The Distortion

“Tsk, what a letdown he was…”

Gin clicked his tongue, muttering some unfamiliar words. In the end, everything turned out to be a disappointment. The supposed banquet was jarring, and when nothing interesting seemed to come out of it, he was pleasantly surprised with an unexpected turn of events. He much preferred dealing with enemy forces over some stupid acts of dancing and singing.

The truce had been the worst kind of fasting for him. Gin was someone who thrived on battle and combat, and being unable to put his skills to use left him feeling bitter. He was almost salivating when that first arrow was shot, but he got his hopes up for nothing. The one man who held any semblance of potential ended up disappointing him and could not satisfy his needs. It felt as though he broke his fast on a rotten meal…

Gin had not paid much attention to the monster present outside; he would have if the ogre was healthy. After all, he was the one who subdued that very same Oni in a glorious bout and offered it to Nakamura as a gift. It was part of the deal to have the Daimyo gain more power and influence in exchange for safeguarding the fragment. Gin was well aware of the Oni’s poor condition and the fact that it caused that much havoc before going down only proved how pathetic the opposition really was.

Gin climbed up the stairs to the top of the tower. As if he wasn’t exasperated enough as it was, he now had to deal with the consequences of Nakamura’s death. The simple thought of the mountain of work required from him in the following days pushed his irritation to unprecedented levels. However, he wasn’t about to complain, or rather he could never complain, not about that specific issue, he had no choice but to keep his gripes to himself.

Gin reached the upper story only to be greeted by four headless corpses he didn’t particularly recognize—he couldn’t be any less bothered by it. Another headless corpse lay in his path which he could identify all too well. He passed by it, not sparing it even a side glance, it may as well have been a stomped cockroach for all he cared. Gin solely focused on the shelf to his right, which was an utter mess. That fact didn’t bother him at first, chalking it up to whatever fighting took place in the Daimyo’s study.

He would quickly realize the gravity of his negligence.

A specific box was missing.

Gin felt a chill crawl down his skin…for the first time in all of his existence. It was a novel sensation, a feeling completely foreign to him. Gin had trouble even making sense of it, but he could still tell it was highly unpleasant. That chill soon engulfed his entire body as he froze in place for much longer than he realized. The fragment…? Stolen? Inconceivable!

Gin hurled the first thing he could lay his hands on—a poor gourd—tearing a hole through the opposite wall. He sorted through the rest of the items one by one—they all suffered the same fate as the gourd—knowing it would lead nowhere, knowing what it felt like to be desperate…another novel sensation. By the end of his search, the room had transformed into a sieve. Out of all the objects decorating the shelf, that box was the one piece missing.

In a futile attempt to calm down, Gin reminded himself that the box housing the fragment could only be opened by Nakamura’s blood. And the man’s dead body was here, whoever stole it had no means to ope…he spotted the blood seal next to the corpse…already used up. Did Nakamura betray them? Or did the thief know about the blood seal? In which case, how? Then again, what difference would it make?

Seething with rage, Gin began cussing and swearing in an unrecognizable dialect, although anyone could have guessed the gist of what he was saying. As did the man standing behind him.

“In a foul mood are we now, Gin?”

Gin was more stunned by the fact that someone snuck up on him, which he quickly realized wasn’t the case at all. Gin was so distraught by his current predicament he turned completely oblivious to his surroundings, so much so he couldn’t even sense an old man approaching him. Highly uncharacteristic of him…

“I’m surprised you’re still alive after being in the middle of that mess, old man…” the sly smile was unusually absent.

“Unfortunately, I can’t say I share the same sentiment.”

“Are you saying you wanted me dead old man?” Gin failed to keep his easy-going attitude.

“Of course I am. Tokugawa should have cut your head off instead of the Daimyo’s, or even better, that Oni should have cracked your skull open with that massive club so you can’t even show off those flashy eyes of yo—”

“Careful now,” Gin’s eyes transformed instantly, angry veins popping up in his forehead, “I’ve always tolerated your insults and never took them seriously, but careful, you never know when I can bite.” His low voice was very much menacing.

“Your threats no longer mean anything to me Gin; you’re completely mistaken if you think I’m still afraid of you.”

Gin knew the old man was absolutely genuine—his tranquility was enough proof—and that finally pushed him over the edge. No longer able to restrain himself, Gin lunged and grabbed the old man by the neck before slamming him against the wall.

“You’re really pissing me off, so I suggest you shut the fuck up or else I wi—”

“Will what? Kill me?” Atsuo smiled wryly, his feet hovering in the air, “You really think you can hold my life against me? Look closely, I’m a dying old man who has experienced more heart attacks than he could count. I’m an old man who failed his lord as I watched him make one mistake after the other until it slowly led to his death, in his own castle. I’m an old man who willingly let an innocent young boy who considered me his grandfather meet his demise.

“I unleashed a demon in order to destroy our enemies, but it ended up killing more of our subordinates than our foes. Not only that, that demon was stopped by those very same enemies I was hoping to defeat, the height of irony wouldn’t you say? In light of everything I said, I suggest you try something other than my life to threaten me, Gin.” Atsuo did not struggle despite being throttled, he had accepted whatever fate had in store for him.

“So that’s why you came here, you actually want me to kill you. It’s not like you’re fretting either, you’re fully prepared to die…”

Gin was surprised by Atsuo’s determination; there was no shred of hesitation in his words, only remorse.

“Then do it, what is holding you back? You can snap my neck with a twist of your finger if you want to, go ahead you traitor, you scumbag, you piece of…” the incessant insults grew increasingly vulgar.

However, Atsuo’s attempts at provocation proved futile. Gin loosened his grip, letting the old man fall to the ground. If it were up to him, Gin would have killed this garrulous walking corpse long ago. He never did stand him or his constant “counsel”, poisoning Nakamura’s mind with nothing but platitudes, always pulling opposite to Gin. He wanted nothing more than to silence this pesky old man, but he wasn’t permitted to do so, until today.

Gin could have done so in a heartbeat, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. As much as he hated admitting it, Gin was just bested by someone he considered insignificant. There was little you could do to defeat someone who had already embraced death with open arms. Even a feeble old man, someone who had more in common with the dead than the living, had gotten the better of Gin…this wasn’t his finest hour.

“I don’t have time to waste on the likes of you; I got more important stuff to handle,” Gin said as he turned away, “If you wanna die so badly, you can jump off this tower. I’m sure that’ll do for someone like you.”

Atsuo stood motionless, speechless, regret eating at him as he watched Gin bust through the wall—whatever was left of it—leaping from the fourth story effortlessly.

* * *

As he was chasing his target, Gin rummaged through his memories trying to find the answer for one crucial question: who could have stolen the fragment? No one besides Kensei should have been aware of its existence, not even his closest associate Atsuo was told of the matter. The raiding samurais were obviously an option to consider, but their aim was clearly vengeance for their fallen lord. That might suggest the involvement of a potential unknown party in the raid, one that had both knowledge of the fragment and the desire to acquire it.

The ninja employed by Nakamura? Possible, but not likely. If he was aware of the truth behind the fragment and its whereabouts, why now of all times? A resourceful guy like him could have sneaked in whenever he’d liked, even Gin would have a tough time against him. The woman facing him never set foot inside Nakamura’s office, Gin would have known if she did, ninja or not. He always made sure to keep an eye on the Daimyo’s study, to avert this very crisis. Same for the Furati guy—hard to miss him with that turban of his—who did disappear after his performance, but never made for the tower. What about…?

Fuck…the weakling…

The answer was there all along and should have been so obvious to him. Even worse, Gin let the culprit walk away of his own accord. He should have suspected it, especially since he was warned not too long ago that a dangerous individual was on the run, someone who unraveled the truth behind the seals. The question of whether or not he would do something about it remained unanswered, but the possibility was very much there—his rebellious demeanor in the Neumund favored that likelihood. Gin was made aware that he was a scholar or something, so he should have posed no threat whatsoever, hence Gin’s indifference towards the urgency of the matter.

What made him even more complacent worse was the fact that the individual in question sure didn’t look like the dangerous threat he was claimed to be. The man wasn’t even hiding himself or attempting to sneak inside, he walked alongside everyone, dressed like all the rest. He seemed irrelevant in the midst of all that was happening, making no worthwhile impression, attracting little to no attention towards him. Gin had more of knack towards stronger and more imposing individuals, which made him drop his guard even more around a random guy wearing glasses. Gin almost laughed at the irony of it all, how someone he considered a weakling was in fact his weakness…except this was no laughing matter.

No worries though, Gin was catching up to him steadily and when he would see him again, he would tear him limb from limb.

He would soon come to the realization that the answer to that particular “when” was “never”.

Gin followed the fresh trail—namely blood—left behind by the escapees who took a long detour through some open fields outside the confines of Shin-Taiyo. Once again, the fixation on his target distracted him from his surroundings, or even himself, failing to notice how his pace was steadily slowing down. It took Gin about a kilometer to finally feel the wind blowing strong, strong enough to slow him down considerably. His tunnel vision prevented him from questioning the oddity, as long as it wasn’t enough to stop him, he would keep up the chase.

However, he would eventually stop, the massively built silhouette standing before him made him stop. The way was blocked completely and Gin’s quick assessment cemented the fact that there was no way around this big guy, for he left no openings.

“This is the end of the road for you, you can come peacefully or I will force you. I recommend the first option.”

Huh…?

Gin burst out laughing. It was completely inappropriate seeing how this encounter wasn’t bound to be a cheerful one—he realized that all too well—but Gin couldn’t hold it back. It was simply too hilarious.

“Aaaahh, I’m sorry…it’s just your voice…your body…they don’t match at all…hahaha…” he spoke between chuckles.

All who met him for the first time reacted similarly, which was the normal reaction to such a stark contrast between a juvenile voice and a massive body. However, that was the extent of it. As soon as one became aware of his identity, had the chance to see him in action or worse, had the misfortune to meet him in combat, their perception would change dramatically. The high-pitched voice could suddenly be heard as deep and haunting, striking absolute terror into the hearts of his foes. And Gin was keen enough to gauge the threat this boy posed, despite the lack of composure earlier.

“The fact that he is surprised by your voice tells me he does not know who you are, Kintaro kun,” the female voice was coming from behind Gin whose smile and laugh gradually waned. “Which somewhat confirms our suspicions that there is something dubious about him.”

“So the giant baby is supposed to be famous around here? Never heard of him.” Gin tried hard to conceal his growing concern with a condescending shrug.

“I don’t suppose you know who I am either, do you?” Tomoe asked.

“Oh, I’m graced with the presence of a renowned duo of a giant baby and a presumptuous bitch? I would love to say I’m deeply honored by this encounter, except for the part where I couldn’t give two shi…oops, I suppose I shouldn’t swear in front of the kid. My bad, I guess.” Gin held on to his arrogant front.

“Tomoe san, can I smash him already? I don’t understand why we’re wasting our time talking to him.” People called him the “golden boy”, and despite his misleading appearance, he was still a boy and taunting him was quite easy.

The wind swept through the meadow with a strong howl, the surrounding thickets and grass rustling about violently.

“Ignore him Kintaro kun, he is just trying to get inside your head. Besides, we are not here to fight, we just wish to ask him a few questions, so let us remain calm…for now.” Tomoe would rather proceed cautiously; this man was shrouded in mysteries.

“Hah, you’re here to ask questions, you should have said so from the beginning. I mean I don’t mind, only I don’t see the point of answering a couple of people who’ll be dead very soon.” Gin said as he whipped out his katana, holding it in a reverse grip.

Kintaro crouched down with widespread legs placing his hands on his knees while Tomoe pressed her fingers around her naginata.

“I know you are a phenomenal fighter. Perhaps you can even beat one of us in single combat, but you cannot face both of us simultaneously. So, you can stop acting tough and simply comply.” she was quite confident in her judgment and thus would not back away.

“You know tonight has been pretty disappointing so I wouldn’t mind having a little fun. You say it’s impossible, but I’ll take my chances.” Gin sneered, regaining some of the thrill that had been overshadowed by apprehension.

That excitement was short-lived.

It was no longer just windy. Some frail vegetation was uprooted and caught in the trail of the swirling air…a whirlwind suddenly surrounded them. A frighteningly calm whirlwind. Somehow, it didn’t seem devastating, but rather chilling, like a ghost summoned to hold him captive, slowly wrapping its hands around its victim. Unlike Kintaro and Tomoe who remained composed despite the natural disturbance, Gin felt the accursed chill down his spine for the second time—he never thought he’d experience it again so soon.

Then, he noticed his blade shaking. The influence of the environmental turmoil around him perhaps…? It was merely a pretext Gin chose to believe because it was impossible for him to admit that his own hand was shaking, trembling out of fear…fear of a lone man whose shadow was edging closer as he strode steadily right through the whirlwind. Aside from having two blades strapped to his waist, he had the appearance of a perfectly regular man. Except he was far from one, and Gin realized it all too well.

“Who the hell are you…?” Gin could no longer pretend to have the upper hand; the bluff would be way too obvious at this point.

“I believe an introduction would do neither of us any harm. My name is Miyamoto Musashi, pleased to meet you.” His voice struck an eerie balance between soothing and sinister.

Gin didn’t recognize the face, but he heard the name before. Despite its resounding reputation, Gin didn’t take any particular interest. He never much cared for this Yamato’s icons, or any other country for that matter. However, now that he was face to face with this man, Gin would come to care.

“…the name’s Gin.” he hesitated before stating his name.

He never felt the need to reveal his name to people he had no business with. Gin looked at everyone around him as nothing more than playthings to toy with, never getting pushed to a point where he would consider the consequences of his degrading demeanor. But this time, his arrogance was being challenged and he was clever enough to weigh his words before uttering them.

“Apologies for the minor disruption, I hope we can resolve the issue peacefully, I don’t think violence would be necessary. Like my retainer stated, we just need few answers and I believe you might be able to offer them, Gin san.” Musashi said with a faint smile on his face.

“You say that, but I’m the one being cornered by three people right in the middle of a storm. I find it hard to believe when you say violence is not your intention…”

Gin shifted his eyes nervously, searching for a way out, a way to escape through the violent wind.

“And yet it is the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not is entirely up to you.” Miyamoto replied as the whirlwind kept raging.

Gin kept glancing all around, his eyes meeting both Kintaro and Tomoe who glanced back at him, letting him know there was no opening available for him. There was no way out.

“Alright fine, what do you want to know?” Gin gave up on escaping by force, hoping that perhaps talking could save him. To stoop to such lows…never had he felt more ashamed.

“We can start by who you are.” Kintaro said.

“Are you stupid, kid? I told you my name’s Gin.”

“Although I doubt that is your real name, we are not asking what you are called. We would like to know who you really are because you’re clearly not an ordinary Yamatojin. From the way you hold your katana to your overall dubious behavior to your complete disregard for this country’s norms, your attempts at hiding among us are failing miserably. So, I suggest you tell us more than just your name.” Tomoe clarified her demands.

“What can I say, I’m an eccentric fellow and I’d like to do things my way. I don’t see how that’s a problem.” Gin then faced Miyamoto “The same can be said for the monster you consider your master, no?”

Miyamoto didn’t react.

“What? Did I offend you?” Gin snorted derisively.

“No, I just find it ironic that you would call me a monster. You see, I don’t think the right question is who you are, it’s rather what you are.” Miyamoto said coolly.

Gin gulped, sweating nervously. “I’m not following…” he desperately feigned ignorance.

“I do not know much about you, and I can’t tell if you really are a monster of sorts, but I’ve met someone in the past, someone who was posing as a human. A blind man could have seen through his guise and just like you, he was evasive about revealing his true identity.

“I cannot tell whether or not you are exactly the same, but the elusiveness is quite similar. You may look, sound and act like a human, you still don’t feel like one. Now you may have your reasons for doing so, but lying to me is futile. You should come up with a better answer.”

Gin felt powerless. He couldn’t defeat him, he couldn’t flee from him, and he couldn’t lie to him. He was running out of options, a reality he never imagined he would face one day. Gin didn’t know how to deal with a dead end, he never had to.

“Fine, maybe I can’t lie to you, but that doesn’t mean I will tell you the truth either. Who I am isn’t something I can divulge to you, not now, not ever. Nothing you do will change that fact so you can forget about it. You should come up with a better question.” Gin’s response was firm. Under no circumstances would he compromise certain information. There were matters more important than his own well-being.

“I think you need a smack on your head to remind you of your current position. We are the ones making demands, not you.” Kintaro threatened him.

Gin remained silent. The sound of the whirlwind dominated the scene briefly.

“If you can’t answer anything related to the nature of your existence, then at least you can tell us what your intentions are.” Tomoe broke the short silence. “You served under a Daimyo and you chose to not lift a single finger to defend him. Now, all of a sudden, you decide to chase the aggressors after the raid is done. Forgive me but I cannot seem to understand what it is you are after or what you hope to accomplish, your actions are a bit confusing to me.”

“I can’t answer that either.”

Kintaro tightened his fists and marched towards him with heavy steps stomping the ground.

“That’s it, I’m going to crush him.”

Gin didn’t budge.

“Only thing I can tell you is that there’s a whole lot going on that you don’t know about, and I’m not sure you’d want to stick your nose in it.” Gin simply said.

“What is that supposed to mean? How will it help us in anyway?” Tomoe, for a heartbeat, considered adopting Kintaro’s approach.

“Not my problem, make of that what you will.” Gin’s dry answers came off as provocative, which wasn’t necessarily his intention.

“Miyamoto san, is he perhaps trying to buy time?” Tomoe asked her superior.

“Kintaro san, please,” Kintaro, who had yet to stop, reluctantly obeyed Musashi’s request, “I don’t believe any assistance is on the way, I would know if someone approached. However, I think we might be the ones pressed by time, this entire situation might bring some unneeded attention and I would avoid it if I can.”

“What do you propose we do then? We have little to no answers.” Tomoe sounded aggravated.

“I hope Gin san will like it back at the dojo because he will be staying as our guest.” The fact that Miyamoto didn’t frame it as an order made it even more assertive.

“I didn’t take you for a torturer…” Gin teased Miyamoto, trying to bury his misery.

“I am not, and we shall not do anything of the sort, you will truly be our guest, I mean it,” Musashi turned his back on Gin and added, “However, you will not be leaving the dojo under any circumstances, that will be the only inconvenience. I trust you know that trying to escape would also prove useless, today’s little meeting helped clear that out.”

“So basically, I’m your prisoner…or hostage, depending on what you intend to do.” Gin’s voice was that of one who already surrendered.

“Kintaro, Tomoe, restrain him and let us be on our way. I am not sure what Gin san is implying, but one thing he is right about, there is wickedness brewing and we have been completely oblivious to it. The armistice will end in the days to come and I suspect we will be having our hands full. We ought to be ready for it because this time, we can’t afford to remain as bystanders.”

When Musashi had decided he would witness the raid with his own eyes that night, he never expected things to turn out that way. At first, Musashi’s intentions were simple: he merely wished to have some clarity by being directly present during the fateful event. That much was at least needed were he to consider Daisuke’s offer. Perhaps Musashi’s account of the incident could somehow prove useful in the future, and he would need to have an accurate judgment for that to be possible.

However, and more so than anything else, it was a hunch, a gut feeling that something big would happen, bigger than the basic quest for vengeance. And his hunch was indeed correct. While Musashi was prepared for most of what took place, he was definitely taken aback by a few instances. Nakamura Kensei’s possession of a dreadful weapon in the form of an Oni was definitely a major surprise. That raised the question of how many of the current Daimyo had a similar asset hidden in the dungeons of their castle. Otherworldly creatures had been used by Yamatojin—and various other people— in battles, but they were mostly tame beasts whose utility never went beyond that provided by a mount for a cavalry unit. If all of a sudden, an Oni, or monsters of the same ilk, became a common commodity…a terror beyond recovery.

However, what caught Musashi’s attention even more were some few interesting individuals present in the banquet: the fearsome ninja Ryuuma, two strangers from a far-off land, and finally Gin. Ryuuma’s presence was the least suspicious of the three; he was most likely hired by Nakamura. The two foreigners—and their tiger—being part of Daisuke’s forces was definitely intriguing. But Gin’s presence and actions were the most concerning and his claims certainly validated Musashi’s fears.

Daisuke had asked of Musashi to step in and take action after the inevitable resumption of the conflict. Back then, he didn’t have a clear answer for that request, but the circumstances would force his hand. Matters turned out to be much more complicated than what Musashi had previously anticipated.

The sun wouldn’t rise on this land for a long time…