Desert Company: Retrospective

There was no time. Saya had realized that and sent Ashojan back to fight the remaining guard, while she was hurrying to join Kwazhak and Suruj, who had gone ahead to face Thiệu. Dashing through the darkness, the domain was ripping itself apart. If she focused closely, she could see the pier in a faint instance of the sun’s light. It was as if the ridges between two worlds were tearing open.

There Thiệu stood, his back faced towards her. It seemed she was the first one there. Even with her low sahar level Saya could sense the amount of energy radiating from him. Her Azu scimitar followed swiftly behind, the long uncut silver hair trailing after her. Saya’s grip tightened, as sand flowed. The shamisen vibrated to her footsteps. The three were about to meet the CEO at the same time.

“Izdaha Saya.”

A deep blast sounded, a dark energy wave expanded out in seconds. She couldn’t move. Saya was frozen in place, as well as the other two with her. However they were completely inanimate. She was conscious and could move her eyes, but she couldn’t speak. Desperately she tried to break free, but her muscles did not respond.

“I was under the impression that you do great things, but have resulted in disappointment,” He turned around, walking towards her. “I’ve done thorough research about all of you before you were sent here. Your parents are too busy working in the capital, so you’re all alone in Al-Shinkyou with your Obaa. You’re one of the three people here that accepted our invitation. You must be angry, that your parents leave you out on your own? To defend yourself? Child negligence at its finest. Mother and father, working their jobs until the grave in this corporate hell cycle while obtaining nothing, just barely scraping by like a fish in a pond.”

He laughed as Saya’s eyes grew wide and pupil’s narrow.

“This new era of economy and business encroaches people in binds. In order to survive in ‘society’, that includes your parents casting you away to save hard cash. Afraid to develop a familial bond. My wife was the same. Our son was convinced by a crook to have an endorsement from Zhü; the Kazaàd company based in As-Z̆onghu̐a. She just let him join the tournament and was killed by the woman whose malice knows no bounds: Ayai Toya.”

Saya urged with all her might, neurons in overdrive, to move her body. However she stayed stuck in place, forced to listen to his soliloquy.

“But you, Saya, are different. I believe that you will be the one to kill Toya. It was truly underwhelming when you, out of all people, had a connection with Kiyomiya Lojuno. Due to your parent’s failure to guide you, the officer had managed to influence that battle-brain of yours prior to Al-Wa endorsement. Had you been raised right, and not by poverty-stricken peasants, you could’ve gone to do great things. Such a failure.”

Her arm popped a vein. She wanted to scream. It felt like she was lifting forty rickshaws surrounding her body.

“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, and others build windmills.”

Remembering her father’s words, Saya focused all her energy on her sword. Her hands gathered white energy, a cracking sound was heard. She was flying towards Thiệu, rotating like a wheel at rapid speeds. He dodged as Saya tripped over herself. She stood up angrily, with her sword raised.

“You have no idea how my family works! Don’t you ever badmouth my parents!” Saya screamed at the top of her lungs, “My mom and dad… We don’t have the life of luxury like the nobles do. I know that they have to work in order to keep our home in Al-Shinkyou. Even so, they do their best to visit Obaa-chan and I. My dad taught me how to fight. He was worried about me! And my mother? She asks every visit, how school was going and my language lessons… They’re doing their very best in our situation. Even so, when we don’t have money on the table… They buy fresh lamb and vegetables anyway. Kiyomiya-Legazpí Nakata, and Izdaha Qorchi-Sukhebaatar… they’re the best parents I could ever ask for!”

She made a leap of faith at him, driven by pure emotion. Sand gathered around her as she brought her sword down on him. The shamisen beat roared once again.

“Just as I suspected. Then you all may as well die,” He scoffed, as the other two broke free of the sahar spell.

 

Kwazhak blinked twice, and Saya was rushing at Thiệu from a different angle. He took no notice and continued his dash. L and Saya had helped him find his truth. His goal. Even if it meant giving up his chances to see Ayai Toya, there was always another chance in the following year. So this year, 1978, he would see the assassination of the CEO of Al-Wa. If L had been trying to work out his plan for years, Kwazhak didn’t want to see his dreams betray his hard work.

“Dihu Lub-Zog: Golden Dash.”

Using one of the words from his mother, he attempted to use a spell modification, even if he was unaware of the consequences. He could hear a stringed instrument. The Azu shamisen? His trail of gold followed him. Bursts of yellow particles bombarded the area. Kwazhak held his sword up high with one arm. He charged at him in unison with Saya and Suruj. In a flash, multiple slashes came from Saya and Kwazhak’s swords. They banged into Thiệu’s sahar shields. The crying erhu, the two stringed fiddle neighed, drifting on top of the shamisen’s rhythm forming a beautiful melody above it.

They danced around him. Blades collided, in bold flashes of sand and gold. Kwazhak wasn’t as strong as he was before, but after coming so far… He didn’t want to give up. Sparks flew, his saber being nicked with every blocked motion. Thiệu could read every move, every feint and slice. It was as if the art of the sword didn’t matter. One shield would shatter, only for another to be created seconds later. If they synchronized, one could destroy the shield as another made the opening attack. As a harmonious tune lingered in his head, Kwazhak heard another musical device. Why was he hearing this? It was wild, under the layer of the shamisen was an awakening beast. A growl of the Buhang gitara screeched. Kwazhak saw a body of light jump up into the air.

 

Suruj screamed as he brought hell down, punching through the opening Kwazhak had created. The impact was so strong it pushed Thiệu several meters away, still standing.

Suruj raised his fist, “There’s not much time left! This domain will cease to exist! This is our only chance!”

“In order to land an attack on him we need to be synchronized. Like a sandfall dropping off into a ravine,” Kwazhak emphasized, as a synthetic arm appeared to replace his missing left arm. “Make haste!”

“For L’s sake, move!”

All three of them lowered their stance. They were up at Thiệu’s face, saharic particles flowing behind them. An endless onslaught of attacks ensued. Explosive attacks of sandy, golden light, burst like firecrackers. They pursued him in hues of yellow, white, and tan. Those trails revolved around, chasing an afterimage. Suruj didn’t know how fast they were going. It was the power of sahar that allowed them to attain such speed. Saya shattered a shield. Kwazhak lifted his sword up to plunge down. Another shield appeared, blocking his attack. Quickly Suruj’s hand glowed and slugged it, breaking the barrier in one blow.

Sounds distorted. The invisible clouds boomed. Everything was so loud that Suruj’s ears bled to the exchange of blows between them. He couldn’t hear anything but a high-pitched ring and the shredding strings of the gitara, the shamisen and erhu buried underneath.

Thiệu unleashed a wave of energy with a flicker of his hand. Kwazhak and Saya stepped out of the way. Suruj took the blast head on. Taking the full force, he entrenched himself on the faint wooden dock. The realm was dissipating. He had to do something. Suruj took a deep breath, as the attack was absorbed into his body. If he just absorbed every blast, then certainly with his high saharic mastery he would be able to use it to his advantage.

“Mahou Hidama,” The CEO released a ball of fire. Kwazhak seeked to counter it.

“Kwazhak! Let me take the defense vanguard! You guys focus on attacking!” Suruj shouted. Kwazhak nodded quickly and moved out of the way. Suruj leaped forward and stared at the fire, his fiery eyes focused. Arnis. Defang the snake. Using sahar like gloves he grabbed the fireball and hurled it back at him.

Thiệu covered his face as the flames dispersed. When he regained his sight Kwazhak stood in front of him.

“Dihu Hongxing: Laoyuang Art, Guizu Bladework,” A multitude of slashes sparked like lightning, ending with Kwazhak’s sword floating to his side.

The man’s shields fractured into pieces. Suruj ran behind Thiệu and approached his shoulder. He scoffed at Suruj’s attempt.

“Kwazhak Laoyuang, your swordsmanship surprises me. I have never met someone like you who could make swords appear from thin air.”

“It was a hereditary gift. Laoyuang blood flows in my veins.”

Saya signaled Suruj to do something. He already knew. Using his saharic mastery, Suruj attempted to touch him.

“Don’t.”

He felt a hand grab his arm, only to show Mouka’s bright green eyes from the darkness.

“Alam Alkhafa,” She lowered Suruj’s arm, turning him invisible. “If you touch him, you’ll die. Unless you’re a full-blooded Khoitan, all the saharic particles in his body will transfer over to you, and your body will go boom.”

“We’ve got to try. There’s no choice,” Suruj whispered to her. Suddenly they lost control of their bodies and were up in the air, unable to move.

“You sure are slow,” Thiệu turned to Suruj and Mouka, even when they were invisible. “Whispers whistle. I appreciate the ingenuity, but none of that will work,” He walked calmly towards them. “L’s spell will end, you all will go to the Dineh Kazaàd.”

They were caught. Suruj could feel pressure tightening his throat. He was struggling to breathe. There was nothing he could do. Everything was going to be in vain. Everything they had fought for. Trained for.

“If your mind is clean, fate is good.”

“You’re no hero. We’re not the main characters of some Kakai epic. We’re just human. We’re problematic, pragmatic, greedy and stupid at the same time.”

“I don’t know what hatred you’ve had ever since we came here, But I want to support you, for you have helped me.”

Mouka was right. They were just human. They were powerless. Even so, their enemy was a human as well. They were problematic, pragmatic, and stupid.

“Thiệu Addja!” Suruj yelled, breaking his mouth free from his binding spell, “Watch here and now, as your plans fall apart before you!”

He shone with a stellar light, releasing him and Mouka from the sahar spell. They fell to the ground, where they were mere arm length away from the sea. Light scattered the darkness.

Kwazhak swiftly launched himself at Thiệu. He turned around to create a shield. But instead of attacking, Kwazhak ducked under the shield and entered his range from below.

“You’re slow. Dihu Faitsup Choisiu.”

The red glyphs manifested itself, and a crimson shockwave stretched out, dispersing L’s spell. Darkness turned into light, as Suruj soon felt all the particles expel from his body. Feeling the moment, Suruj, Saya, and Kwazhak all sprung at Thiệu. Saya and Kwazhak threw their blades to the opposites of his neck. Suruj dove for his torso. The man used remnants of scattered saharic particles to create a dome around him. Two swords and a body clunked against it, pushing as hard as their life depended on it. They cried out. Three instruments shrieked, the strings shredding.

The final barrier broke, and the swishes of driving metal sounded.