Chapter 42: Louder Than Words

The Squad 7 building loomed like a regal temple amidst the uniform barracks of the Divine Blade Society. Ornate golden accents gleamed on the structure’s richness and lanterns hung in precise intervals. The building’s pristine appearance starkly contrasted with the utilitarian designs of its neighbors.

Inside, Shadowy figures moved about. They were ninjas of Squad 7, clad in sleek purple uniforms. They gathered in a wide chamber adorned with carvings of mythical beasts.

At the room's center stood a woman in stark contrast to her peers. Her red uniform marked her rank and authority. Her medium-cut red hair was tied into a sleek ponytail with the loose strands framing a face etched with calmness.

One of the ninjas knelt before her and reported in a hush. “Lieutenant, as predicted, the ‘new’ Captain will be arriving soon.”

The woman nodded. Her sharp eyes narrowed slightly. “We have everything there is to know. Our Captain’s answer is clear.”

The ninja hesitated for a moment before asking, “And the orders, ma’am?”

The Lieutenant’s lips curled into a faint smile. She raised her right hand and performed a complex handsign.

The ninjas around her mirrored the gesture before bowing deeply.

“Understood,” they said in unison,

Without another word, the ninjas dispersed. The Lieutenant stood alone in the chamber where her gaze was fixed on the far end of the room. There was a single ornate door that led to the inner sanctum. She clasped her hands behind her back and made her posture as still as a statue. ‘

Soujin approached the grand structure of the Squad 7 building. While ascending the stone steps, the faint sound of clashing swords reached his ears like a distant drumbeat.

He paused mid-step. The sound wasn’t coming from this building—it was echoing from somewhere unseen. His brows furrowed as he glanced around, scanning the horizon for its source. After a moment, he shook his head and muttered, “Not the priority right now.”

Soujin approached the entrance and raised his hand to knock. Before his knuckles touched the carved wooden surface, the door creaked open as though sensing his presence. Soujin held pose with his hand hovering mid-air.

“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” he muttered to himself.

The interior was dark with the only light being the warm glow of lanterns. The soft rustle of movement caught his attention, and soon, several figures emerged from the shadows—ninjas clad in their signature purple uniforms with their faces obscured save for their piercing eyes.

One stepped forward and spoke in a commanding tone. “State your purpose, Captain of Squad 3.”

Soujin straightened. His hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword. He kept his tone steady and tried to avoid any sign of hesitation. “I’m here to meet your Captain. It’s urgent.”

The ninja who had addressed Soujin glanced over his shoulder at another and exchanged an almost imperceptible signal. After a brief moment, he nodded and turned back to Soujin. “The Lieutenant will decide if you’re worthy to meet the Captain.”

Soujin’s brow twitched. “Worthy? Hell, why not just let me meet the Captain directly? This isn’t exactly a casual visit, you know.”

The ninja’s eyes narrowed behind his mask, and a smirk seemed to play beneath the fabric. “Here in Squad 7, we operate with precision and discipline. Not like the… improvisational chaos of Squad 3.” The words dripped in the air like a dagger waiting to drop.

Another ninja stepped forward and placed a firm hand on the first’s shoulder. “That’s enough,” she said evenly, though there was an undertone of reprimand. “We are not here to provoke.”

The first ninja hesitated but gave a curt nod before stepping back into line.

Soujin exhaled sharply through his nose. “What is with these guys?” he muttered under his breath. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one side.

“As the first has said,” the second ninja continued. “Follow us. The Lieutenant will determine what happens next.” She gestured with a sweeping motion, and the group began to move deeper into the temple-like building.

Soujin hesitated for a brief moment and scanned corridor ahead. Then, he followed them with a sigh.

W’hat is it with the secretive types?’ he thought, scratching the back of his neck absentmindedly. ‘First Squad 6, now this. Do they have a club for brooding in the dark or something?’

He smirked at his own joke but quickly stifled it. He should remain on guard.. His hand brushed the hilt of his sword as they approached a pair of large sliding doors which were crimson with gold patterns etched into their surface. The second ninja, who seemed to be leading the group stepped forward and slid the door open.

Inside, the room was bathed in a faint red glow. The walls were adorned with symbols and patterns Soujin couldn’t decipher, though they seemed to pulse faintly as though alive. At the center of the room sat the Lieutenant.

The Lieutenant sat cross-legged on the ground in a meditative position.

The second ninja gestured for Soujin to step forward and he took the step cautiously with his boots echoing faintly against the polished floor. He studied the Lieutenant for a moment and noted the calm yet commanding aura they exuded. “Lieutenant of Squad 7, I presume.”

The Lieutenant didn’t move for a moment, then slowly raised their head. “Captain of Squad 3,” the Lieutenant said like the whisper of a blade. “You’ve come seeking our Captain. Why?”

Soujin crossed his arms. “Because this isn’t just some routine social call. I need allies, and Squad 7 is critical to—“

“Captain,” the Lieutenant interrupted with narrowing eyes. “You came for Cera, didn’t you? I can see it in your eyes.”

The mention of her name made Soujin stiffen. His jaw tightened. “You already know, don’t you?” he muttered. “You know I’m trying to stop her execution.”

The Lieutenant’s lips curved into a faint smile; however, it didn’t reach his eyes. “We know more than you think,” she replied coolly. “We know about your… intentions. And we can help you.”

Soujin’s heart skipped a beat—then did a little victory dance in his chest. This was it! The moment he’d been waiting for. His brain immediately jumped to a mental image of him being showered with help in the form of golden confetti. He tried to keep his cool, though inside he was doing a full-on happy dance. Help? Oh, this was better than he could’ve imagined.

While the excitement surged through him, there was that nagging little voice at the back of his mind which was like a party pooper showing up uninvited. ‘Wait a minute... this is way too easy.’ ‘

He swallowed hard, but then shook off his doubts.

“Alright, alright, this is exactly what I need,” he said with a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’ll take whatever help you’ve got. “

But just as Soujin was about to speak his mind, the air around him became heavy. The sharp scent of incense clinged to the edges of his senses. His mouth was with the, musty air of the temple clinging to his tongue. A faint chill traveled up his spine and the cool stone beneath his boots seemed to hum with an energy that made his hairs stand on end. For a brief moment, his senses seemed to sharpen with every sound becoming more pronounced.

.

The world around him seemed to slow. His vision narrowed to see the movement of the Lieutenant and soon, the Squad members of Squad 7.

His fingers brushed against the hilt of his sword as his muscles coiled. The Lieutenant’s rising motion from the meditative position was like water moving through stone. His gaze locked on her briefly.

He felt it before he saw it. A shift in the space around him. The ninja’s bodies tensed and was just a hairline’s breath away from an all-out assault.

‘Too easy, ‘the thought came again. Of course it was too easy. This was a trap.

Then, the first move came.

It was a blur of motion that pierced through the stillness. The sound of a body moving and the scrape of metal against metal, seemed to ring in his ears like a war drum.

The first ninja closed the distance between them. He barely had time to react.

A flicker of movement to his right, and the first ninja lunged at him with a speed that was almost incomprehensible.

But Soujin’s reflexes kicked in and his body snapped into motion faster than his mind could process. He pivoted on his heel and brought his sword up in a wide arc just in time to block the strike. The clash of metal on metal rang out through the area.

He could then see the flash of purple as the other ninjas flanked him from all sides. He could smell the sharpness of sweat mixed with the scent of incense His fingertips tingled with the sensation of the hilt of his sword. He tightened his grip with each passing second.

The Lieutenant’s eyes locked with his. “Fight or die, Captain.”

She spoke low and sharp while taking her first step toward him.

Soujin felt the tension in his muscles. He could already feel the weight of the trap closing around him. Every ninja that moved was a threat to his ability to survive.

Soujin’s sword moved with deadly precision, a blur of silver cutting through the air. One ninja lunged from his left, but before the flash of steel could even touch him, Soujin spun and swung his sword in an elegant arc. The ninja crumpled to the ground with a clean cut to the chest.

Another ninja tried to close the gap, but Soujin saw them coming and in a split second, the ninja was on the floor with Soujin’s blade extended outwards. Many more attempted to take him down; however, Soujin left them all in a defeated pile.

The remaining warriors hesitated, but then shifted into a new formation. They reached for their ninja tools—throwing knives, smoke bombs, and razor-sharp wire. Their fingers moved with fluid precision, sending blades through the air, while others scattered smoke in his direction to cloud his vision.

Soujin’s sword swept through the air to knock aside the first barrage of throwing knives. Smoke began to billow around him but his mind remained clear. His senses were heightened to the point where he could feel the heat of the weapons just before they were thrown.

Another wave came at him with dozens of blades aiming from all sides but none of them found their mark as Soujin twisted and turned to avoid them. He slashed through the air with a single, fluid motion and took down many of them in an instant. One fell after with a soft thud after being slashed while another collapsed after Soujin's foot slammed into his gut, sending him crashing into a nearby wall.

But the pressure didn’t stop. The smoke was thick now which was starting to cloud his vision further.

A sudden snap of wire arced toward his neck like a lethal noose. Soujin’s eyes widened for a split second and his body twisted. His blade cut the wire just in time. The tension of the wire vibrated against his skin as he leaped into the air to avoid a barrage of kunai that followed. His foot landed on the ground with a resounding thud. Then he swung his blade through the air agai and caught several ninjas before they could retreat.

A few more swipes, and the rest of the attacking warriors fell to the ground in quick succession.

Soujin stood tall with his chest rising and falling steadily. He wiped the sweat from his brow. The area around him was littered with the bodies of unconscious warriors.

That’s when he felt it—something cold, calculating. He glanced to the back of the room where the Lieutenant stood. She hadn’t moved since getting up from the ground, not a single muscle had twitched. But now… now, her gaze was unwavering.

Her lips parted slightly with a thin smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

“You’re fast,” she said in a low tone but almost admiring.

Her fingers twitched—just once—and in an instant, every ninja in the room fell still. The movement ceased. Her hands moved once more, tracing a subtle gesture in the air.

A handsign.

And just like that, the warriors surrounding Soujin took a step back like marionettes obeying their master's command. They formed a silent ring around them and became as still as statues.

Soujin’s eyes narrowed. Something about this woman... It wasn’t just her command. It was as if the entire room had bent to her will.

She unsheathed her blade. It was a simple motion but there was something inherently dangerous in the way her fingers gripped the hilt.

The Lieutenant said with a whisper, “but you’ll soon understand how fragile speed can be against the art of Gravity.”

Soujin’s curiosity piqued like a cat hearing a can opener. ‘Gravity?’ He raised an eyebrow.

She took a slow step forward. “You can move quickly, yes... But tell me Soujin… Can you fight against your own steps?”