Jack turned towards the last man. He was still sitting in the same pose as before, his head bowed down, as if he was engaged in self-evaluation before death.
"Now then, let's talk. Just so you know, buttering me up won't work. You are still dying today," Jack said, sitting in front of him in the same posture.
"I know that very well, sir. I won't ask you to spare me. I won't ask you to pity me. I just have one humble request from you, sir," the man said, bowing again.
"I see. Well then, let me hear it."
"My name is Susanoo Kosuke. Kosuke is my given name. I hail from an old dojo family in Japan. My family is the best when it comes to swordsmanship throughout Japan. I never wanted to join the Ortho Sapiens. I was forced by my father to do so."
"What? Why?" Jack interrupted. Who could such a father be, who was forcing their own son into such a dirty sin?
"My father was an active Ortho Sapien. When his brother married a Kratian, he was furious. He was even more furious when their child was better than me at the sword. In the end, he credited all of it to my cousin's unique constitution. And when he became famous as a swordsman, my father's hatred knew no bounds. He went and killed his brother's wife and killed his brother too. Then he forced me into joining the Ortho Sapiens, making me vow to follow orders and kill each one of the 'cheaters,' as he called them. Before I knew it, I had gotten roped up in this. I am really sorry. I have shamed the way of the sword by hunting innocent people."
"I told you buttering me up won't work."
"Don't worry, I am determined to die today. I cannot possibly win against you with just one arm. And the zeal and power you displayed are more than enough to show me that I could never win against you. It would be an honor instead to meet my end at the hands of such a powerful warrior."
"I see. Please continue then," Jack said politely.
"I know my brother is alive. He is probably moving as we talk, taking survivors under his wing and protecting them. His name is Susanoo Kazetora—yes, the world-famous swordsman. He is the brother I used to duel with at the dojo. He always won. It was not his Ikanami; he never used it because of his high sense of sportsmanship. I was able to defeat everyone else, even Kratians, but not him, who didn't even use his Ikanami."
Jack stayed silent. He didn't know what the request was going to be. This man, he thought, got interloped into this vortex without knowing. Still, he had killed Kratians, so there was still no reason for Jack to spare him.
"My brother came to America last week to participate in a swordsmanship competition that was supposed to be hosted in Hamilton, Ontario, tomorrow. I know he is alive for a fact because we received a distress message on the broadcast that said whole squads were killed around the area he was residing in, their cars missing, and the residents as well."
"I see. He must be very powerful, huh?"
"Yeah. Anyways, I think I have been holding you for far too long. The young lady in your van is getting quite restless," he said, looking at Jack's car.
Jack turned. Diana lowered the window and was looking at him, trying to figure out what they were talking about.
"Yeah, I guess you are right. So this request of yours, it has something to do with Susanoo Kazetora, I take it?"
"Yeah. Please take this," he said, handing him a letter that was written in Japanese.
Jack turned the letter and put it in his item pouch.
"Please give this to my brother when you see him. Considering both of your prowess, you will meet pretty soon. Now, these swords on my lap, you know what they are?"
Jack looked curiously at the two swords. One was short and almost like a dagger form of a katana. The other one, Jack instantly recognized as a katana—the curved shape and the thin build were definitely that of the sword he had seen Kosuke carry with him all the time.
"The long one is a katana. I don't know about the other," Jack answered.
"Just as I expected. The short blade is called a Tanto. It is used in a ritual called seppuku. It was the way for Japanese swordsmen of the old era, called samurai, who had disgraced the sword to die. So, please, will you assist me with the ritual?" the man asked, smiling weakly at Jack.
"Yes, I will."
"The name of this katana is Kazekiri. It's an ancient katana passed down from the era of the gods, along with its counterpart, Namikiri. They are passed down in our family, and only those are allowed to wield it who defeat their dojo master. They are twin swords, and since my brother and I both defeated the dojo master, we each get one part," he said, raising the katana in his palms, offering it to Jack.
Jack picked it up and unsheathed the blade a little. The man said that this sword was ancient, yet it shone brightly and strongly as if it were new.
"These swords are made of a special metal that is not found anymore on Earth. When the Kratians arrived, we discovered this metal has a high affinity with Kana energy, but there was no more of that metal anywhere. Go on, try circulating Kana energy through it."
Jack sent some Kana energy into the weapon—just a small amount, the amount at which he could only sense Kana energy wrapping him when he manifested it, Stage 1. The weapon, however, concentrated and redistributed the energy. It also started absorbing energy from the atmosphere. The weapon was now seen enveloped in colorless, temperatureless flames, with small sparks casually occurring in the energy field around it.
"See? Fascinating, isn't it? It not only redistributes the energy, but it also concentrates it as well, absorbs the energy in the atmosphere. It gets reinforced, and it even molds the energy field around it into a blade, which increases its lethality," the man said.
"Yes, it's great," Jack said.
"I gift you this sword as a trophy today. I have just one request—if you find my brother, please learn swordsmanship from him and keep dueling. My spirit will always be with the weapon, enjoying it like the old days. It's a precious item, so I can't just ask you to give it to him, though if you will, it will be a great favor to a dead man," the man sighed.
"Ok, I will see about that. I will try to look for another sword and hand this one to your brother if I find him."
"Thank you. Now, let's get started. The young lady must be quite worried about you."
"One more thing, do you have someone who uses Kana energy in the association?" Jack asked.
"I have heard rumors. They say there are some people in the higher circle who can. Sorry, I can't provide you with much info—I was just a pawn in the outer circle. Now, it's time for the ritual. When I cut open my stomach and bow down, please behead me."
"Yes, I will. Thank you for the gift."
"It's not a gift, it's a trophy. A reward that you made a great swordsman like me kneel before you. I hope you have a bright future ahead of you," the man smiled.
"Watakushi, Susa Yashiko Kōsuke wa, tsumi naki tamashī o tachikiri, kono katana o kitana shita. Sono tsumi o tsugunau tame, ima, isagiyoku hara o kiru. Chijoku o sho~tsu ta kenshi to shite, kono yo o saru. Watakushi no gukō o fukaku kui, raise de futatabi umarekaware ru nara ba, kanarazuya tsugunai tai," he said in Japanese.
Jack's holo watch buzzed as it alerted him about the foreign language. Jack tapped the translate popup.
[I, Susanoo Kosuke, have disgraced the sword by killing innocent people. And thus, to atone for my crimes, I hereby commit seppuku and die, like a disgraced swordsman should. I apologize for my ways. I hope I can atone in my next life if I get the chance.]
Kosuke picked up the Tanto from his lap. He lifted it in his palms to his shoulder level and bent forward, touching it with his forehead. Then, he unsheathed the weapon.
The man plunged the Tanto into the right side of his belly. He slashed his abdomen, left to right, opening it up. Blood gushed out of the wound, his intestines ogled out along with his other abdominal organs. A few tears flowed down his cheeks as he bent forward, closing his eyes. His neck stretched out, inviting Jack to cut it off.
"The way of the sword until the end, huh?" Jack said, lifting the katana.
Slash... thud...
Kosuke's head rolled off. His body relaxed, bending completely forward, still in the same kneeling position it was in before. Jack bent down, picked up his head, and placed it upright in front of his body.
Jack wiped the katana off with the clothes of the commander. The blade shone bright and reflected Jack's face like a mirror. Jack's face was stained with blood, a small piece of bone clearly visible in his hair. Jack picked it off.
"Thank you. You fulfilled your duty until the end. I will as well," he said, looking at the dead swordsman.
Amidst the mountain of corpses he had just made, the only pity Jack had was for Kosuke, who could've been a shining star but had to die a terrorist because of his father's pestering.
Jack headed to his car, where Diana handed him a water bottle to wash the blood off. Her hands were shivering a little. Jack wanted to console her but didn't. This is the world they live in now—she must get used to it.
He took off his Ortho Sapien suit, got into the car, started it, and drove toward his home.