Meteor Arts Saga

Chapter 2

His eyes opened. Koki got up and found himself inside a large room of jade tatami mats and crème walls and black-lacquered oak timber. He was sleeping in a futon, and realised his upper body naked, but what happened before then?

"Koki?" said a girl's voice.

He glimpsed at the girl, failed to notice she was right there. Short, straight black hair. Wearing a blue samurai's clothing and a headband covering her forehead. Saya Okamoto was another Meteor Samurai, at the age of twenty, whom he knew and had supported together on several occasions since the past few years.

Saya told him she had been nursing him since he was brought in unconscious, for four days consecutively. Said further he was found somewhere at the south coast of Chubu.

Shocked to hear Koki was out for in that rough period. He had no clear memory what happened before then. He placed his open hand over his forehead, trying to remember something, anything at least.

Yes, there was one. He engaged in a quick battle against Hagetaka troops at the bridge. That was when the soldiers provoked Taro's crew into exposing themselves as Meteor Artists, but perhaps with zero-knowledge.

The team had to fight back, individually with earth, fire, water and wind. That was the magic of the Meteor Arts. The Artists' eyes glowed in various colours respective of their elements, and their attacks glimmered with life, vigour and celestial beauty, they even sparkled like stars when discharged. There was also chiming in their attacks as well as the natural sounds of their elements. The attacks flew like shooting stars and hence the name 'Meteor Arts'. The magic themselves seemed hazardous, but dazzling and therapeutic to watch, as if they were bright comets flying in the starry sky.

Koki also remembered he fought back not only with his sword, but also a bit of his own Meteor Arts, the power of the Dragon. He did not know how that happened, but the impulse of rescuing his fellow kinsman, even just an inch away from death, brought out from him the shining creature in the form similar to a Chinese or Japanese dragon.

The battle was short, and he and his kin claimed victory. But after encountering those troops, the Hagetaka might be more dangerous than they appeared to be. Their strength and even their arsenal of modern firearms were nothing compared to the magical powers of the Meteor Artists. Human versus divine, in a sense. No, what was dangerous about them was probably their intelligence and instincts. They were rash, but intuitive. Frighteningly so. How the soldiers found them out as Meteor Artists was beyond him. On top of that, one still had some strength remaining after the battle, enough to throw the grenade at them. The explosion sent him off from the bridge, and he thought he was a goner.

What happened to Taro and the others after that, he wondered. He asked Saya that question.

"They're all fine, and they're here in this hideout," said Saya.

Hideout? Was she talking about the hideout of the Ryusei Geijutsu Renmei, he wondered. This very place? He asked her again.

"Yes, this is the hideout of the Ryusei Geijutsu Renmei," she confirmed. Saya had prepared for him a rice bowl with natto on top, chopsticks and a cup of water, placed on a small tray. "I thought you might be hungry."

Koki took the bowl and chopsticks. He took the first bite, and it was salty.

"Sorry, but this is all we have at the moment."

"Don't worry about it," he responded in a soft and grating voice. He was not too bothered by the unmatched flavour of the natto. Then he took a sip of his water. It was ice cold, but it really hit the spot.

The shoji slid open. They noticed the person standing at the door, and to Koki's surprise, it was Taro. He was safe after all. "I see you're finally awake," he said.