First Sword and the Chunin of the Hidden Cloud Village

11:00 pm,

The capital city of Buckfastleigh

Wake up…

"Wake up, master," a sharp voice shook him.

Kai opened his eyes and immediately felt as if there were tiny stones in them, burning hot. He rubbed his eyes, and sat up on the bed, trying to make sense of the place he was in.

Someone dabbed his face gently with a cool, wet cloth, moistening away the sweat, and then used a dry towel to clean his face. By the time he smelled coffee and took the cup from Item-M's hand, old memories had already resurfaced.

Six hours had gone by since Kai's arrival at the hotel.

Even before buying the ticket to the capital, Kai had eaten his fill, along with Selene. She wanted to hunt, she kept saying, while swallowing as much flesh as she could. But there was no magical creature around them, and both of them were already more like two ravenous beasts by that time. A full stomach brought massive waves of sleep, and Kai had trouble recalling how and when he had arrived at the hotel. So the moment he had stepped into the room, a dreamless black gulf had claimed his senses.

And now, he was feeling worse than before.

There was such tiredness infused in his body that Kai couldn't fathom the reason for it. He was a Contestant, not an ordinary human. Yet, he seemed to have pushed the limits of even inhumane Stats.

He took a sip, a hot, bitter taste opening up his nerves as it went down his throat. Only then did he fully open his eyes. They were redder than blood, he knew, his face getting reflected by the tall mirror on the opposite wall.

"Report," Kai ordered, turning to look at Item-M. She had yet to ready herself for the auction that would start after midnight.

Item-M smiled, he noticed, and she was having a hard time controlling her emotions. He must teach her what he had learned in some roundabout way, Kai reflected, and put the matter in the back of his head.

"I got a sword for you, master," she said, her hand reaching to the table behind her.

When she brought it forward, she was holding a long Katana gracefully. It had a square gray guard and red-colored hilt and sheath. Tied at the hilt's butt was a golden-red string with a small cowrie shell at its end.

Kai gawked at it, controlled his emotions, and then drank the rest of the coffee in one burning gulp. He threw himself off the bed, forgetting his immense tiredness, and snatched the sword out of Item-M's hand.

He felt its power instantaneously. Kai gripped the hilt, and then with the faintest of a jerk, unsheathed the sword, taking it out inch by inch. The blade's edge seemed as thin as sunlight, but the strength hidden in the steel couldn't be faked, Kai knew.

He felt a thrum inside his bones, and smiled. The sword had accepted him, it seemed. If Item-M had stored this sword in her Inventory, then this Item would have been hers, not his.

"It's a replica of the named sword from the World of Afro Samurai," she told him. "Under Uncommon Grade, it's one of the top swords."

It didn't matter if it wasn't called a saber to Kai. As long as the sword had a curved blade, it was a fang.

Kai ran his fingers across its length, and his eyes landed on the Stats hovering over it.

[

Item: Afro's Tachi

Grade: Common

Specification: A Mana and Chakra induced long, curved sword.

Requirement:

1. At least one sword-related Ability

2. Agility 16

3. Perception 13

Attributes:

1. Measurement: 102 cm

2. Material: High Carbon Steel (mono tampered)

3. Base Damage: 60 HP

Skill: "I will keep moving forward..."

Effect:

1. With every consecutive strike, resulting in HP drop, Bonus Damage +5

2. Limit of Strikes: 5

3. At 5th successful strike: Base Damage 100 HP

Skill: Ruthless Ritual

Effect:

1. With every successful kill, bathing the sword in the enemy's blood will raise Base Damage by 1 temporarily

2. Base Damage Limit: 80

3. Time Limit: 72 hours (Base Damage will reset to its original value)

Quality: 74%

]

Kai smiled. His one fang had returned. Now only one left.

Item-M's hand went to the table's drawer, taking out another Item. "An easy grade String Beyblade Launcher," she said, handing it over to Kai. "Nothing special, but it fills one of the requirements. Ordinary launchers burst apart while launching graded Beyblades."

The launcher was red and white colored. Kai didn't spare much glance and stored it along with the sword in his Inventory.

Once more, Item-M took out something from a drawer. It was a rectangular case. She opened it up and let Kai see its contents. There were 5 red, blue, and bright yellow capsules in it lined in three rows.

"As you ordered, master," Item-M told him, "I only bought one case for you. The HP capsules are 500 MC each, MP capsules of 1000 MC each, and SP capsules of 2000 MC each. All restore 100 points of their respective Stat. As we have ascended on the 4th floor, the capsules of Easy grade are now 50% less efficient on us, and this number decreases drastically with every next capsule taken within 24 hours. Now, these capsules are of Common Grade and only work at 100% efficiency when there is a gap of at least 3 hours between two consumptions. If taken before, the next capsule will only give half the points. It will keep becoming half unless the Time Limit is met by the user."

Kai closed the case and sent it to his Inventory as well. "How much for all this?" he asked.

"Including a quiver of Easy graded arrows for Jet Wing, one capsule case for me, our clothes, drinks, and a few other miscellaneous things, it all cost me 150,000 MCs," Item-M replied, and gasped. It seemed only now she was comprehending how vast a sum it was. "But I sold the Gyarados' scales and body parts, master. It turned out that those scales had a hint of Sea-stones' properties from the One Piece World. We got 8000 MCs from that deal, and I got the box you ordered me to have made using those scales too."

Kai didn't want to talk about the box anymore. Not right now.

"We don't have the time to sulk, Item-M," Kai barked, taking out a brown folder. "Go through the data in it and make the preparations. The Price that I need to pay can't even be compared to what you have paid for these things."

Item-M frowned, took the folder, and opened it. If she wasn't a fallen Contestant from the 13th floor, the entire folder would have slipped out of her hands. Her head snapped up at Kai, her eyes singing a cruel song of disbelief and ridiculousness. "He's a 6th-floor Contestant," she mumbled absentmindedly. "A Chunin from the Hidden Cloud Village. This is no empty power, master. Not even if he would have his Stats restricted. It's the same Set, and he would also have royal guards and flower commandos around him."

"You don't have to tell me about how dangerous it is," Kai said, not unkindly. "Go through it all, and on the last page, I have mapped out our plan. We still have some 40 minutes left. Make the preparations within this time."

Item-M, ignoring the documents, flipped to the last page. A deep scarlet color rose to her cheeks as she read Kai's plan. "Yes… Yes, master."

*

*

12:30 am,

City Hall

The crowd had gone extremely thin on the seventh day.

Now, one after the other, luxurious carriages kept coming, bringing the nobles for the true auction. A red carpet was running from the carriage stop to Hall's entrance, and on the carpet's sides, lined with a gap of two hands between each other, were the White Guards of the royal police force in their white armors, their white cloaks fluttering behind them in the gray darkness.

Outside the entrance, four Flower Commandos were standing tall in their blue armor, patterned with red, yellow, and white flowers. A rose crest over their helm, with seven-colored petals, stood majestically, telling a tale of one of the oldest organizations in the Primordial Tower, Seven Mystic Flowers.

Just before the auction was about to start, two enormous, but equally luxurious carriages came to a stop opposite each other at the carriage stop. The horses whined, rearing at each other, as the driver tried to rein them into silence.

Curses flew from each side, and from the back of one carriage, three horsed White Guards trotted forward, holding pale white lances, shimmering silver. These are Items, they seemed to proclaim.

"Back off!" one of the white-armored guards commanded. "How dare you block the path of Viscount's carriage?"

A deep, menacing chuckle escaped from the other in reply. "Haha!" the voice came out roaring. "My esteemed father told me about House Arbuthnot. I am honored to meet you, Viscount Lucas. Or should I call you Purple Spark?"

Even the armored guards were stunned hearing that name. Who was this unknown person to call the Viscount by his Code Name?

Both carriages' doors opened simultaneously, and two figures walked out. One was wearing an exquisite white suit and pants, with a badge of purple lightning on the chest. He looked no older than 30 and had full, shoulder-length black hair and black eyes. His chin was bearded, and his mustache was neatly pruned.

This person was Viscount Lucas Arbuthnot, code named - Purple Spark, and a Chunin from the Hidden Cloud Village.

The second person had a black suit and pants on him, the linings of its collars and sleeves embroidered in gold. He had long white hair, and his eyes were hazels, pure but defiant. He was Kai Stormborn.

Two unworldly beauties stepped out following them.

Item-M's hair was tied in a bun with ribbons on it, and she was wearing a backless turquoise gown. A necklace with red ruby embedded in it, and diamond earrings made her look like some angelic figure, stepping down from the stars. The moment she came out, metals clanked, as the guards' helms scratched their gorgets, their heads turning to have a glance at her. Even the Viscount's eyes stared at her with a red glint in them.

From Viscount's carriage, a long, curled, black-haired woman stepped out in a purple gown and purple tiara, glowing with tiny diamonds. Her eyes were black, a shade darker than those of Viscount.

Both parties looked at each other, and at the opposite sex.

"Who are you… my lord?" Viscount Lucas asked, at last, shocking the woman beside him and the three guards.

Kai smiled. "You wouldn't want to know," he said airily. "I just like to attend flashy functions and make friends."

"Elenora," Viscount said, gesturing at the woman. "My lady wife."

Kai bowed courteously at her, smiling. The woman nodded in return.

"Sonia," Kai said, introducing Item-M. "She's whatever I want her to be."

Kai's words bordered on blasphemy, considering Item-M's beauty. But there was no sign of taking offense on her face, and following his words, she just smiled as if all that was being said about her was true.

Viscount Lucas gulped audibly.

"Lord Arbuthnot." A man in a black-colored formal suit came running toward them. "The auction is about to start. Please come. We have already arranged the topmost chamber for you "

"Oh!" Kai exclaimed, approaching the three, holding Item-M's hand. "Why not share this chamber then, Viscount Lucas? The more the merrier."

"Eh…" the third man licked his lips, fumbling for words. "You need a token for that, good sir. I…"

His words got caught in his throat. Item-M took out a platinum-colored card and threw it at him as if it was a spare change. Once again the Viscount stared at Kai and her awkwardly, and even the woman looked taken aback.

That was the token of 50000 Mission Credits. Who could just throw that much money like that? Who were these two? They must have been thinking of these questions when Kai laughed. "What?" he asked, jesting. "You don't like my company, my lord."

Viscount Lucas came to his senses. "No, no," he said, smiling back at Kai. "Please. We will be honored to have you with us."

"Yes," Elenora Arbuthnot said, nodding, her voice sweet like honey. "Mr. Black Rose, please make the arrangements."

The man in the black suit nodded and led the way into the City Hall.

They took the four of them to a spacious chamber on the topmost section of the hall with windows as walls. The hall had a semicircular arrangement, with three sections, layered in a stepped arrangement one over the other. Kai could see a sea of people gathered around an enormous dais, way down from his elevation. A gigantic screen was hung over the dais at the eye level of the upper two sections on which a rose with seven-colored petals kept flashing in and out.

"The windows of this chamber have all manners of defenses placed over them, my lords," Mr. Black Rose said. "The uppermost section is reserved for the 6th-floor Contestants or those who have the token for it, and the middle section is reserved for the Presidents and upper bureaucrats. The rest are on the third and the lowermost section. Generally, other Contestants don't come on the last day, and we have yet to release the info that you are among us, Lord Lucas."

Kai ignored all this conversation as if he had nothing to worry about. In the chamber, there were two sofas placed near each other, pointed at the screen, and in front of them was a table with flagons of wine, baskets of fruits, and other snacks were placed over it.

Kai slumped down on one of the sofas with Item-M, as the rest of the three stared at him incredulously.

"Ahem!" Mr. Black Rose cleared his throat. "I will send two waiters to attend you, my lords…"

"No need!" Kai said loudly, looking over his shoulder. "We have two beautiful ladies with us. Surely we don't need anymore."

Lady Elenora furrowed at the remark, but one glance from the Viscount made her bury her retort.

Kai sneered inwardly. "And please send us your most exquisite collection of cigars, Mr. Black Rose," he said, looking at the third man. "And whiskey. Not this garbage."

"Yes… yes, of course," the man said, sweating.

When the waiters had come and gone, and the Viscount and his wife had settled down as well, Kai cut the cigar's tip, blazed it, and handed it over to the man sitting next to him on the other sofa. He then lit one for himself, and soon the chamber was covered in thin smoke, smelling of fresh flowers after the first rain.

"I have yet to be honored by your name, my lord," Lucas said, blowing out a long trail of smoke. "Are you from…"

"Doesn't matter," Kai said impatiently, flicking his hand. "You can't comprehend where I am from. Let's enjoy ourselves. They are starting, I guess."

The husband and wife shared a terrified glance, Kai noticed.

Suddenly, the rose on the screen vanished, and in its place appeared a beautiful woman in her thirties dressed in a rippling black gown, along with Mr. Black Rose and a female attendant.

"Good evening," she said, her voice magically booming to the farthest corner of the city hall. "Before we start, let me welcome an esteemed guest present amidst us, Viscount Lucas Arbuthnot, Set Lord of the 2nd Set."

The entire hall buzzed up with incomprehensible murmurs and thundering claps.

"You butter their loaves of bread efficiently, eh?" Kai quipped, smoke twisting out of his mouth.

Viscount Lucas laughed. "A bunch of hungry dogs, my lord," he replied. "Not something to be mentioned in your presence."

"Well said," Kai nodded. "Sonia, be a good lady, and serve our Viscount a glass of whiskey."

"No…" Lucas tried to reject, but the moment Item-M left her seat, his words got caught in his throat.

Kai eyed Lady Elenora mischievously. She sighed, left her seat, and poured Kai a drink as Item-M poured one for Viscount Lucas. Elenora turned to leave, but Item-M sat down in her place, a half-full glass of whiskey in her hand.

"Please, my lady," Kai said, patting the sofa on his side. "How can we become friends without knowing each other?"

Lady Elenora shot Kai a look that could have meant anything, and walked around the table to sit beside him, her eyes now glued to the screen.

Kai chuckled under his breath, sipped the disgusting whiskey, and smoked the repulsive cigar, his attention now landing on the screen as well.

They had already brought out the first item of the auction.

*********

AN: Relevant images are available on Discord