The Last Conjura

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

RYUU

“But I don’t think he likes me” an unfamiliar feminine voice shoved the blanket of unconsciousness off my aching body. “To be honest, I’m not sure he likes anyone, and that angry mug he keeps throwing around proves it.”

My eyes fluttered open, and my surroundings became clearer. 

Heart rate monitor? Hospital bed? 

Were my injuries that bad? 

The throbbing pain eating away at the side of my head answered that last part.

“But I’ll build up the courage to say hi one of these days. If he at least acknowledges my presence, then I’ll take it as a green light.”

“W… What are you talking about?”

“Hmm? Ryuu?” 

My voice startled her a bit. 

“You’re awake already?”

I sat up, and my feet dangled over the tiled floors. 

Why was I wearing a Johnny? 

“Don’t get up so quickly. You might—”

“Could you like, shut up for a second?” I massaged my aching head. 

“Talk about disrespectful. That’s #9, you insolent brat” a familiar voice piped up.

I lifted my head and traded glances with the 6’3.

“This another one of your illusions, jackass?”

Ittetsu leaned off the door and stared at me with the most expressionless face. His eyes were a light shade of green, and his silky dark hair was neat but somehow rumpled at the same time

“I must’ve hit you in the head a little too hard” he scoffed. “You’re dumber than I remember” he adjusted his posture and tugged his hair with his index. 

“Can’t blame me for asking” I managed to roll off the bed, but used it sides to balance. “You here for seconds?”

“You bore me” he unenthusiastically replied, and slid a duffel bag in my direction. “Gabby told me to get something nice. You owe me sixty-seven dollars” he pushed his hands into the zippers of his blue jacket.

“He’s leaving already?”

“Where am I goi—"

“Quit talking, get dressed, and follow me” he walked out without a care.

“Great” I cautiously sat back down, about to change, when I noticed she hadn’t stopped staring at me.

“Umm, something you looking for?” 

“You’ve got potential.”

Well that came out of nowhere.

“I’m sorry?”

“I heard you went toe-to-toe with him in the Phantasm Duel. Only one person’s done that before.”

“Let me guess, Adachi?” 

“Hmphh” she smiled, turning back to her desk. “No. Me.”

What?

Come to think of it, Ittetsu did say something about her being #9. She was an upper rank too. 

But I don’t remember seeing her at the—

Eishh. My head hurts

“Sorry about telling you to shut up.”

“That’s alright. I expected it. You have a compelling reputation after all.”

“Is that a good or a, bad thing?” I asked the moment she turned back, already dressed.

“Soon enough” she smirked “We’ll find out soon enough. Good luck Ryuu.”

“Thanks…”

“Sophia. My name’s Sophia.”

I nodded and made my way out of the room. Something told me there was more to that 5’7’s story than met the eye. But I had way more pressing problems.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 

This was by far the most uncomfortable ride I’d been in, my entire life. AND I’D BEEN IN NEW YORK FOR 6 MONTHS.

Ittetsu was quiet. Too quiet. He hadn’t changed forms in a while, so this muscular build was either his permanent form, or a mirage he managed to hold for a very long time. Either way, I had to be alert. The tables could turn in the blink of an eye.

“Not everything about me is a mirage, Ryuu. So stop looking at me like you expect me to pop out of a knife sometime soon” he said, not taking his eyes of the lonely road. 

“You can never be too sure” I remarked, not taking my eyes off him. “If you went as far as incarnating my father, I’m pretty sure there’s no line you won’t cross.”

“I didn’t invoke your father, your mind did.”

“Yeah sure, like I’m gonna believe anything that comes out of that mouth of yours. If that’s really even your mouth” I squinted a bit.

“Didn’t Adachi mention that a Jinzhen’s ability isn’t based off his strength, but his opponents weakness? Only reason you saw your father is because that’s who your mind wanted you to go up against, assuming your conscious and semi-conscious were both weak against him.” 

He paused a bit.

“But somehow, you won. You were able to fool your own mind. Either that, or you managed to evolve in double time. That’s the only reason the superiors were impressed, cause let’s be honest…” he made sure he was looking at me when he said the next few words, “…no one ever leaves Phantasm Duel without a scar. You got lucky. It won’t happen again.”

*VROOM VROOM*

The roaring engine of a motorcycle snapped us out of it.

“I see you’re tryna get us killed.”

“Shut up” he switched lanes, paving another route for the motorcycle, but its driver moved in the same direction.

“The fuck?”

He honked twice just to make sure the driver saw we were coming, but nothing changed. The closer we got, the more evident it became. 

“Is he trying to crash into us?”

Ittetsu didn’t answer. Just peeked a little harder through the glass. 

After squinting for a while, his gaze softened. 

It was almost like he recognized the driver. Like… Like he knew who and what was coming.

“Shit!”

“Shit? What do you mean, Shit?”

“Brace yourself.”

“Brace myself?” I shifted my gaze from Ittetsu to the incoming motorcyclist. Why was the blonde-haired character smiling?

He changed gears and his ride picked up in double time. Shit, he really was trying to crash into us. 

“You gonna put on your seat belt now?”

“Way ahead of you” I snatched my seat belt and plastered my hands to the chair.

Both vehicles got ever closer and neither relented for a second. 

But just when the bike was about to crash head first, Ittetsu drifted, spinning the car sideways, and the motorcycle crashed over the trunk. 

Its momentum took it over the car as it soared through, clattered to the ground and shattered on impact. 

“You good?”

Ittetsu’s hands were still over the wheels. 

“How you gon’ ask me that type of—”

“Step out” a deep voice uttered.

We both sat still for a while. My eyes trailed to the motorcycle that now had no rider. I shifted my gaze and eyed both windows. There was no one there. Was he—

*SHOT*

A bullet slammed through the roof of the car and pierced through the space separating Ittetsu and I.

“Step. Out. I’m not gonna ask again.” 

I glanced at Ittetsu, and he had a defeated look on his face. Something told me he knew exactly what was going on, and the way he was unhesitant in taking off his seat belt only confirmed my suspicions. 

*CLICK CLICK*

Both doors opened in quick succession. Ittetsu stepped out first, and then I made my out. 

“Hands up. No funny business” the voice instructed. 

We both did as we were told.

“Now walk over to the spot where my bike crashed and turn” he added, clipping his gun. “…Slowly.”

Not even trying to glance at ourselves, we made our way to his bike, a couple meters away, and slowly turned. 

He was on top of the car. Gun in hand, with his blonde hair being tusked in the afternoon breeze, and his rolled-up sleeves doing just enough to showcase a more than decent set of muscles.

“Nice of you to finally visit, Ittetsu. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me.”

Of course, they did know each other.

“You’re not gonna say anything, old friend? No Hi, what’s up? How’s the last four years been?”

“Kenji!”

Ittetsu muttered, unrelenting with that gaze.

“Mnnn, I see how it is. They told you, didn’t they?” The 5’8 squatted on the roof of the car with a facial expression that drowned in an instant. “Well, I guess we’ll have to go with plan b.”

*SHOT*

He didn’t waste a single second, and immediately sent a bullet in Ittetsu’s direction. It struck his leg and he fell to the ground, wincing in pain.

“You fucker! You shot me!”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you must’ve used Phantasm Duel a couple moments ago, right?” his expressionless face glared at Ittetsu clutching his right leg. “I was expecting a mirage the second you got out of the car. Seeing that you haven’t conjured one, you must’ve used up your energy a while back ayy?” he rhetorically asked. “That gives me about thirty more minutes of freedom. I guess the gods of fate decided to bless me today. This is about to be easier than i—”

*WHAM*

I saw an opportunity and I wasn’t about to waste it. Zooming passed Ittetsu, I aimed straight for Kenji, punching him off the hood and pummeling him to the ground in a split second. 

Some parts of me were still sore, but not sore enough to hold me back.

“Hehehe. You little brat” Ittetsu picked himself off the road and smiled when he finally paid me attention.

“Forgot there were two of us?”

“Of course not” he turned to fully face me. “You’re the main reason I’m here… Ryuu Kurja.”

*CLAT*

Why did he just drop the gun? Was he underestimating me?

“I don’t want to kill you by accident.”

Reaching for his right sleeve with his left hand, he pulled out a pocket knife. “You intrigue me boy. Don’t let me down.”

*ZOOM*

He made a break for my position, swiping the knife left and right while dodged and ducked underneath it. I could almost hear the blade sounds cutting through air. He was fast… just not fast enou—

*SLATT*

What? What was that?

“Eishhh. You were supposed to dodge that one” He didn’t even look at me after that last strike, just used the butt of his blood-stained knife to adjust his hair.

Wait. BLOOD-STAINED KNIFE? 

*WHAM*

He spun off the ground, gathering momentum, and used a blitz kick on my abdomen. 

*SMACK*

I clattered back first to the head-lights of the car.

My breath was fading. I was barely five seconds in, was I tired already?

The moment I looked down, I saw it. The blade of the knife had cut through my vest and gashed my stomach. I was bleeding.

“And I thought this was going to last so much longer” he said.

I fell to my knees, trying to stop the blood from spewing out so quickly. When did he? How did he? What sort of—

“Ryuu!” 

A voice hurled from behind me. I couldn’t turn to see who it was. I… I couldn’t breathe. No. I’m not done.

“I’m not—"

*THUD*