Musashi sighed slightly, a hint of relief in his expression.
“Some people simply do not understand…” he muttered with a scoff.
Then he looked directly at Peter lying on the floor.
“Will he recover?”
As he spoke, Rowlo and Jaylia rushed over and knelt beside Peter.
“Pete… you have to get up,” Rowlo said, his voice breaking slightly.
“Can’t you do something?!” Jaylia shouted at Dreko, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
Dreko folded his arms.
“He’ll recover. Even though I said this would end badly from the start,” he said with a slight scoff.
Musashi looked at them, confusion settling over his face.
“What are you people, really? I’ve met others like you before… but they didn’t heal. They just had strange abilities.”
Dreko paced slightly, his expression sharpening.
“What abilities did they have?”
Musashi looked down at the floor, a faint sadness forming in his eyes.
“I want to show you what they are doing. Follow me.”
They left the dojo.
Rowlo carried Peter as they stepped outside. Even now, countless townspeople stood at a distance, watching and whispering, still uneasy about what they had seen.
Musashi didn’t even look at them as he walked through the village.
They passed the guards and made their way to a nearby farm.
The fields were not lush. They were ruined.
Leaves were covered in a strange purple disease that seemed to rot the life out of everything it touched. Some plants had completely collapsed in on themselves, as if drained dry.
Rowlo gasped the moment he saw it.
“What the hell…”
Musashi crouched slightly and touched one of the dying plants.
“It has not spread everywhere yet,” he said. “But entire crop fields are being wiped out by this strange blight.”
His expression darkened.
“One night, I saw an individual in the fields. They touched the crops… and the blight spread from them.”
He stood back up and looked at Dreko.
“Sorcery like yours, I presume.”
Dreko looked down at the ruined plants and scoffed quietly.
“Tch… Lesonians. Of course.”
Musashi turned to him, confusion plain on his face.
“Huh?”
“They shouldn’t be here,” Dreko said, “but they’re the only nearby species that could do something like this.”
Musashi’s expression hardened slightly.
“People from the stars… of course.”
“Wait, how would you know that?” Rowlo asked.
Musashi glanced at him.
“The other sorcerer I know told me he was from the stars. I assumed you were too.”
“Aliens in ancient Japan… what?!” Jaylia exclaimed in surprise.
Dreko looked straight at Musashi.
“There shouldn’t be any aliens on Earth at all. It’s outlawed by the Kudonian Empire.”
“Well I mean… you’re here…” Rowlo interjected.
Dreko looked away slightly, annoyed and just a bit embarrassed.
“Who’s the other alien?!” Jaylia exclaimed, the realization hitting her. “If there is another one here, maybe he has some fuel so maybe… we can finally get back home.”
The realization hit Rowlo at nearly the same time.
“Wait… you’re right, but…” He gestured toward the ruined field. “Look at this. We can’t just leave them like this.”
Dreko smiled slightly to himself.
“If it’s an alien, they don’t even belong here, so…” Dreko continued.
Musashi straightened, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
“Aha. I knew it. If anyone can solve this, it will be you people.”
He paused briefly.
“The other sorcerer is a swordsmith. He lives in isolation, about a day’s journey from here. He crafted my two swords.”
Suddenly, Peter stirred.
“…Ah man… where am I?”
Rowlo quickly set him down and pulled him into a hug as he sat up. Jaylia followed, relief washing over her.
“Pete… thank God you’re okay,” Rowlo said, his voice tight with emotion.
Peter let out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.
“…Never better.”
Musashi walked over, clearly intrigued. He knelt down and placed his hands on Peter’s shoulders.
“You are a valiant warrior… um…”
“Peter,” Peter said, helping him.
“Yes. Peter,” Musashi repeated. “You would make a great samurai. You simply must hone your skills.”
Peter shot to his feet, excitement lighting up his face. He bowed quickly to Musashi.
“Please, sensei, train me in your ways. I will follow the way of the samurai!” he exclaimed.
Musashi let out a loud, hearty laugh.
“You are a funny boy! Perhaps I shall consider it. But first, you will need swords. The sorcerer will be happy to help you.”
Peter blinked, a little confused, glancing back at Rowlo, Jaylia, and Dreko.
Even so, he bowed again, more deeply this time.
“Thank you so much, Musashi-sensei!”
“Pete… a samurai…” Rowlo let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “Can’t get any weirder than this.”
He looked over at Peter.
“I’ll explain everything on the way.”
The five of them set out toward the hermit.
On the way, they couldn’t help but notice people along the sides of the road, clearly starving. Others approached them, weak and desperate, begging for money or food.
Some didn’t even have the strength to stand.
On the road, the sun slowly dipped beyond the horizon, and day turned to night.
Rowlo had a sad look on his face.
“How could this happen… none of this makes sense.”
“Not everything is recorded in history, sadly,” Dreko said. He glanced toward the beggars at the side of the road. “History doesn’t care about these people… so it doesn’t affect anything.”
Jaylia looked toward a large tree in the distance.
“We should probably rest for the night… that’s enough depressing stuff for one day.”
They settled beneath the tree, exhaustion quietly setting in.
The sun rose again, and they continued on, moving through the Japanese countryside. Eventually, a strange-looking building came into view. Smoke curled from its chimney. It stood apart from the other buildings they had seen.
Musashi led, sliding the door open slightly.
Immediately, the smell of burning metal and a wave of heat hit them.
Inside stood a small man, hammer in hand, holding a glowing piece of metal that would soon become a blade. He looked almost like a small, old elf, with slightly pointed ears.
He looked up.
His eyes met Musashi’s instantly.
“Musashiii!” he said, clasping his hands together and rubbing them. “You’ve come to buy another sword, perhaps?”
His gaze shifted toward the others entering behind him.
“Oh… and you brought friends. Fufu.”
Musashi looked slightly annoyed.
“Tch… you greedy elf.”
He gestured toward the group.
“These ones are like you. They are from the stars, I believe. Sorcerers like you.”
The swordsmith jumped back, a look of fear overtaking his face.
“…It can’t be. The Kudonians found me.”
Dreko stepped forward and knelt slightly.
“We’re not here to arrest you,” he said calmly. “My name is Dreko Dan.”
He extended his hand.
“We’re actually humans,” Rowlo added.
The man hesitated, then slowly reached out and shook Dreko’s hand.
“My name is Jinpay. I’m just a swordsmith.”
His eyes darted between them.
“Are you saying you aren’t Kudonian?”
Dreko met his gaze.
“…No. I’m definitely Kudonian.”
He gestured slightly toward the others.
“But they aren’t.”
Jinpay immediately backed away, even more frightened.
Dreko glanced at him.
“Ah… sorry. I’m Kudonian… just not with the Empire.”
Musashi sighed deeply.
“They wish to fight the blight. Perhaps they can help.”
He gestured toward Peter.
“They seem to have the ability to heal. It is rather strange. This boy needs your finest blades.”
Jinpay took a few slow breaths, calming himself.
“If you trust them… then…” Jinpay began pacing, a worried expression spreading across his face. “If you’re a Kudonian, you know how dangerous it is to be on Earth. So why are you here?”
Dreko tilted his head slightly.
“I could ask you the same… where are you from?”
“I come from Arithara, in the Lesonian Empire. My people can control heat. I thought I could live a peaceful life here… so I came in secret.”
Dreko’s expression sharpened.
“Then you know why this blight is happening. It’s textbook Lesonian.”
Jinpay looked down, nervous again.
“…I don’t know. It’s not the government. I’d rather not get involved.”
Dreko stepped closer, locking eyes with him.
“If Japan collapses in 1612, the Time Rangers will get involved… and none of us want that...right?”
Jinpay’s face went pale.
“THE RED HAND!” he blurted out.
“A terrorist organization… I swear, I don’t know what they’re planning.”
Suddenly, the air shifted.
Heavy. Thick. Hard to breathe.
Rowlo coughed.
Then Jaylia.
Then Peter.
Even Musashi brought a hand to his mouth.
Their vision blurred. The room spun.
“What the devil is this?!” Musashi coughed.
“I feel sick…” Jaylia muttered.
Dreko’s head snapped to the door.
A violent gust blew it open.
She stood there.
Pale. Blue eyes. Long dark-blue hair flowing behind her. A ninja-like figure in a ninja outfit, but wrong. Completely wrong.
Dreko’s eyes narrowed.
“Tch… so it’s you.”
She stepped forward slowly.
“…How annoying,” she rasped. “They’re not supposed to know about the Red Hand… now are they?”
In an instant, she moved quickly lunging after Jinpay.
Jinpay stumbled back.
The others couldn’t move.
Before she could reach him
Dreko intercepted.
His hand shot forward
BOOM.
Flames exploded outward, blasting her across the room.
In the same instant
Dreko was already there.
He grabbed her collar and slammed her against the wall.
“Why are you on Earth?!” he demanded. “What is the Red Hand?!”
She smiled faintly.
“How unfortunate… Immortals...you really have no idea what you’ve walked into huh.”
Dreko’s grip tightened.
“You’re not touching anyone. Not him. Not anyone.”
She chuckled softly.
“We’ll see.”
Then
she vanished. Gone.
“…I’ll be seeing you.”
Dreko clenched his fist.
“…Damn it.”