Okay, not quite to the point where rocks fall, but we're getting there.
Had a bit of backlash with Tsjoat on this one. He reacted poorly to Garrick bringing on the schpiel about what happened to him and that he really knows what it's like to have something taken from you. So I just summarized what Garrick said. You guys tell me? Should I revert it?
We stood outside the massive tree that held the complex that Hinase's
sensors told us was hidden inside while Washu hacked the security on
the door.
Everyone fidgeted nervously around me, asking each other for their
reassurances. I looked to Minagi and smiled. She smiled back.
“Here we go!” chirped Washu happily as she finally gained access
and with a great rumble of wheels on rails, the doors began to part
for us.
As the natural light filled the room, overwhelming the dim ambient
light inside, it fell upon a single jail cell at the far end of the
space.
Nomori Takebe stood inside, gripping the bars of his cell.
Without a word, I went charging inside despite Nomori's pleas for me
to wait.
And then the forcefield snapped up around me.
Just as planned.
“Welcome all!” called out a balding, stoutly built bear of a man
with mutton chops girding his equally stout and smiling face.
Wearing elaborately decorated robes reminiscent of the Jyuraian
style, this man could only be Tatetsuke. “I'd like to take a
moment to express my deepest gratitude to you for so generously
delivering Asahi right into my hands.”
His smile suddenly faltered as he noticed something was off.
“Why are you smiling?” said Tatetsuke, angry and a bit uneasy.
“I'm afraid you've got the wrong person.” I tweaked my C-pod and
suddenly the holographic disguise of Asahi fell away around me.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” I said with a cheerfully
saccharine voice. “I am Garrick Grimm and I am your absolute worst
nightmare given form.”
Tatetsuke's face went purple with rage. I didn't care, I was too
busy readying the next part of my stunt – unslinging the heavy
probe from my back and stomping the grounding contact into the deck.
“Where... IS... ASAHI!?”
“Stop,” I said calmly as I slipped on a set of welding goggles
and hefted the device. I had to stifle a laugh because they actually
did, giving me bewildered looks. As it was, I was grinning like a
lunatic as I then said, “Hammer time!”
I think I heard Tenchi yell some sort of wounded imprecation just as
I rammed the shorting probe into the forcefield.
Washu-chan assured me that it would be safe to use the shorting probe
no matter how much energy was stored in the force field.
Nonetheless, I had braced myself for what I thought was the worse.
Let's just say that it made a light and sound that I will gladly tell
all my descendants that, no matter how powerful I may be, I would
never willingly want to experience that far up close again.
Ever.
“Holy shit,” I said fervently once I could see again.
As I pulled off the goggles I was witness to an altogether strange
tableau.
Mushima was passed out, flat on his back, and had wisps of smoke
curling from his form at various spots. Tatetsuki was on his side
and holding his head, groaning as though someone had whacked him
upside the head with a billy club.
The only one left able-bodied was Takashima, who was fixated on me
with a snarling, gutteral growl.
“YOU!!!” he finally managed.
I barely had time to get my two swords out, dropping the shorting
probe where I stood – it had served its purpose.
Takashima is not particularly fast.
He is not particularly smart.
What he was, though, was relentlessly powerful.
Good thing I'm made of tough shit.
I didn't have the power to counter his blows effectively, but I could
block and parry just fine, even though they rattled me down into my
very guts.
“I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!” I yelled back at the others. “STICK TO
THE PLAN!”
“Right!” I heard Tenchi call back. We actually came with several
contingencies. And right away, Tenchi set one into action. “Minagi,
go for Nomori! Mihoshi, get those restraints on Mushima!
Washu-chan, treat Tatetsuki! Goghei, help Garrick! Ayeka, shields!”
The moment Goghei stepped into the fray I fell back, sheathing my
blades and unslinging the second device on my back – a one-terawatt
pulse-laser courtesy of Washu, although I engineered the idea.
Laser weaponry in the galaxy by and large was what revolver pistols
were to the American Frontier – readily available and the great
equalizer. The science behind them was considered elementary, and
many shops of varying degrees of workmanship made them. There were
even quite a few one-offs out there, some of which were considered
highly valuable and were watched for eagerly in collection shows and
exhibitions.
Raiden's Toothpick might be one of them, someday.
It resembled a long-rifle. The reason for this was two-fold. For
one, it acted as a visual aid to help aim the weapon – it was
certainly powerful enough to be considered a sniper rifle. For
another, it was potent enough for you to want to make damn sure there
was nothing obstructing the beam so close to you. The flashback
would be fatal for me at such distances as I'd wind up being
flash-cooked. With the 'safe distance' provided by the barrel, an
accident like that would only severely maim me.
Indeed, lesson one of handling Raiden's Toothpick was making damn
sure that my firing line was clear.
Directly behind the barrel was, of course, the emitter assembly...
which was enshrouded by a bank of capacitors. Having them so close
to the emitter was for the best. The circuits for that connection
had to be made of some seriously dense metal, and it was heavy enough
with just the components. Best to keep the circuit path as short as
possible, regardless.
The power cell itself was mounted in the butt stock to make it easier
to handle, and had enough power for about sixty discharges.
Each pull of the trigger discharged one of the seven capacitors. It
took five seconds for a capacitor to charge, and that time grew with
the number of capacitors charging. If I discharged all seven in
rapid succession then the entire bank would take about forty seconds
to recharge.
In a fire fight, forty seconds is almost an eternity. This was
definitely not a weapon you would use lightly, but then the power
rating should have been indication enough if you know what a one
terawatt laser can do. The kicker was the length of the pulses.
Most high-power pulse lasers back on Earth only fire for a few
picoseconds.
Raiden's Toothpick fired for a full tenth of a second with every
pulse.
“Hey, asshole!” I called out, suddenly halting the duel between
Goghei and Takashima as they both shot me confused looks. “I may
be the type to shoot a man in the back, but today ain't that day.”
I pulled the trigger. The laser beam with its insane intensity
plasmafied the air along the way with a sizzling and ear-ringing
crack not unlike a lightning strike. Takashima howled and fell, his
hands going to the molten and smoldering remains his right hip.
Mihoshi pounced on Takashima quickly, securing him with GP's highly
effective nanomachine fluid restraint that made him look like he was
sitting in a giant sphere of lime jello.
“I did it!” cried out Mihoshi happily as she started bouncing
around.
“Everything okay?” called out Tenchi.
“Good over here,” I called out, “thanks to Goghei.”
“I'm in good health as well,” called the Monk.
“It seems like we've won,” said Ayeka cheerfully.
“Well, don't count your chickens until they've hatched,” chided
Washu. “We still have to get to Bizen. You said that Bizen should
be at the bottom of this shaft, right?”
I nodded. “As near as I can figure.”
“Who... Who are you people?” groaned Hishima as he began to come
to once more and found himself already encased like Takashima. I
looked to Tenchi and nodded.
Tenchi nodded back and stepped forward. We had been over this
before.
Spread your wings, Otouto-kun.
“I am Masaki Tenchi of Earth. I am the Grandson of Prince Yosho
Masaki Jyurai by direct birth. I am the beloved of Princess Ayeka
Masaki Jyurai and of the Pirate, Ryoko Hakubi. I have the favor of
the great genius, Washu Hakubi, and of Tsunami, the Goddess of the
Trees.
“I know of your plan. I know of your master. I am here, with my
friends and my family, to put an end to this insanity.”
Hishima bowed his head. “So you have...”
Well done, Otouto-kun. Well done.
We waited for the Jyuraians to arrive. They did not disappoint.
As per my recommendation, they arrived by way of the Emperor's ship,
Kirito. This brought me a good deal of relief since if
anything were to go wrong concerning Bizen, then the Emperor's First
Generation Tree would be able to override the subordinate Second
Generation Tree.
For this reason, the unbonded First Generation Trees are guarded most
carefully of all by the Jyuraians. If one were to fall into someone
else's hands as Bizen had, then the only being in existence that
could possibly override it would be Tsunami herself.
Of course, we still had that ace as well. Granted there was the
incredible chance that Tsunami would turn a blind eye to the affair,
but I doubted it. It was not in her character to do so. Regardless,
though, I felt it better to do what we can to help ourselves first
before we wind up troubling the Goddess – she did, after all, want
Sasami-chan to have as normal a childhood as possible.
First to show up were the guards, securing the scene for the royals
to come.
And then came Seto Kamiki Jyurai and Funaho Masaki Jyurai. While
everyone went to have words with the two, I stood back and waited
patiently.
“Mother! Grandmother! I'm happy to see you, but I must admit I
was not expecting you.”
“Oh? And who did you expect, my darling grandson?” asked Seto
with a grin.
I shrugged. “To be honest, perhaps some sort of magistrate.”
Funaho chuckled. “Perhaps in any other case, but we are dealing
with the theft of a Royal Tree. As the Minister of Intelligence,
this situation all but demands my personal and undivided attention.”
“Ah, point,” I conceded.
“And what of you, Grandson?” said Seto. “It is not like you to
linger in the backdrop like this.”
I smiled. “I'm trying to give Tenchi room to be his own man.”
“Heeehhh?” said Funaho. “And what will you do once he is his
'own man' as you put it.”
My smile never wavered. “Then I suppose I'll just have to build
myself a nice, cozy home in the boughs of Tenju. By the way, where's
Misaki-sama?”
Seto grinned. “She is dealing with the Protector of Ryuten.
Apparently she feels he hasn't been doing his job well enough to have
let shenanigans like this gone on right under his nose, as it were.
Honestly, she would love to be here to meet you, Grandson, but as you
may understand, this is an affront to her as the Head of the Imperial
Bodygaurd.”
I nodded my head sagely. “I see. Grandmother, would you be so
kind as to relay to her my sympathies? I myself find few things so
much more irritating than a colleague's incompetence.”
Seto chuckled. “I am certain she'll appreciate your sympathies,
Grandson.” She then turned and called out, “Now then, on to
business!”
“Indeed,” concurred Funaho as she removed a lovely wooden
bracelet from somewhere within her robes. “My Husband has been
good enough to provide me with a subordinate key to his Kirito.
While it is not a Master Key, it should suffice in gaining command
authority over Bizen. Tenchi, will you lead us to where Bizen is
being kept?”
“Sure thing!” piped up Tenchi.
After a trip down the shaft using the hidden lift Washu had found, we
soon found ourselves before the great form of Bizen.
She was a magnificent tree. While Funaho-no-ki was large, yet
relatively short, Bizen-no-ki stood tall on a trunk wider than either
of my trucks, Scrappy and Scooby. And she was topped off with a
massive plume of a canopy, lush and green despite the dim light of
this place.
But that only stood to reason, what with the tree drawing off
Tsunami's power.
A later moment of fridge logic would bring me to realize that Tsunami
cannot track other trees by their tap on her power. She must hear
their telepathic voice to do that.
And silenced Bizen had been by the machinery around us. Where most
Royal Trees interfaced with their ships through the roots in the
containment unit and the lights emitted by their leaves, Bizen had
many power and data trunks crudely clamped to her trunk.
We were not simply taking back a Royal Tree. Today, we were freeing
a slave.
Washu worked at the machinery, and steadily it began to fall away.
Funaho slipped the bracelet onto her right hand and held it out to
Bizen.
A clean, white glow emanated from the wooden jewelry and a tone that
sounded something like tinnitus hummed in the air.
With a motion so sudden that it was almost explosive, Bizen's uro (a
small chamber within the trunk of the tree) opened, spewing sap
before it.
Slowly and carefully, a tiny, nude girl stepped from the opening.
Her wild looking amber eyes commanded attention as they peered
disdainfully from behind her mahogany-colored bangs. Those bangs
contrasted, not unappealingly, with the rest of her hair, which was a
dirty blonde color and pulled into a pair of gravity defying pig
tails. Her long, tufted ears were covered with soft looking
mahogany-colored hair as well.
“So,” she said slowly and venomously. “It seems my servants
have failed me.”
“Not for lack of trying on their part,” said Funaho
diplomatically.
“Is that so?” she seethed, her rage beginning to boil over.
“YES,” I said loudly as I stepped up the middle. I would be
damned if I was going to let her throw some temper tantrum, and poor
Tenchi didn't have the fire in his belly yet to deal with someone
like this. “And I am the reason for their failure.”
If she needed someone to blame, then who better than me?
The girl looked at me with a jaundiced eye. “You are not a
Jyuraian,” she declared. “In fact, you do not come from any of
the civilized worlds. Your accent is completely off.” Her glare
then sharpened. “What... are... you?”
“I am human, dominant race of colony world 0315. My genetic
profile consists of a mixture of multiple genepools from three
continents of my world, therefore I am a very hardy specimen. But
that's just on the outside. The real kicker is...” I smiled my
evil smile. “I am a dimensional displacie from am alternate
version of my world that has a metaphysical link to this world. I
have known of your plans for several years, Yume... and with my
knowledge it has been all too easy to put the kibosh on it all.
“My name is Garrick Grimm, and I am calling off your bet. It's
over now, Yume. Let's get you into some clothes and we can discuss
what happens next. Minagi! That towel!”
“LIKE HELL I WILL!” snarled Yume.
I turned just in time to see her coming and cursed as she struck me
with a right hook that felt like getting nailed with a baseball bat.
However, by reflex more than anything else, I got a hand on one of
her own.
It was all downhill for Yume from there. Even if she could hit like
a freight train, she had little real mass – to make up for that she
has to develop the momentum for it, which means her punches need a
big wind-up. However, Nikyou is a very effective joint locking hold
that renders even the most powerful people immobile. It is something
that only a contortionist can get out of.
Yume thrashed and screamed obscenities at me regardless.
“WILL YOU SHUT UP!” I screamed at her at last. That seemed to
startle her somewhat and I pressed my verbal assault. “What the
hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed!?
Besides, do you have any idea how utterly wrong it looks like to make
me wrestle a naked girl like this!?”
“WHAT!?” snapped Yume. “I am an adult you stupid
pervert! My kind doesn't develop until we've been fertilized!”
At that, there were several facevaults all around.
“You know,” deadpanned Washu, “that last statement doesn't help
this imagery very much.”
“I don't fucking care anymore!” raged Yume from under my pin.
“I've lost everything now! I am completely ruined! Do you have
any idea how much this hurts?!”
Washu gave Yume a sorrowfully sober look. “I don't. But he does.”
Yume glared up at me with those raving yellow eyes. “What does she
mean?”
I glowered down at Yume and laid it all out for her. I won't repeat
it here, it's already been beaten to death. But for Yume...
“But that's not the same!” raved Yume. “I've lost thousands of
years of progress!”
“You lost some time,” I snapped back. “No more, no less. Your
scientific prowess permits you to extend your lifetime for however
long you please, so this is no great loss. You are still a highly
respected genius and your knowledge of the Trees of Jyurai is now
second only to the Jyuraians themselves.
“I stand before you, a man soon to be adopted into the highest
echelons for the Royal Family of Jyurai, and I profess that I
consider you to be the equal of Washu Hakubi, and someone who I would
gladly have at my side in a time of need.”
Yume had stopped struggling as she looked up at me in shock, and so I
let her up and stood aside, handing her the towel Minagi had passed
to me.
“Is this some kind of pity?” Yume growled softly as she
cautiously wrapped the towel around herself.
“I would be lying if I said I had no pity for you,” I said
levelly. “But this is not pity. I honestly want you as an ally
instead of an enemy.”
“And what of my crimes?”
“What crimes may those be?” asked Funaho. “From what I have
gleaned from Bizen's memory thus far, you've committed no real crime
against the Throne. Bizen being here was not even your doing – you
simply found it and made use of it. One might even go as far to say
that you could have mistakenly thought you had salvage rights, and
that would be no real crime... so long as you don't resist while we
claim what is rightfully the property of Jyurai.”
Yume rolled her eyes. “As if I could now.”
“Very well then. Chief Engineer?”
“Your Highness,” barked a Jyuraian officer as he snapped to sharp
attention.
“Commence preparations to have Bizen extracted. I want progress
reports every hour. Make haste.”
“By your command, your Highness.” And with that, the officer
began to rattle off a litany of orders.
“Great,” grumped Yume. “So now what?”
Funaho smiled. “We have located your affects and have transported
them up to my ship. If you would be amenable to being my guest, I
would love to have you. I'm certain you have many interesting
stories to tell.”
“Oh, I'm certain that the Minister of Intelligence would love to
know what I've been up to.”
Funaho's face fell somewhat. “Yume, I try not to be a terrible
person. I understand that being in my position makes this a
difficult image to uphold. But I assure you that, while I do wish to
debrief you, you will not be mistreated. Garrick has made me promise
to extend amnesty to you so long as you cooperate with us.”
Yume gave her an astounded look. “You would do that for him!?”
Funaho smiled gently. “I know it may seem strange... but my
step-daughter has been keeping me updated. I have seen recordings of
his exploits. He may be, at times, a hard person – stubborn,
willful, and overbearing... but he is also one of the most gentle and
loving people you could ever wish to meet. And he doesn't want to
see you hurt, because he knows what that's like.”
“I hate to interrupt, but there is one other thing I need to take
care of before you take her away, Mother. Yume, you once took a
weapon, by force, from Master Swordsmith Yakage a long time ago. I
must challenge you to take it back.”
Yume shot me a venomous look. “And what right do you have to it?”
“Yakage named me his inheritor. That would include the Hielzein-S
blade you took.”
Funaho blinked. “Minagi, did Yakage really name Garrick as his
inheritor?”
“Ah, yes, he did, but why is that important?”
“This changes things!” said Funaho, a rare excited smile
spreading on her face. “Before he disappeared from the court,
Yakage was a landed noble! If this is true, then you already
have land and a title!” Her smile then fell into a thoughtful
frown. “But then he should have filed the notarized documents
naming you as his successor... I wonder why they haven't shown up
yet.”
Washu chuckled nervously. “Ah-heh-heh. That would be my fault.”
I blinked. “And why is that?”
Washu pulled out a beautiful legal document from out behind her back.
I am not joking here. The thing was a work of art with its
decadently scrolling Jyuraian calligraphy, the background art of the
stationary, and the holography of the official seals that were lined
up at the bottom of the document.
Yakage went all out. I can't even imagine how much it must have cost
to have this document created. Those characters were definitely
inked by hand.
“I felt that with everything else that was going on, you didn't
need to be distracted by this.”
I gave Washu a sour look at that, but let the matter go as Funaho
took the document from Washu and carefully read it over.
“This document is in order. Congratulations, son. You are a Lord
in Peerage with the Noble Houses of Jyurai. As Yakage's inheritor,
it is your right to decide how we proceed with Yume's crime against
you. What is your decision?”
“I wish for this to be decided under single combat until one of us
yields.”
Yume crowed. “You challenge me to a fight? You won't stand a
chance against Hishima!”
“I'm afraid you're mistaken, Yume. I don't want to fight Hishima
or even Takashima, or any other creation of yours. The one I wish to
fight is you yourself.”
Yume was speechless as she stared at me in shock, but that slowly
turned to an expression of simmering rage.
“Fine then!” she ground out. “We'll work out the time and
place later. Just make sure you're ready or else I'll make you wish
for death!”
And there you have it. Garrick has pissed off a bad-ass loli. Will there be any hope for him?
Had a bit of backlash with Tsjoat on this one. He reacted poorly to Garrick bringing on the schpiel about what happened to him and that he really knows what it's like to have something taken from you. So I just summarized what Garrick said. You guys tell me? Should I revert it?
We stood outside the massive tree that held the complex that Hinase's
sensors told us was hidden inside while Washu hacked the security on
the door.
Everyone fidgeted nervously around me, asking each other for their
reassurances. I looked to Minagi and smiled. She smiled back.
“Here we go!” chirped Washu happily as she finally gained access
and with a great rumble of wheels on rails, the doors began to part
for us.
As the natural light filled the room, overwhelming the dim ambient
light inside, it fell upon a single jail cell at the far end of the
space.
Nomori Takebe stood inside, gripping the bars of his cell.
Without a word, I went charging inside despite Nomori's pleas for me
to wait.
And then the forcefield snapped up around me.
Just as planned.
“Welcome all!” called out a balding, stoutly built bear of a man
with mutton chops girding his equally stout and smiling face.
Wearing elaborately decorated robes reminiscent of the Jyuraian
style, this man could only be Tatetsuke. “I'd like to take a
moment to express my deepest gratitude to you for so generously
delivering Asahi right into my hands.”
His smile suddenly faltered as he noticed something was off.
“Why are you smiling?” said Tatetsuke, angry and a bit uneasy.
“I'm afraid you've got the wrong person.” I tweaked my C-pod and
suddenly the holographic disguise of Asahi fell away around me.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” I said with a cheerfully
saccharine voice. “I am Garrick Grimm and I am your absolute worst
nightmare given form.”
Tatetsuke's face went purple with rage. I didn't care, I was too
busy readying the next part of my stunt – unslinging the heavy
probe from my back and stomping the grounding contact into the deck.
“Where... IS... ASAHI!?”
“Stop,” I said calmly as I slipped on a set of welding goggles
and hefted the device. I had to stifle a laugh because they actually
did, giving me bewildered looks. As it was, I was grinning like a
lunatic as I then said, “Hammer time!”
I think I heard Tenchi yell some sort of wounded imprecation just as
I rammed the shorting probe into the forcefield.
Washu-chan assured me that it would be safe to use the shorting probe
no matter how much energy was stored in the force field.
Nonetheless, I had braced myself for what I thought was the worse.
Let's just say that it made a light and sound that I will gladly tell
all my descendants that, no matter how powerful I may be, I would
never willingly want to experience that far up close again.
Ever.
“Holy shit,” I said fervently once I could see again.
As I pulled off the goggles I was witness to an altogether strange
tableau.
Mushima was passed out, flat on his back, and had wisps of smoke
curling from his form at various spots. Tatetsuki was on his side
and holding his head, groaning as though someone had whacked him
upside the head with a billy club.
The only one left able-bodied was Takashima, who was fixated on me
with a snarling, gutteral growl.
“YOU!!!” he finally managed.
I barely had time to get my two swords out, dropping the shorting
probe where I stood – it had served its purpose.
Takashima is not particularly fast.
He is not particularly smart.
What he was, though, was relentlessly powerful.
Good thing I'm made of tough shit.
I didn't have the power to counter his blows effectively, but I could
block and parry just fine, even though they rattled me down into my
very guts.
“I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!” I yelled back at the others. “STICK TO
THE PLAN!”
“Right!” I heard Tenchi call back. We actually came with several
contingencies. And right away, Tenchi set one into action. “Minagi,
go for Nomori! Mihoshi, get those restraints on Mushima!
Washu-chan, treat Tatetsuki! Goghei, help Garrick! Ayeka, shields!”
The moment Goghei stepped into the fray I fell back, sheathing my
blades and unslinging the second device on my back – a one-terawatt
pulse-laser courtesy of Washu, although I engineered the idea.
Laser weaponry in the galaxy by and large was what revolver pistols
were to the American Frontier – readily available and the great
equalizer. The science behind them was considered elementary, and
many shops of varying degrees of workmanship made them. There were
even quite a few one-offs out there, some of which were considered
highly valuable and were watched for eagerly in collection shows and
exhibitions.
Raiden's Toothpick might be one of them, someday.
It resembled a long-rifle. The reason for this was two-fold. For
one, it acted as a visual aid to help aim the weapon – it was
certainly powerful enough to be considered a sniper rifle. For
another, it was potent enough for you to want to make damn sure there
was nothing obstructing the beam so close to you. The flashback
would be fatal for me at such distances as I'd wind up being
flash-cooked. With the 'safe distance' provided by the barrel, an
accident like that would only severely maim me.
Indeed, lesson one of handling Raiden's Toothpick was making damn
sure that my firing line was clear.
Directly behind the barrel was, of course, the emitter assembly...
which was enshrouded by a bank of capacitors. Having them so close
to the emitter was for the best. The circuits for that connection
had to be made of some seriously dense metal, and it was heavy enough
with just the components. Best to keep the circuit path as short as
possible, regardless.
The power cell itself was mounted in the butt stock to make it easier
to handle, and had enough power for about sixty discharges.
Each pull of the trigger discharged one of the seven capacitors. It
took five seconds for a capacitor to charge, and that time grew with
the number of capacitors charging. If I discharged all seven in
rapid succession then the entire bank would take about forty seconds
to recharge.
In a fire fight, forty seconds is almost an eternity. This was
definitely not a weapon you would use lightly, but then the power
rating should have been indication enough if you know what a one
terawatt laser can do. The kicker was the length of the pulses.
Most high-power pulse lasers back on Earth only fire for a few
picoseconds.
Raiden's Toothpick fired for a full tenth of a second with every
pulse.
“Hey, asshole!” I called out, suddenly halting the duel between
Goghei and Takashima as they both shot me confused looks. “I may
be the type to shoot a man in the back, but today ain't that day.”
I pulled the trigger. The laser beam with its insane intensity
plasmafied the air along the way with a sizzling and ear-ringing
crack not unlike a lightning strike. Takashima howled and fell, his
hands going to the molten and smoldering remains his right hip.
Mihoshi pounced on Takashima quickly, securing him with GP's highly
effective nanomachine fluid restraint that made him look like he was
sitting in a giant sphere of lime jello.
“I did it!” cried out Mihoshi happily as she started bouncing
around.
“Everything okay?” called out Tenchi.
“Good over here,” I called out, “thanks to Goghei.”
“I'm in good health as well,” called the Monk.
“It seems like we've won,” said Ayeka cheerfully.
“Well, don't count your chickens until they've hatched,” chided
Washu. “We still have to get to Bizen. You said that Bizen should
be at the bottom of this shaft, right?”
I nodded. “As near as I can figure.”
“Who... Who are you people?” groaned Hishima as he began to come
to once more and found himself already encased like Takashima. I
looked to Tenchi and nodded.
Tenchi nodded back and stepped forward. We had been over this
before.
Spread your wings, Otouto-kun.
“I am Masaki Tenchi of Earth. I am the Grandson of Prince Yosho
Masaki Jyurai by direct birth. I am the beloved of Princess Ayeka
Masaki Jyurai and of the Pirate, Ryoko Hakubi. I have the favor of
the great genius, Washu Hakubi, and of Tsunami, the Goddess of the
Trees.
“I know of your plan. I know of your master. I am here, with my
friends and my family, to put an end to this insanity.”
Hishima bowed his head. “So you have...”
Well done, Otouto-kun. Well done.
We waited for the Jyuraians to arrive. They did not disappoint.
As per my recommendation, they arrived by way of the Emperor's ship,
Kirito. This brought me a good deal of relief since if
anything were to go wrong concerning Bizen, then the Emperor's First
Generation Tree would be able to override the subordinate Second
Generation Tree.
For this reason, the unbonded First Generation Trees are guarded most
carefully of all by the Jyuraians. If one were to fall into someone
else's hands as Bizen had, then the only being in existence that
could possibly override it would be Tsunami herself.
Of course, we still had that ace as well. Granted there was the
incredible chance that Tsunami would turn a blind eye to the affair,
but I doubted it. It was not in her character to do so. Regardless,
though, I felt it better to do what we can to help ourselves first
before we wind up troubling the Goddess – she did, after all, want
Sasami-chan to have as normal a childhood as possible.
First to show up were the guards, securing the scene for the royals
to come.
And then came Seto Kamiki Jyurai and Funaho Masaki Jyurai. While
everyone went to have words with the two, I stood back and waited
patiently.
“Mother! Grandmother! I'm happy to see you, but I must admit I
was not expecting you.”
“Oh? And who did you expect, my darling grandson?” asked Seto
with a grin.
I shrugged. “To be honest, perhaps some sort of magistrate.”
Funaho chuckled. “Perhaps in any other case, but we are dealing
with the theft of a Royal Tree. As the Minister of Intelligence,
this situation all but demands my personal and undivided attention.”
“Ah, point,” I conceded.
“And what of you, Grandson?” said Seto. “It is not like you to
linger in the backdrop like this.”
I smiled. “I'm trying to give Tenchi room to be his own man.”
“Heeehhh?” said Funaho. “And what will you do once he is his
'own man' as you put it.”
My smile never wavered. “Then I suppose I'll just have to build
myself a nice, cozy home in the boughs of Tenju. By the way, where's
Misaki-sama?”
Seto grinned. “She is dealing with the Protector of Ryuten.
Apparently she feels he hasn't been doing his job well enough to have
let shenanigans like this gone on right under his nose, as it were.
Honestly, she would love to be here to meet you, Grandson, but as you
may understand, this is an affront to her as the Head of the Imperial
Bodygaurd.”
I nodded my head sagely. “I see. Grandmother, would you be so
kind as to relay to her my sympathies? I myself find few things so
much more irritating than a colleague's incompetence.”
Seto chuckled. “I am certain she'll appreciate your sympathies,
Grandson.” She then turned and called out, “Now then, on to
business!”
“Indeed,” concurred Funaho as she removed a lovely wooden
bracelet from somewhere within her robes. “My Husband has been
good enough to provide me with a subordinate key to his Kirito.
While it is not a Master Key, it should suffice in gaining command
authority over Bizen. Tenchi, will you lead us to where Bizen is
being kept?”
“Sure thing!” piped up Tenchi.
After a trip down the shaft using the hidden lift Washu had found, we
soon found ourselves before the great form of Bizen.
She was a magnificent tree. While Funaho-no-ki was large, yet
relatively short, Bizen-no-ki stood tall on a trunk wider than either
of my trucks, Scrappy and Scooby. And she was topped off with a
massive plume of a canopy, lush and green despite the dim light of
this place.
But that only stood to reason, what with the tree drawing off
Tsunami's power.
A later moment of fridge logic would bring me to realize that Tsunami
cannot track other trees by their tap on her power. She must hear
their telepathic voice to do that.
And silenced Bizen had been by the machinery around us. Where most
Royal Trees interfaced with their ships through the roots in the
containment unit and the lights emitted by their leaves, Bizen had
many power and data trunks crudely clamped to her trunk.
We were not simply taking back a Royal Tree. Today, we were freeing
a slave.
Washu worked at the machinery, and steadily it began to fall away.
Funaho slipped the bracelet onto her right hand and held it out to
Bizen.
A clean, white glow emanated from the wooden jewelry and a tone that
sounded something like tinnitus hummed in the air.
With a motion so sudden that it was almost explosive, Bizen's uro (a
small chamber within the trunk of the tree) opened, spewing sap
before it.
Slowly and carefully, a tiny, nude girl stepped from the opening.
Her wild looking amber eyes commanded attention as they peered
disdainfully from behind her mahogany-colored bangs. Those bangs
contrasted, not unappealingly, with the rest of her hair, which was a
dirty blonde color and pulled into a pair of gravity defying pig
tails. Her long, tufted ears were covered with soft looking
mahogany-colored hair as well.
“So,” she said slowly and venomously. “It seems my servants
have failed me.”
“Not for lack of trying on their part,” said Funaho
diplomatically.
“Is that so?” she seethed, her rage beginning to boil over.
“YES,” I said loudly as I stepped up the middle. I would be
damned if I was going to let her throw some temper tantrum, and poor
Tenchi didn't have the fire in his belly yet to deal with someone
like this. “And I am the reason for their failure.”
If she needed someone to blame, then who better than me?
The girl looked at me with a jaundiced eye. “You are not a
Jyuraian,” she declared. “In fact, you do not come from any of
the civilized worlds. Your accent is completely off.” Her glare
then sharpened. “What... are... you?”
“I am human, dominant race of colony world 0315. My genetic
profile consists of a mixture of multiple genepools from three
continents of my world, therefore I am a very hardy specimen. But
that's just on the outside. The real kicker is...” I smiled my
evil smile. “I am a dimensional displacie from am alternate
version of my world that has a metaphysical link to this world. I
have known of your plans for several years, Yume... and with my
knowledge it has been all too easy to put the kibosh on it all.
“My name is Garrick Grimm, and I am calling off your bet. It's
over now, Yume. Let's get you into some clothes and we can discuss
what happens next. Minagi! That towel!”
“LIKE HELL I WILL!” snarled Yume.
I turned just in time to see her coming and cursed as she struck me
with a right hook that felt like getting nailed with a baseball bat.
However, by reflex more than anything else, I got a hand on one of
her own.
It was all downhill for Yume from there. Even if she could hit like
a freight train, she had little real mass – to make up for that she
has to develop the momentum for it, which means her punches need a
big wind-up. However, Nikyou is a very effective joint locking hold
that renders even the most powerful people immobile. It is something
that only a contortionist can get out of.
Yume thrashed and screamed obscenities at me regardless.
“WILL YOU SHUT UP!” I screamed at her at last. That seemed to
startle her somewhat and I pressed my verbal assault. “What the
hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed!?
Besides, do you have any idea how utterly wrong it looks like to make
me wrestle a naked girl like this!?”
“WHAT!?” snapped Yume. “I am an adult you stupid
pervert! My kind doesn't develop until we've been fertilized!”
At that, there were several facevaults all around.
“You know,” deadpanned Washu, “that last statement doesn't help
this imagery very much.”
“I don't fucking care anymore!” raged Yume from under my pin.
“I've lost everything now! I am completely ruined! Do you have
any idea how much this hurts?!”
Washu gave Yume a sorrowfully sober look. “I don't. But he does.”
Yume glared up at me with those raving yellow eyes. “What does she
mean?”
I glowered down at Yume and laid it all out for her. I won't repeat
it here, it's already been beaten to death. But for Yume...
“But that's not the same!” raved Yume. “I've lost thousands of
years of progress!”
“You lost some time,” I snapped back. “No more, no less. Your
scientific prowess permits you to extend your lifetime for however
long you please, so this is no great loss. You are still a highly
respected genius and your knowledge of the Trees of Jyurai is now
second only to the Jyuraians themselves.
“I stand before you, a man soon to be adopted into the highest
echelons for the Royal Family of Jyurai, and I profess that I
consider you to be the equal of Washu Hakubi, and someone who I would
gladly have at my side in a time of need.”
Yume had stopped struggling as she looked up at me in shock, and so I
let her up and stood aside, handing her the towel Minagi had passed
to me.
“Is this some kind of pity?” Yume growled softly as she
cautiously wrapped the towel around herself.
“I would be lying if I said I had no pity for you,” I said
levelly. “But this is not pity. I honestly want you as an ally
instead of an enemy.”
“And what of my crimes?”
“What crimes may those be?” asked Funaho. “From what I have
gleaned from Bizen's memory thus far, you've committed no real crime
against the Throne. Bizen being here was not even your doing – you
simply found it and made use of it. One might even go as far to say
that you could have mistakenly thought you had salvage rights, and
that would be no real crime... so long as you don't resist while we
claim what is rightfully the property of Jyurai.”
Yume rolled her eyes. “As if I could now.”
“Very well then. Chief Engineer?”
“Your Highness,” barked a Jyuraian officer as he snapped to sharp
attention.
“Commence preparations to have Bizen extracted. I want progress
reports every hour. Make haste.”
“By your command, your Highness.” And with that, the officer
began to rattle off a litany of orders.
“Great,” grumped Yume. “So now what?”
Funaho smiled. “We have located your affects and have transported
them up to my ship. If you would be amenable to being my guest, I
would love to have you. I'm certain you have many interesting
stories to tell.”
“Oh, I'm certain that the Minister of Intelligence would love to
know what I've been up to.”
Funaho's face fell somewhat. “Yume, I try not to be a terrible
person. I understand that being in my position makes this a
difficult image to uphold. But I assure you that, while I do wish to
debrief you, you will not be mistreated. Garrick has made me promise
to extend amnesty to you so long as you cooperate with us.”
Yume gave her an astounded look. “You would do that for him!?”
Funaho smiled gently. “I know it may seem strange... but my
step-daughter has been keeping me updated. I have seen recordings of
his exploits. He may be, at times, a hard person – stubborn,
willful, and overbearing... but he is also one of the most gentle and
loving people you could ever wish to meet. And he doesn't want to
see you hurt, because he knows what that's like.”
“I hate to interrupt, but there is one other thing I need to take
care of before you take her away, Mother. Yume, you once took a
weapon, by force, from Master Swordsmith Yakage a long time ago. I
must challenge you to take it back.”
Yume shot me a venomous look. “And what right do you have to it?”
“Yakage named me his inheritor. That would include the Hielzein-S
blade you took.”
Funaho blinked. “Minagi, did Yakage really name Garrick as his
inheritor?”
“Ah, yes, he did, but why is that important?”
“This changes things!” said Funaho, a rare excited smile
spreading on her face. “Before he disappeared from the court,
Yakage was a landed noble! If this is true, then you already
have land and a title!” Her smile then fell into a thoughtful
frown. “But then he should have filed the notarized documents
naming you as his successor... I wonder why they haven't shown up
yet.”
Washu chuckled nervously. “Ah-heh-heh. That would be my fault.”
I blinked. “And why is that?”
Washu pulled out a beautiful legal document from out behind her back.
I am not joking here. The thing was a work of art with its
decadently scrolling Jyuraian calligraphy, the background art of the
stationary, and the holography of the official seals that were lined
up at the bottom of the document.
Yakage went all out. I can't even imagine how much it must have cost
to have this document created. Those characters were definitely
inked by hand.
“I felt that with everything else that was going on, you didn't
need to be distracted by this.”
I gave Washu a sour look at that, but let the matter go as Funaho
took the document from Washu and carefully read it over.
“This document is in order. Congratulations, son. You are a Lord
in Peerage with the Noble Houses of Jyurai. As Yakage's inheritor,
it is your right to decide how we proceed with Yume's crime against
you. What is your decision?”
“I wish for this to be decided under single combat until one of us
yields.”
Yume crowed. “You challenge me to a fight? You won't stand a
chance against Hishima!”
“I'm afraid you're mistaken, Yume. I don't want to fight Hishima
or even Takashima, or any other creation of yours. The one I wish to
fight is you yourself.”
Yume was speechless as she stared at me in shock, but that slowly
turned to an expression of simmering rage.
“Fine then!” she ground out. “We'll work out the time and
place later. Just make sure you're ready or else I'll make you wish
for death!”
And there you have it. Garrick has pissed off a bad-ass loli. Will there be any hope for him?