Chapter 80 - Vol. 2 - 45

Keiko

It was already nighttime. The event from earlier was still lingering in Keiko's mind, but for the most part, she was able to set it aside. She and Haruna spoke in their room, while Keiko's teacher laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. 

"We won't stay here for long," Haruna said, "I'd say as soon as tomorrow morning comes around, we should get moving. So, do whatever you want to do before then. Alright?" 

"Yeah, sounds good," Keiko replied. 

"Okay. I'm gonna take a bit of a nap, wake me up if you need anything. If you want to go outside, try to be careful. Robbers are getting desperate." 

"Sure. Good night." 

"Mhm." 

With that, Keiko stood up and decided she'd do exactly what her master had alluded to. She saw some amount of Onyx already, but she wanted to see more.

So, grabbing her sword, she walked out of the room, hearing festive sounds coming from the inn's main room. As she walked down the stairs, she looked towards it and saw many citizens, far more than when she'd first come, enjoying alcohol and listening to what looked like employees playing energetic music. 

Keiko quietly tried to walk to the front door, but before she was able to reach it, a glass cup was held in front of her, that she almost ran straight into. Keiko looked and found Caroline, grinning at her. 

"Hello!" Caroline said. 

"Uh... What's going on?" Keiko asked. 

"Just a bit of a party the management's been wanting to put on," Caroline explained. It was hard for Keiko to get used to her accent. "Tensions have been running a little high in Onyx lately. Don't worry, just have fun."

"I-I, sure, later, just..." She pointed at the door, trying to hint that she wanted to leave. 

"Oh, you're walking out? At this time, love?" Caroline asked. "Are, uh, you sure about that?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"The streets can be dangerous at night, not just here, but, anywhere, really. Especially in Onyx though," Caroline told her. 

"Is that so?" Keiko asked. 

"And, well, we have to lock up after a bit," Caroline stated. "With the robberies and all, we can't afford to leave the door open." 

Hm. I'll have to come back quickly then.  I still want to see the city for myself though. 

Keiko nodded, and then, she highlighted the sword at her waist.

"I'll be okay, thank you for the warning." 

Caroline clearly hadn't expected that response. In fact, it looked like she hadn't even noticed Keiko's sword up until now.

Keiko felt Caroline's concerned eyes on her as she went out the door. Still, she walked out with some confidence. 

The streets of Onyx were illuminated by blue orbs on tall poles, giving everything around her the feeling of being drowned in moonlight. During the day, the greyness of the buildings had made everything seem metallic, but now, it felt like she'd stepped into another dimension. 

It's cold tonight. Or, is it like this every night here? 

Keiko began her walk illuminated by the sapphire colors, wondering if people were already well within their dreams. She couldn't see too many people, aside from the occasional guard walking around, crossbows in their hands. 

A few of them asked her for an ID, but most just let her walk by. A few of them though, she felt keep their eyes on her for just a bit longer than she was comfortable with. She wasn't given too much trouble though.  What time is it? 8? 

A few stores were still open. A restaurant, a general goods shop, among others. However, one that caught her eye was what looked like a library. 

Keiko, of course, due to the blindness she'd had all her life, hadn't gotten to experience any books that weren't in Braille. So, out of curiosity, she decided to head inside and see what they were like. It was a cozy little place with candles placed around the room. There were four bookshelves, each one with different labels. 

Keiko walked over to one and placed a hand on a book, letting her eyes take in its appearance. Before she could get too analytical though, a voice called out to her. 

"Looking for anything in particular?" An elderly man asked. 

Keiko hadn't noticed him. He was standing behind the counter, wearing a pair of glasses and holding his hands behind his back. 

"Uh, not really," Keiko said. 

"Hm. Coming to a bookstore for the sake of it, then?" He asked, with a bit of humor in his tone. 

"Uh..." 

Only upon hearing that question did Keiko realize how weird that would be. Which, made responding very difficult because that was exactly why she was here. 

So, she tried to think of something. Anything she could mention to give herself a reason for being here. The answer came almost instantly. 

"Magic." 

"Hm?" He asked. "What do you mean?" 

"D-Do you have anything on Zayama magic?" 

Keiko recalled her fight against the Zayama Mage. She hadn't intended to do this when she left the inn, but if she could learn more about her opponent before returning to the castle tomorrow, she figured it would be good to do so. Plus, it gave her a purpose for coming beyond just "I wanted to look at your books." 

"Hm... The Zayamas. Come to think of it, miss," he said, "your eyes, are you...?" 

Right. Unlocking the Spirit Eye didn't take away the brightness in my eyes.

"Yes," she nodded. "I am." 

"Ah. Well, this is quite the pleasant surprise." He said. "I've heard about your clan. You are quite popular here." 

"W-We are?" 

"Yes," he smiled. "As a matter of fact, a few writers have taken it upon themselves to tell the stories of your clan to our citizens. The Fall of Hiroshi Mishina is a particularly popular story here. There was a play made around it that has sold the most tickets out of any, in history." 

"W-Wow..." 

It was a story that most Zayamas knew, but not one that Keiko held in high regard. Essentially, it was about a fight that took place around a hundred years ago, where a man named Hiroshi Mishina single-handedly held off fifty demons while a group of civilians was escaping from an attack. 

The reason Keiko didn't care for it too much about it wasn't that the deed wasn't impressive, but because of how others told the story. Mainly, because everyone who told the story consistently chose to highlight his fighting skills, whereas Keiko believed the notable part of the tale was the fact that 50 people were saved that day. 

"That's interesting," Keiko said, chuckling. 

"Hiroshi Mishina lived for quite a long time here at Onyx before that happened, so, a lot of our citizens tend to treat him as one of our own. Anyway, now, as to your question," the old man continued, "unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with 'Zayama magic'. Hm... However..." 

"Yes?" Keiko asked, curious. 

"Supposedly, there's a Zayama who lives in the mountains near the city. I've never seen her, but I have a few merchant friends who travel from city to city, and I've multiple people run into her." 

"Uh, where?" Keiko asked. 

"North. Just next to the city. Apparently, she comes to Onyx every now and then for supplies but lives in the wilderness. I wouldn't suggest going looking for her though," he continued. "The area is level 30. Too many dangerous creatures. The fact that she manages to survive out there is probably a testament to her power." 

"I see..." Keiko shook her head. She couldn't even consider going looking for this Zayama woman, she didn't have the time. She and Haruna would be heading back to the castle tomorrow morning. "You really don't have anything on Zayama magic?" 

"I'm afraid I don't, I apologize." 

"No, it's fine, I... Thank you." She bowed out of reflex. The man smiled. 

And with that, Keiko found no reason to remain. So, she left the building. 

Outside, she sighed.  I suppose if he just happened to have the answers I'm looking for, it would be too easy. However, I need to keep looking. Even if I don't learn anything before I fight the Mage again, once I head back to Jade, I will certainly research the topic. 

So, she started walking the streets again. 

She lost track of time, after a while.

The longer she remained outside, the fewer places she saw open. Eventually, it got to the point where every building was closed, leaving her feeling lonely. There were no guards either. It was just her and the bright blue lights above. 

I should head back,  Keiko thought.  Nothing else to see. 

She began the short journey back to the inn, but before she was even halfway back, she noticed something.

Someone was following her. 

A regular person wouldn't have noted the subtle breathing several meters away, the light footsteps tapping against the stone, but Keiko did.  Thieves?  She thought.  Am I going to get robbed. 

Her hand hovered her sword's hilt. She took a deep breath as more footsteps came.  More than one.  She realized. 

"Iridos." She whispered the incantation and used it to see into the future. The vision she received showed no violence, just her own body continuing to walk. Nothing yet. 

Every couple of seconds, she would reactivate her Spirit Eye and look into the future, but nothing would change.  Are they just watching me? 

She was beginning to get close to the inn. To the point where, if she were attacked, the commotion would likely alert the people there. A few minutes later, she was just outside of it. However, the door was locked. 

Hm?  Keiko tried to open it a few times, to no avail. She could hear the festivities from earlier continuing inside. 

Right... I messed up.  She thought, remembering what Caroline had said. 

Come to think of it, where are the guards?  She wondered. 

And then, upon activating her Spirit Eye again, she saw a dagger piercing the back of her head, her lifeless body flopping onto the cold stone beneath. 

She turned, unsheathing her blade and deflecting the projectile in one fluid motion. The dagger stabbed into the wall next to her, sticking there as Keiko looked to find the attackers. 

And then, she saw them. Four in total. Three men, one woman. Three were dressed like peasants, and one of them, a man holding a spear, was clearly a guard. Oh. He threw the dagger? She understood the situation instantly.  So... the desperation from the demon attacks has also been affecting the guards, huh? 

"I'm not carrying anything you would want," Keiko said aloud to them. "Back off." 

She checked their levels. 

Level 9

MP: 10/10

Level 10

MP: 10/10

Level 10

MP: 10/10

And the guard, who would of course be the most experienced, had this level:

Level 15

MP: 10/10

They're amateurs. Well, compared to me, at least. Keiko thought. She stood up straight, narrowing her eyes at them.  They've killed a few things, maybe a few people, but they're not real warriors. 

"You don't stand a chance," she tried to make her voice soft. Persuasive. She even sheathed her blade. "Check my level and you'll see." 

"I... She's got a point," one boy said, tapping the guard's shoulder. "L-Look at it, bro..." 

"Doesn't matter," the guard said, taking a step forward. "If we rush her, all at once, there's no way she takes us all out." 

"I don't know," the girl said next, "this seems..." 

"Do you want to leave the city or not!?" The guard yelled. "We need the money! And, look at her, look at the sword she's carrying. With that curved design, there's no question. She's a Zayama, she's definitely loaded." 

Keiko genuinely felt sorry for them. 

"... I don't want to hurt you," Keiko said. "Please, don't do this." 

Wordlessly, the guard began to walk up. His friends followed him, and Keiko shook her head. 

She unsheathed her blade again, keeping it by her side. 

Then, they started running towards her. 

Keiko waited.  They're slow.  She thought, comparing their speed to that of the Zayama Warrior and the Zayama Mage from the castle. 

The guard reached her first. He pulled his spear back. Keiko didn't even need to use her Spirit Eye for this. 

She dodged to the side, raised a leg, and kicked the spear down, pinning it to the ground with her foot. 

"Agh!?" 

Then, Keiko raised her sword, and brought it down, slashing through the man's chest, trying her hardest not to let the blade slide too deeply into the man's body. The other three halted as soon as they saw that. 

"B-Brother!" One shouted as the man fell back, a line of blood stretching from his body to Keiko's sword. 

He ran up, but stopped as he looked at Keiko. The Zayama took a few steps back, sheathing her sword. 

Seeing that, he continued and knelt by the guard's side. The other two joined him shortly after.

If they heal him, he should be fine. Most people know the basic healing spells, even if they don't, they shouldn't have too much trouble finding someone who does.  Keiko thought. 

The door to the inn opened. Caroline and the other worker, whose name Keiko hadn't heard yet, came out. 

"W-What...?" Caroline said, then, her eyes went from Keiko to the injured guard. Understanding dawned on her face and she shook her head. "Come in," she urged. "Quick." 

"Right," Keiko went inside the inn and Caroline closed the door. 

She looked down at Keiko's sword and then up, locking eyes with the Zayama. Keiko couldn't quite tell what sentiment was flickering through Caroline's face. It seemed to be a mix between being impressed and being scared. 

Keiko turned away and started to head up the stairs, feeling that an explanation wasn't necessary. 

Judging by the lack of shock on either Caroline or the boy's faces, this was normal. And that was more frightening than the attack could ever have been.

So, she went into the room she was sharing with her teacher, put her sword on top of the dresser, and got in the bed. Looking up at the ceiling, she sighed. 

So... There are consequences to these demon attacks I haven't considered.  She thought. How many people have lost their lives as a result of the increasing crime rate? How many innocents have become criminals as well? She closed her eyes.

The sooner we deal with them, the better.