We arrived at the entrance to Willowbrook, at a small stable.
The rain stopped and the evening sun came out.
I gently shook her shoulder.
"Wake up, we arrived."
She jolted awake.
"I fell asleep?! Why didn't you wake me up?"
She shot me a pouty glare.
"Rest is important, and you seemed like you needed some."
"Next time, wake me up!"
I chuckled as I climbed off the covered wagon.
"I can't promise you that. Thanks for taking us here."
I held my hand out, helping Shizori climb off.
The man just nodded and went on his way.
We headed over to the guard post.
"Hello, we've come from Eldenbrook, and we're looking for someone." I approached the guard.
"You traveled quite far, who are you looking for?"
"We are looking for the adventurer named Gai."
The guard scratched his chin. "Oh, yeah, he arrived here this morning."
"Did he mention what he is here for or where he is headed?" Shizori asked.
"He said he couldn't tell us, since it's apparently classified information."
"Wait a second, you look quite familiar. Do I know you?"
"Y... yeah, I used to live here with my sister till just recently."
"Oh yeah, Akari's sister, Shizori, right?"
She nodded.
"So you've come back, huh? In the end it didn't work out, did it?" He sighed as he shrugged.
She seems a little tense, is it because we are getting closer to Gai? I thought as I observed the two of them.
"Not yet, I'm here on guild related business."
"Does it have to do with why you are looking for Gai?" He tilted his head slightly.
She nodded again.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you more, all I know is that he definitely arrived earlier."
"You still helped, thank you very much." She bowed to him.
We headed into the village.
"So he really went here."
"Yeah... can we check our house first? I'm really worried about Akari."
"Okay, but we need to keep our guard up. Who knows what he's planning..."
We rushed over to their house, Shizori led the way.
A house in the outskirts? Seems a little risky, you'd be one of the first to get hit if monsters or bandits attacked...
When we arrived, Shizori ran to the door.
"AKARI!" She was about to grab the door handle.
"Wait! Something isn't right."
"What do you mean?"
I stood beside her.
"Look, the door isn't closed."
The door stood slightly open.
"It could be trapped. Let me open it."
I slowly pushed the door open and checked for threads and booby traps.
"Seems safe."
The door fully opened, we stepped inside.
Inside everything looked normal, nothing was ransacked, but also no sign of Akari.
"AKARI! Where are you?" She shouted.
We started checking the whole house, Shizori looked for hiding spots.
Barely furnished... almost no food? Did they get robbed, or...
"Is anything missing?"
"No... everything is where it's supposed to be." She said, her voice small.
I had a feeling... so they really live like this? Now I'm even more worried, BUT first we need to find Akari! My heart sank.
"Could it be that she went out to buy something?"
"Maybe, but I really doubt it." Her voice trembled.
My gaze swept the room again, and then a tiny glint hit my face from under the bedframe, right into my eye.
What's that?
I dropped to one knee and reached for it, my fingers brushing a sword shard half wedged between two floorboards.
Tucked underneath was a small, folded note.
"Shizori, I think I found something..."
She rushed over to me.
"What did you... A sword shard and a... note?"
"I think this might be a piece of Gai's sword."
I unfolded the note.
It read: You'll find us at the abandoned castle, be quick before...
Thud!
Shizori fell to her knees, face paled, and her staff hit the floor.
Her pupils shrank to tiny black pinpricks in wide, terrified eyes, as the realization crashed over her.
"We are too late... I knew it, he came here to take revenge on me..."
I knelt down and held her trembling hands.
"No we aren't."
"STOP LYING TO ME! You were wrong earlier as well!"
"We don't know yet if I was wrong, do we?"
"How not?! That shard proves it was Gai and he has Akari!"
"Yeah, but look around, there aren't any signs of a struggle or of her being hurt."
I'm really banking on you, plot armor gods, here! DON'T LET ME DOWN!
She looked around again.
"If you end up wrong again... I'll never forgive you." She glared at me.
"Let's go get Akari back."
I helped her get up.
"Do you know where that abandoned castle is?"
"I think I do. There is a super old castle to the north that was last used in the war over a hundred years ago."
"Nowadays people avoid it, since there are rumors of the ghosts of the fallen soldiers inhabiting it."
I scratched my head. What is Gai thinking? Is he setting up an ambush there, but what if the ghosts are real?
"Have you ever been there?"
"I've been near it, but I've never entered it."
"So it'll be risky, he is quite a few steps ahead of us, and we don't have much time."
There's just so many unknown factors.
"So what should we do?" She stared me deep into the eyes.
I just can't think of anything... is 'that' really the only way left?
"We don't really have many options, since he has Akari and expects us both to show up, which means we can't take our time or try to ambush him."
My mind went into overdrive.
"And we can't get more help either..." Her head drooped.
"Exactly, he really got us."
She picked up her staff and got ready.
"Then we don't have a choice. We'll just have to go into it headfirst!"
"You're right, let's head there first." I scratched my head.
I really hope he's just like all the typical villains...
We made our way north, cutting through the forest until the trees gave way to a wide dirt path.
This must have been the supply route to the castle.
I'm surprised it's still in good condition, like someone's still... My pupils widened. ...using it...
WAIT! I froze.
"Didn't you say that the castle hasn't been used for over a hundred years?"
"Y... yeah, why are you asking?"
"Doesn't this path seem like it's still being used regularly?"
"Now that you mention it, I guess so?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Worst case that castle might be Gai's secret base... an abandoned castle that no one dares to come close to..."
"What if it's just a coincidence?"
"We can't rule that out, but it seems way too convenient and would explain why he's so confident in meeting us there."
Hmm...
Her expression was just as worried as mine if not more.
This keeps getting worse and worse...
We continued following the path, the top of the castle appeared over the hill.
Broken walls, half destroyed buildings, you could barely call it a castle anymore.
"There it is." She pointed forward. "At least it's the only one I know of in this area."
"So far it looks empty from here, no sign of anything or anyone." I scratched my chin, my eyes narrowed.
We kept on walking towards it.
"Shizori, before we enter I'll tell you our plan."
"Did you come up with one?" Her eyes lit up with a ray of hope.
"Yes, we'll head in through the main entrance."
Staaare.
That ray of hope died. "That's the BEST you came up with?!"
"That's the only way to get Gai to reveal himself and Akari."
"That's true, but then we'd fall for the ambush, no?"
"Yep... I'll be honest. We'll have to improvise most of it."
"Just do me one favor, focus on saving Akari. I'll try to get you enough time to get out."
"B... but what about you?!"
Night fell as we arrived at the broken wall gate.
"I'll be fine. Once you are both save, I'll be able to focus entirely on fighting."
She looked down and clenched her fist.
"So you are saying we'd be in your way...?"
"Yes." As long as they make it out, it'll be worth it... My jaw tightened.
So that's what he really thinks of me... I'm just a nuisance to him...
Beyond the gate, we entered the courtyard.
A forgotten square of crumbling stone, cracked and uneven, where grass and wildflowers pushed through every fissure.
Moonlight poured cold and silver over the ruined courtyard, the only light in the suffocating dark.
At the other end right across from us, there he was, standing proudly.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Well. Well. Well, color me surprised. I didn't expect you to get here so quick!" Gai shouted.
"Where is Akari?!" Shizori screamed back.
"Oh, you mean that poor sister of yours that you left all alone? Do you think I'm that DUMB to just tell you?!" His expression turned angry.
She staggered, clutching her staff tight, and her eyes trembled.
I need to somehow get him to show her.
"So why'd you call us out here, Gai?"
"Why? For revenge, of course. You think I'll just forget how you humiliated me?!"
"B... but Akari did nothing to you!" Her voice cracked.
HAHAHA!
"You think that matters?! You're just as naive as your sister! All I had to do was tell her that I'm a friend of yours, and she came along with me, WILLINGLY! Can you believe that?"
Akari... Shizori clenched her teeth. I shouldn't have left you alone.
"Now let's not waste even more time. Both of you, drop your weapons and surrender!"
"What if we don't?" I checked our surroundings again.
She could be anywhere...
"If you don't, then Akari will unfortunately have to pay."
Shizori sat down her staff.
"But how do we even know that she's still alive?"
I gritted my teeth.
"You'll have to trust my word, see, even Shizori understands."
He started slowly walking towards us.
Akari's location, unknown.
Number of enemies, unknown.
Step by step, closer and closer, my mind raced faster and faster.
Gai raised his arm, then swung down.
A signal? To who? What does it mean?
ZIIIIINGGG.
I dropped to one knee.
"ALEX!"
My right shoulder stung.
I glanced over and saw an arrow had pierced me from behind.
Shizori froze.
HAHAHAHAHA.
Gai laughed with his hand on his face.
"You're both so naive! Did you really think I wouldn't come prepared?!"
Good, one question answered.
He's not alone.
And he gives the orders.
"Alex! I'll heal you ri..."
"No, you don't. Don't you dare move, Shizori! Unless you don't care about what happens to Akari!"
Her mind froze, and her face went pale.
"So what will you do now, huh?! Mister pretend hero!" He glared right at me.
"I recommend you drop your weapon, then I might show at least a little mercy and kill you instead of selling you into slavery."
Of course. Just my luck to end up in a situation like this...
There's only one choice left...
But if I do that... She'll hate me forever.
"I'll surrender, just please don't hurt Akari and Shizori."
A wide grin appeared on his face, and his pupils widened.
"Sure. Sure, I'm personally promising you, they won't be hurt."
Shizori fell to her knees, her body trembling.
Did we really stand no chance? All we did was delay the inevitable...
I dropped my sheathed sword on the ground.
He started walking right toward me.
"First I'll take care of you, after that we'll make sure Akari and Shizori are properly taken care of." His grin grew even wider.
Time felt slower, as if everything was happening in slow motion, as my mind raced even faster.
We all know how this will end...
Step.
He won't honor his word.
Step.
Is this fate really set in stone?
Step.
Is there nothing I can do?
Is there no way to avoid this?
Gai stood just a few meters away.
"Any last words?"
One hand gripped his scabbard, the other moved toward the hilt of his sword.
I looked down, closed my eyes, took a deep breath in, and slowly exhaled it.
My voice low, I whispered. "I'm sorry, Shizori."
Her pale, hopeless gaze shifted to me.
"Huh?"
Then my eyes snapped open, locking right onto Gai.
I don't have a choice... I need to guarantee our SURVIVAL!
Body reinforcement, Movement up!
I spun around on one foot and kicked Shizori with my other foot in the stomach, sending her flying under the broken gate we entered through.
Gai jumped backward.
She should be out of sight under there.
I finished the spin, placed my feet down, bent my knees, and lunged right at Gai.
I've never really hurt anyone, let alone killed someone...
But if I don't, then...
Gai got in stance, his hand moving towards his sword.
Too slow.
I reached him before he managed to pull his sword.
Grabbing the hilt, I spun again, swinging the blade along, aimed right at his neck.
"QUICK S... STEP!" His voice cracked.
He flashed behind me and reached for my sword on the ground.
I dashed after him.
ZING.
Another arrow streaked toward my head.
I ducked low, dodging it, and used the crouch to explode forward.
He grabbed the hilt and started to turn.
SLASH.
His eyes went wide in shock... he coughed blood.
I slashed clean through his neck, standing behind him now.
Then his head dropped.
My hand trembled.
It's not over!
I tightened my grip on the sword.
My eyes locked in on the window in the arch over the gate.
There!
I sprinted towards it, narrowly avoiding another arrow.
Jumping right up through the window, I pinned the guy against the wall.
My sword was right at his throat.
"How many of you are here, and where is Akari?!"
A wide grin appeared on his face.
"You think you've won?"
"Wha..."
Before I could finish, his neck started glowing red.
I jumped backward just in time as his head exploded.
What the...?!
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.
In the distance a clapping echoed, I looked over, and a big burly man stood there.
Is that a secret boss?! He looks like a bear with a massive claymore...
I jumped down onto the ground, across from him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the owner of this castle, and you are trespassing!"
"Trespassing?"
"And not just that, you also just killed two of my men, you'll have to reimburse me."
His eyes locked onto me, sending a cold shiver down my spine.
He slowly reached for the claymore on his back.
That bloodlust... all my instincts are screaming at me to run...
He's way stronger than Gai.
But if I run now...
"Why so quiet? Cat got your tongue?"
What do I do now?!