Chapter 58: BALANCE


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    The Shogun gripped the reins of his six-legged steed—a Golem whose metallic joints creaked beneath him—as they rode through the darkening forest. He had dressed as an ordinary samurai, his usual crimson and gold robes replaced with standard armor. The katana and wakizashi pressed against his hip.


    Behind him, the samurai boy Hiro clung to the Shogun''s back, his small hands wrapped around his belt. Swathed in bloody bandages, the child''s eyes held a hardness that shouldn''t exist in someone so young. The Shogun had seen that look before—on too many faces.


    Through the trees ahead, orange light flickered against the evening sky. Smoke rose in thick black columns. The Shogun raised his hand, signaling his force of fifty samurai to halt.


    The village—the faction''s Jingozi training center—was burning. Flames consumed thatched roofs and wooden walls, spreading from house to house like a hungry beast.


    "Ride!" the Shogun''s voice thundered across the ranks. He drew his katana, the steel catching the firelight. His Golem mount responded instantly to his command, its mechanical legs propelling forward with unnatural speed.


    The small army burst into motion behind him, their steeds'' multiple legs drumming against the earth in unison. They charged toward the burning village, weapons raised.


    * * *


    The Shogun reined his mount to a halt as they entered the village square. The buildings continued to burn, but an eerie silence hung over the area like a fog. No screams, no fighting, no signs of life—just the crackling of flames.


    "Search every building," he commanded his warriors, who fanned out through the streets.


    In the center of the village, the Shogun found her. Yukiko, the ronin-class Jingozi trainer, lay broken on the ground. Her pristine Samurai armor had been shattered, fragments scattered around her body. Dark ichor pooled beneath her.


    The Shogun dismounted, Hiro sliding down behind him. Kneeling beside Yukiko, he snapped his fingers to create a golden Zii coin. The coin glowed as he pressed it against her chest, its energy pulsing with a soft golden light.


    Yukiko''s eyelids fluttered open, the white of her eyes laced with black veins.


    "My lord..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I failed..."


    "No." The Shogun''s voice was firm. "I received the scroll about the Jingozi traitor. That is why I am here."


    "The children... dark elf pirates... took them north. If you ride now..." She coughed, dark tar staining her lips. "They can''t be far."


    The Shogun stood, turning to Hiro.


    "Stay here with Yukiko. Keep her awake."


    "But—" Hiro began to protest.


    "That is an order."


    "Hiro," Yukiko called. "Such an impetuous and foolish boy, you never did listen or care about your honor and duties."


    "I''m sorry, Master Yukiko," the child hung his bandaged head. "Something told me to go with Ember. I didn''t know it would end up like—"


    "No, child, do not be ashamed," Yukiko let out a labored chuckle. "You chose your heart and are now part of a greater destiny. Come, let us keep each other company."


    Mounting his mechanical steed, the Shogun raised his voice to his assembled warriors.


    "The pirates ride north with our children! Chase them down!"


    The army wheeled their mounts around, following their leader as he spurred his six-legged steed forward. The mechanical legs beat faster and faster as they thundered out of the burning village, leaving Hiro and Yukiko behind.


    * * *


    The Shogun''s forces caught the pirate caravan, the thunder of metal legs drowning out everything else.


    The dark elves wheeled around to make their stand—barely three dozen purple-skinned pirates against his remaining force of elite warriors. The golden-armored Samurai cut through them with disciplined efficiency.


    A monster of an elf emerged from behind the wagons, towering at seven feet. The creature''s purple skin rippled with muscle, marked by white tribal paint. Bones woven through his long hair clicked together as he moved. He wore only animal skin pants and metal-plated boots, his massive chest bare.


    The giant swung a spiked ball and chain, charging it with Jingozi cards. The weapon blazed with energy as it carved deadly arcs through the air. Samurai warriors flew apart on impact, their bodies and their mounts torn asunder in explosive bursts of blood.


    The Shogun drew his own Jingozi cards, channeling their power into his mechanical mount. As the spiked ball whirled toward him, his steed dropped its rear legs in a controlled skid. The deadly weapon passed harmlessly overhead as they slid beneath it.


    In one fluid motion, the Shogun threw a Jingozi card into the ground to propel him from his mount. His next card manifested as an enormous blade of pure energy. Time seemed to slow as he sailed through the air, the giant blade trailing golden fire. The purple elf''s eyes widened in the instant before the blade connected.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The giant''s head toppled from his shoulders before his body crumpled to the blood-soaked ground.


    After the skirmish, the Shogun''s men freed about forty children from the caged wagons. Each surviving Samurai took a child onto their mount. With their precious cargo secured, they turned their mechanical steeds back toward the village.


    * * *


    The Shogun knelt beside Yukiko in the dim cave, his armor scraping against the stone floor. Her breathing came in shallow gasps, dark blood seeping through her bandages despite his attempts to heal her with Zii. His two most trusted captains stood silently at attention behind him.


    "Yukiko, you are afflicted with poison," the Shogun said. "It is shadow magic beyond my power to restore."


    With a weak smile, she nodded in acceptance.


    "If you are here, you have read the scroll," she whispered.


    "Yes, as the traitor warned us," his jaw clenched. "The Jingozi... they granted Edric''s request. He will become a Necrolord. But that''s impossible. Such power would destroy the balance. The paradox would be shattered."


    "That is why I requested your presence to hear it yourself. The Jingozi are a kingdom divided. There is one that they fear."


    The Shogun lifted his gaze to the shadows of the cave.


    "Is what she says true?"


    A dark figure emerged from the darkness, its black cloak writhing like living smoke. The skull-masked face tilted forward in a single, deliberate nod.


    "The fire-haired Ninja..." Yukiko grasped the Shogun''s sleeve weakly. "What of her?"


    "She remains our captive."


    "She comes from the other dimension. She is the key to defeating Edric. You must understand… she is the balance... a vessel."


    The Shogun''s brow furrowed as he closed his eyes. After a deep, measured breath, he turned to his captains.


    "Take the children. No one can know of their existence. Guard them with your lives."


    "My Lord," one captain stepped forward. "What of Hiro? The boy has seen too much."


    The Shogun''s expression softened slightly.


    "He has suffered enough. No harm will come to him."


    The captains bowed deeply.


    "As you command, Lord Shogun." They turned and left the cave.


    "What will you do?" Yukiko asked.


    "I have commissioned a Jingozi exhibition," he replied. "I will use the games and the girl to draw Edric out and reveal his plan."


    "And what about the girl, Ember?"


    "If she is indeed who you say, we must allow this story to be told, but nobody must know. Edric must believe he has the advantage, so we may have the time to retaliate. I have my children to protect."


    "My lord," Yukiko coughed. "I have failed our faction. Although I am ronin, allow me to take my life as a Samurai for an honorable death."


    The Shogun withdrew his wakizashi, its polished blade gleaming in the cave''s dim light. He presented it to Yukiko with both hands, with refined dignity. Her trembling fingers wrapped around the hilt as he helped position her into a proper kneeling stance.


    Rising to his full height, the Shogun drew his katana in one fluid motion. The sound of steel against the sheath echoed through the cave.


    "You have served the Samurai faction with honor and distinction, Yukiko. Though you chose the path of ronin, you remained true to our ways until the end."


    Yukiko''s eyes met his with unwavering resolve. She plunged the blade deep into her abdomen. In that same instant, the Shogun''s katana flashed through the air, severing her head with a single, clean stroke.


    He turned to face the Jingozi, his blade still dripping. The creature''s skull mask reflected the scattered torchlight, its rainbow eyes flickering in their sockets.


    "If I fall," the Shogun said, presenting a golden glowing Zii coin. "You know what to do with this."


    The Jingozi reached out and plucked the Samurai''s Zii coin from his hand. After a slight bow, the cloaked creature floated to the entrance of the cave.


    "I know your kind cannot be trusted, nor whatever schemes you orchestrate in the shadows," the Shogun called. "But if you believe in the paradox balance, you will not deny us."


    The Jingozi paused in acknowledgment before leaving the cave.


    * * *


    The Shogun slipped through the shadows of Raishoto''s tunnels and his palace, his common samurai disguise concealing his true identity. Upon reaching his private chambers, he shed the simple armor and donned his imperial robes.


    He made his way to the medical wing where the Jingozi apprentice, Ryuunosuke, lay wrapped in bandages, barely recognizable beneath the layers of white cloth. The young samurai''s breathing came in labored gasps, but his eyes remained sharp and alert as the Shogun entered.


    "My Lord," Ryuunosuke struggled to lift his head. "What news from the village?"


    "All dead. The red-haired girl was working for the Emperor faction, as I suspected."


    "No, my Lord! She is the one who defected from the Emperor''s ranks. She wishes to help us fight against—"


    "Enough. Focus on your recovery, Ryuunosuke. Your judgment is clouded by pain and fever."


    "The boy, Hiro..."


    "I executed him myself." The Shogun''s words fell cold and heavy in the room. "He brought dishonor to his family and our faction. It was fitting that he join the other children who died by Ember''s treachery."


    "My lord, please—" Ryuunosuke tried to push himself up.


    The Shogun turned sharply and strode from the room, leaving Ryuunosuke''s pleas echoing behind him.


    Outside the medical wing, the Shogun closed the door behind him, his steps measured and controlled despite the urgency coursing through every fiber of his being. Captain Masashi waited in the shadows of the hallway, head bowed in deference.


    "Captain, what I say now does not leave this hall," the Shogun''s voice barely rose above a whisper.


    "Yes, my lord."


    "Ryuunosuke''s survival must remain secret. Have him moved to Thunder Temple tonight. The Monks there will tend to his recovery in seclusion."


    "And what of the red-headed one? I can have her tortured—"


    "No, she is not our enemy. She is… something else. We must trigger this trap to reveal whether we are the cat or the mouse."


    Masashi nodded, his hand reflexively tightening on his sword hilt.


    "Another matter," the Shogun continued. "Spread word among the Emperor''s merchants that the Golem faction attacked the caravan. Let the news flow naturally through trade channels."


    "It shall be done, my Lord."


    The Shogun placed a hand on Masashi''s shoulder.


    "Finally, and most importantly—gather our families and leave the city. Take them somewhere safe, beyond reach."


    Masashi''s eyes widened slightly.


    "My Lord?"


    "All Samurai children must be evacuated. Spread this command quietly among our most loyal officers. Nobody can be trusted. Let each family choose their destination—it is safer if we do not know where others have gone."


    "I understand." Masashi bowed deeply. "I will see to everything personally."


    "Go now. Time grows short, and everything must be in place before the execution."


    The Shogun paced the dim corridor, his steps silent on the polished wooden floor. The pieces moved across the board of his mind like a game of Go, each faction a different colored stone.


    The Ninja remained an enigma. Their involvement in Ember''s execution seemed too convenient, too perfectly timed. Perhaps they had struck a deal with Edric, exchanging their support for autonomy under his rule. Or maybe they simply saw an opportunity to diminish samurai influence while staying neutral in the larger conflict.


    But the Jingozi''s gambit troubled him most deeply. Their ancient power had always maintained the balance between factions. Why would they align themselves with Edric''s bid for dominance and unleash a Necrolord? The Shogun''s fingers brushed against the hilt of his sword, feeling the tingle of Zii flowing through the metal.


    The execution would force all his enemies into the open. When they moved to rescue Ember or seize power in the chaos, his armies would be ready. The Shogun had positioned his forces carefully, hidden throughout the city in preparation for this moment. Let them think he was weakened by the Ninja''s political disruption. Let them believe his grip on power had loosened.


    And when the dust settled, he would confront Edric directly. The evidence of the Overlord''s transformation into a Necrolord would shatter any remaining support for the Emperor faction. The kingdoms would see the true darkness threatening to consume them all.


    The Shogun''s jaw tightened. This was the only path forward—to cut out the rot before it spread further. Even if it meant sacrificing his position and power in the process.