Year 2: The Battle of Rhodes - Chapter 7

From the moment they had started training and fighting alongside one another, Hajime knew that Amen was in a completely different league to him.

Not necessarily in skill or ability to fight, but in pure simple terms of his weaponry.

Gleipnir - the Divine Artifact that Amen wielded were the chains that had once bound the great wolf Fenrir.

They were almost tentacle in nature, able to be controlled and manipulated by the user at will. From what Hajime had seen, it excelled in long distance fights as it could deflect enemy arrows and magics, while simultaneously striking with tremendous speed and force.

Back at the Rivers House, Hajime and Akane had fought Amen and nearly lost, but they had both been without their armour and Akane hadn’t used her trump card.

This time, they were in a much smaller environment with less space to manoeuvre and Hajime was alone.

I think this is the first time I’ve ever fought someone on my own for real in Aangapea. Hajime straightened his posture as Amen’s chains contorted and six flew towards Hajime again. Don’t focus on that and don’t expect help to arrive; handle this by yourself!

Hajime jumped back at the last second, narrowly avoiding the chains on purpose so Amen couldn’t redirect the attack before it was too late. He then parried away three more chains that went for his head, chest and left leg respectively. Then, Hajime ran forwards, keeping a close eye on the chains on Amen’s wrist.

If I can cut off his hand, then the fight’s over!

Hajime came to a sudden stop and crouched beneath a whip-like chain that just barely missed his scalp, taking one or two hairs with it. Hajime then started skewering and slicing at the additional chains Amen sent his way, giving him few moments to rest.

“Honestly, Hajime, did you think you would win?” Amen chuckled. “It’s not too late to reconsider my offer, you know? Think about it - you and me, friends again, helping the Demon-”

“I refuse!” Hajime parried away four chains with a single swipe, impressing the traitor greatly.

“You’ve gotten a lot better since we last met.”

Hajime smirked. “Of course. The protagonist always gets stronger the longer a story goes on for.”

“Is that right? Then-!” Amen’s Divine Artifact gathered all the chains up into a giant ball and then exploded into forty singular chains. “Show me what you can do, protagonist!”

***

“Blake, still no way of finding Stephanie?”

She shook her head. “The trace I put on her was wiped with that teleport, and there’s too much magic being cast to let me properly detect mana. Sorry, Duncan.”

He smiled thinly back. “It’s okay. I’m sure she’s safe, but…you know.”

“She can handle herself, my friend,” Feng Li reassured him. “For now, we must focus on what we can do. Perhaps, with some fortune, Sister Stephanie might find some way of letting us locate her. Until then, we need to do our bit around the palace.”

“Right!”

***

Yve’s bow found its mark in another Gørviligr heart.

Gabriel, beside her, took an arrow to his shoulder, but returned the favour by piercing the enemy’s skull. Fala followed suit, firing an arrow from Ofas, her Divine Artifact, at a group of demons who were pulled into a mini black hole, then launched back out of it.

“How many more of them are there up there?!” He bellowed, slowly pulling the arrow from his body.

“Not sure, but shouldn’t be much longer!” Yve knocked another arrow, then ducked behind cover as a bolt of lightning struck the stone she’d hidden behind. “Just hope it’s sooner than we expect!”

Their skin began to glow a faint lemon colour as Trevor used his Divine Artifact, Ruyi, to buff them again.

“Thank you,” Yve said, before peeking around the corner, and then promptly hiding back around it as four arrows flew towards her face. “I’m really starting to wish Hailey was here! Kind of hard to advance with three archers and a support mage!”

“Shouldn’t she and Kayleigh be back by now?” Trevor asked. “Should we go look for them?”

“That might not be a bad idea,” Yve answered, firing another arrow. “We’re pinned here, the knights you guys brought with you are too busy fighting beside the Chancellor to help us, so falling back sounds lovely.”

“…My cats…”

“And that. Alright, everyone, quickly back inside the dorms! Head to Fala’s room first, then let’s find those two!”

***

Amen wasn’t holding back.

Gleipnir’s chains were faster than before and, worse, they were attacking in all directions.

Hajime could block several with a single swing of his spear, but then he’d get hit by four or five others that chipped away at his armour. He would withdraw a few feet, but he’d always find more chains coming at him from every other direction.

He’s trying to wear me down! Hajime promptly ceased withdrawing and shifted to the best defensive stance he knew. I’ll just have to beat them back!

So, he did.

And tried.

Hajime could parry and interrupt them, but he couldn’t break them.

The chains proved to be too strong for that, but he could at least keep them at bay.

But every single time he knocked one away, two more took its place and he could only block one of the pair. Had Hajime not been wearing his armour like last time, he’d have already been dead.

As it was, he could feel his skin bruising from the bludgeoning, his ears ringing and his eyes swirling around in their sockets.

Hajime’s body ached.

It became difficult for him to breath and think straight.

Each blow to his head shook his brain around and kept him feeling disorientated.

“It’ll happen, you know.”

“What will, Uncle?”

His uncle smiled and rubbed Hajime’s head. “The moment. The moment where you’re there, in the most difficult, stressful situation you could ever imagine and then, boom!” He clapped his hands together and smiled. “You just act. You know it’s dangerous, you know you could die, and you know that if you screw it up or take too long worrying, someone could lose their life. But every single firefighter I’ve ever known have all had that moment - where we push our fears to one-side, where nothing else matters but doing your job and that you can save someone’s life.

“It might not be something as serious for you, Hajime, but you’ll have a time like that too. It might be when you’re trying to decide how to answer an exam question, it might be whether or not you should help someone being harassed on the street, or.” His uncle grinned. “It might just be when you want to show off to impress the girl you like.”

Why’d…I remember that…now? Hajime’s thoughts slowed, as did Gleipnir’s chains. They were moving in slow-motion towards him, but they seemed different somehow to him. Why? What is this? Is this…no, that’s ridiculous. He grunted. I’m not the protagonist, I never was…that was always Duncan.

I’m just…Hajime Sakamoto.

…If I can’t win here, against Amen, then how could I ever save the world and marry a princess?

Wait…what if I-?

Hajime’s eyes narrowed and he focused his attention on the part of Amen’s chains he had been too busy to strike before.

Amen’s onslaught had been relentless, leaving no room for Hajime to collect his thoughts and strategist.

Maybe that was what he wanted, Hajime thought. He wanted to keep my thoughts away from the spots where the chains link…that’s it! Back at the Rivers House, I was able to cut the hostages free because of where I’d hit Gleipnir’s chains.

I hadn’t thought about it at the time because I was overwhelmed with emotions and adrenaline!

Hajime shifted his feet slightly, eyed up one link on the nearest chain coming towards him, and then-

***

A deep voice cried out in pain.

“Who was that-!”

Feng Li gulped. “That was Prince Julius’s voice, and it was coming from where his quarters are!”

Duncan bit his lip. “Come on, let’s go!”

***

Tonbokiri cut through one of Gleipnir’s chains, much to Amen’s surprise.

When they’d fought before, Hajime had struggled to do more than defend, even with Akane providing support.

This time, however, it was different.

Hajime had grown, both in confidence and power.

His experience in real combat and through thorough training were coming through, making him much stronger than he’d ever been.

Amen, however, had gotten lax.

He had lived a life of luxury under the Demon Emperor’s rule and had stagnated.

Shit! Amen hissed and curled Gleipnir back up into a ball; then, he thrust his arm forwards and the chains exploded with the force of a cannon at Hajime.

Hajime took a sharp, shallow breath, bent low and ran forward, holding Tonbokiri by his waist, its blade facing straight on ahead.

As the chains grew close, Hajime struck.

He sliced and stabbed, bashing the chains out of the way or shattering them at the joints.

It was hard work and he couldn’t hit every single chain, but it didn’t matter.

His brain had numbed itself to the pain that each lash unleashed, even as he felt the blood spurt out of his flesh.

Hajime didn’t stop charging forward.

“Why?!” Amen roared and sliced his hand to the side like a whip, cutting everything but Hajime in the room. “Why are you-?!”

Hajime, who had purposefully fallen onto his stomach to avoid the attack, leapt back up and threw Tonbokiri at Amen.

It was a move the Egyptian boy hadn’t expected and the spear’s blade lodged itself into Amen’s shoulder, sending him flying into the wall, pinning him to the stone.

Amen screeched wildly in pain as the spear tore through flesh and bone, nearly severing his right arm, the one that held his Divine Artifact.

Hajime ran forward with a mighty cry, his fist drawn back, and he landed a punch straight into Amen’s cheek.

Amen coughed up blood as Hajime took back Tonbokiri, ripping it from his enemy’s body and taking Amen’s arm with it.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Die, Hajime Sakamoto!” Amen cursed, spitting blood at Hajime’s feet as he rambled, screamed and spasmed on the floor, desperately trying to grab his severed limb. Hajime kicked it away from Amen, eliciting a banshee-like screech from the boy. “How dare you! I am Amen Hassad, chosen by the Gods to live as I please! Who the hell are you to deny me that, you damn sli-!”

Hajime kicked Amen around the face, knocking a tooth out of his mouth, putting Amen face up on his back.

Tears had started to fall, in anger, from Amen’s eyes.

He roared once more and leapt at Hajime, but Hajime simply held Tonbokiri in his way.

Amen Hassad, the first of the traitors among the Summoned Heroes, impaled himself upon the dragonfly cutter.

With a gasp, Amen looked down at the spear that had pierced his chest and vomited blood.

Feebly, he tried to hold the spear with his left hand, but he no longer had the strength in his fingers to grip it.

“…It’s…not fair, Hajime…” Amen mumbled, unable to even look up at his killer. “Why…why did…they…get…when I…?”

Amen’s body went limp and, slowly, it slid off of Tonbokiri on its own.

Hajime didn’t know how long he stood watching his former friend’s corpse, but, eventually, it became too much and he dropped to his knees.

His teeth ground together in frustration.

Then, he hit the ground hard with his fist.

And then again.

And again.

And again.

Before screaming.

Before crying.

Before weeping.

Before cursing.

Eventually, his emotions calmed, but it was impossible for him to return to the trance-like state he had been in before he’d fought Amen.

…Why did it have to come to this?

***

A nightmarish scene awaited Duncan, Feng, Brenda and Blake.

Twelve corpses in what could only be described as an ocean of blood and carnage.

One, closed to the door, they recognised immediately - Prince Augustus.

His glasses dripped with flesh blood, his face overcome with fear, and a large gash running from collarbone to naval.

The killer stood in the centre of the room, a body by their feet and another had swallowed the knight’s sword through its stomach.

The maid, Yvonne, in her black and white dress, lay with tears in her eyes and a hole in her heart.

The one stabbed by the killer’s sword was Prince Julius’ himself, his face contorted and his hands struggling to push himself off the knight’s weapon, blood flowing like a river from his body.

The knight, in black steel armour, turned to face them, their helmet shattered by their feet, and smiled warmly at them.

Duncan’s heart sunk.

It was a smile he hadn’t seen in almost a year that belonged to a dear friend of his, someone whom he had looked up to and respected, perhaps even loved a little.

“Good evening, Duncan,” Dame Chelsea greeted, throwing Prince Julius to the floor beside Yvonne.