"Enma! I'm your Uncle you ungrateful bastard!" the old man's elongated ears quiver with outrage as the militia drag his struggling body to the execution square. The militiamen roughly throw him into the shallow pit lined with reddish sand, stained with the blood from countless deaths that had taken place on that very spot. The crowd surrounding the execution square murmurs quietly at the sight and shuffle their feet restlessly, but does nothing more.

A threatening glance from the man standing in the pit silences the crowd. Clad in an ugly long coat, his face is hidden by an executioner's black hood while a hangman's noose is loosely wrapped around the man's throat in a mockery of a necktie. The eye holes of the hood reveal the unmitigated disdain the man has for the crowd in front of him. A large double handed sword in its scabbard is secured to the man's back.

A richly dressed young man in embroidered silk robes descends into the pit and stands next to the executioner. The young noble, for this is the only thing such a person could be, clasps his clawed hands and bows respectfully to the hooded man as he speaks.

"Noble Blackguard, Sacred Executioner. I have performed great deeds in the service of the True Emperor, and it is by these deeds I wish to be judged." the lordling prattles, "I have assembled the tithes to the True Emperor. The first one shall be of my own blood, my uncle who -"

"Cut the crap." the Blackguard grumbles disinterestedly while signalling his pair of comrades who are waiting at the sides of the pit, "Hold the old man down."

The other two similarly garbed and armed Blackguards seize the old man by the arms and force him into a kneeling position. The Sacred Executioner unsheathes his blade and raises it high, showboating before the unenthusiastic crowd.

"Enma, how many of your family members have you sent us already?" the Sacred Executioner asks the lordling by his side, "I remember the last time we visited I beheaded your first wife."

"And I am honored that my first wife was able to be of service to the True Emperor." Prince Enma bows deeply as he responds.

The Sacred Executioner merely snorts at this response and swings the sword down on the neck of the prostrated old man. The old man's head parts from his body with a spray of blood, soaking into the reddish sand. The Executioner's assistants begin parading the head and decapitated body before the crowd, who quietly look down with glum expressions.

"Send us someone you actually value next time." the Sacred Executioner rumbles beneath his hood, "Like that courtesan you bought recently. We are not here to clean up unwanted family members for you."

Prince Enma hurriedly makes a signal to the militia and the troops begin dragging a large group of men and women into the pit. The crowd becomes agitated at the sight, for these are their sons and daughters, the very people Prince Enma as their lord should be protecting. The Assistants draw their own swords and brandish them threateningly. Once more, the crowd returns to its unhappy silence, unwilling to bear the cost of defiance.

"The flower of my kingdom's youth," Enma says, "delivered for the glory of the True Emperor."

"Better." the Sacred Executioner comments, "my assistants can get some experience with this lot. Remember Enma, you're in charge only because we dealt with your brothers for you."

The Executioner snaps his fingers and the Assistants jump into the pit, slashing away with their swords. The militiamen constantly press at the sacrifices, preventing them from fighting back. Before long, all that is left of the men and women is a pile of dismembered body parts. The militia begin tossing the loose arms and legs into the crowd as souvenirs to commemorate the occasion. A few people rear back in disgust as this display, but another warning look from the Sacred Executioner causes them to reluctantly pick up the body parts that lay splattered all over the ground.

The Executioner then makes his way to the center of the execution square where he is flanked by his assistants. He then holds his hand up to get the crowd's attention. The assistants rap the ground twice with their swords.

Clang. Clang.

"What do you owe the True Emperor?" the Sacred Executioner thunders.

"We owe the True Emperor our works." the crowd murmurs.

Clang. Clang. The swords tap against the ground again.

"What do you owe the True Emperor?" once more the question is asked.

"We owe the True Emperor our obedience." the reply is like the mewling of a whipped dog.

Clang. Clang.

"What do you owe the True Emperor?" one final time is the question issued.

"We owe the True Emperor our lives." the response is almost cut short by a sob, but the crowd manages to say it.

"Good. Very good." the Sacred Executioner congratulates, "Remember this always, the True Emperor is never unjust, and only seeks his due. Debts must be repaid. Don't you agree, Prince?"

Enma nods and answers, "I have the special offering ready, Sacred Executioner. Judgment has been passed for her crimes."

"Bring the sacrifice out." the Executioner directs, "This is the one you had summoned us for, correct? The great deed that you were boasting about?"

"I live to serve." Prince Enma murmurs submissively, "My work, my obedience and my life all belong to the True Emperor."

"And I have brought Princess Anri to face the True Emperor's justice."

.....

The mag rail shuttle speeds through the City's landscape, turning the scenery into a blur. The strong wind buffets Enma and I and we spend a moment regaining our footing on the roof of the mag rail shuttle. Enma's remaining eye radiates unmitigated hostility and madness towards me. His the nails on fingers sharpen into claws and like a snarling animal, the Prince pounces towards me. I step forward to meet the challenge, Finger of the Mountain at the ready.

"Gallant!" Enma shouts as he rapidly closes in, claws bared and his mouth twisted into an insane snarl.

As my index finger surges forward, power gathering at its tip, the Prince abruptly pulls backwards, his entire body retracting away from my attack. As I attempt to recover from overextending myself, Enma bolts forward once more, his claws slashing across my body. A vicious strike slices across my neck but my flesh does not yield to the Prince's fury, thanks to the Stallion's power.

But an uncomfortable ache begins to seep ever deeper into my bones. Its as if tiny cracks are forming all over my body. Putting my worries to the side, I grapple with Enma as he slashes at me, preventing the Prince from retreating again. As my opponent struggles to break my grip, I slam my index finger straight into his chest repeatedly. Finger of the Mountain hammers Enma's torso like a battering ram as blood begins to seep from his mouth and his legs buckle.

Enma merely chuckles at the predicament he is in and green flames erupt down the length of his arms. The Prince catches me in a bear hug and lifts me up, applying ferocious pressure to my spine. My body screams in protest as my clothes catch fire again. I knee Enma desperately in an attempt to get free, but he merely tightens his embrace.

"Its over!" Enma gloats triumphantly.

I grunt and clasp both hands on Enma's head. Focusing the Stallion's power, I put everything on this one final bet.

"Damavand!" I shout as the power that can subdue a dragon crashes on to Enma.

There's a solid crack of bones breaking and Enma's leg sag at nearly ninety degrees. With a ripping noise, the section of roof Enma is standing on gives way and he topples into the shuttle's compartment itself. Free from the bear hug, I drop on to the shuttle's roof and roll off, landing on the side of the elevated mag rail track. As I begin to pick myself up, the shuttle zooms off into the distance, taking Enma with it.

Shucking off my burning clothes, I collapse back on the concrete with a sigh of relief, savoring the sensation of surviving another fight with Enma and the sensation of the cold concrete against my bare skin. This is not over. Not by a long shot. Somehow, I know that the both of us will have a day of reckoning soon. But until then, the least I can do is enjoy this moment of peace.

And have a conversation that has been long delayed.

"True Emperor, I know you can hear me." I whisper to the wind.

"When you found me, I was a man with no future. An irrelevance, to the world, to my family and to myself. "

"Whatever your reasons were, you gave me purpose and relevance. For that I will always be grateful."

I assume a kneeling position, my right hand over my heart.

"I will serve True Emperor, so that I can live under your sky. So that I will continue to have a future in this world."

I swallow hard and brace myself for what is to come next.

"I know the children's story, of how you would grant your Blackguards boons for their service. I will stop the Princess. I will defeat her champions."

I cast my gaze upwards to the sky and extend my arms in supplication.

"So hear my request. Grant me this wish."