Anari
My eyes fluttered open slowly. At first... everything was blurry... Clarity came shortly after, while I sat up in a bed with torso pain…
"Damn... What happened?"
I realized I was in a hospital, and several machines were hooked up to my body. On the wall was an x-ray scan of my entire body. I couldn't tell if I had been injured, but I didn't see anything that appeared to be an issue. Though, the pain in my stomach wasn't going away.
To my side was a small table that folded over the bed. It had a small assortment of nutritious food. Everything appeared to be fresh at first glance, though it probably wasn't the reality. On my plate was a variety of man-cultivated fruits, and the only thing I had to drink was a half-full glass of water.
I quickly gobbled it all down and laid back into the bed with a sigh.
I need to rest… When that helicopter got split in half, Kaiten and I ended up protecting Shin and Helix… They should be the ones in these beds… not us…
"So you're finally awake, huh?"
Who the hell was that?
I sat back up in the bed and cleared my throat, glancing to my right. Kaiten was there, in another hospital bed. He was rubbing his shoulder and groaning, though quietly.
"So… You woke up before me… Any idea how long I've been out?"
"I woke up a couple hours ago; a nurse came in and spoke with me. It's been two days, Anari. A lot happened after we blacked out…"
"A lot like what?"
"A lot like Kozuna, Yvira, and Zara being imprisoned."
"WHAT?" I jumped out of my bed, with the medical equipment attached to me almost falling off. "What do you mean imprisoned? What happened with Nazun?"
"The clan leader heard that someone was using curses and sent one of his councilors to capture the curse user and anyone else involved… So far, no one's approached us though, even though we knew…"
"So what? Yvira and Zara kept quiet?"
"Most likely… We can't do anything rash… We still need to check on Nikai."
I ripped all of the medical devices off my body and pulled the curtain between my bed and Kaiten's shut, grabbing my clothes off the nearby table.
First, we gotta make sure everything's good with Nikai… Then we can figure out the prison situation… What. The. FUCK. Every time I'm not around, my dumbass squad gets itself in trouble…
"I think... I need to speak to my brother about this... I've been complacent towards his actions for too long… I don't care what strings I have to pull… I'll get those three out of jail."
His brother? Who the fuck is Kaiten's brother?
"What… is your brother, some political figure?"
"My brother is the clan leader, Izanai Ozukashi."
I paused in the middle of getting dressed, my eyes darting to the left and right momentarily as I struggled to process what Kaiten had just said to me… As I finished silently getting dressed, I pulled back the curtain.
"WHAT THE HELL? SINCE WHEN WERE THE TWO OF YOU BROTHERS? AND WHY IS THIS THE FIRST I'M HEARING OF THIS?!?"
Kaiten stared at me with annoyance, the first time I'd ever seen him somewhat pissed off.
"I'm not proud of the type of leader my brother is... dictator is more like it... I'm sorry I didn't tell you, or anyone else... But, I'm going to talk to him right after we check on Nikai, try to make him pardon the others. We never got along well, so neither of us tell people we're brothers... Still, I believe he'll listen to me before the words of random strangers. We are family, after all."
"Yeah, well, next time, don't hoard secrets. You should've told us, especially Kozuna and Nikai. Izanai despises curses, don't you think that would be good info for the two of them?"
Kaiten merely shook his head as he geared up.
"Let's get going. We've got a lot to take care of."
***
Walking outside, I recognized the location we were hospitalized at.
It was the western district, an area entirely untouched by the invaders, far from the warzone.
An equally vibrant and lively district within The Primary, lights were strung across the populated streets. The buildings- structured right up against one another, side-by-side- were completely intact. Unlike the images we saw in newspapers, pictures of where the fighting took place.
The first thing we did was check a nearby newsstand.
There was distorted imagery of Nazun's energy form, except far more prominent than the one I'd witnessed. But, Nazun himself was far too blurry to be made out. The only high definition thing within any of the pictures taken was the person unprotected by a barrier of energy: Kozuna.
Kaiten and I read the paper silently in our minds, peering at the images as our squinted eyes scanned the sentences. I started to growl quietly, my brow furrowing.
"A member of the Ozukashi clan, Kozuna Ozukashi, is reported to have gone on a rampage recently, showcasing the power of what it means to be cursed… He laid waste to the northern district of the clan, killing an estimated seven hundred, and injuring thousands more… Clan Lord Izanai dispatched a member of the High Council, Councilor Livian, to capture a weakened Kozuna, following his bout with the well-respected Commander Kaiten. Along with the young man hiding his curse, two other known accomplices, Yvira and Zara, were taken into custody. As of now, the three are safely secured in Sand Tower. Currently, an investigation is underway to find out if there were any other co-conspirators..."
Everything's really fucking escalated… I may not know what happened after Kaiten and I blacked out… But I know this story isn't true. Every word of it is a lie… This whole thing just feels… fishy…
"Anari… Sorry for the change of plans, but we need to pay a visit to Sand Tower… before we check on Nikai."
"Why?"
"There's a couple people there who can fill us in on current events. Accurately."
Without waiting for a response, Kaiten took the lead, flagging down the first taxi he could find.
"Where do you need to go?"
"Sand Tower," Kaiten answered, motioning for me to come along.
Shortly, we hopped in the taxi-buggy and headed directly for Sand Tower.
***
It was a reasonably short drive, taking us only about a half-hour to reach Sand Tower.
Without skipping a beat, Kaiten paid the driver, and the two of us stepped off the buggy, gazing up at that skyscraper of a prison. And thanks to having the Commander along, the guards let us in without any trouble. All that was required was a show of identification, and of course, Kaiten bringing me in as his plus one.
Usually, especially during times of crisis, civilians were forbidden from visiting maximum-security prisons. And even though I was a soldier, I was nowhere near high-ranked enough to get in on my own. Not that I much wanted to enter the unsavory, dirty jail of sand and steel…
"Do you know where the prisoners, Yvira and Zara Ozukashi are being held?"
Kaiten rested his arms on the receptionist's desk, patiently waiting for her answer.
"Yes, just give me a moment..." The lady took her time thumbing through a small book; she appeared half-asleep. "Floor thirty-nine… They're sharing a cell. Take the elevator or the stairs. One of the guards upstairs can direct you to the exact cell."
"Yes... I know the process."
Taking the shaky elevator, we arrived at the thirty-ninth floor after riding for only a couple minutes. The commander didn't even bother asking a guard for directions; he simply forged his own path and quickly located Zara and Yvira, as I uncomfortably followed along…
Many of the prisoners seemed to recognize Commander Kaiten, and he recognized them right back. Apparently, he personally apprehended some of them and even faced them in combat. His track record as a leader was showing… Whereas mine was not…
Yvira zoomed over and gripped the cell bars as we came into view, nearly poking her head out.
"Anari! Kaiten! You guys are alive, I'm so glad! Oh, sorry- I mean, Commander! Sir!"
"At ease. There's no need for all the formalities. I'd like to ask how you two are doing, but there's little time, we only woke today, and we need to check on Nikai… But before we do, we need you two to fill us in on the situation… The reporters don't seem to be telling much of the truth…"
Zara jumped out of her stone bed.
"Where to begin..."
***
In a few short minutes, Kaiten and I got caught up to speed with everything… What happened after the crash, the extent of Nazun's power, his defeat, the involvement of Livian, the imprisonment, and the lack of information regarding Nikai's state.
"Shin came by for a visit after he and Helix dropped you two off at the hospital... while Helix stayed to watch over you, Commander…" Zara paced back and forth, folding her arms. "I sent Shin back to the lab to keep an eye on things… but… he hasn't reported back… I'm a bit worried, I won't lie…"
"We'll make sure he's alright. Now that Kaiten and I are back in the fold, everything'll be under control." I grinned, cracking my knuckles. "Besides… Shin can take care of himself, he's probably fine."
Eyes shut with a slight smirk, Kaiten nodded.
"Anari's right. But just in case, we'll still hurry. Watch over yourselves, you two."
Zara scoffed, sitting at the foot of her bed.
"You don't have to tell us that. Just like I shouldn't have to tell you to stay safe."
And with that, we again set off by taxi-buggy, back toward our initial goal.
***
"Shin?" Kaiten called as we entered the underground facility.
I gripped the gun at my hip, glancing around the hall as the lights flickered. It was a lab and way too damn quiet. The only things I could hear were the footsteps of Kaiten, as well as my own.
"Shin? Are you here?" Kaiten shouted, stopping to sniff. "...there's a faint scent of fresh blood in the air… Anari, on your guard…"
"...yes sir," I muttered, pulling my pistol into the palms of my hands.
We began taking gradual steps closer to the room where Nikai was locked in, though we still heard no noises. No signs of any life. The commander took up a single sword, leaving the other two at his hip. Cautiously, he approached the door, moving slowly to not make a single peep…
This is creepy…
With a gentle push, the door creaked open, and Kaiten walked in, keeping me close by.
My breathing began overpowering my lungs in an instant.
All across the floor were bloodstains and torn-up bodies. The little bit of furniture was destroyed, and of course, the containment cell was blown open. Whatever Nikai had transformed into, it was powerful enough to break out of an anti-curse technology holding pen…
Kaiten and I hurried to check the bodies, but there wasn't much of a point…
What appeared to be claw marks were left behind in the bodies, and whatever wasn't claw marks were searing holes... like someone lit a flare from the inside and let it explode… The crackling cavities left in those poor souls chests' had already melted their hearts.
Necks were slashed open, vital organs were punctured, entrails were out… Everything I didn't want to see… was what I saw.
"C-commander..? A-Anari..?"
Kaiten and I heard a familiar voice leading us to dash inside the room Nikai was formerly left to sleep in, where we found Shin… He was hurt and barely conscious, but not dead…
"Shin? What happened here? Where is Nikai?"
"H-he transformed… Destroyed everything, k-killed everyone… He's still roaming the facility… I tried to be quiet, hoping that… he'd leave, but… I know he's still here…"
I pushed Kaiten aside, kneeling and lifting a bleeding Shin's torso onto my lap.
"Can you stand? Are you gonna at least live?"
"I'll be fine once I get patched up… I had to play dead… He caught us by surprise… We weren't… pr-prepared… Just blew a hole in the wall and started shredding people apart… launching orbs of fire…"
In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of what looked like a moving shadow in the already dimly-lit room… And Kaiten noticed it too. He didn't hesitate to take up a second sword, standing before Shin and me like he was our personal guardian.
"You two stay behind me…" Kaiten took one step forward, calling out in a loud voice, "Come out, Nikai! We know you're still here! If you're looking for a fight, your opponent will be me!"
To no surprise, Nikai stepped into view, though he was still… hiding in the shadows…
His previously normal, dark human skin was wrapped in what appeared to be black curse energy, resembling a man engulfed in black flames… or, more accurately, shadows… Shadows that moved like they blew in the wind but didn't go anywhere. They remained…
We had no visual of Nikai behind the transformation. All of his human features were obscured. In place of his eyes were blobs of red smoke-like energy. And nothing but pure darkness covered his mouth, just like the vast majority of his transformed body. He was taller than before, and his physique seemed generally more buff… Finally, his hand and feet sharpened to the point of forming claws, and large red-tipped spikes protruded from his upper back.
"Is this... what curses do to people..?"
I was frozen in place upon seeing what Nikai had turned into, and as my eyes met the red dots that were his eyes, I felt my body shut down on its own… I was then literally frozen in place.
"Don't look him in the eyes… It'll paralyze you… A lot of us learned that the hard way…"
Hunched over, Nikai seemed to just be brooding, silently and ominously. He was standing completely still, just staring at us. There was no emotion to be seen behind the red fog on his face, and if what I was told was true, Nikai didn't recognize any of us.
We were all liable to get killed… And I was scared to even TRY to make the tiniest peep.
But Commander Kaiten stood there, unfaltering as usual. A true leader.
Nikai began widening his claws a bit, and Kaiten crossed his blades before his chest, lowering his head just a little. For the second time, I was about to witness Kaiten go toe-to-toe with a curse user.
"Judging by the state of the lab… I think it's safe to assume you only have the intent to kill… Is my assessment accurate, Nikai?"
Nikai had no response to anything. He shadow-stepped behind Kaiten and tried to slash him clean open, but Kaiten reacted fast, turning and parrying the claws with nothing more than his swords.
Did he just… teleport into Kaiten's shadow..?
"Anari, Shin… Best if you two keep quiet and let me take his attention… Play dead or something!"
In moments, Nikai unleashed a flurry of claw strikes on Kaiten, who blocked over and over while gradually taking steps away. Naturally, Nikai followed, and in doing so… the Commander had already lured Nikai away from Shin and me.
During Nikai's continuous attacks, flames erupted in the palms of his claws. He attempted to not only tear Kaiten open... but also light him on fire at the same time... But it wasn't like the Commander was a pushover… Kaiten leaped backward behind the half-broken table and launched it at Nikai was a powerful kick.
Nikai practically turned into a mini twister with how fast he moved, ripping the table to splinters and rushing right back in at Kaiten.
Grunting at the expense of the incoming threat, Kaiten ducked out of the way, and Nikai… passed through the wall…
What the- Hold on… What just happened?
"I see… Paralysis from looking in his eyes… Creating fire… Passing through objects so long as the object is stationary… And increased physical attributes… Not a bad beginner's combination, Nikai!" Kaiten proclaimed, moving away from the wall. "This'll be good for rehabilitating my body… If I can find a way to knock him out… His physical body, that is…"
Shin and I met eyes without our heads moving an inch. We were both pretty much unable to help the Commander, once again… And only two days later, at that…
A few silent seconds that felt like an eternity went by before Nikai came bursting right back through the wall, leaving embers in the wake of the giant hole he'd just created.
Was this what it was like before Kaiten and I arrived..? Pure mayhem?
Nikai fought like a deranged animal, with the way he swiped his claws at Kaiten. His focus was entirely on the Commander, and by watching from a distance, it became pretty easy to see that Nikai could be beaten so long as the one he fought remained calm and calculated.
And no one fit that bill better than Commander Kaiten.
He waited for the perfect moment to strike, continuously blocking and evading until he could knock both of Nikai's claws out of his way with a single slash of his sword. Kaiten clearly had been reading Nikai's patterns and movements, showing off his experience without having to show off at all.
Kaiten not only broke Nikai's defense but also went on the offensive, bashing Nikai in the face with the hilt of his second sword. Nikai staggered backward, shaking his head like he was going crazy, and that was when Kaiten really put on the pressure…
Pretty much with a lunge, Kaiten punched Nikai square in the face while still wielding his sword. And from there, it was a smooth set of blows to Nikai, one hit after another. And with each consecutive strike, the shadows cloaking Nikai's body grew less opaque. Kaiten finished his combination with a kick to Nikai's chest, which ultimately sent him flying back through the hole he'd created only minutes ago.
Kaiten, without uttering a word, hurled his sword through Nikai's arm, planting the blade firmly in the floor. And with Nikai seemingly coming back to his senses somewhat, as his power was weakening from the ass-whooping he was busy receiving, Kaiten went in and wailed on him some more until the shadows vanished entirely. And it was only then that Kaiten stopped beating the shit out of Nikai with minimal difficulty. However, his sword remained inside Nikai's arm, even after the curse disengaged.
Nikai was breathing heavily when he was finally back to being himself, sweating uncontrollably… His eyes were bloodshot. He had no control over what he'd done, but it was clear the memory was seared into his mind. But when he came to, the paralysis on me was lifted, and I could stand, helping Shin up simultaneously.
"I'm sorry… I'm… really sorry…" Nikai lamented, gripping his forehead.
Kaiten sighed and shook his head, retrieving his sword from Nikai's bicep.
"Get up, kiddo… Let's get you patched up…"
***
Kaiten did an excellent job of making the rest of us look incompetent, even a powerful curse wielder like Nikai… Even after the battle and being hospitalized, he wasn't tired and still had the energy to clean and dress the wounds of all three of us.
Nikai almost couldn't blink at the sight of the damage he'd done to the facility and its populace… And rightfully so. I was left in shambles too, just from seeing it… I didn't wanna begin to imagine what was going through his head, the killer's head…
Shin, Nikai, and I all ended up sitting on the floor after everything was said and done, as Kaiten could still stand, left to ponder on our next move.
"Well… Now that this ordeal has been settled… The matter of innocence for Kozuna, Yvira, and Zara still needs to be taken care of…"
"Wait, what? What's going on?"
Nikai looked at all three of us, the one guy who'd been out of the loop ever since he went to sleep.
"It's a lot to explain… Actually…" Kaiten turned away from us, fixing his collar. "Anari, Shin… You two... explain what's going on to Nikai... while all three of you get to work cleaning up this place… After a meal and a little bit of rest, of course…"
How are we supposed to clean this place up? There are dead bodies in here… The walls are destroyed…
"What are you gonna do?" I coughed, covering my mouth.
"I've got a meeting with the clan leader…"
Right… With everything that happened just now… It completely slipped my mind… Kaiten has to speak with his brother and try to pardon Kozuna, Yvira, and Zara… I guess... work for a leader like him never stops… All while we're supposed to clean this place up… Whatever… It doesn't matter…
Good luck, Kaiten…