Destined For Doom

Epilogue - Ronin

-Epilogue-

-Ronin-

Six months later...

Jun made his way quietly through the abandoned halls of Koyane's museum, wary of any guards. Who knows what kind of monsters had flocked to this place, eager to claim the many treasures inside. He had already dispatched of a small group of ghouls that had been guarding the entrance, and his broken blade was slick with blood. His precision had not dulled in his time since being Koyane's acolyte, and his skills were still as sharp as ever. They needed to be.

He moved quickly towards the elevator, his shattered sword drawn and held out carefully in front of him. The dark may be concealing his presence, but he may not be the only one using it to his advantage. Jun pressed the call button quietly, keeping his back to the wall and his ears open. As the elevator doors slid open he backed inside, only relaxing once they were secure and he was heading to Koyane's office. That was where the most potent artefacts were kept, or at least back when his master was still alive.

Undoubtedly most of the relics had already been plundered, or sold off to private collectors who had no idea of their true value. Still, there was no public word of the particular artefact he was after being auctioned, so it was possible that it was still here. Unlikely, but possible.

He wiped the ghoul blood from his blade, minding the jagged tip where it had broken free. It was still razor-sharp, but considerably less effective as a stabbing weapon. He waited patiently, Koyane's stolen journal weighing in his satchel. A few crucial pages were missing, presumably loosened in his mad rush to collect whatever papers he could. Of course, it was only after he had investigated Koyane's notes that he realised how important they were. When he had returned to seek them out, they were gone. Undoubtedly more of Akane's meddling.

He calmed his breathing, staring at the edge of his shortened sword while he waited for the elevator to reach Koyane's office. The doors slid open quietly, and Jun stepped out into the room to assess the danger. Three figures were searching through the drawers, not even noticing the slight sound made by Jun's entrance. They were too confident in the security they had left downstairs; a force of twelve ghouls. Twelve ghouls that Jun had just slaughtered.

He didn't make a sound as he brought his blade down on the closest ghoul's neck, decapitating the monster before it even knew he was there. The others were alerted by their comrade's demise, but it made little difference. Against a warrior as skilled as Jun, they barely lasted five seconds. A short blast of wind from his blade tore the first in two, while a backhanded slash sent the other's entrails spilling over the rich wooden floor. He stepped over the corpses distastefully, scanning his eyes over Koyane's desk.

Most of the smaller objects had been taken already, but a large box stuffed with various items remained. This was where Koyane kept certain artefacts he was still investigating, or those he considered valuable enough to warrant extra protection. It was this same box that had contained the key to Akane's statue not that long ago. The most prominent artefact therein, the one he was looking for, stuck out by a mile.

The antique sword was very strange, unlike any other in the recorded history. Unlike conventional swords, there was no guard between the handle and the blade. It was as long as a hand and a half sword, but with a slightly wider blade and a strange curving splay at the pommel. It was ancient, a relic from times long forgotten when the higher gods had walked the earth. While the blade's existence wasn't a monumental secret, few knew what it really was. Jun smiled thinly, gripping the blade by the handle and feeling the power surge through him. The first piece of the regalia, Kusanagi No Tsurugi, was his.

Soon he would be able to hunt down the witch, and Akane, wherever they were hiding. The assassin may be a godslayer, but Jun would soon level the playing field. With this power, he would be able to reap his vengeance.