Just a casual note, Cú Chulainn once killed a man by throwing an apple at his head…yeah, that's the level we're dealing with.
Chapter 4: Geas
Saturday September 13, 2008
Dark Hour
"Come on Sanada, you can hit harder than that!" shouted Ryuden.
"RAH!"
*THUD*
"Again!"
"RAH!"
*THUD*
"AGAIN!
"RAH!"
*THUD*
"Stop, take a breather."
Akihiko stopped to catch his breath, "Damn, you're quite the task master Yamamoto."
"If you're going to hit someone with a solid shield, then we'll have you hitting them hard enough to stagger them," Ryuden said, taking off his shield, giving his arm a much needed break.
After having their discussion, the members of SEES had a training session every Wednesday and Saturday night. After 5 minutes of stretching and preparing, they would battle in front of the dorm. First Akihiko would fight Ryuden for 10 minutes, then Mitsuru would fight him. They'd alternate two more times, then spend the last 10 minutes all battling before cooling down for the last 5 minutes.
Akihiko had just wrapped up his second round with Ryuden. While the wielder of Ulsters Hero had the strength and speed of his persona, endurance was something he had to build up himself. The training course he partook in had somewhat helped, but the level persona users fought was beyond that of regular humans. Now, Ryuden was feeling the burn, and there was still 20 minutes left in their session.
"Ojou-sama, your turn," Ryuden called out.
Mitsuru had been sitting on the stairs leading up to the dorm, taking her breather. When Ryuden called her, she stood up.
"Same as before?" She asked.
"Same as before," Ryuden confirmed.
Mitsuru took out her rapier as she approached, "Before we continue, Yamamoto-san, did you have a chance to read or ask Setanta about our next opponent?"
Ryuden grimaced, he indeed had done so. "The answer is complicated. Due to poor record keeping, the story of the Táin is very fragmented and there's some guess work involved."
"How so?"
"If I continue after the death of Fraech, the book says that one version of the story has Cú Chulainn fighting one group in one place, but another version of the story has him fighting a different group in a different place."
"Was Setanta able to confirm his version of the events?"
Ryuden nodded, but he wasn't smiling "Yes, he told me he fought Meslir in Ath Meislir. It was a group of six men in total." Neither Mitsuru or Akihiko relished the thought of fighting multiple shadows with that amount of power. The concern must have been evident on their faces, "The other version also had six men. This is just one paragraph in the book though, it may not come to pass."
"What if it doesn't, what should we be prepared for?" Akihiko asked.
"Well, the next section is Orlám, but Cú Chulainn kills him pretty quickly. If you ask me, it sounds like he snuck up on him and killed him," Ryuden reasoned.
"I did, thank you very much. Had to send a message to queen Madb, and I wasn't going to waste the opportunity."
'Figures,' Ryuden quickly replied in his thoughts.
"Alright, that'll do for now. Let's go, Yamamoto-san," Mitsuru said, aiming her rapier at him.
"Ready when you are, ojou-sama." Ryuden had his shield back in place, but wasn't looking to use it unless he really needed to.
Mitsuru charged him. The purpose of this exercise was simple. Ryuden would do what any spear wielder would do against someone with a shorter ranged weapon, keep away. Every time Mitsuru came in for an attack, his spear would be there to greet her. Knowing how difficult it was getting close to him annoyed Mitsuru to no end, but she understood the importance of this practice. She'd come close to landing a hit multiple times, but every time she got past his spear, his shield would be ready to stop her attempt. After that he would backpedal or force her to retreat, starting the whole process over again.
Speaking off, everyone was very grateful that Penthesilea had a move that could heal them. However, they didn't want to push it, so they used blunted weapons during practice to ensure it wouldn't cut deep. They also never aimed for the head on purpose.
*CLUNK*
"Tsk!" Mitsuru tried to adjust her stance as her sword hit his shield, but Ryuden wouldn't let her. He swung low, aiming at her legs. Mitsuru reacted instinctively, and jumped over the spear. However, paired with the fact that Mitsuru was still adjusting her footing, she stumbled upon landing. Ryuden came in close and bashed her with his shield. This sent Mitsuru down to the ground. She hadn't been hit in the head, but it still knocked the wind out of her.
"As someone who fights with a rapier, your footwork is very good. However, you still need to work on recovering when your stance gets interrupted," Ryuden was trying not to lecture, he was trying to remind her why they were doing this practice.
"I'm…well aware," she said, catching her breath, as she got back to her feet. She readied her sword, immediately ready to get back in. "Again," she said before thrusting her blade at Ryuden.
Akihiko watched from afar, 'When I fight, I just bat away his spear with one hand and hit him with the other. Mitsuru uses a one handed fighting style. I wonder if we can give her a guard or something on her left, then this wouldn't be an issue…but then she'd have to completely change the fighting style she's honed these last few years. Tough to balance.' Akihiko took a drink of water. 'Can't deny the benefit of training like this. Even my regular routine doesn't leave me feeling this sore in the morning.' As he was watching, Mitsuru had gotten close enough to deliver another blow, but was again blocked by Ryudens shield. This time, Mitsuru was quick to pull back before getting bashed by the shield, and went back enough to outrange even the spear.
"That was better, your footwork and balance is without a doubt your strongest points. Maybe we can find a workout or something to help you with it even further. We can get a medicine ball or something," Ryuden was starting to ramble.
"Mitsuru, let's go," Akihiko got off the porch. He was ready to bring the pain to Ryuden for the last 10 minutes of their session. Akihiko was the only one allowed to aim for the head. You'd think hitting someone you consider a comrade in arms would be hard, but after Ryuden puts them through the ringer, Akihiko and Mitsuru always look forward to some "payback".
"Ready yourself, Yamamoto-san, we never hold back," Mitsuru said, getting serious.
Ryuden smirked, "Don't I know it."
The two charged in, Akihiko on his right, Mitsuru on his left. They both knew how to fight him when they worked together. Akihiko had a much easier time batting sway Ryudens spear, letting him close the distance quickly. This allowed Mitsuru to apply pressure without much fear of a counterattack. Her strikes would either hit him, or he'd block with his shield, there were no misses. The only way for Ryuden to even attempt an attack was to gain a little distance, but this resulted in him always being in motion, further dividing his attention in combat.
In Ryudens mind, there was no denying how well the two students worked together.
Akihiko landed a left hook on Ryudens face. Ryuden tried his best to power through and swat him with the shaft of his spear, but once Akihiko was close it was impossible to shake him off. While he was disoriented from the blow, he failed to notice Mitsuru had shifted. She was now behind him. He was about to backpedal from Akihiko when he felt the dull blade jab him in left leg multiple times. This dropped him to one knee, and allowed Akihiko to deliver a devastating uppercut. Ryuden dropped to the ground on his back.
…
"That was quite the hit, Akihiko," Mitsuru commented.
"Yeah, thanks for the opening," he replied.
"Ugh," Ryuden groaned, "What I wouldn't give to have Setantas endurance as well."
"You took my punch the other night, I'm sure you're fine," commented Akihiko.
"Yeah, but that's cause I was ready for it. Harder to do in the heat of battle," he said as he sat up slowly. "Man, you two are so good at fighting together. I've gotta admit, you're quite the power couple."
Akihiko laughed out loud as Mitsuru just sighed. Once Akihiko composed himself, he spoke up "Us? A couple? No chance."
Mitsuru nodded, "Akihiko and I work quite well together, but…how do I put this?"
"I don't see Mitsuru like that. She's more like a close sister or cousin," explained Akihiko.
"Yes, that sounds about right," Mitsuru agreed.
"My apologies," Ryuden said, getting back to his feet, "Since you two were on a first name basis I just kind of assumed."
"Apology accepted," Mitsuru said, "At the end of the day it's not a big deal."
"Well, it does mean one thing to me," Misturu raised an eyebrow at Ryuden, "This means I've got to make sure to protect you from the longing gaze of high school boys," Ryuden had a large grin on his face, to which Akihiko laughed again, while Mitsuru frowned at the light tease.
"Alright, that's enough you two, we don't have much time left in the dark hour so let's finish up for tonight," she was quick to change the subject.
The two boys made sure they had everything, and made their way inside.
"So, the school festival is coming up. What's your class doing, Mitsuru?" Akihiko attempted some small talk.
"I believe they're running a food stall of some sort. I believe it was yakisoba pan, or something similar. Apologies for not remembering the exact food, I've been busy reading through every class' planned projects." she answered.
"Right, you've been running everything with the student council. How's that going?" Akihiko followed up with another question.
"Busy. Very busy," Mitsuru admitted.
"I wish I could help, ojou-sama, but all I can do is offer advice if you request it," Ryuden said, trying to be helpful.
"Thank you, Yamamoto-san, I appreciate the offer."
"What did your class do at your last festival, Yamamoto?" Asked a curious Akihiko as they entered the dorm.
"The last one I was there for was a play. Knight fights dragon kind of thing. Cheesy stuff, but it was pretty fun," Ryuden answered.
Akihiko nudged Ryuden with his elbow, "Were you the knight in shining armor?"
"God no," Ryuden shook his head. "I worked off stage doing music and sound effects."
"That's still an integral part of a play," said Mitsuru, "Regardless, good work tonight gentlemen. I'll see you both in the morning," she took her leave.
"Night Mitsuru, I'll be right behind ya" Akihiko replied, following behind her, "Night Yamamoto."
"Goodnight Sanada-san, goodnight ojou-sama," Ryuden said as well.
Thursday September 18th, 2008
The Gekkoukan High School festival was due to start tomorrow. As such, the moment classes ended, the students and faculty alike were running around like crazy. Mitsuru was currently in the student counsel room, Ryuden had gone in with her. Not all of the students council members had arrived, but those that were there were clearly busy.
"Yamamoto-san, do you have a minute?" Mitsuru asked.
"Of course, ojou-sama, how can I help?"
"We're short staffed today, would you be willing to deliver some papers for us? I know you'd prefer to watch over me when you can, but I assure you that I'm quite safe while on school grounds."
The way she asked wasn't a request, but Ryuden would be hard pressed to turn it down, "Of course, you can count on me ojou-sama."
"Thank you, Yamamoto-san. Please take your time, I'll be here for a while."
"Understood, ojou-sama."
…
…
Delivering the papers had been quick and easy, every classroom got one, and almost every club had gotten one. Now there was only one club he had left, and he had mixed feelings about going in…
"I said I'd do it, so I've just gotta do it," with a small boost in confidence, Ryuden opened the door to the music club.
There were only a handful of students in the room, maybe five or six practicing on various instruments, but they all stopped when they saw him enter the room.
"Can we help you?" One boy holding a saxophone asked.
"Y-yeah, I'm here to deliver some papers to the club president, courtesy of oj- of Kirijo-san," Ryuden stumbled. Calling Mitsuru "ojou-sama" in this situation wouldn't have gotten them to understand the situation as quickly.
"Ah, that would be for me then," a moderately tall girl with long black hair in a ponytail stood up from a piano bench and walked to Ryuden. Based on her appearance, she looked to be a third year.
He held out the papers, "Here you are, miss."
She took the papers, "Thank you very much…" instead of looking at the papers, she studied Ryudens face.
"Umm…can I help you?" Ryuden asked.
"I've seen you around the school grounds a lot, but I couldn't be sure until now. You're Yamamoto, aren't you? You used to be a student here," she said with such certainty.
Ryuden couldn't help but look shocked, "What? Well, yes, but how?"
The girl nodded, "I thought so, I joined the music club as a freshman shortly before you left. My name is Yumi Nakajima, by the way."
It took a moment for Ryuden to recover from the shock, "Ryuden Yamamoto, just like you guessed. I'm surprised anyone here besides the faculty remember me. My class and the then second years have all graduated. I didn't think I left an impression on any freshman to have them remember me."
Yumi seemed to fidget, but only for a moment, "Well, if I may be blunt. When I joined the music club at the time, I sorta kinda…had a bit of a crush on you."
"Oh…I see. But back then…" Ryuden started.
"Yeah, you had a girlfriend, so I never acted on it. And before I knew it, you left the school entirely." Ryuden remained silent, "D-don't take any of that the wrong way. It was just a crush, and besides, I have a boyfriend now."
That relieved Ryuden, at least he didn't have to worry about this girl coming on to him. "I'm glad you found someone, and I'm glad you're leading the club to success."
Yumi smiled, "Of course," she smiled, but then her eyes started to shine, "Hey, since you're here, why don't you show these newbies how it's done?"
Ryuden froze, "I don't think that's a good idea, I haven't played in a while."
"Oh, then you should DEFINITELY try playing to make sure your fingers aren't rusty." Ryuden had a feeling he knew what was coming, but before he could say anything, "How about this. Can you play just one song for us? Just one. I won't ask for an encore."
Yup, Ryuden could feel that tingle in the back of his head. He COULD NOT say no. Was this thing inconsistent? No, it's more likely that his job of protecting Mitsuru could potentially override certain requests. He'd need to experiment at a later date.
"Alright, just one song. But I'm picking the song, and there will be no requests for a second song. Alright?" He tried to reason so he wouldn't get roped into more undeniable requests.
"Deal. Just the one, but it has to be an actual song, no short jingles," Yumi bartered.
"Deal," Ryuden made his way to the piano that Yumi had been playing before he entered. An upright, brown Yamaha piano. Very common, and known throughout the world. The one he had at his parents was the same brand and model.
He sat down on the piano bench, and stared at the keys in front of him.
'How long has it been? And what should I play?' He thought to himself. 'Hmm…how about Mozart? I had his C Major Sonata memorized at one point. What was the number again? K545? Let's see if I still have it.'
This song could be broken down into five sections. He could He raised his fingers over the piano, left pinky over middle C, right thumb over high C. He took a deep breath, and he started playing.
The first section of the piece was in C major, and was the easiest part of the song. His fingers stumbled a few times as he went up and down the scales, but he got through it without much issue.
The second section started off fine. Then it broke out into playing what sounded almost like incomplete arpeggios. Then a brief slow down before his favorite part, the trills. He nailed the trill, he did love them.
Third section, minor section and development. After an ok start, he went through what sounded like different scales, even though they weren't. He messed up a few times, given he couldn't remember when to deviate from what he thought he had to play versus what was actually meant to be played. However, he eventually got through it.
Fourth section, the F major section. It started off just like the first section, just in a different key signature. As such, the start was fine. It was halfway through where things started going wrong. The melody switched to being played with the left hand. The scales were pretty fast, and Ryuden messed up his fingering, that is playing a key with the unintended finger making it harder to press the next note or string of notes. As such, he completely lost the flow of the music and was forced to either try from just before he made the mistake, or just power through and pick up from after the mistake. He chose to try again. He had to slow down to hit the right keys with the right fingers, but he did get through it, and he…was enjoying himself. Mistakes and all, he felt at peace playing the piano. It soothed him in a way that few things else could. It reminded him of why he loved the piano.
Finally, he reached the last section. It started off like the second section, but in G major. The beginning was fine, the middle was OK. There were some slight deviations from the previous part, but he managed. Then came what he was looking forward to, one more trill. He played the trill with near perfection in his opinion. Then three final measures were played, and the song was complete.
The students around him applauded. Ryuden knew they were doing it to be kind, as any musician would, because his performance was rough.
"Told you it's been a bit. Life's been busy and I haven't taken the time to practice in forever," Ryuden said honestly. He had no one else to blame but himself for his skills degrading.
"What are you talking about? You haven't been practicing, but still have the song memorized?" Asked Yumi.
"Yeah, that's the song I've practiced the most, but even my memory failed me a few times. I couldn't remember what to play in that middle section."
"Don't worry, I think you did great for what it's worth. Thank you very much for the performance," Yumi thanked him as he started getting up from the piano bench.
"You're welcome, and thank you for reminding me that I still love piano," he said with a smile.
Yumi smiled in return, "You're always welcome back if you want to play some more."
Ryuden headed towards the door, "I think I might have to take you up on that offer."
Ryuden and Mitsuru were finally heading back to the dorm, though much later than the latter had intended. The fact they were both able to find seats on the monorail spoke of how late it was getting. Ryuden didn't mind, he was still riding the high from playing the piano earlier that day. Although he would admit to being very, very hungry.
"You look like you're in a good mood," Mitsuru commented, "Did something good happen today?"
Ryuden couldn't help but laugh, "That obvious huh? Yeah, it was a good day."
"I'm glad to hear it. I apologize again for making you stay so late."
"As I said before, it's all part of the job, so I don't mind" as he said this, his stomach started to growl, "Although my stomach seems to differ."
"We should get some food before heading back to the dorm. Between buying and cooking you may have to wait a bit longer," Mitsuru reasoned.
"Well, we could always just grab some fast food or something? It's not bad in moderation, and we won't have to wait as long until we eat," Ryuden thought his plan was a logical one. Besides, he'd be lying if he didn't say he was craving a burger from Wild Duck. However, he was surprised by Mitsuru's reaction to the suggestion. He expected acceptance or outright refusal, those wouldn't have surprised him. Instead, she looked hesitant, almost like she was unsure about the idea. "Are you okay, ojou-sama?"
Mitsuru took a moment before replying, looking around to ensure no one was listening to their conversation, "Can you keep a secret, Yamamoto-san?"
Ryuden wasn't sure where this was going, so he tried to make light of the situation, "I can if you order me to."
It at least had the result of making her smile, "Thank you. The truth is… I…" Ryuden waited patiently for her to continue, "I've never…eaten at Wild Duck. I haven't even been inside."
Ryuden simply raised an eyebrow, "Is that all?"
"Well…there's many other eateries like theirs that I haven't tried."
He thought over her answer, it made sense. Despite her attitude being otherwise, she was still rich. "So how can I help? Do you want to avoid the place entirely, or would you like to go together? I'm fine with whatever you pick."
Mitsuru thought it over as the monorail started slowing while pulling into the station. The duo got to their feet. "Let's try Wild Duck. I don't want to keep you waiting any longer than I already have."
"I told you it's not a big deal, but if you're sure about your choice then I'll support you."
The monorail came to a complete stop, and the duo disembarked. "I'm positive. I should learn about these types of things. I can't remain in the dark forever."
"Alright, Wild Duck it is," said Ryuden. 'Sweet sweet burger, here I come!' He thought happily.
Mitsuru and Ryuden were getting settled at one of the booths in Wild Duck, the food on their trays ready to be eaten.
"I must say, I expected the interior to be bigger," Mitsuru commented.
"Hmm, I never really thought about the size of this place before. But I guess they make it as big or small as needed depending on location?" He said it as a question, he wasn't too sure himself.
"I see," her response was short and simple.
"Anyway, time to dig in." He put his hands together, "thanks for the meal," grabbed his burger, and took a big bite.
'Oh Wild Duck, how I've missed your fast food wonder,' He was so engrossed in his enjoyment of the burger, he failed to notice Mitsuru analyzing him.
'So that's how you eat it, seems simple enough,' Mitsuru thought to herself, picking up her own burger and taking a bite, 'Though it does feel weird to eat with just my hands.'
The two ate in silence for a couple minutes before Ryuden spoke again, "So, what do you think of the food, ojou-sama?"
"I'll admit, it's better than expected. Thank you for bringing me here," she said.
"And thank you for treating me. I told you, you didn't have to do that."
"And I told you to consider it repayment for keeping you waiting. Once the school festival is over then things should quiet down for a little bit," Mitsuru fought off a wave of exhaustion as she said this.
"That's good to hear. The way you've been running around, you look like you could use a break," Ryuden said before eating a few fries.
"Hmm, that does sound like a nice idea, but it'll have to wait until after the festivities." The two ate a bit more of their food. "Yamamoto-san?"
"Yes, ojou-sama?"
"This might sound forward, but can you tell me about yourself?"
If he had food in his mouth, Ryuden might have choked. It was indeed very forward, and also unexpected. "I don't mind sharing, but do you mind if I ask why the sudden interest?"
"It involves," she leaned in a bit, "persona," she said in a hushed tone. "Ever since you first said you communicate with Setanta," she made sure to call his persona by its name, "I've thought about why I was unable to do the same with Penthesilea. I've tried on a few more occasions, but was unsuccessful each time. I was hoping to see if there was something special about you that allows you to do so. Perhaps this trait is limited only to you? Could you speak with our persona as well? It's been on my mind on and off the last few weeks."
Ryuden released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Sure, I don't think I'm anything special, but maybe you'll hear or think of something I'm overlooking." He paused to take a sip of his drink. "So, my mom is from up in Hokkaido, just outside of Sapporo." Mitsuru nodded, not wanting to interrupt. "Dad was…he was from America. He was from..ugh, which state was it? The one just off to the right of New York…Vermont, that was it." His change in demeanor wasn't lost on either of them. "Anyway, the two of them met in college when dad did some exchange program. I never got the full details, sorry; but they met, had a normal relationship, and eventually I came into the world."
Mitsuru was nodding her head again, "Alright, that doesn't seem too unusual. To be honest, I had a feeling one of your parents was western based on your facial features."
Ryuden frowned, "Yeah, it's not too noticeable if you look quickly, but once you study my face you can't unsee it."
"Your name, however, is very much Japanese. Is there a reason for that?"
"Yeah, I was told dad didn't have a good relationship with his remaining relatives, so he took mom's name when they married. Wanted to 'wipe the slate clean' or something, I guess."
"Not a practice I'm familiar with, but it does seem logical…How was your childhood? Was there anything of note?" Mitsuru asked, probing for more information.
"Nothing comes to mind, really. I think mom and dad moved a few times before I was born, but they eventually settled here in Iwatodai. My childhood was pretty normal. Some petty bullying when I was younger based on my appearance, but that eventually died off in high school. Nothing of note other than what happened to dad." Ryuden tried condensing due to the fact he couldn't think of anything that would stand out as relevant to their persona conversation.
"You make it sound as if there's truly nothing noteworthy about yourself," Mitsuru commented.
"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, but I can't think of any big events in my life that could have affected me," Ryuden confessed.
"Hmm…perhaps that's it then?" Ryuden raised an eyebrow at Mitsuru's comment, but she appeared to be thinking aloud "Perhaps it is your lack of trauma that allows the communication? But that would contradict everything we know up to this point."
While she was lost in thought, an idea came to Ryuden: just ask.
'Hey Setanta, did you truly choose me based purely off of your instinct?'
"I would akin it to something like instinct but…it's strange."
'Strange how?'
"I feel like there's something that draws me to you, but I'm not sure why that is."
'I see…'
"I apologize for being unable to give you a satisfactory answer."
'It's alright, thanks for the info,'
Ryuden cleared his throat, "Ojou-sama?"
He was able to break Mitsuru out of her rampant thoughts, "Oh, my apologies Yamamoto-san, I got distracted."
"I understand, Setanta did say he chose me out of a sort of instinct, but he was unable to explain exactly what it was. He wasn't sure himself."
"Is that so? Hmm…I don't think I'll get the answers I seek this way, but perhaps I can try connecting with Penthesilea again tonight."
"Alright, let me know if you need any help," Ryuden offered.
"Thank you, I will."
"Shall we finish our meals before they get cold?"
"Good idea," the two of them finished their meals in relative silence.
While Ryuden and Mitsuru ate their burgers, a different duo sat together at a ramen shop. One of which was Akihiko Sanada.
"So, what do you make of it?" Akihiko looked at his companion who was wearing a red trench coat with a beanie on his brownish hair.
"Tsk, why do you care what I think on the matter? You know I'm not a part of your little group anymore," he answered gruffly.
"Because I wanted a second opinion from someone I know and trust," Akihiko replied, not letting his frustration take hold. If there was one thing Shinjiro Aragaki was great at, it was getting under his skin.
"Really? That's the best you could come up with?" He waited, but Akihiko said nothing. Shinjiro sighed, "Honestly, it sounds like crap. Talking with your persona? You sure this guy is right in the head?"
"If he isn't, he's doing a great job at covering it up, but I don't think that's the case. His strength is the real deal," replied Akihiko.
Shinjiro scoffed, "Really? Not like you to go around complimenting others on their strength."
"I bet he could give you a run for your money," Akihiko said, goading.
"Whatever you say…" Shinjiro wasn't interested.
"We miss having you, Shinji. We could take an honest attempt at Tartarus if you came back."
"Not happening," Shinjiro immediately replied.
Akihiko just sighed, "Look, just give it some thought. You know where to find me." Akihiko got up from his stool. "And show up to school sometime." With only silence for a reply, Akihiko left the ramen shop.
Shinjiro Aragaki looked into his partially finished bowl of ramen. 'Talking persona…that's gotta be bullshit.'
Saturday September 20th, 2008
Today was a rare day. Not only was it the second day of Gekkoukan High Schools Festivities, but Ryuden was given days off for the entirety of the three festival days. He planned on going to the festival soon, but first he had somewhere he had to check.
Paulownia Mall
He was currently standing near the fountain, dressed in simple jeans, a black shirt, and his sneakers. He didn't want to stand out. Just like last time, he felt something drawing him to the alley near the stairs for karaoke. He wasn't scared, but that didn't stop him from feeling nervous. After all, he wasn't sure why he felt this pull.
'Only one way to find out,' he thought to himself. He started walking towards the alley. Upon a quick glance, it looked empty. No one was there, and nothing stood out as unusual. 'Very strange.' He continued on, and as he got closer to the dead end, something came into his view, a blue door.
"That was not there before," he said quietly. He stared at the door for a few moments, then noticed something in his pocket was glowing. "What?" He took out his wallet, and inside was the source of the glow. A key.
'Is this what I think it is?' He brought the key towards the door, and the door opened for him. Taking a deep breath, Ryuden stepped through the door.
…
…
In what seemed like an instant, Ryuden found himself in a very familiar field. He was sitting on a stone, and in front of him was exactly what he expected.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room, I'm glad you've found your way back, young Ryuden," spoke Igor with an ever present grin. "It seems you've been adjusting to your powers quite well."
"Yeah, I have. Though it seems like me being around has stirred up some vengeful ghosts," said Ryuden.
Igor chuckled, "Indeed, the future is full of unknowns, but the past is well known to those who study it, much like yourself." He motioned towards Ryuden with his hand.
"...who exactly are you, Igor? What do you stand to gain by helping me?" Asked Ryuden.
"I am who I am, the curator of the Velvet Room. Helping those like you is my purpose in life," responded Igor.
"Ok, but why? Why do all this? And how can you do all this?"
"I'm afraid I'm not permitted to answer some of the questions you have. But rest assured, I am on your side, and wish to see you and Setanta succeed."
Ryuden didn't respond. 'Not permitted? Does he also have some sort of geas? Or is there someone above him in the pecking order?...I don't think I'm getting an answer on this.'
"Alright then, I don't think I'm going to get a solid answer on this, so let's change the subject. Let's assume you're telling the truth. I think before you said something about altering the contract?" said Ryuden with interest.
"Indeed. You can obtain new powers and skills if you're willing to accept a new geas," explained Igor.
"...can I decline after hearing the conditions?"
"You may turn down the offer, as well as negotiate the conditions when applicable."
"Then how about…" Ryuden thought back to his earlier bout with the Laochra Shadow, the one taking the appearance of Fraech mac Fidaig. Specifically, the communication that took place then. "What if I wanted to understand Irish? Not speak it, but understand it when I 'hear' it."
Igor looked to his right, and a flash occurred as soon as he did. When the light faded, the familiar form of Setanta was standing before them.
"Tired of having me serve as a translator, Ryuden?" Asked the spirit of Ulster.
"It would definitely be helpful in the heat of battle. Something tells me that not every spirit will be as patient as Fraech was."
"Indeed, some will be quite dishonorable and fight unfairly. So…when you hear the language of my people, it will be as if you hear your native tongue. In exchange…" he paused for dramatic effect, but really, only Ryuden was affected, "You must have one minute of physical contact with a female not related to you by blood. This must be done on a daily basis."
Ryuden felt his jaw drop, "Excuse me, what?"
"Must I repeat myself? You need to have one minute of physical contact with a female every day. It need not be all at once. You can space it out if need be."
"Yeah, okay, but why?"
"Is it really that hard to grap, considering the other geas you already abide by?"
"...Okay, you got me there. But still, having to touch someone for this feels a bit…weird."
"I see no issue. You already have someone that is aware of your situation and would more than likely agree to help you if you simply told her."
…
"Kirijo-san…but why tell me this?"
"I am ever on your side, Ryuden. I must make you swear a geas in exchange for power, but nothing says I can't help you fulfill the requirements of the geas. Plus, I dare say this is an easy one."
"I mean, logistically yeah, it's super easy. But…let's put this on hold for now. I'd rather run the idea past Kirijo-san first."
"I find that acceptable, Igor?"
"Of course, I shall be here whenever the two of you are ready," he said, ever grinning.
"Thanks you two, I'll be back soon…"
…
Before he knew it, Ryuden was back in the alleyway. He quickly checked the time on his phone.
"Woah," it had only been about a minute in real time. This had been an amazing discovery, as had the promise of learning more abilities, but first… "I've got to talk with her tonight…"
The rest of the day had been fun for Ryuden. Going through the school festival and trying a bunch of different foods was definitely the most enjoyable part for him. Now it was about 6:30pm, and he was expecting Mitsuru to be home at any moment.
'How should I ask her about this? I know honestly is the best strategy with this, but I think leaving out the Velvet Room stuff is still a good call. I can't really explain what it is, nor can I confirm what Igor is…no, I'll keep it strictly between myself and Setanta, otherwise it could get messy. I should-' the sound of the door opening pulled his attention away.
Sure enough, Mitsuru had returned. Despite feeling tired, she was doing her best not to show it, especially since tonight was a training night.
"Welcome back, ojou-sama. Would you like something to drink?" He offered.
"No, thank you. I just need to sit down," she made her way over to her preferred chair, and sat down with a sigh. "Were you able to enjoy the festival, Yamamoto-san?"
"I was, I appreciate the string of days off for the school festival, it was fun and definitely delicious."
Mitsuru laughed softly, "Yes, there are certainly a wide variety of food stalls this year. And if you ever need time off for any reason, please don't hesitate to let me know."
"Thank you ojou-sama, I'm good with days off at the moment. But…there IS one thing I need to discuss with you."
Tired as she was, Mitsuru immediately perked up, "And that would be?"
"Geas," just one word and Mitsuru nodded, understanding the topic at hand, "Remember our fight against that large shadow?"
"I remember it, yes. What about it?"
"Well, during the battle it spoke to us a few times."
"...it did, didn't it? I didn't think about it at the time, but you seemed to understand it, didn't you?" Mitsuru asked.
He shook his head "I didn't understand it, but Setanta did. He translated for me during the fight," Ryuden corrected.
"Right, you can do that…so how does this tie to your vows? Your geas?"
"I have the opportunity to make a geas that would allow me to understand them as if they were speaking Japanese."
"Hmm, that would be beneficial if they're in a talking mood. But seeing as you're discussing this with me, I assume there's an issue," Mitsuru correctly deduced.
"Well, it's not so much an issue so much as…I'd need your help with completing the geas," Ryuden was getting closer to the part he was afraid of.
"And what would that be?" Mitsuru asked.
"In order to fulfill the geas…I need to have physical contact with a woman not blood related for one minute every day."
…
…
Silence reigned.
"Can you repeat that? I believe I misheard."
Ryuden took a deep breath, "In order to fulfill the terms of the geas, I need to touch a woman, for at least a minute every day."
…
"I see now why you brought this up to me. I'm the most convenient option for you to complete the geas," Mitsuru surmised.
"Yeah…if you don't want to do it, then I'll turn down the offer. I don't have to accept it," Ryuden reasoned.
Mitsuru thought before responding, "Does it specify what time of physical contact it is? Can it be anything?"
'Setanta?'
"Anything will do. As long as skin touches skin, I'll accept it," Setanta was quick to reply.
"Setanta said as long as skin touches skin, then we're good," Ryuden relayed the message.
"I see…" Mitsuru got up from her chair and walked next to Ryuden. "Stick out your pointer finger." Ryuden did as she commanded with his right hand. She lifted her hand as well, and the tips of their fingers touched. "Then this should suffice, correct?"
"...Setanta?" Ryuden inadvertently asked out loud.
"As I said, skin to skin, so that is fine."
"He said we're good," Ryuden said, relieved.
"That's good, do you need me to wait a minute?" Mitsuru asked.
"No, it's fine for now, I haven't accepted the geas yet. There's a thing he and I have to do," the two broke contact as he tried to dismiss the reason the geas couldn't be done immediately.
"I see. Then let me thank you, Yamamoto-san, for doing as I instructed and for confiding in me."
"Of course ojou-sama…"
"You look like you have something to say."
"I do. There's a geas I have that I really want to tell you, but…" he hesitated. He wanted to tell her about this geas. The one that made him have to follow instructions from females. Did he trust Mitsuru? Sure he did, but did he trust her with something that could essentially give her complete control over him if she did it right?...no, he wasn't sure yet.
"It's alright, Yamamoto-san, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready," she said while going back to her seat.
"Sorry, and thank you," he apologized.
"As I said, it's quite alright. I understand these vows must be serious for you to keep them as secret as you are. I don't want you to tell me until you are completely ready, understood?"
Ryuden felt that tug in the back of his mind again. 'Dang it, she had to go and word it like that. Well, at least now I know that when I'm ready to tell her, I'll truly be ready to tell her.'
"I understand," he took a quick glance at his phone to check the time. "I'm gonna head out for a little bit, I'll be back before our training session," he got up and made his way towards the door.
"Very good, be careful out there," Mitsuru said as he moved.
"I will. I'll let you know when and if I need you for the geas," he said as he reached the door.
"It might be beneficial to schedule a time for us to complete it. Like early in the morning before we leave for the day," Mitsuru offered.
"Great idea, we'll discuss it when I get back. See you in a bit," said Ryuden
"See you soon," Mitsuru replied as Ryuden left the dorm, leaving her alone with her thoughts. 'Such an interesting tradeoff for what amounts to a translator…I wonder what his other vows are?...I could twist his arm, but that seems unfair given the circumstances. I don't want him to distrust Akihiko and myself…still, I can't help but be curious.'
Monday, September 29th 2008
Dark Hour
Within the entrance to Tartarus was a long set of stairs, and a wide open space. On this night, the floor or Tartarus bubbled with thick black ooze. From this ooze an arm came out, followed by a second arm. The two arms pushed and pulled at the ground until a humanoid figure emerged. It drew a spear and shield as soon as it could.
"The time for vengeance is nigh. Come brothers, let us slay the spirit of Ulster!"
At his cry, five additional puddles of ooze formed and began to bubble.
…
While tonight was not a group training night, Ryuden was still practicing just outside the dorm. He still couldn't get a decent shot when using his sling. The problem remained his aim, he just couldn't get it right for proper targeting.
"Man…this sucks. I was hoping I'd have gotten it down by now."
"Fortunately, you're doing everything else right. Unfortunately, there's no further advice I can give you, other than continuing to practice."
"Yeah, and practice I shall," Ryuden picked up another small stone and put it in his sling. He was aiming at a tree on the opposite side of the road, but not a single one had hit it yet. After pulling back and aiming, he released…and the rock missed yet again. Ryuden sighed.
"Still at it Yamamoto?" Without having to turn, Ryuden recognized the voice of Akihiko approaching him. "Any improvement?"
"Yes, still at it. Nope, not yet," Ryuden said, shaking his head. "I don't want to give up on it, but missing all these shots takes its toll on my confidence."
"Nah, you shouldn't worry about that. You've got plenty of strength to fall back on…speaking of, want to mix things up tonight?" Akihiko sounded excited about his idea.
"What do you have in mind?" Ryuden was curious to hear him out. Turning around he saw Akihiko was carrying an extra set of boxing gloves.
"Want to go a round? I could use a good sparring partner." The grin on his face was practically screaming "say yes!"
Ryuden wouldn't lie, it was a very tempting offer. "Now THAT sounds like a good time, just give me a few minutes to clean up. Don't want to leave those rocks lying around, I'd rather reuse them for next time."
Akihiko grinned widely "Alright, I've been wai-"
The doors to the dorm slammed open, "Akihiko, Yamamoto, we have an emergency!" Both turned to face Mitsuru who was dressed and ready for combat. Her face looked very concerned.
Ryuden abandoned the rocks and rushed to group up.
"What's wrong, Mitsuru? Is it one of them again?" Akihiko asked.
Mitsuru nodded, "Yes, I believe it's another Laochra. However, I'm picking up multiple signals. Six of them to be precise."
Both Akihiko and Ryuden were shocked by her words, "Six of them?! These things are strong on their own, and now we're outnumbered two to one?!" Akihiko was not happy. To be honest, neither was Ryuden.
"Do we have a plan, ojou-sama?"
Mitsuru looked like she was deep in thought for a moment, "...perhaps we can get the drop on them. If we attack from a distance with our persona, we might be able to take some of them out with minimal injury. But if they're resistant or immune to some of our attacks…"
"Then I'll step in front and stop them," Akihiko said before Ryuden could offer himself. "If these guys are armed similar to the last, then I can put all that practice against Yamamoto to good use."
"Very good. Yamamoto-san, I expect they'll be aiming for you, so please don't do anything reckless. Let's make sure to support each other in battle as best as we can." The boys nodded at her words of encouragement. "Alright then. Tonight's objective is to take down the Laochra shadows and come back alive. Let's commence the operation."
…
The trio of persona users were hiding in an alleyway leading to the road Mitsuru claimed she could sense the Laochra shadows. The alleyway connected two different roadways, and was just wide enough for two of them to stand side by side.
"They're coming down this road now, are we ready to commence the plan as we discussed?" Mitsuru asked, taking out her evoker.
"I'm ready, let's do this," Akihiko said, readying his evoker.
"I'll do exactly as planned, ojou-sama," said Ryuden, his weapons sheathed and his evoker still stored.
Mitsuru looked at Ryuden, "Go." The single word was all it took for him to run into the road ahead as planned. Mitsuru and Akihiko remained standing side by side just a little ways into the alley.
When Ryuden ran into the road, he looked down to see the shadows, just as predicted. They were still too far for his weapons, and slightly too far for Setanta if he called on him.
'I could shout…but let's try this first,' he grabbed a rock and his sling. Loaded it, and pulled it back. It was then that two voices rang in his ear.
'Until you have proven sufficient mastery of it, you can't use it in a real fight.'
'Geas…geas…geas…'
"Shit, well…I'm not using it for a fight, I'm using it to get their attention!"
As he yelled out loud, the voices died down and he released the sling, sending the rock hurtling through the air.
*THUD*
*RRAAAAA!*
"Holy shit, I think I hit one," he cupped his hands near his mouth, "HEY UGLIES! OVER HERE!" he heard a chorus of roars respond. 'They seem more like regular shadows based on those roars.'
Ryuden saw the whole group of six shadows now, but only five started charging towards him. One of which looked exceedingly angry, the one running ahead of the others. Ryuden pulled out his evoker.
"Setanta!"
*BANG*
Setanta appeared in front of him and delivered a torrent of blows to the front most Laochra shadow. While Setanta was thrusting his spear, Ryuden wasted no time in pulling out his sword and closing the distance. The shadow, still stunned from Setantas attack, was helpless as Ryuden swung, cutting its head clean off, and causing it to start dissolving. 'I guess they aren't all the same quality as Fraech.' He saw the other shadows coming at him.
"Time to hustle," Ryuden said as he ran back towards the alley. As he got close to the entrance he heard the roars of shadows behind him, but he also heard a voice yell out.
"Don't chase him you fools!"
As Ryuden slipped into the alley, he saw Mitsuru and Akihiko standing at the ready. Ryuden ran to them before jumping over the pair, and standing behind them. They all had their evokers at the ready.
"Wait for my signal," Mitsuru instructed. The others silently obeyed. They could hear the movement, the roars, footsteps, then the first one entered the alley. "NOW! Penthesilea!"
"Polydeuces!"
"Setanta!"
As they knew more were right behind the first, Mitsuru and Akihiko released their personas who unleashed mabufu and mazio spells respectively, chaining their attacks through the first shadow and into the rest. Setanta did what he did best, skewering his opponent with his spear. The front most shadow had a gaping hole in its chest, and fell to its knees. However it didn't dissipate. Two more shadows came in from behind and quickly made up the distance as they hopped over their fallen comrade.
*BANG BANG BANG*
The sound of three evokers going off near simultaneously rang out. The two shadows, as well as the fallen one, were met with blasts of ice and electricity. The first shadow, having already been injured, started to slump over. The other two were forcing their way through the attacks, pushing their injured comrade forward. However it of them was met by a spear that went right through its skull, killing it instantly.
'Critical hit, could go for more of those,'' Ryuden thought to himself. The last shadow was almost upon the group.
"Fall back!" Mitsuru shouted, before the three of them ran through the alley as fast as their feet could take them. "Penthesilea!" Mitsuru pulled the trigger again. This time, instead of attacking the shadow, she used her persona to create a thick wall of ice between them and the Laochra shadows. It appeared to have worked as they heard the shadows roar in frustration.
The members of SEES exited the alley. They were now in a wide street that provided ample room to fight.
"Status report, Yamamoto," said Mitsuru.
"They haven't touched me, there were six just like you said, looks like we took out two. Permission to speculate?" Ryuden said as fast as possible.
"Granted," Mitsuru answered.
"I heard one of them barking orders in Irish, I believe that's the leader of this group. The others don't appear to have nearly the same level of intelligence as say Fraech," it was the conclusion he came to from listening to the shadows roaring like the primal beings they were, instead of talking like Fraech or the leader of this group.
"Interesting. It looks like we took down two so fat. Hopefully the ones remaining follow us through the alley as planned," Mitsuru said, thinking over the information Ryuden gave her.
There was the sound of something breaking, perhaps snapping, then uncomfortable silence before…
Akihiko saw it first, "DUCK!"
All three dropped to the ground, as multiple large chunks of ice were thrown at the group at high speed.
"The hell was that?!" Akihiko shouted, getting back to his feet.
"Ice, obviously, but I'm guessing that wasn't what you meant," Ryuden said, getting up as well.
Mitsuru got up swiftly as well, "I'm guessing they broke my ice wall and threw it back at us. Be prepared for them to emerge, we'll strike at once like before.
"Oh, now I wouldn't do that, lass,"
Even though Mitsuru and Akihiko couldn't understand what was said, the voice itself gave them pause. What emerged from the alleyway was a single Laochra shadow. It was bigger than the others of the group, and had its shield front and center, as well as a sword it clearly intended to use.
"Yamamoto, take point," Mitsuru said softly.
"Right," he said in reply. He took a step forward putting himself between the Laochra and his allies. "Who do I face in combat tonight?" he asked.
The shadow smiled devilishly, "Of course you'd ask, hero of Ulster. Rejoice, for tonight you shall fall before Dúngals of Irros!"
In the blink of an eye, Dúngals was upon Ryuden, who blocked the sword strike with his shield. Ryuden still had his spear drawn, so it was a battle of spear vs sword.
"Yamamoto!" Mitsuru prepared to charge in to assist.
"Wait!" But her shoulder was grabbed by Akihiko, making her focus on him, "Here come the others!" He pointed down the street, where the other three shadows approached, having gone around the wall of ice. They looked a little worse for the wear, but still ready to fight.
"Damn. Alright Akihiko, let's take these shadows down so we can support Yamamoto against the big one," Mitsuru would rather have taken out the big one first, but she trusted Ryuden could handle his own until they were able to support him.
"Go with the usual?" Akihiko asked.
"Yes, but be quick on your feet. There's more than one opponent now," Mitsuru confirmed.
"Got it," Akihiko had a grin on his face, "Time to see if all that training paid off." He took off towards the shadows, with Mitsuru right behind him.
As the group prepared to clash, Mitsuru pulled out her evoker, "Penthesilea!" Pulling the trigger, her persona appeared, and a burst of pink was aimed at one of the three Laochra. It hit, and the shadow halted, almost unsure of what to do. The two persona users soon clashed with the remaining two Laochra.
Akihiko wasted no time getting close to his opponent. When the spear came at him, he batted it away with one of his protected hands, then got as close as he could to the shadow to start punching hard and fast. Some of his strikes were blocked by the shield, but the force of his strikes were enough to knock his opponent off balance, allowing for more and more hits to land.
However, the same couldn't be said of Mitsuru. Just like her training sessions with Ryuden, Mitsuru was trying to bridge the gap between her blade, but her opponent kept her at bay with its spear. However, there was one major difference between this fight and a spar that she would take full advantage of.
*BANG*
Penthesilea aimed at the shadows legs, both knocking it off balance, but also covering the road in a layer of ice. Mitsuru was grateful that she could now fight with more than just her weapon. Mitsuru wasted no time in thrusting her weapon into the fallen shadow. It was, however, attempting to roll out of the way, forcing Mitsuru to adjust the angle of her attack. Where she initially was aiming for the head, she lowered her attack and stabbed into its torso. The shadow roared, dropping its spear and punching Mitsuru off of it.
While the punch did hurt, Mitsuru didn't falter, staying on her feet while taking a few steps back. Her weapon was immediately at the ready, charging the shadow as it stood up. Its spear having been dropped, it opted to draw its sword instead.
'Now that's more like it, something I'm familiar with,' she thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Akihiko had been landing blow after blow onto his opponent. The Laochra had bashed him with its shield a few times, but Akihiko had been ready for it, and simply chose to power through the hits. Eventually, it chose to disregard its spear, and started punching back. However, it was unable to fight effectively due to the shield still being attached to one arm. Akihiko delivered a powerful uppercut, and then saw his chance.
"Polydeuces!" With a loud bang, the Laochra was hit with a burst of lightning, further stunning it. Akihiko punched the shadow right in its face, then pulled the trigger again, resulting in more lightning. He repeated the process again, and the shadow fell onto its knees. "Take this!" With one more punch, Akihikos fist went straight through the shadows head, and it dissipated into thin air. He took a quick look to assess the situation. Mitsuru was still fighting a shadow, while the stunned one from before looked like it had just finished shaking off whatever she had done to it.
'She'll be fine, I'll take care of him instead,' he thought while charging towards his new opponent.
Thanks to all the time she spent fencing, Mitsuru was doing an excellent job keeping the shadows blade from hitting her. The downside was that it still had that pesky shield blocking her sword strikes. Likewise, every time she reached for her evoker, the Laochra would turn up the pressure and she would need both hands to parry its thicker sword. She was now weighing alternate options. In fact she was even considering something that she thought of as "quite reckless."
She parried her opponent, and charged in even though her blade was not positioned to strike. What was ready, however, was her knee. Having not expected such a maneuver, the Laochra was not able to bring its shield into position as Mitsuru jumped and brought her knee right into its solar plexus. As they both fell over, Mitsuru brought her sword up to strike. With a combination of strength, momentum, and gravity, Mitsuru drove her sword straight into the shadows head as they hit the ground. The shadow began dissipating as soon after.
She got to her feet quickly, noting there was only one shadow left between the three they started with. "Akihiko!" She shouted, seeing him batting away a spear.
"I'm fine, go support Yamamoto!" His reply came quickly, he knew he could take on this last one alone. The talking Laochra, on the other hand, should have all hands on deck.
"Right, don't take too long!" Mitsuru said as she turned and ran back towards Ryuden.
The shadow smiled devilishly, "Of course you'd ask, hero of Ulster. Rejoice, for tonight you shall fall before Dúngals of Irros!"
In the blink of an eye, Dúngals was upon Ryuden, who blocked the sword strike with his shield. Ryuden still had his spear drawn, so it was a battle of spear vs sword. He could hear Mitsuru shout his name in the background, but his focus was fully on Dúngals.
The sword strikes were vicious, and had enough force to bat away Ryudens spear whenever he had a near miss.
"So much for the hero of Ulster. Such a weak form you've taken now, but all the easier to take my revenge!" Dúngals pressed the attack, moving in on Ryuden who was forced to backpedal.
'This isn't working, I need to gain some distance and reset the fight,' he continued to pull back until he finally saw his moment of opportunity. Dúngals swung his sword horizontally. Ryuden rotated his spear, and stabbed it into the ground. After he did so, he shifted his position to be on the opposite side of the incoming sword. The blade of Dúngals hit the spear, which bent, but did not break, changing the trajectory of his attack up and over Ryudens head. Ryuden used that exact moment to punch Dúngals right in the face, before jumping back and pulling out his evoker.
"Setanta!"
A gunshot sounded, and the spirit of Ulster was upon Dúngals. His spear met sword, shield, and then pierced its abdomen before pulling back and fading. Ryuden had used this time to switch his evoker out with his sword. Dúngals reached down and touched his wound.
"It'll take more than one lucky strike to defeat me, boy."
'Don't I know it,' Ryuden thought to himself, as he prepared to clash with the tall shadow. He waited for Dúngals to make the first move…
Dúngals charged and swung, with Ryuden blocking the strike with his shield. He swung in return, but his sword met his opponent's shield. After dodging another attack, Ryuden attempted his own attack, but was again blocked. They continued exchanging blows in this fashion for a time.
'Damn it, this isn't working. Gotta try something else.'
"Overpower him Ryuden, you're stronger than he is!" Setanta shouted, encouraging his host.
"Alright," he said softly. He waited for Dúngals to attack again. This time, instead of blocking with his shield, Ryuden met him head on with his own blade. The two swords clashed loudly.
"Meeting me head on? You're naught but a foolish child playing hero!" Dúngals mocked, but Ryuden was having none of it.
"Empty words from an angry, dead spirit!" Ryuden pushed with all his might. True to Setantas words, he was able to overpower the shadow of Dúngals, forcing his sword aside, and quickly delivering a blow. Dúngals attempted to retaliate, bringing his sword towards Ryudens side. However, he was hit by a large chunk of ice, causing him to stumble.
"Yamamoto!" Ryuden heard Mitsuru yell, knowing it was her that created this new opening for him. He thrust his sword down, cutting off the right arm of Dúngals who howled in pain.
Dúngals grabbed the stump where his arm had been, and sank to his knees, defeated. Ryuden aimed his sword at its head.
"Now tell me, how many of you are there? How are you guys doing all this?" Ryuden doubted he'd get answers, but figured he'd have nothing to lose by trying.
Dúngals spit on the ground, "You're a damn fool if you think I'm telling you anything. Just kill me and be done with it."
"...is Medb involved?"
Dúngals said nothing, but the look he gave Ryuden was one of hatred, "Kill me and be done with it."
"Are all of you after me specifically because of Cu Chulainn?"
"Kill me and be done with it."
"...fine, have it your way. Go back to the afterlife and rot." Ryuden thrust his sword through Dúngals' head, killing him instantly and causing his body to dissolve. Ryuden sighed.
"Yamamoto, are you alright?" Mitsuru asked him.
"I'm alright, how about you and Akihiko?" He asked in reply
"I've got minor injuries, but Akihiko is still fighting the last one," Mitsuru seemed eager to finish the mission.
"Then let's go."
…
With all three members of SEES reunited, the last Laochra shadow fell easily, and all three released a sigh of relief.
"It seems we've defeated them all. Mission accomplished, good work you two," Mitsuru said, relieved.
"Whew, that wasn't easy, but I felt pretty confident fighting those guys thanks to all our training sessions," Akihiko commented.
Mitsuru nodded, "I agree, as tiring as they are, I'm grateful for the time we spent training together. I have a feeling I would have struggled without it."
"Glad it helped, and we'll continue to keep it up. Though I think we deserve a break after tonight. Want to call off training on Wednesday night for some extra rest?" Ryuden offered. To be honest, he could do with a break as well.
"You won't hear me complain," Akihiko commented.
"I agree as well, but we resume all the same on Saturday," Mitsuru was also in agreement. "I'll call the chairman to ensure any mess we created is suitably covered up. Let's head back to the dorms for tonight." The two boys silently agreed.
"Let me just grab my spear. Go on ahead, I'll catch up," Ryuden said to the others, who nodded and began walking back.
"Ryuden, may I have a quick word?" Setanta sounded concerned.
'Sure, what's wrong?"
"It's just…I never fought Dúngals."
Ryuden sheathed his sword, and picked his spear up off the ground, 'Wait, you mean when you were alive, right?'
"Correct, I never fought Dúngals and his men."
Ryuden thought for a moment as he began walking back to the dorm, 'If I remember correctly, The Táin said Dúngals was one version of the events.'
"Yes, and the other version, the one I myself went through, had me fighting Meslir."
'So now we have you having gone through one scenario, but our latest opponent was from a different scenario.'
"It appears that way…Ryuden, I don't like this."
'Agreed, I'm not a fan either. But for now, let's get home and rest. Today was a victory well earned.'
"Yes…rest well Ryuden."
Ryuden caught up to his teammates, and they returned to the dorm.
Whew, that was a BEEFY chapter. Please let me know what you thought of the fight sequence, as it's something I feel uncertain about every time I write one. Work on the next chapter is good, but my schedule is erratic. See you all (hopefully) soon!