

"Do it again." Warui watched Kiel struggle for breath.

“Hear—” A cough doubled him over, but he forced the rest through it. “Us out.”

J rushed Warui with the dark blue blade raised over one shoulder. “He wields Fulcrist. There’s no need to talk.”

Warui turned and brought his blade up just as J swung downward and the blades collided.

CHING!

The force lifted Warui from his feet and hurled him backward through the wall of the dining hall, stone and wood exploding around him before he crashed into the street outside. Pain pulsed through his upper back.

Down the street from the dining hall, Chena, River, Sarah, and Nash sprinted toward the armory as another crash sounded behind them.

"Warui got blown through the wall." Nash's voice faltered. “Can we even help?”

“If he’s exactly like Warui…” River glanced back in time to see Warui forcing himself upright. “We can’t expect the fight to last long.”

J leapt several meters and came down on Warui with the blue blade raised, forcing him to catch the strike at the last second. The impact drove Warui’s feet into the street. The stone caved in nearly a foot beneath Warui. Chena saw it and tried to push herself faster, but her legs were already giving everything they had.

River’s thoughts raced.

J had known Khyrie and Kiel.

The insignia.

The way he had spoken to them.

"Central hasn’t heard anything useful from you two in weeks."

"We got word that Fort Avelorn and Tiria have been cleared."

"Did you find it?"

River’s breathing sharpened.

He’s familiar with Khyrie and Kiel.

And they share the same—

No.

He couldn’t do this now.

“We have to assume he’s more skilled than Warui.”

Nash looked toward River. “You’re saying we should expect Warui to lose?”

“Expect that Warui needs our help faster,” Chena said.

River nodded as they kept running. “And the longer this goes, Warui will probably give in first. We can’t let him lose consciousness while he’s fighting.”

Another impact shook the street behind them.

"And that guy’s swings have inhuman force."

“Luckily,” Sarah said, keeping her eyes on the armory ahead. “You have me.”

Kiel braced himself against the broken wall beside the opening, the dark green blade no longer in his hand.

Another crash sounded outside.

KSHNK!

Kiel watched from the opening as J’s swings tore chunks from the road and nearby stone structures. Warui was barely staying ahead of them, dodging what he could and struggling to parry the rest. “Khy—” Behind Kiel, Khyrie was already pushing herself off the floor with one hand pressed to her chest. “Khyrie.”

On the streets, Warui tried to hold his ground.

J’s blade struck his.

Again.

CHING!

Every collision shoved Warui backward.

SHING!

KSHING!

J brought the blade down, and his shoulder gave with a sharp, sickening crack as the joint slipped out mid-swing. “GNNH.” He never broke the motion, and the strike came down anyway.

KRRANG!

Warui’s blade fractured along the middle and he flew across the street. His back struck the ground, and the impact sent him sliding several more meters.

J’s dark blue blade struck the road hard enough to collapse the stone beneath it.

GRRRK!

A section of the road nearly three meters across collapsed, cracks spreading outward from the impact.

CRK.

Warui slowly pushed himself up. “Fhh.”

Across from him, J rolled the damaged shoulder until the joint snapped back into place. “Khyrie!” Another roll. “Kiel!”

Warui saw no sign of pain from him.

How did he get that much more force out of one swing?

A crack raced down the center of his blade.

It regenerates itself.

Doesn’t it?

J charged, each step cracking the road beneath him. Warui barely had time to roll aside, causing J's blade to miss and shattering the stone instead, but he swung again without pause.

Still on his back, Warui swept his blade upward and caught J’s strike.

SHINK!

J’s weapon slid along the side of Warui's.

SKRRR…

As Warui scrambled upright, his blade split completely, then vanished.

J coiled his legs beneath himself, the street dipping beneath the pressure before he launched forward.

Warui reached out.

Focused.

His blade appeared again and he caught J’s sweeping strike, pivoted right, and drove a kick into him that knocked J’s momentum sideways, sending him skidding across the street.

J twisted in midair and landed on one knee, dragging the tip of his blade through the stone until he slid to a stop. Movement behind him drew his attention. Khyrie and Kiel were approaching, with Kiel leaning heavily against her for support. "Quit overreacting with all that coughing and wheezing. You’re not going to die."

“J, we can—” A cough cut Khyrie off.  “Talk with him.”

“He clearly doesn’t want to.”

“You attacked him.”

“Then it’s too late. Bring your blade out.”

Warui’s breathing stopped. “No.”

“Khyrie!”

Kiel tried to speak. “Hh—”

“Do it now, Khyrie!”

Khyrie’s hand opened.

Bright green emerged from a wound into her hand.

Blood didn’t surface.

A hilt formed from living material.

Veins.

Upward.

Another blade.

“JUST SHUT UP!” Khyrie hunched slightly. “Khak—I wasn’t going to watch you die.”

J pressed a palm to his chin and cracked his neck. “I was starting to think you would.”

“Khyrie…” A tear slipped down Warui's cheek, and suddenly he saw her somewhere else.

A tree stood in front of him.

Warui swung his blade through the trunk, and it passed clean through and the tree began to fall.

“TIMBER!” Malia shouted.

Warui backpedaled straight into Khyrie and Kiel. When he looked between them, Khyrie gave him a small smile while Kiel managed a quiet laugh.

“That was good,” Khyrie said. “But we already know you’re good with a sword.”

“What else is there to practice, though?”

“One thing we know for sure is that it isn’t a conventional sword.”

“Hell.” Kiel seemed genuinely puzzled by the blade. “It doesn’t obey reality. It appears out of nowhere in an instant. Try being creative.”

“Creative? Maybe I could… I don’t know."

"Try making it appear in your hand when you’re already swinging. You said it feels heavier than a longsword when you wield it.” Khyrie gestured through the motion. “Maybe calling it out halfway through a swing does something useful.

“And if it does, you can be more selective about when you summon it instead of acting like there’s a timer the second it reaches your hand.”

“Way to take my job, Khyrie!”

“It was just an idea, Malia! We might as well think way outside the box!”

“Then we can try making it appear in open space," Kiel added. “Like you said happened in the cargo cart.”

Warui smiled, then looked between them. “Let’s try our best.”

Khyrie stood in the street with a bright green blade in hand.

A tear reached Warui’s jaw as the strain showed across his face.

That’s why you two knew so much.

They knew what I was.

Kiel.

The wind.

Callineth.

And Kiel…

Warui’s breathing turned shallow.

That day…

Are you the one—

What is she doing?

Khyrie had moved between J and Kiel. The veins inside her blade bulged, then contracted. “It won’t be—” She choked. “As effective.”

"Hrk—"Behind her, Kiel took a deeper breath. “I feel a little better.”

“One less torn ligament helps me either way.” J stretched. “He has some idea how to utilize Fulcrist, and he almost fights like we do. How long did you know?”

Khyrie and Kiel refused to speak.

"Ah... I see."

Kiel suddenly caught sight of something on the rooftop to his left. One hand shot out. “WAIT!”

BANG!