THE LAST KEEPER

”No!” Azir screamed. In that moment, fear slipped into the young city lord’s heart. Fear of watching his friend die. His feet were tied, but he could still move. They had not cared to tie Wibo’s feet because he was too weak to get far by himself anyway. Azir, without thinking, threw himself in front of the blade. He watched with horror and fear as the sharp blade came for his neck.

Was this how he was going to die?

He was sure that this blade would kill him, unlike Sagiri’s blade, which came to a stop before killing him.

”I am sorry, big brother, I won’t be able to spar with you and defeat you,” Azir whispered.

Sagiri had not expected things to escalate that quickly. Well, he had expected them to escalate rather quickly because of Azir’s mouth, but not that quickly. The little city lord was rather annoying in his manner of being naive.

Sagiri’s eyes narrowed. He stretched his hand out, and Nokai appeared on it. The blades snapped out instantly, answering to Sagiri’s urgency. All this happened in half a heartbeat as the assassin’s blade descended toward Azir’s throat.

Sagiri had not missed even the little whisper from Azir. He could not believe those words could be anyone’s last words. Was that the boy’s biggest regret?

A flash tore through the place as Nokai moved at lightning speed. The flash of the sharp blade tore through the dimly lit place as it moved. It, however, did not provide time for anyone to react before there was a clashing impact between two blades. The impact was loud and instant, and gasps echoed in the empty place at the unexpected impact. Scarface’s blade stopped instantly with a sharp metallic sound that echoed through the underground chamber.

His blade split in two and scattered across the room. A silver blade now stood between Azir and Scarface.

Nokai.

Two screams filled the place at that moment. One was a scream of agony, almost, and another scream of terror.

The first scream belonged to Scarface, whose wrist was now missing from his arm and was attached to one part of the blade lying across the place. The second scream belonged to Azir, who had his eyes tightly shut while clutching his neck, which was still very much intact.

He was, however, now covered in blood, squirting from the severed hand of Scarface.

Crooked teeth froze in shock as the pressure in the room suddenly changed. The men who had not been paying interest and those who had scrambled to their feet and their eyes started searching the dim place relentlessly. The place also had half a dozen entries, and they took defensive positions staring at each entrance.

Azir was still screaming bloody murder. How long was he going to scream for before he realized he was not dead!

”Azir. That is not behaviour befitting of a City lord.” Sagiri said from above, and suddenly there was pindrop silence.

Azir had not expected to hear such a voice, and he opened one eye dramatically before opening the other. He touched his neck dramatically.

”Am I dead? Is Big Brother not pleased with me and chastises me even in the afterlife? Azir said with a wide smile as if he was reminiscing about a bittersweet memory.

”You are not dead. But you will be dead soon if you don’t explain to me why you saw it as a good idea to follow strangers after you promised me you would think of every decision you make.” Sagiri said from above. Azir froze, and his face turned upwards. The lanterns keeping the place lit were dim, and from where he sat, he could only see a silhouette in a crack up above.

Every head snapped upward toward the narrow stone supports crossing nearly thirty feet above the chamber where Sagiri stood in complete silence, half hidden in darkness.

”Big brother? Big brother!!” Azir’s voice cut through the silence. His voice carried excitement as he looked up, beaming. ”Wibo! Big brother is here!!” Azir shook Wibo, who was still holding onto the last shred of consciousness. The boy was rather loyal and strong.

”Don’t call me big brother. I will deal with you later.” Sagiri chastised before his eyes turned cold when he looked at the assassins. ”Now, now, what to do with you?” Sagiri’s voice carried mischief and ice. His eyes looked empty in the dim lantern light. The two dozen men changed their positions, their faces facing upwards, their blades drawn.

”How did he get up there?” One of the men said

”Who is he?”

”It can’t be... who the boy calls big brother...”

”It is very much Big Brother to that delinquent, and you don’t get to say it. And I am also very much the rogue chief whom you wish to frame. Framing me is okay, but killing a child? How very dishonourable!” Sagiri said in disgust before he stepped off the ledge.

There were gasps as the dozen watched the dark silhouette, shrouded in darkness, suddenly plunge from the high place. Sagiri dropped straight down through the darkness while Nokai snapped from the ground violently and rose to meet him midway in his descent. back into his hand. His cloak tore behind him, and black Archive energy burst outward around his body before he landed between Azir and the assassins with enough force to crack the stone floor beneath him.

The impact shook the chamber. Dust exploded outward. Before anyone could react, Nokai flashed once through the darkness in a black arc so fast it barely existed. The ropes binding Wibo and Azir’s feet were the first to come off before one of the kidnappers was separated at the chest and collapsed before the blood even reached the ground.

It was Scarface who was screaming and groaning in pain.

”Too much noise. I am not a morning person, and I dare say you all have woken me from my peaceful nap.” Sagiri said, still facing down. There was silence before there was nervous mumbling. The stench of fear was maddening in the place.

”How did he just jump from so far up there, and he is not dead?” crooked teeth swallowed nervously, all the earlier pride disappearing from his face.

”He can’t be...”

”Impossible!” Another gasped in horror.

”I told you big brother is not easy to kill, and he is so cool.” Azir marveled.

”Shut up and bind Wibo’s wounds if you don’t want him dead. He will be dead in less than an hour and a half if he keeps bleeding this way.” Sagiri said his head still lowered while he remained standing in front of Azir with Nokai lowered at his side, while his cloak slowly settled behind him. Then he finally lifted his eyes toward the remaining men, and the killing intent filling the chamber became so overwhelming it felt difficult to breathe.

”Now then, gentlemen. Shall we get this over with?” Sagiri said. His voice was laced with so much ice that even Azir got chills.