ACE OF FATE

"Ugh…"

"You're finally awake!" Felix said calmly as he saw Miku stir.

"How...long...was...I...out...for?" Miku asked weakly.

"Not long—only an hour or two, maybe," Felix explained.

Miku lifted her arms and noticed they were completely healed.

"Did...you...heal...me?" she questioned.

"Well… if I didn't, I wouldn't be much of a samurai, would I?" Felix replied with a chuckle.

Miku turned her head and saw Mirei lying on the bed next to her. She quickly recognized that they were in an inn.

"How...did...you...get...the...money...for...the...inn?" Miku asked.

"Oh, Mister Takoyaki helped out with that!"

"Who's Takoyaki? Isn't that a food name?"

"There goes my free labor… that Takoyaki," Felix said, mimicking the octopus-faced owner of the sushi restaurant.

"When...will...you...stop...being...so...stupid?" Miku said with a deadpan expression.

"Mister Samurai!" Mei entered with plates of sushi.

"Look what I got—"

[Slip]

"Whoa!" Mei slipped on the floor.

[Whoosh]

Felix caught Mei with one arm, holding one plate in his right hand and balancing another plate on his forehead.

[Clap] [Clap]

Mei clapped at Felix's quick reaction.

"Ugh…" Mirei opened her eyes at the commotion.

"What… the…?"

She sat up slowly and looked around.

"M-Mei?" Mirei's gaze fell on Mei.

"Am I seeing a ghost?" Her eyes barely held back tears.

"No… this must be a dream…"

"No, it's not a dream," Miku said, slowly sitting up.

Felix set Mei down on the floor, and she slowly approached Mirei.

"Mama…" Mei whispered.

"Mama!" She ran and hugged Mirei tightly.

"Mama?" Mirei was shocked by Mei's words, and she tightly hugged her as tears streamed down her face like a river.

"I… I'm… sorry!" Mirei said, squeezing her even tighter.

"But… she's… gone," Mirei said with a trembling voice.

"But Mama's here!" Mei replied.

"I think you owe us and her an explanation, assassin," Miku said firmly.

"Assassin?" Felix's brow lifted slightly, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp with focus.

"Stand down. We need information, not a confrontation. Keep your guard up, but let me handle this," Miku instructed Felix.

"Yes, I guess I should explain," Mirei said, looking into Mei's eyes.

"Eight years ago, in a small village called Kenmura, I lived there with my mother and sister…"

Mirei burst into the small wooden house, excitement bubbling over. "Mom! Look, I got three nickel coins!"

"I don't know if it's valuable, but I think it's more expensive than gold!" Mirei exclaimed excitedly.

"Dear, the lowest value is bronze. Then there's nickel, followed by silver, platinum, and finally gold as the highest," her mother explained. She had beautiful green hair that shone like emeralds and was adorned with a carnation hair ornament holding her braided bun. Her amber-colored eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"Oh, sorry!" Mirei said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Could you check on your sister to see if she's awake?" her mom asked while cleaning the house with a broom.

"Okayyy!" Mirei replied energetically as she headed to the room where her sister was sleeping.

"Mei!!!" Mirei called as she opened the door.

As she entered, Mirei noticed something moving under the futon.

"Gulp… is... it… a... ghost?" she whispered to herself.

She approached the futon slowly to investigate. "I… can… do... it… God... says... to… not... be afraid…" she murmured as she got closer.

[Swish]

"What! There is nothing?" Mirei said, lifting the futon blanket in her hand.

"Hee-hee," a chuckle came from somewhere.

"I-I... am... not... afraid of you... ghost," Mirei said with a shaky voice.

"Hee-hee," another chuckle echoed.

Mirei glanced to her left, where she held the blanket, and noticed something moving beneath it

[Flump]

"Ahhhh!" Mirei dropped the blanket and ran to her mom.

"Mooom! A ghost!"

She quickly hid behind her mother.

"Why are you shouting so much, Mirei?" her mom asked.

"Mom, there's a ghost!" Mirei replied with a scared expression.

"Hee-hee," the blanket began moving towards them.

[Fwump]

Her mom lifted the blanket.

"Mei!" Mirei exclaimed, finally realizing it was her sister.

"You little brat—"

"Now, now, don't get angry. Your sister is just three years old. What will she learn from her big sister?" her mother said in a calm voice.

"Haha! Two mamas got scared!" Mei laughed.

"She's three years old, but she can't even say my name! I'm not 'Mom'; I'm Mirei!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Well, well, I hope I'm not interrupting family time here, am I, Miss Maki?" a creepy old voice came from the doorway.

"Lord Jagaimo!" Maki gasped, her face turning pale with terror.

"G-greetings..." She knelt gracefully at the threshold, her knees pressed against the tatami mat, and bowed deeply from the waist, her forehead nearly touching the floor in a gesture of utmost respect.

"Okay, enough with the greetings. Just give me my tax money," said the man with black hair styled in a Motodori cut and closed eyes. He was accompanied by four other men.

"Here..." Maki said as she reached into her small purse and opened it.

"What is this? Only ten nickels? Where are the other ten?" he asked, his voice rising with anger.

"I have some!" shouted Mirei.

She reached into her kimono sleeve and handed him three nickel coins.

"Still seven missing! But I will forgive you this time," he said while running his hand along Maki's cheek.

"But if I forgive you, then you will do the same again." Now he held her chin firmly.

"Boys... pick her up!" he ordered his men.

"What? Please, Lord Jagaimo!" Maki pleaded as one of the men gripped her arm tightly.

[Smack]

"Hey! Stop!" Mirei kicked and punched at the man's arm in protest.

"No, Mirei! Stop!" Maki urged her daughter.

[Kick] [Thud]

Jagaimo kicked Mirei, and she fell back.

"Aghhh!" she screamed.

[Bite]

"Ahhhhh!" Jagaimo shouted as Mei bit his hand.

"Ahh... get this creature off of me!" Jagaimo ordered angrily as his men pulled Mei away from him.

"Grrr," Mei glared at Jagaimo while gritting her teeth.

"This is how you treat a noble?" Jagaimo exclaimed in an angry voice. "After your husband passed away, I gave you this house to live in—this is how you repay me!"

"Boys, take this small brat too."

"Yes sir!" one of the men replied as he picked up Maki.

Then they all started leaving.

"MOM!" Mirei shouted as she struggled to get up.

"Don't worry, Mirei! I will come back for you!" Maki shouted back.

Mirei, desperate and alone, spent the night huddled in the corner of their now-empty home. As dawn broke, she steeled herself and made her way to Jagaimo's Daimyo Yashiki, determined to rescue her family.

"I need to do something."

As Mirei approached the Daimyo Yashiki, she saw a commotion. A group of villagers had gathered, their faces etched with horror. Among them, she spotted a familiar figure lying motionless on the ground.

"Mom?" Mirei whispered, her heart pounding.

She pushed through the crowd, her world spinning as she fell to her knees beside her mother's lifeless body.

Maki's once vibrant eyes were now dull and lifeless, her skin pale and cold. A thin line of dried blood trailed from the corner of her mouth.

"No... no, no, no!" Mirei screamed, her anguished cries echoing through the village.

"M-Mom..." Mirei choked out as she cradled her mother's cold hand. "Why didn't you come back as you promised?"

An elderly villager approached, placing a gentle hand on Mirei's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, child. Your mother... she took her own life last night. Jagaimo... he tried to—" The old man's voice faltered, unable to utter the horror of what had happened.

"Where's Mei? Where's my sister?"

The villagers exchanged sorrowful glances. "We don't know, child. There's been no sign of her since last night. We fear the worst."

Something snapped inside Mirei. The world around her faded away, leaving only a burning desire for revenge.

"Jagaimo!!"

"Please calm down, dear. Keep yourself safe."

The crowd began to disperse, leaving Mirei alone with her mother's body. After a few moments of silence that felt like an eternity, she resolved to bury her mother herself; cremation was far too costly for someone like her.

As she trudged toward the graveyard under the bright morning sun, its rays felt like daggers piercing through her grief.

"Woo-woo... where do you think you're going, miss?" The graveyard keeper eyed her suspiciously as she approached.

"I-I want to bury her," Mirei replied in a low voice that barely escaped her lips.

"Do you have ten gold coins?" he asked bluntly.

"N-No."

"Then I'm sorry, but I can't allow this burial," he said with finality.

Defeated, Mirei turned away.

[Scrape] [Scrape]

Mirei began digging in her garden. After four hours of hard work, she finally buried her mother with a prayer.

"Mom... I-I..." Tears cascaded down her cheeks, her grief overwhelming her.

It took her a few moments to calm down. "Mom, I will avenge your death and Mei's."

Quickly, she went back inside the house to search for all the money and valuable items she could find. She grabbed an old, dirty brown cloak and hurried to the local blacksmith's shop.

[Slide-Open]

Mirei opened the door to the blacksmith's shop and approached the counter.

"Yes?" asked the old blacksmith, who had long black hair and looked surprised to see such a young person in his shop.

"Do you need directions to your destination?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.

[Clink-Clank]

"Give me one iron-cased gunpowder bomb," Mirei said, placing some coins on the counter.

"Let me see... five bronze coins and one iron bracelet... this might not be enough for one—"

[Thud]

Frustration boiled over as Mirei slammed her fist on the counter.

"Whoa... calm down! What's erupting your volcano?" he said, taken aback by her intensity.

"Why do you need a bomb so badly?" he asked cautiously.

"For... something important," she replied firmly.

[Clunk]

Sighing heavily, he reluctantly slid a bomb across the counter. "Now get out of here."

He placed a bomb on the counter.

"Now get out of here," he added gruffly.

"Thanks... I'll pay you back someday," she promised earnestly.

"No need. Now come on, get out of this shop before I change my mind," he grumbled as she turned to leave.

[Slide-Close]

"I told her exactly what you said, lady," he remarked as Mirei left.

[Clink]

"I heard... thanks for that," an old woman with scars over both eyes emerged from a shadowy corner behind him and handed him a bag of coins.

"But are you sure giving a bomb to a little girl is a good idea?" he asked with concern etched across his face.

"Don't worry; no one will be suspicious of you," she replied with a reassuring smile.

"But why did you even know she would come and ask for an explosive?" the blacksmith asked.

"She trusts me a lot, so she told me before coming," the old lady simply replied.

"Oh... I understand," the blacksmith said, but what he didn't know was that it was a lie.

"Another one done," she whispered as she went out of the shop.

"Weird lady... she is blind, but her senses are otherworldly," the blacksmith wondered.

Under cover of nightfall, Mirei crept into Jagaimo's Daimyo Yashiki. The mansion loomed ominously against the starry sky as whispers of conversation drifted from within.

"...this will give you at least five gold coins," one voice said confidently.

"Five only? Raise it some more," Jagaimo replied impatiently.

"Fine! Final offer: six gold coins," came another voice reluctantly.

Mirei's heart raced; this was her chance. She ascended to an upper floor and began placing the bomb in a hidden spot when suddenly—

[Creak-Slide]

"Right this way. I will show—" Jagaimo entered the room where Mirei was.

"Huh... What are you doing here?" he shouted in disbelief.

[Thud]

Mirei dropped the bomb in shock as panic surged through her veins and quickly, she ran toward the window to jump; she didn't care if she broke her legs.

[Kick] [Thud]

Jagaimo caught up to her with incredible speed and kicked her into a bookshelf.

"Ahhhh!" Mirei screamed in agony as pain shot through her body.

[Whoosh]

Jagaimo approached menacingly and grabbed her by the hair. 

"You aren't very smart for entering my house with a bomb."

"But it's a good opportunity," he replied with a grin. "I couldn't have any fun with your mother, but I guess you will do just fine. You even look like her."

"I guess I forgot to tell you how your mother died, little brat."

"My Zor release makes everyone my slave. The only downside is that I can only control a few people at a time, and if they have stronger willpower than me, it won't affect them much.

"Your mother had a really strong will, and while rejecting my commands, she chose to kill herself. 

"Such a pity."

Mirei's heart raced with fury. "YOU MONSTER!"

Jagaimo smirked cruelly. "Why don't I just show you how it works—"

[Crackle]

Suddenly Jagaimo paused as an acrid smell filled the air. "What's that smell?"

"Sir! The bomb!" one of his men shouted from behind as he spotted smoke rising from it.

"Ahhh! Fools! Throw it out of the window quick!" Jagaimo ordered frantically.

"lets run!" The tiny man with a single hair on his head said to the other man.

[Dash]

They dashed out of the room.

"What fools!" Jagaimo gritted his teeth angrily at their cowardice.

Mirei seized the moment to rise slowly from the ground, her shoulder dislocated but determination fueling her movements. 

"I see you're scared like a little child," she taunted defiantly.

"You little brat!" Jagaimo's face twisted with rage.

[Grab] [Thud]

He grabbed her arm and hurled her toward the ground near the bomb. The bomb was moments away from exploding.

[Grab-Swish]

In one swift motion, Mirei threw the bomb at him just as he attempted to form a barrier—forgetting that 24 hours hadn't passed since his last use of Zor energy!

[Bomb]

"Ahhhh!" Mirei cried out as fire grazed her left side near her eye, leaving a painful burn mark that felt like molten iron against her skin.

The upper section of Jagaimo's Daimyo Yashiki was engulfed in flames, rapidly spreading fire throughout the mansion and consuming everything in its path. Outside, villagers began to notice the chaos. 

"Look at Lord Jagaimo's Daimyo Yashiki!" one shouted in disbelief.

"Whaaa..." The villagers gasped in surprise as they witnessed the inferno erupting from within.

Meanwhile, on the upper floor...

"I need to get out of here..." Mirei struggled to rise, her shoulder dislocated. The flames danced closer, their heat suffocating and relentless. She had narrowly survived the explosion, but her body trembled from the shockwave.

[Crawl] [Crawl]

Finally, she made her way to the window and stood up.

[Swish]

With one last effort fueled by sheer willpower, she stood up and jumped out of the window into the darkness below.

[Splash-Plop-Thud]

She landed in a pond with a heavy thud that sent ripples across its surface. She was knocked unconscious because the pond wasn't very deep, so it felt as though she had fallen onto solid ground.