The Weeping Swordsman

“I can’t feel my grip on my blade,” Mr. Swordsman said as he stood across from the volcano. The air became filled with ash and debris, shrouding the skies in darkness. Heavy gusts of wind blew as if a tornado was approaching. Mr. Swordsman staggered, dropping his hat on a bush as he fixed his eyes on the soon-to-erupt volcano.

He slouched, bending his back and dropping his arms. A pathetic sight, he thought. He managed to straighten up and held his stomach.

“One last time. Just one last time, dammit!” He yelled. “You really are a troublesome guy. Bloodborne.” Mr. Swordsman smirked.

He closed his eyes, taking slow, measured breaths as blood trickled down his nose. When he opened them again, his eyes were a vivid, bloody red. The wind surged, whipping through the trees with force, as his energy pulsed outward, enveloping the entire forest and seeping into the town.

*

The underground tunnel was like a labyrinth with different rooms connected by a straight path. The walls and floors were made of cement and surprisingly dry. Emilia lit torches on the walls to help the people behind her find their way in the darkness. The passage had a single exit and entrance to ensure it couldn’t be invaded from anywhere else. There were multiple dugouts and sections in the passage, making it more like an underground base. There were even offices and bedrooms down there. It would be easy for anyone to get lost in a place like this, and they had no idea where they would emerge when they left the base. Emilia assumed they would end up in the former territory of Pyrovile ancestors. As she led the way, she often glanced at the history book to confirm something and sometimes missed a torch along the way.

“Lady Emilia, are you sure you know where you’re going? You look troubled,” Kot asked, trailing behind Emilia, with a long crowd of people following him.

“The map is easy to read, but that’s not what is bothering me.”

“So what is it? Your brother? If so, he’ll be fine.”

“It’s Hudson and Mr. Swordsman. I didn’t want to say it out loud, but if the volcano is really about to erupt, does that mean they’re dead?”

“I don’t know any swordsman, but I assure you this. Hudson won’t die,” Kot smiled.

“You all really hold him in high regard, but for me... well, he’s just a great guy,” Emilia sighed. “Now that I think about it, I don’t know Mr. Swordsman that well. I just met Hudson, and I know him better than Mr. Swordsman.”

“You should know something about him, even if it’s his favorite food or something?”

“I don't even know his favorite food,” Emilia said as she stopped in her tracks. Kot unsheathed his sword.

“What is this surge of energy?” Kot stood and placed Emilia behind him. “Emilia, are you alright?”

Emilia was shaking. “It was just like last time,”

“Like what time”

She met his eyes, forcing a smile. “Mr. Swordsman. He’s alive”

*

“Dammit. He got away,” Pasta complained, cutting down a mercenary.

“Hack staying would have caused trouble. He should be out escaping from town”

“I haven’t gotten a decent fight. If I’m this strong, why haven’t I fought, huh?” Pasta said under his voice.

“We’ve found more people, Sir Bobby,” a young man screamed, waving his hand. Adventurers behind him were carrying the injured.

“Clear the path for them! Everyone, let’s dispose of those evildoers and get out of town!!”

“Yes!!” they screamed out.

Pasta glared at the clouds. “Hey. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Little Bobby gritted his teeth, “What sort of energy is this”

The people stopped fighting, being awestruck by what they saw in the skies.

“A man”

“In the skies”

*

Sparrow perched atop a rooftop, watching the unnatural display in the skies. A bird playfully flitted around his head. But then, something below caught his attention. Down in the streets, Hack was sprinting towards the gate. A sly smile crept across Sparrow’s face.

“Ah, my little friend, it seems the time has come to bring this act to a close, don’t you think?”

The bird chirped in agreement.

“Yes, my dear companion,” Sparrow chuckled, jumping from the roof.

*

Hades balanced effortlessly in midair, balancing on one toe. His sword was extended, aimed at the volcano. His clothes fluttered in the strong gust of wind as the volcano erupted, sending lava cascading down its sides and rocks hurtling into the air.

Amidst the swirling dark clouds high above, a horned beast with rugged, stony skin and glowing yellow eyes shifted the stormy debris as if drawing back a curtain. It peered down at the erupting volcano, then fixed its gaze on Mr. Swordsman. An eerie smile crept across its face.

Hades’ hands were shaking. He raised his sword. “No one is dying here. Hudson trusted me to save his people.” Mr. Swordsman took a deep breath. Closing his eyes.

“The beginning and the end, destroyer of worlds,” Mr. Swordsman swung his sword, and the very air around him shattered like fragile glass. The beast howled in the skies, and the air became stronger, creating a large tornado at its center with lightning circling through it.

The gust of wind blew Hudson into the skies. He yelled for help but was caught by Tori just before he went too far up. She looked at the sight.

It seemed as though the volcano was inside a cracked, invisible box encased by a colossal tornado of lightning and dust. Bolts of lightning from the storm pummeled the magma rocks, shattering them into fragments. As the tornado evolved into a raging inferno of fire and debris, the beast’s grin grew ever wider. The fiery, lightning-charged tornado obliterated the volcano and scorched the surrounding environment within the box.

The once rugged hills and towering volcano had been transformed into a barren desert, strewn with scattered rocks and cooled magma. Hades coughed up, his body slumping toward the ground. Just before he could hit the floor, Andy leaped in and caught him, preventing the fall.

“This is awful,” Andy said, his tone concerned. “An interesting fella you are, swordsman.” He placed the hat over Mr. Swordsman’s face.

Pasta fell to his knees; the dark clouds above the volcano had cleared. No trace of the single darkness. The beast he once saw in the clouds had closed up the skies and disappeared.

“So that’s the Swordsman they told me about. Just what is his gift?” Bobby asked, turning to his fallen men. The sudden surge of energy had brought most of them to their knees, including the mercenaries.

“Is that your gift, Mr. Swordsman?” Pasta asked, his eyes teary.

Bobby held his sword and commanded the able guards to capture the mercenaries, but no one could move. Bobby couldn’t blame them—the strange, powerful energy still lingered in the air. Even the civilians were unable to move.

*

“Emilia, the people can’t move,” Kot said, with a panicked tone.

She looked back at the crowd of people, their eyes wide as they shook in fear. She remembered feeling the same way when she first felt Mr. Swordsman’s aura.

“It should be fine now. After that explosion, the trembling stopped”

“What makes you so sure?” Kot asked.

Emilia chuckled. “He’s a pretty scary guy, right?”

She leaped forward and turned back at them. “Come on, everyone. We are almost there. We’ve come this far. Are we really going to give up here?”

The group managed to stand up. Lady Emilia was right; there was no point in staying in one spot, so they continued through the tunnels. Although Emilia knew they could turn back, she had her reasons for continuing. The people were terrified to return, and she was curious to find out where the tunnel led. Eventually, they arrived at an enormous metal door with a floral design, which piqued her curiosity even further. Emilia looked at the map and back at the door then back at the map.

“We’re here everyone. Mr. Kot, get the door open please,” she said, closing her book.

“I told you I’m a young man,” he said. After seeing Emilia’s stony gaze, he panicked and opened the heavy doors, which revealed some stairs leading up.

The people screamed joyfully, raising their hands and chanting, “Lady Emilia!”

She chuckled and led the way up the stairs. Suddenly, she found herself in a grand coliseum, the voices of the people fading away. At the end of the space stood statues of the ten disciples. Emilia looked back and realized no one was there, and the iron door had disappeared, leaving only a stone wall.

“What’s going on? Where is everyone?”

She threw the torch and began to hit the stone walls behind her desperately.

“Did I get teleported? Where am I?” She looked at the deep red skies with monsters flying near the clouds.

“This must be her,” a deep voice said.

Emilia looked up. Atop the stony colosseum were six figures, their faces obscured by sugegasa hats similar to Mr. Swordsman’s. However, these hats were adorned with various ornaments, and strings of bells cascading down around the hat.

“Where’s her brother?” a tall woman wearing dark purple attire asked, crossing her arms around her chest.

“He didn’t follow,” a guy sitting on the floor said.

“Tsk. An important time like this and she’s not here,” a huge one growled.

“What should we do with the girl boss?” the tall girl asked.

A short man stood there. Emilia had not noticed him because of his height. “That troublemaker can do whatever she wants. As for the girl, we don’t need to do anything,” he said.

“Don’t tell me you want to leave her with that man,” a huge one growled.

“If she was here. There would have been a fight. You do know how she feels about him, yes?”

Emilia struggled to speak, but her words wouldn’t come out. She trembled uncontrollably.

“See, you made the poor girl scared,” the man sitting stood up.

“Boss’s orders”

The leader man stared at her. “The gift of wrath. So that’s his power. Girl, you wish to know how I know Hades. Is that correct?”

Who is Hades? And who are these people? Emilia pondered. She gripped her sword, ready to attack.

“I believe they call him Mr. Swordsman,” a girl whispered, her back turned.

The tall girl asked, “Come on now. Are you really that scared of him?”

She swung her hands frantically. “H-He’s a monster. He almost killed one of my pets too who was just having his dinner just outside Pyrovile”

“How do you know he’s going to kill it?”

“I could feel it. Her name is Fishia”

“Ok, ok”

The large man snarled, “That gift is troublesome. It summons a being lost in time and manipulates space, causing disasters. There is much we don’t know about him and the ability he possesses.”

The leader settled onto the floor, crossing his legs. “Emilia, we understand the purpose of your journey. Should circumstances take a turn for the worse, we will step in. That Swordsman of yours poses a threat not only to you but to the entire kingdom. He is unwavering in his contract with Bloodborne. Once the contract is fulfilled, if he so chooses, he will not hesitate to kill you without a flicker of remorse. He is, after all, a man who will do anything for coin.”

“So are we off, boss?”

“Wake her up, Emilia. If you ever run into one of us,” the leader paused for a moment, “There’s no need to command you, is there? We’ll be watching you, Lady Emilia,” the dwarf smiled, as did the remaining five.

*

“Emilia!!”

She opened her eyes. They were in a cave.

“We thought you were a goner. The way you fell all of a sudden,” Kot cried.

“I- “she touched her neck, “Where are we”

“Just outside the tunnel,” Kot said.

Emilia held her head. The doors leading to the tunnels were disguised as a stone door, indistinguishable from the cave walls. The floral metal door she had seen before was nowhere to be found.

The people of Pyrovile bowed to her. “Lady Emilia, thank you”

Her face turned bright red as she waved her hands frantically. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. T-There’s no need for that”

Kot held her hands and said, “What are you saying? Without your help, we would have melted in lava like marshmallows in a campfire.”

Emilia stared at him and at his hands clasped around hers. Her flushed face returned to normal. She removed her hands and wiped them on the walls.

Kot chuckled.

She emerged from the cave to find lush greenery all around her, with trees and no visible signs of any village, which was disappointing. As she ran out of the woods, she spotted a Pyrovile not too far away. Emilia smiled, thinking about what would have happened if Mr Swordsman hadn’t intervened. Her smile faded as she remembered Hades, the name they called him. Was that his real name? And his gift—was it wrath, meaning destruction? She shook off the thought. Pyrovile was safe, and that was all that mattered now, along with her reward from Hudson. Adventurers did collect rewards; it was in the guide, so it had to be true. From a distance, she saw two men standing at the gate.

*

Hack ran through the gates. The mysterious swordsman somehow stopped the eruption, and had he stayed, the townspeople would have surely executed him. There was still time to start all over. He isn’t out of the game yet. Ruling the nine realms is still within his reach.

“Yes. I’ll rebuild my numbers and try again. This time, I’ll do it alone. Those two hypocrites dragged me down, and now look where we are. It’s all their fault.”

“Now, now. Let’s not use such vulgar words, shall we?” Sparrow said. He sat on a tree, with multiple colored birds playing with him and pulling his shirt.

“You!” Hack roared, drawing his sword. “You’re the cause of all this chaos! How did the damn chart end up with the girl? It was you, wasn’t it? Betrayal!”

“I said no vulgar words,” Sparrow said, trying to sound calm.

“And where is that good for nothing, Tony? He was supposed to come with his fleet to get us out of town”

“Tony is dead, Hack. So no vulgar words”

Hack scoffed. “Why am I not surprised? I knew he had lost his touch, spending all day in his cozy household. What a joker he was. No wonder he wasn’t able to handle his rogue workers”

“SHUT UP!” Sparrow yelled, scaring the birds.

Sparrow eyed Hack and sighed. “I need to finish my job anyway, so,” he said, jumping down from the tree.

“I knew you were always a traitor. The way you act and all. We all were comrades back in the war, but that didn’t stop me from suspecting you”

Sparrow closed his eyes and sighed. “Well, you always have been a perspective one”

“Of course, I’ve been, and I know your little bird trick, too. Using your gift drains a lot of stamina. So I’ll cut down each of your precious birds and get to you next. We both know I’m capable of it.” Hack said, pointing his sword.

Sparrow opened his eyes. “The Hack I knew was more perspective”

Hack raised an eyebrow. “Huh? What do you mean- “

His blood splatted on the floor. His shoulder was crushed. He looked up and saw a huge bird grasping it.

He turned back to Sparrow. “You cunning little bastard. It was all an act?”

“You were quick to criticize Tony for losing his edge, but I could say the same about you. If I let my temper dictate my actions, do you think my friends would always keep me company? But my dear friend over there was clever enough to position himself right behind you.”

Hack yelled. “You damm- “

The feathered beast bit off his head.

Sparrow sighed and his monocle. He took a look at the body. “What an unpleasant sight”

“I agree, Sparrow. Ruthless as ever,” Lucas said, walking out of the town.

Sparrow eyed him. “I see you survived,” Sparrow remarked, the bird on his shoulder flapping its wings wildly and squawking.

“Is that an issue?” Lucas asked, his two men stepping in and flanking him.

Sparrow kept his gaze and gave a bright smile. He touched the beak of the monstrous bird, transforming it back to normal. Lucas returned the smile as both hugged each other.

“The town really is quite something,” Lucas complimented.

“I heard you’re a bard now”

“Still the know it all from the old days, oh Sparrow”

Lucas shook Sparrow’s hand. “Now we have other things to get on with, isn’t that right”

The bird landed on Sparrow’s head. “Yes, let’s head back home”

“To the third realm, it is then”

*

The icy lands of the fourth realm grounds tremored. Thorne, Bastian, and Zephyr stood across a masked figure.

“We planned to meet you in the town of flames,” Thorne said calmly.

“Let’s kill him, let’s kill him,” Bastian repeated.

Thorne gave him a cold stare, his eyes red as flames.

Bastian covered his mouth and walked behind Thorne.

“So he’s the guy,” Zephyr said, pulling out her whip.

“The man who’s causing all this ruckus. The leader of the adventurers from overseas”

“Where’s Darius?” the man asked, causing one of the cubes to swell and shift to a vibrant, clear blue. It shimmered like a prism of blue light, yet retained its cubic form.

Thorne didn’t answer

“What a fun group I’ve encountered. Hehehe. Come on, come on, come on. Fight already”

Both men turned to see a girl sitting on the tree, swinging her legs. They had no idea when she had appeared there. Zephyr and Bastian readied their weapons, while Thorne and the masked man just stared at her. She wore a straw hat decorated with ornaments, and an extravagant colorful garment, and had a sword, jug, and shells strapped to her waist. She also had on some dark stockings and a slipper.

“You people are here too?” Thorne asked.

In an instant, the girl was inches from his face, her eyes meeting his. “Which people? I’m the only one here, aren’t I?”

Thorne brushed past her without a glance. “Then leave. You are not welcome here.”

“So rude,” she pouted. “I am late for a meeting too now this,” she placed her hand on her chin. “But I think I still have some free time”

She drew her sword. “I guess my Hady can wait a teensy bit longer,” she returned her sword and sighed. “Lost the mood for this. I’ll see you boys later.” She waved and ran into the woods.

Zephyr attempted to chase her but was stopped by Thorne.

Thorne turned to face the masked figure. “We both know what awaits if you confront him. I’m merely giving you a warning. Leave while you still have the chance.”

As Thorne rejoined Zephyr and Bastian, he swung his arm, shattering one of the cubes. The man stepped forward, meeting Thorne’s gaze.

“I came for Darius. Thorne, let me through.”