The Sorceress' Revolt -
Ko Eiji's Story
Author: Toriumi Jinzō
Translator: Ainikki the Archivist
Part Eight: The Steel Giant
Ou Soku lay in a cold basement cell lit by a single candle. The walls were covered in copper plates. Silver statues and odd religious regalia littered the small space. When Ou Soku had first seen it, he’d thought it looked like the bedroom of a monster—or a sorcerer.
The cell had one low narrow door that was only just large enough for him to squeeze through. There was a door handle inside the cell, but it couldn’t be budged. Ou Soku had tried to open the door many times, but each time, his hand, arm and shoulder had gone completely numb for several hours. There was a washbasin in one corner and a pit toilet with a lid dug in to the other. Aside from the odd decoration, this place appeared to be designed for the long-term detainment of a single prisoner.
Ou Soku tossed and turned on his cold metal bed. There was a small hole in the ceiling above him, likely for ventilation. He guessed that disobedient sorcerers had been housed here before. Sometimes, a weak sorcerer would bring him food or water, but only when they were strictly ordered to do so. None of the sorcerers he’d seen would speak to him.
He was somewhere near the heart of Beizhou Castle, underground. Only the most evil and crafty criminals would be housed in such a well-defended place. There was a barracks nearby; Ou Soku knew that the barracks had its own cells for disciplining unruly soldiers. A barracks cell would be like heaven compared to this place. At least he’d be able to see people passing by if he was there.
An iron window, barred, looked out on nothing. During the day, Ou Soku could see small strips of blue sky through the bars.
The cell also had false doors and windows that couldn’t open, which probably fed into the psychological torture of being imprisoned here. Or maybe it was just Sei Koko playing tricks. Believers had experienced space distorting or changing before during worship services. Sei Koko explained such sleight-of-hand by claiming that her prayers had reached a divine spirit.
Since Ou Soku’s cell was in Beizhou Castle’s inner sanctum, almost no one could visit him without permission. Sei Koko could, but hadn’t. Ko Eiji also could. Chō Ki and Jin Sen were not allowed to set foot here, which was something of a relief. Sei Koko didn’t like having her private quarters disturbed by anyone.
Ou Soku vaguely recognized some of the statues in his cell. They were similar to other statues he’d seen in Sei Koko’s meeting room and other areas. She was using all the metal and statues he could see to… what? Redecorate?
He needed a distraction. When he’d made the mistake of trying to escape before going into the cell, Jin Sen had punched him hard and chipped a tooth. His weapons had been confiscated by Chō Ki. The longer he spent in this cell, the more his hope that he would be freed dwindled.
But he was all right, he reflected. Bungen Haku’s words heartened him. He was glad that he wasn’t allied with Sei Koko anymore; choosing to ally with her in the first place had been a mistake. He felt good about starting the rebellion and better that Emperor Renzong had proved himself wise. “I did it,” he whispered to himself. “It wasn’t pointless.”
He was disappointed in Ko Eiji and not happy to be imprisoned, of course, but he didn’t matter. Not in the grand scheme of things. As long as the imperial government reformed and treated people with fairness and justice, then his rebellion had accomplished what he wanted.
He might be proud of his accomplishments if not for Ko Eiji’s actions. He had been worried about her this whole time, and for what? Was she really so cold and heartless that she believed Sei Koko’s lies even after learning that Sei Koko had murdered her family? Did she want wealth and glory so much that she was willing to throw away everything else? How despicable.
Ou Soku didn’t want to make the same mistake he had with his mother. Ko Eiji had to be acting the way she was for a reason. He could hold pity for her in one hand and contempt in the other. It was hard not to let those two emotions mix. He wanted to speak to her about what Sei Koko had done to her family, but he didn’t think talking to her now would help. She was out of his reach, and she didn’t seem to want his help.
It was possible that Ko Eiji’s fear of Sei Koko’s sorcery was motivating her actions. Ou Soku could understand that. Ou Soku was also terrified of Sei Koko’s capabilities. But he’d also already prepared himself for death. He would either be killed by Sei Koko before the Obon Festival or executed by the government after he was liberated from this cell.
I have no regrets. Ri Shun, please take care of yourself. And Tanshi.
Ri Shun’s infiltration of the castle was quite impressive. I can’t believe he was able to get over the walls and fool the sorcerers. Is he that stupid, or just that brave?
Tanshi was protecting Ou Soku’s mother for him. His mercy knew no bounds. Without Ou Soku, and with her affair exposed to the world, she would struggle to make a living without help. The sins of one person were ascribed to an entire family, fair or not. She might be worried that Ou Soku’s recent actions would cast a shadow over the rest of her life.
“Mom,” he said, biting back tears. “Please forgive me. I wasn’t a good son.”
There was no answer, of course. He didn’t even know where his mother was. He was isolated, alone—lonely. He couldn’t even hear crickets chirping or birds singing.
Ou Soku turned on his side and tried to rest.
***
Ko Eiji was meditating in her private chambers in Beizhou Castle. She had been doing this more and more recently. When Sei Koko asked why, Ko Eiji told her, “I want to calm my mind and prepare for the Obon Festival. I am also praying to the spirit of Empress Wu Zetian for victory in battle.”
Sei Koko ordered Chō Ki to collect food from the castle’s residents. Some of the rice was brought in by soldiers from each prefecture in Hebei Province. This was a stockpile in case there was a lengthy siege.
She also ordered Boku Kichi to have a blacksmith make iron pillars. The iron pillars, each twenty to thirty feet (6 to 9 meters) long, were set up at regular intervals around the castle. Between each pillar there was a groove that looked like a metal wire.
“Sei Koko, what is all this for?” Ko Eiji asked.
“Just for peace of mind. It will probably be unnecessary in any case.” Sei Koko laughed.
Sei Koko was impossible to defeat. Only Tanshi had ever survived her Way of the Dragon Slayer technique. She was constantly refining and experimenting with the knowledge she’d gained from the Heavenly Book. She made use of machinery, chemicals, mirrors and tricks of the light to deceive people that her technological mastery was magic. The sorcerers’ winged costumes had been an experiment. The smoke bombs that the weak sorcerers had used against Wang Xin’s men had been an experiment.
Over the next few days, black rain clouds hovered over Beizhou Castle and did not shift. Believing this to be the power of Sei Koko’s sorcery, the inhabitants of the castle gazed up at the sky with awe and fear.
***
Boku Kichi went to the blacksmith to pick up Sei Koko’s latest order. Hearing a voice from the back room, he peeked through a crack in the door and saw that the old man had brought a young woman into his house. He was busily working away while the girl helped him.
Everyone was at least a little interested in peeking into other people’s affairs, and Boku Kichi was no exception. As he watched the girl walk around, he felt an unfamiliar sensation.
Arousal.
“It’s hard!” he cried out. Perhaps his inferiority complex from being unable to have sex had been forgotten in the middle of the war. Or perhaps the aftereffects of the elixir he had taken long ago had finally been cured. In any case, he was overjoyed that his flaccid penis had become erect for the first time in five years. Panic-stricken by the danger of it going soft again forever, he opened the door of the blacksmith’s back room and entered in.
Before the old man could react to the intrusion, Boku Kichi kicked him down.
The old man rolled around and yelled, but it was too late. Boku Kichi embraced and straddled the woman, pinning her down with his body. The woman screamed when he pushed into her. In moments, all of his unspent seed rushed out of him like a wave.
Boku Kichi cried out and moved away from the woman, but it was too late. He convulsed, clutching his chest. He died of shock. Indulging in his arousal after five years of forced celibacy had been a jolt to his system that his body could not survive.
Go Saburō had been killed by Ri Shun, and now Boku Kichi had met his end via an unfortunate young woman.
The deaths of two strong sorcerers were a blow to Sei Koko. The only sorcerers she could truly rely on now were Jin Sen and Chō Ki. There were about twenty weak sorcerers left under her command, but she didn’t think they would be able to accomplish much.
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