The Final Match

The Final Match
By Shawn Carman

Throughout the entirety of the Jade Championship, the crowd’s silence had been an unnerving constant. Afraid to speak, almost afraid to breathe, those who had gathered to witness the competition between the Empire’s most powerful men and women seemed cowed by what they had seen, rather than awed by it as in years past. Perhaps it was the knowledge that, in the absence of an Emperor, they were witnessing the ascension of one of Rokugan’s most powerful individuals. Who would be chosen? A dutiful Crane? An enigmatic Dragon? A spiritual Phoenix? The determination would be made by the Fortunes as much as anything else. And that, perhaps, was what gave the onlookers such pause; it could not be said that the Heavens had been favorable to the people of Rokugan in recent years.
Under different circumstances, the proceedings might well have amused Otomo Hoketuhime, Miya Shoin mused. He had certainly seen her relish uncertainty in the past. Uncertainty was, after all, the ultimate product of many Otomo machinations. Shoin had been too young to appreciate the ascension of Kuril Utagu many years before, and had been a very young samurai when Asahina Sekawa had been chosen over a decade ago. This should have been a glorious day for the Empire, and yet he feared it would lead only to more chaos and uncertainty. It seemed as though Hoketuhime might share Shoin’s concern, but he imagined it was for significantly different reasons.
Shosuro Jimen obviously did not share Shoin’s concerns, and his reasons could not be different from either the herald’s or Hoketuhime’s. “Is this not the most invigorating day?” he asked, his tone light and Jovial. “We are about to witness a momentous event, perhaps the only Jade Championship we will shall sec for the remainder of our lifetimes.”
“I should certainly hope so,” Hoketuhime said, somewhat more dryly than was her custom.
“Indeed,” Shoin agreed. “There have been far too many championships held In our lifetimes already.”
“Unfortunate, but true,” Jimen said. “Of course, I have at least the comfort of knowing that there will not be another Emerald Championship while I live.”
Hoketuhime’s smile returned. “Let us hope none of us shall see such a thing.”
“Regardless, I am looking forward to the final match. It will be glorious indeed to have a Jade Champion with whom I can collaborate.”
I sincerely hope that will be the result,” Hoketuhime said. “There have been unfortunate incidents in the past, however… let us simply say the two positions have not always meshed well with one another.”
“You know your history all too well, my lady,” Jimen agreed. “Still, this is a unique circumstance. I do not believe two samurai of different clans have ever held these positions without the presence of an Emperor. It will fall to he and I to work hand in hand to ensure peace reigns. I look forward to forging a close alliance. We shall be allies, perhaps brothers.” Jimen fixed his gaze upon Hoketuhime, and his expression was inscrutable. “Of course, It Is equally possible that my kinswoman from the Scorpion will emerge victorious. She and I would work even better together, I Imagine. All in all, I find this arrangement most agreeable.”
Shoin glanced at Hoketuhime, careful to ensure neither could see him do so. True to form, her expression did not waver, even if what Jimen was saying was a direct challenge to her Intentions for convening the Jade Championship in the first place. Did he know she considered him a threat? Was it his intent to validate that belief?
“Jimen-san,” Hoketuhime said, 1 am about to convene the final match, after which I will formally declare the winner the new Jade Champion. Will you stand with me? It is only fitting that you join Shoin-san and I.”
“Of course, my lady.” Jimen bowed very deeply, and in that moment his delight over the entire tournament seemed perfectly genuine to Shoin. “It would be my great honor.”
It seemed even the elements themselves held their breath as the two finalists for the Jade Championship entered the ritual circle. Kuni Daigo stepped in and took his place, his bows to the judges quick and curt, but not disrespectful. He fixed his eyes on the space opposite him, where his opponent would appear. He knew her name, but little about her. It did not matter. This was his day. He would emerge victorious, no matter the cost.
“Competing for the honor and glory of the Crab Clan,” Hoketuhime’s voice rang out across the tournament grounds, “the honorable Kuni Daigo, veteran of the Battle at the Wall of Bone.”
Daigo frowned at the mention of his recent experience in the Shadowlands. The events of that campaign had been so traumatic, so overwhelming in every way, that it seemed almost indecent to speak of it In public. He had given his account to his lord Kuon upon his return, and had scarcely spoken of it since. He wondered idly how the Imperials might have learned of it, but then he saw Hiruma Todori lingering in the background. The Hiruma daimyo had essentially been coerced into serving as her personal yojimbo, and if she had asked him for information on Daigo, Todori would have had little choice but to answer.
The shugenja’s frown deepened at the thought. Personally, he had no interest in maintaining contact with the Imperial families. In his limited experience, they were needlessly manipulative and had little notion of exactly what life in the Empire was like. In short, they were everything Daigo despised about the other Great Clans, writ large. If he won, he understood that some degree of contact would be necessary, but he would minimize it as much as possible. The only matter that concerned him was bringing the brunt of the Jade Champion’s power and resources to bear on the enemies the Crab had faced virtually unassisted for centuries. He would return the position to the glory it had known when his former lord, Kuni Utagu, had held it. He would end the Shadowlands’ threat to the Great Carpenter Wall.
He would ensure the Empire understood what it meant to be Crab.
Yogo Rieko stepped into the circle after giving Daigo a moment to take in his surroundings. She did not wish to allow him to concentrate exclusively on her, for to do so would allow the Kuni’s notorious focus to be brought to bear. Instead, she allowed him a moment to contemplate the crowd, the judges. everything that was associated with the duel that was about to unfold. He needed to remember the enormity of what was about to happen. It was to her advantage that he do so.
The young shugenja stepped into the circle, Immediately draw. Ing Daigo’s attention. They had met previously, if briefly, during the tournament, but never spoken. Daigo had handily defeated Soshi Shuuko earlier in the day, but then Shuuko was one of men’s creatures and any attempt at discerning Jimen’s intentions or plans was folly.
“Representing the august Scorpion Clan,” Hoketuhime’s voice continued, “the illustrious Yogo Rieko, veteran of the Blood Hunt.”
Rieko bowed deeply before the judges, but it was largely for show. She did not feel any particular abiding respect or admiration for the Otomo family. As near as she had been able to tell from studying their history, they were merely a foil for the Scorpion. That the Jade Championship had been so quickly convened after the Emerald Championship indicated to her that they wished to find another pawn to use against Jimen, who was doubtless a problem they had not anticipated.
In that, at least. Rieko could find common ground. She knew Jimen was trusted implicitly by her lord Bayushi Paneki, and for that reason alone she would do whatever was necessary to support him should she emerge victorious today, but she knew of no one else who felt the same way. It was the burden of a Scorpion, she imagined, to be required to be loyal to one she did not trust. Still, it was not an insurmountable obstacle.
Hoketuhime had mentioned the Blood Hunt. It was true that Rieko had participated in the campaign against the Bloodspeakers years ago, and that was one of the few accolades she could freely lay claim to. Her other pursuits were secret, part of her work for the Kuroiban. Her order was a secretive one, known only to a precious few outside her clan. Some had heard the name, but knew little of their nature. They were often ascribed ridiculous duties or actions, much like ninja or the Kolat. But the Kuroiban was very real, and the eradication of the Shadowlands Taint from within the Empire was their sole concern. Ironic that she should face a Kuni in the final match of the Championship, a man who likely despised her for the clan of her birth, but with whom she had more in common than he could ever imagine.
“Good fortune to you,” Rieko called out across the ring. Her words were strangely loud in the silent winter air.
“Save your fortune for yourself,” Daigo said flatly. “I will not need it.”
Rieko grimaced. She had hoped for something approaching civility, but of course that was nothing more than optimism at its most nave. “That remains to be seen, I suppose.”
Daigo looked as if he were about to offer a retort, but he was cut off by Hoketuhime again. “These two have proven they are among the most powerful and skilled priests in all the Empire, beloved by the kami as by their own clans. They will have the privilege of competing to determine who, among all who traveled here for this great event, shall stand as the Empire’s new Jade Champion.” She bowed shortly to the circle. “My friends, you may begin at your leisure.”
Both shugenja immediately summoned swarms of earth kami to their sides, taking the form of all manner of defenses and weapons. Rieko was shielded from her opponent by a low wall of earth that had spikes of sharp stone jutting out in his direction. Daigo, on the other hand, stood in the center of what appeared to be a sort of cyclone of soil and rock, his form only visible periodically. The storm whipped stone fragments out at incredible speed. shattering against Rieko’s defenses. She in turn hurled stone and earth at him, only to see it turned away by the swirling vortex around him. “You walk the earthen path,” Daigo said from his protected position. “I would not have expected that.”
“You know little of the Yogo,” Rieko retorted. She redoubled her efforts, Increasing the number and velocity of her projectiles, but still to no effect. Daigo’s storm increased in strength, and he disappeared within the murky depths of it. Rieko threw both hands outward, sending a massive cascade of earth against the cyclone. Soil and pebbles were sent up in a huge spray, striking some of the onlookers, who gasped and retreated. The cyclone finally subsided, overwhelmed, and Rieko looked in to see if she had wounded Daigo and ended the match.
The Crab was nowhere to be seen.
Rieko was surprised, and for the briefest of moments, she hesitated. Then she cast her awareness downward into the dirt at her feet, searching for her opponent while simultaneously drawing the earth up to shield her from attack.
Behind her, Daigo erupted from the ground, his hands sheathed In gloves of stone. He struck once, landing a blow across Rieko’s temple before her earthen armor was fully formed, and sending her sprawling to the ground. The earth coalescing around her shattered and fell apart as she lay dazed on the ground, blood flowing freely from her wounded temple.
As I said,” Daigo repeated. “Save your fortunes for yourself.”
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, a battered and exhausted Kuni Daigo, his robes exchanged for something less damaged, took the dais alongside the Imperial dignitaries. Not all who had traveled to the tournament remained to watch the coronation of the Jade Champion, but enough were present that the event still held the gravity befitting such an occasion. Lady Hoketuhime surveyed those assembled, her demeanor more regal than ever. “My friends,” she began, “we face an uncertain time. The throne sits empty, with no means of determining a true link to the most recent dynasty. The means by which we will determine our next Emperor are as yet undefined, and the time when such a decision can be made is unknown. In this time of trail and lawlessness, strong men are needed to bring justice to the people of Rokugan. And when next an Emperor takes the throne, he will know that men such as his Emerald and Jade Champions have defended that which is his with their lives.” She turned to Daigo. “Kuni Daigo, scion of the Crab Clan, are you prepared for this burden?”
Daigo knelt before the Otomo daimyo. “I am.”
“Then in recognition of your prowess at this tournament, in the name of the Imperial families, and in the absence of an Emperor, I grant you the position of Jade Champion. As such, you are charged with the supervision of the Empire for any violation of its laws concerning magic, and the eradication of all who would commit blasphemy against the Heavens, or the teachings of Shinsei.” She took a green mantle from Shoin and draped it across Daigo’s shoulders. “With this Mantle of Jade, you are now the Jade Champion of Rokugan. Rise, my friend.”
There was a smattering of applause among the onlookers, which grew somewhat until it was a polite offering. Daigo, his eyes . blazing, seemed not to notice. “There will be law in the Empire,” he said ominously. “When the Emperor takes the throne, he will know that his people are pure.”
With the people beginning to disperse, the Emerald Champion stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully. “Congratulations on your victory,” Jimen said. “I hope that you and I can find common ground to work together for the Empire.”
“That seems ridiculously unlikely,” Daigo said, refraining from a sneer at the masked man only through an incredible feat of will. “I have no interest in your games, Scorpion.”
Jimen raised one eyebrow. “Games are inevitable, friend Crab. You need not participate if you do not wish, but be aware that our associates,” he nodded very slightly, almost imperceptibly, toward the Imperials, “will make ample use of your name regardless. If you wish your authority to be used in a manner you would approve, then you will have no choice but to do it yourself.”
Daigo glanced over his shoulder at the Imperials chatting amongst themselves. “I will not be used by anyone,” he said, “and that includes you.”
The Emerald Champion held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. “I have no quarrel with you, Daigo-sama. If you find yourself in a position where the Imperials will have you at a disadvantage, know you can call on me for assistance with no obligation of repayment. In the meantime, I trust, we will still be able to work together to achieve our common goals?”
Daigo’s eyes narrowed. “In those few areas where our goals are in fact the same? That much is a certainty.”