Kozuna
Orion's response instantly sent me into uncertainty, though Nikai didn't appear to have caught on...
Wait a minute, he just called Nazun by his name..? There's a chance that Orion might already have known, but... I'm not stupid...
Nazun suppressed a smile and began reaching for his pocket.
"Son of a bitch, I knew it! Nazun! Drop the act now! I knew you had something to do with this from the start!"
Orion chuckled, cracking his knuckles.
"So you're the one he told me about, huh? The kid that had some level of intelligence a cut above the usual? Name was… Kozuna, right?"
Nazun pulled a small gun from his pocket and fired it into the air.
"Yes, Kozuna. It was a setup. Sadly for you, however, your fate was sealed the moment your squad was assigned to capture the water source... See, our guy Orion is a real mastermind..."
From behind us, we heard the sound of a moving vehicle. There driving was another soldier bearing an Ozukashi cloak, holding our weapons and hopping out as he arrived.
"Lord Nazun, your weapons are secure."
Another traitor... No... rather... a spy...
Orion lifted his right hand with the palm facing himself; it was enveloped in some mystical white-gold aura. It was like a... colored, but transparent, vapor-like emanation, flowing in a fluid motion. And momentarily, that mysterious aura began to envelop his whole body, like a thick, extra layer of skin.
On the back of Orion's hand was a mark resembling an arrow pointing toward the fingertips... It was the same color as the aura but with a black outline. His marking stretched up his arm in the form of a long line, and the white-gold color seemed to swirl as if it were alive within the black borders of the mark...
Nikai's eyes blinked rapidly as he stepped away.
"What the- what in the holy hell is that?"
"Ever heard of curses and curse seals?" Orion mused, snapping his fingers.
Curses..? I've heard of them, but I didn't think they existed… Then again, the proof is right in front of me… Which means that curses do exist, and that aura around Orion… it's the stuff they call curse energy...
At the crack of the snap, the Bahsin soldiers circling us raised their guns. Nazun grabbed his weapons from the buggy and tore the wrappings from the sword. Nikai and I both threw our hands up. The sheer amount of times we could've been shot in like three seconds made it painfully evident that fighting back simply wasn't a bright idea at the moment.
Gotta play this smart... One wrong move, and we're both dead. Ugh... Great day. Great mission too…
I gritted my teeth since that was about the most I could do...
"What's going on? Why are you doing this?"
Nazun tore away his top, giving us a glimpse of his upper back and revealing a marking of his own. His was shaped like a giant black diamond, with smaller dots scattered sparsely around it. When he was done show-and-tell, Nazun simply gave Nikai and me a toothy smirk...
"Hey, Kozuna… Figured out what the black crescent on your left hand is yet?"
I glanced back at my hand and saw the mark glowing a deep orange inside the black edges. At the very sight, an intense burning sensation seemed to erupt out of nowhere; the previous tingling had evolved into nothing but pure pain... I bared my teeth and struggled to keep my eyes open as I gripped my left wrist. Nikai jerked his head to the side, watching me suffer, though there was nothing he could do...
"That right there is something that my organization is… researching… I'm sure you've already figured it out, Kozuna... You have a curse seal, and our little group has a vested interest in people with… Well, let's just say, 'unique' curses..."
So I was the target from the beginning, huh?
I opened one eye and glared back at Nazun, letting out quick gasps of air...
"Then explain where this mark came from! Things like these don't just magically appear overnight!"
Orion butted back in, slowly stepping closer to us, rubbing his palms together, and even licking his lips. He was looking deranged, and it hadn't even been ten minutes since we'd met...
"Wrong. You were born cursed. Our order has a way of manufacturing bullets with a special kind of blood- blood that comes from the root of all curses… If someone born with a curse is hit with one of our bullets, your curse seal will manifest on the outside, and it'll begin to take its toll in exchange for power… This is a phenomenon we call curse manifestation..."
"Aaaarrrgghhh!" I wailed out in anguish, falling to one knee. "So Nazun, you really were after me from the beginning? If I... had this curse before we met... you and this Orion guy set everything up?"
My vision's starting to get blurry… Everything's beginning to spin… I can't… I can't go unconscious… Not again… If these guys have curses… No amount of regular soldiers will… be able to save us...
"Oh, not just you; you pretentious little shit..."
Nazun fired a bullet at Nikai without a hint of hesitation. Nothing but an accursed smile was strung across his face. I could almost… feel the moment Nikai was shot. Like our increasing heart rates somehow synced up...
Nikai grasped his stomach and started throwing up blood moments later. He fell forward onto the ground, unable to catch himself. Blood pooled in the sand, just underneath his wound.
I tried to stand, but the sheer pain from my curse seal awakening dropped me back to the ground.
"Nikai!"
Sweat was building everywhere on my body, and my breathing was only growing more rapid. My friend was bleeding out right next to me, and I couldn't even bring myself to stand and fight back...
Orion walked just in front of us and glared down menacingly. He let off an ominous presence of pure darkness and wickedness. Though there was physically nothing there, I felt as if the seemingly intangible energy coming from his body was filling the world around me with despair. All ambiance left my ears. I could only hear my own breathing, locked in a cold gaze with Orion.
"Don't worry... In order to use his and your curses, we need you alive. You two won't be killed, not yet anyway..."
Orion kicked Nikai onto his back and sealed up the wound, covering it with his curse energy and stopping the bleeding. However, Nikai couldn't move. Already weakened from blood loss, he didn't seem conscious at all anymore. I tried getting back to my feet, but it was no use. The pain traveled up my arm and was starting to affect the rest of me. My eyes felt like they were gonna burst out of my skull. I knew they were bloodshot without even having to look in a mirror...
Nazun groaned in pure annoyance since apparently, something had finally not gone his way...
"Fuck... Kaiten and the soldiers are coming."
I looked over to see a buggy bash through the gate, with guns blazing. That gate being destroyed was soon followed by the gates in every other direction.
"Damn it. Nazun, handle that buggy and keep an eye on these two. I'll take out the western, eastern, and southern intruders."
Orion literally flashed away to handle his portions while Nazun turned my situation even more grim with only a few words...
"Don't even think about trying to do something... The snipers are on my side as well, they'll cripple you worse than ever. Of course, Orion will keep you alive, but only just barely… We don't need you two struggling against us."
Nazun put his gun away and drew his sword. The long black blade had a sleek silver edge and lacked a guard for the wielder. He swung the weapon around a little, readying himself for battle.
"...I can't wait to take Kaiten's soul... He'll be a good addition to my collection..."
Nazun's sword let off grey energy resembling smoke, and momentarily, that energy began to stir around the blade and twist like a miniature tornado. It even sounded vaguely like… high-pitched hissing and screaming... A small whirlwind that Nazun had complete control over, with the swing of his blade. It was no wonder he wrapped his sword...
I quickly blocked my face as the wind blew violently, but I was almost blown away from the force. Nikai- asleep- flew back into a nearby building at the edge of the street, but he still didn't wake...
Does he actually have souls in that sword..?
Nazun merely moved his weapon a single time...
Facing directly at the buggy, he slashed from above his head and downward, sending forth the giant energy whirlwind from the tip. Effortlessly, he split the vehicle clean in half. And along with his enemies, all the Bahsin clan members standing nearby were caught in the blast and shredded apart. Even the Ozukashi turncoat.
My eyes remained wide open in shock. At that point, everything was clear as day. Nothing was blurry. Those… mindless soldiers… were just pawns in the first place. It didn't matter whether or not they survived. Nazun and Orion had total control over the situation the entire time.
Yet, to even more of my surprise, Kaiten jumped out just before the energy could kill him. He kicked through the window of a nearby building, just narrowly avoiding death.
Kaiten, despite his old age, was agile as a cat… He hopped back outside within only a few seconds.
"I watched from a vantage point. Sorry I couldn't get here faster, Kozuna. I'm glad you two stalled them long enough for us to at least storm each gate. Now they're divided. I can handle Nazun alone."
"Kaiten! He has the snipers under his command, get to safety!"
Kaiten chuckled with a confident smile on his face.
"Oh, don't worry about them, they've been dealt with. I originally had a communication device on Nikai's disguise, so we could hear what the Bahsin were saying... And it worked out better than I thought. With the newly gained knowledge, I was able to dispatch a group of people to handle those pesky turncoat snipers. The people I sent aren't trained snipers, but they can for sure kill traitors."
Nazun pointed his sword at Kaiten, letting out a prideful, deep breath.
"Sharp as ever. Just what I'd expect from you, Commander Kaiten."
Kaiten pulled one of three swords from his waist and pointed it right back at Nazun.
"You have no right to call me commander, and you'll pay for what you did to my comrades."
"Bring it... Commander..."
***
A few moments of silence passed as the wind went still. Kaiten and Nazun stared each other down like they were sizing one another up; neither moved a muscle...
But the instant Kaiten took one step forward, Nazun rapidly slashed out whirlwinds in his direction.
"You're not the first curse user I've dealt with before, Nazun!"
Kaiten had disappeared from view until Nazun, and I realized he had sprung above the energy tornadoes. He managed to jump so high- and so fast- that we didn't even realize. He shot down at Nazun, wielding a second sword in his other hand, and smashed into the ground with such force that the earth seemed to shake. He even kicked up sand at Nazun without trying.
But Nazun had gotten out of the way; he wasn't so arrogant anymore to believe Kaiten couldn't defeat him...
"You can jump that high and move that fast, huh Kaiten? You don't have a curse… Something like that, especially for someone so ancient… It's not natural."
The commander smirked as he flashed ahead and bashed the hilt of his sword into Nazun's chin, following up with a roundhouse kick to his jaw that sent Nazun hurtling back.
"I never claimed to have gotten like this naturally… And besides, curses aren't natural either."
"Damn... Guess the stories about you are true. You're a tough nut to crack. Most people would've been killed by a single whirlwind," Nazun groaned, spitting blood from his mouth as he stood back up.
"Don't lump me in with most people..."
Kaiten dashed forward and punched Nazun in the throat as he finished talking, seemingly increasing in speed.
Nazun fell back and hit the ground while still gripping his sword in one hand.
How is Commander Kaiten so fast? I almost didn't see him move. And at his age...
Before we knew it, Kaiten was standing above him, with one of his swords pressed against Nazun's throat. But Nazun stared up at Kaiten with an undefeated look in his eyes.
"Oh please, don't think you've actually won this."
With his free hand, Nazun pointed behind him. Orion had already returned, and he was just standing there, waiting for Kaiten to notice.
"Make one move, and I'll kill Nazun."
"No need to be hasty, I have two people near me in terrible condition that I plan to take with me. You wouldn't want anything to happen to them, right?"
Kaiten glanced over at Nikai and me, needing to make a quick decision.
"Guh... Let them go... And I'll let your buddy here live."
"Hmm... No can do. Not a fair trade. Nazun could very well be killed by you, but his curse isn't any special. These two right here though, they do have something special..."
I didn't bother to listen to anything else Orion could say. I leaped to my feet and punched him square in the face with all the strength I could muster.
"Did you like that? You stuck up piece of shit."
My body showed that I was bluffing, my left arm was basically just dangling at that point, but I could still use my right arm. The sensation of curse energy flowing through me was both invigorating and empowering but simultaneously draining and painful...
Orion stumbled back quite a bit and adjusted his jaw while grunting; I almost thought I heard bones cracking when I hit him...
"...speed that can't be followed by normal eyes... and explosive striking force to boot... We waited too long to capture you… You could be the first curse user I've met in a long time who might be capable of matching my speed, Kozuna…"
Did he just say I've got superhuman speed AND superhuman strength?
Orion flicked his fingers at me, and a precise beam of white-gold energy traveled from his fingertips, straight for my face. His ability seemed to move at the speed of light, but everything felt slower for me when he performed the attack. I had an instant rush of adrenaline and could see the ray coming at me in the shape of an arrow.
I evaded the… energy arrow… But only by a little. I watched as the thin energy beam melted a small hole into a building when I glanced over my shoulder.
"Well now... that was... unexpected... Even though your abilities are... awakening... You shouldn't have enough speed to dodge my powers..."
Kaiten watched the whole thing happen in a matter of seconds. But with that small window of opportunity, Nazun kicked him away and got back to his feet. Orion flicked another arrow of light at me, and once again, I dodged it. Power was surging through me; I felt like a new man. However, while my curse was glowing bright, Orion's seal appeared to be fading away...
Soon, though, I found myself hunched over and unable to move without the help of my curse. I cracked a half-smile and held a determined face, staring into the fear-inducing eyes of my enemies...
"Is that... all you've got?"
I'm on the verge of collapsing...
"Just like our boss said... you'd apparently be able to move at superhuman speeds... But instantly? We need to retreat, Nazun. We don't know the limitations of his curse, and you're clearly no match for Kaiten. If he gets you in the sand again, he'll kill you... But more importantly... I'm almost out of energy... if I can't manage to land a hit on Kozuna, my power will continue to deplete... Keeping those Bahsin under my control for hours already drained a lot of my reserves... We can't use curses forever without drawbacks, remember? I've been using mine too long as it is... I'm already feeling... unwell..."
Nazun folded his arms and stepped closer to Orion.
"Fine… Next time I see you Kaiten, I WILL kill you. We won't keep you waiting long..."
Orion covered himself and Nazun in a bubble of energy, which disappeared in a flash before we could respond. As the fight ended, the adrenaline coursing through me started to calm down.
I shrieked in pain as the curse started taking its toll on my entire body. All of the symptoms I felt earlier came right back ten times harder.
"AAAARRRGHHHH... Ugghh... Seems like... the more I use it... The more... backlash it has..."
Kaiten rushed over to me and helped me to my feet.
"You're gonna need to get a hold on this thing. Those two and their group are coming after you and Nikai. These curses they mentioned... The use of curses is forbidden throughout the Ozukashi Clan. Because things like this can happen, or worse..."
"Yeah, this wasn't exactly planned, or something I can really explain either."
Once I was steady enough to stand, Kaiten lifted Nikai over his shoulders.
"We'll need to keep this a secret for now. If the clan leader finds out you and Nikai are cursed, he'll execute the both of you."
"Do you have any idea where curses come from?"
"No clue. But I'd bet those two and their syndicate know the origins..." Kaiten carried Nikai to the one remaining buggy nearby and placed him in the backseat, laying him on his back. "Come on, we need to see if anyone else survived. My buggy might be destroyed, but the one with your weapons wasn't caught in the blast."
Hopefully, Orion didn't wipe out the soldiers...
"Any idea how we can fight back? They seem to have no immediate repercussions from using their curses, unlike me…." I sat beside Kaiten as he fired up the engine. "And besides that, we still don't know what Nikai's curse even is..."
"I don't have a plan just yet, but we probably won't have Nikai to help us. If he's out for at least as long as you were... I'm guessing they'll strike within three days. If they give us too much time to prepare, they'll have a much harder mission to carry out... As for why your curse inhibits you, they'd probably know... It's something you're gonna have to figure out, Kozuna."
Oh, lovely...
We drove in silence, looking for survivors around Jigen. To no surprise of my own, there were none. Blast marks were on buildings and walls in the shape of people and automobiles. Orion had obliterated our forces easily.
"Your current mission is suspended for now. With the way things are, there's no chance I can leave the investigation to you guys. Everything about this whole situation has taken a drastic turn for the worst."
"I get it... First thing we need to do is get this new curse situation under control."
***
After thoroughly searching Jigen for a while, Kaiten decided to head back to Sanzo.
"The Ozukashi's head of research, a woman named Zara, has a secret lab underground in The Primary… We're gonna gather up your squad and head there. If there's anyone with at least some knowledge on curses, it's her..."
"She gonna try to turn Nikai and me in?"
"No, she wouldn't do that. But let's stay on subject: first we pick up Yvira. Her intelligence along with Zara's would be good for getting a grasp of how bad this is. Second, we head straight back to the city with no stops. If we get ambushed on the road, we might not be so lucky again..."
I stared out the side of the buggy, staying in my thoughts.
There wasn't even a trace of the bodies, neither from Orion or Nazun. The only things we saw were blast mark silhouettes and destroyed structures... Was it possible they were responsible for the mass murder of Jigen this entire time?
"By any chance, have you spoken to Anari, Commander?"
"Just before I left The Primary for this mission. She's able to walk around and do anything not too strenuous. Are you concerned for her?"
"Of course, but more than that, I want her to come with us to this research lab. She needs to know about everything that's happened..."
"Yes. You're right..."
Time passed quickly as we drove in silence, but as I waited, I couldn't help but look at Nikai. His curse seal was already showing. It started at the center of his forehead, looped down to his eyes, and even his jaw.
His mark is a lot bigger than mine, and it's in a much more noticeable place...
"Commander, Nikai's seal is showing. We need to hurry."
"Damn it, already?" Kaiten reached below his seat and pulled a hidden lever. "Hold on tight..."
The buggy screeched with the engine powering up, our speed grew monumentally. We could see the southern gate of Sanzo by then, and I could make out a figure just outside the gate. It was Yvira. She was standing there, her arms folded and with an upset look tattoed to her face.
"Well, I guess she's out of her funk..."
"Yeah, she can be angry at you while we drive. There's no time to waste, Kozuna, if Nikai's mark is showing, we need to get him to that lab ASAP. It's the only safe place for him..."
Kaiten drifted the buggy over, stopping a few feet in front of Yvira. She walked directly over to me and slapped an imprint of her hand onto my cheek. Instantly, my head flopped back and hit the headrest.
"Owwww..."
Yvira growled ferociously and squeezed me tightly. First, there was sour, then there was Yvira...
"You better not ever do some reckless... dumb... Nikai-like shit ever again..."
Thankfully, Kaiten chose to interrupt what would've become Yvira's rage-induced whispering.
"We need to get a move on, Yvira. Get in. The state of affairs has escalated, we'll explain everything on the way."
"Where are we headed?"
"The Primary."
Without questioning us, Yvira jogged to the driver's side backseat and grabbed Nikai's legs. She sat down, then proceeded to rest his legs on her lap.
"I'm gonna keep an eye on you, Kozuna, so you don't do anything else stupid... Now both of you... Start talking."