Amazon Apocalpyse 6: Chapter 42

I knocked so as not to interrupt the father and daughter reunion too suddenly, but I opened the door right after.

“I don’t know how much time we have until the Rokubi Family A-Grade shows up. We should get out of here, Sakura.” I flashed Sakura a warm smile and placed a hand on her arm. It was a gesture that suggested more than a professional relationship. If Sakura’s father were half as intelligent as she claimed he was, he’d pick up on it.

“Sakura, please introduce your guest,” Sakura’s father said.

My keen senses saw his eyes flick to my hand on Sakura’s arm, then to me. He straightened slightly, eyes narrowed, and growing just a tiny bit taller.

Despite that, he wasn’t actually as tall as I’d thought he’d be from my memory. In my head, he was a towering giant of a man, but now that I was looking at him, I saw a middle-aged oni dressed in a slim-fitting business suit, though he’d removed the tie.

He was a bit on the slender side, and something about him seemed wrong until I realized this was the first time I’d ever seen an oni wearing a suit. All the others had been dressed in ancient-looking traditional garb, even those in New Kyoto. Apparently, Sakura’s father was more fond of Earth fashion than any of his kin here on Onibushi.

“Dad, this is Carter. He’s my... uh... boyfriend, I guess.” Sakura wrung her fingers together, glancing at the floor and suddenly looking like a shy girl instead of the headstrong and confident warrior and leader I’d come to know her as.

I went to bow, as most would on Onibushi, but Sakura’s father held out his hand instead. I took it and shook it.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, sir. I’m glad to finally meet you.”

His grip was firm, but not overly tight. His eyes were keen as they looked directly into mine. “I am Nakano Miyamoto, Sakura’s father, and formerly a businessman of moderate success.”

I chuckled. If Nakano Miyamoto considered an enormous international company that brought in billions a year a moderate success, I didn’t dare imagine what he’d consider a genuine success.

“And I’m Carter Smith. The leader of the new city of Crownhill and its outlying territories. There’ll be more time to chat later. We’ve got to get you out of here.” I let go of Nakano’s hand and turned to leave, but he didn’t follow me.

“As I was telling my daughter, I can’t leave. My father, Sakura’s grandfather, ordered me to remain here under house arrest. I gave my word to comply.” Nakano glanced around at his room. It was small and cramped, though visibly better than the cell Kogai had been in.

“Dad, I’m not going to let you be imprisoned. I don’t know what’s going on, but our place is better than this. Come on, you can stay with us.” Sakura grabbed her father’s hand and pulled, dragging him along easily.

Nakano Miyamoto (Level 143)

I examined him and noted his level was in the C-Grade, though not too high within it. He must have been working hard to gain levels early on, though being put under house arrest had likely slowed his progress.

“I will not. Go, both of you.” He nodded toward the door.

“Carter, can you fit the whole building into one of your bags of holding? If he can’t leave this room, then we can just take the room with us!” Sakura said, glancing hopefully at me.

I chuckled and shook my head. I could see the resolute look in Nakano Miyamoto’s eyes plain as day. Even if Sakura found some clever way around the wording of whatever oath he made, the man before me intended to stick to its spirit. He was firm and uncompromising in a way many good leaders were.

“Why are you imprisoned here?” I asked.

“When the integration began, I was in my office. Transforming what remained of my company into warriors was no easy task. But the integration came just in time to save my father from the brink of death. He revealed our family’s true origins to me, as well as our mission.

“At first, I was overjoyed to learn that help would come from across the stars. Surely with the might of an alien army, we could subdue any number of monsters and restore peace to Earth. But our distant cousins from across the stars had no intention of restoring Earth. They intend on conquering it.

“I have seen the way they run their towns, their cities, and their kingdoms. They are inefficient and poorly planned. Given the chance, they’d make our world into something similar. I want no part of it.” Nakano’s face curled into a disgusted sneer, as though he’d seen a poorly run business being driven into the ground by bad management.

My eyes lit with interest at his words.

“I hadn’t expected to find a kindred spirit. I too have explored the Arcadia Multiverse and found much of it wanting. Come with us and see the city Sakura and I have built. Just leave this place behind. Hell, what’s one broken promise? I’m sure your relatives here have broken more than one to you.” I held out my hand again, hoping this time Sakura’s father would come with us.

But he shook his head. “I’ve given you my reasons. Go.”

“But...” Sakura glanced between her father and me, hoping he’d suddenly change his mind. Failing that, she hoped that I’d toss him over my shoulder and kidnap him. She looked more torn and uncertain than I’d ever seen her.

There was only one way to get her out of here anytime soon. I made a promise to her father.

“We’ll be back for you, Mister Miyamoto. Just you wait.” I nodded in his direction.

He gave me a steady look. There was steel behind those eyes, and though he was lower leveled than me, his gaze seemed just as intense as God-King Ted’s.

“Carter Smith, make sure you take good care of my daughter. I suspect she is the only legacy that remains from my branch of the Miyamoto Clan,” Nakano said.

With that, Sakura and I left him behind.

***

Once out the door, Sakura turned to me with a crestfallen look.

“What are we going to do, Carter?” she asked.

I stroked her head. “Don’t worry, I have a few ideas. When I said we were going to come get your father, I didn’t plan to give up at the first sign of trouble. He promised to remain under house arrest until his father says otherwise, right? We just have to get your grandfather to release him from that promise.”

“And how are we going to do that?” Sakura asked.

“Do you know this grandfather of yours well?” I asked.

Sakura shrugged. “My father was born when my grandfather was already fifty, and I was born a bit late as well. To me, my grandfather has always seemed ancient. He hardly ever remembered who I was, though I couldn’t tell if that was due to dislike for my mother or simple old age. Truthfully, I’m shocked to learn he survived the integration.”

“Hopefully, he’ll talk to you. Come on.” I checked in on Sharky, who was still toying with a couple of B-Grades from the Miyamoto Clan.

The battle looked fierce from the outside, but anyone who knew Sharky knew that he could be far fiercer. Truth be told, I was amazed he hadn’t gotten tired of playing with them and just eaten them both, along with everyone else in the estate.

The Sharky of the past had been a ravenous shark who would eat and eat and not do much else. Perhaps more than just his size had changed after that last feast. The orders he could follow had become far more complex. At some point, I’d have to test him to see where his new limits lay.

Thankfully, there was still no sign of the Rokubi family’s A-Grade. Whoever it was must truly be outside the estate. We’d gotten lucky.

Sakura and I poked around the tower where her father was staying, which appeared to be where all of Sakura’s extended family from Earth had been located within the Rokubi estate. Eventually, she found the young woman we’d bumped into before, and Sakura recognized her immediately.

“Sakura, is that you? I see you were fortunate enough to be blessed with the transformation,” the young woman said.

“Rina, it is good to see you’re all right. And still human?” Sakura tilted her head.

“I’m told my oni blood was too thin to awaken naturally. I will have to wait until I reach the D-Grade,” the young woman named Rina shrugged.

“I’m told our grandfather is on his feet again, thanks to the integration. Where is he?” Sakura asked.

Just as Rina was about to respond, a tremendous crash rang out from the hall outside, and Rina ducked back beneath the desk she’d been hiding in.

“I’m not sure this is the time for that, cousin. Take cover! I don’t know what’s happening, but it seems unwise to stand out in the hall!” Rina beckoned Sakura and me inside, where we took shelter beneath the same desk she was hiding under. We did so just in time too, since a moment later a support beam collapsed right where we’d been standing.

“Where’s our grandfather?” Sakura asked again, once we were both under the desk.

“He lives in the room just across from us in the main manor. But watch out, it sounds like a battle is taking place there. It will blow over in a few minutes, I’m sure. Our hosts get hectic like this sometimes,” Rina said.

From her words, I suspected this wasn’t the first time she was taking cover in the wake of a fight far higher level than she was.

Rina pointed out the door, and the two of us thanked her before jumping over the nearby debris and searching it out. Sakura found the door, which depicted another strange beast, this time some wolf-thing riding a lightning bolt.

“She said to look behind the raiju door, this is the one.” Sakura grabbed the door and slid it open. There didn’t seem to be a good place to knock anywhere, but we made some noise anyway.

I worried we missed him, but a moment later, a voice echoed out from off to one side.

“Who dares attack the Miyamoto Clan? If you defile these sacred halls, I, Takano, shall strike you down!” an unfamiliar aged voice said.

A moment later, one of the walls split apart, and a white-haired old oni came rushing out at us. He swung at my head with a katana, but he was moving so slowly I ended up just bending over to sidestep it.

He slashed at me several more times, but I took a step back just out of reach while his wild swings met nothing but air.

“Sakura?” I called out for her to stop the old man from hurting himself while trying to kill me. From his speed, I guessed he was somewhere in the D-Grade, but a quick examine confirmed it.

Takano Miyamoto (Level 85)

“Grandpa! Grandfather, stop! It’s me, Sakura!” Sakura yelled.

“Fools. Don’t you know you have broken into the home of a samurai? Hyaaa!” Takano lunged at me again, and once more I sidestepped him.

Sakura’s grandfather wasn’t actually half bad with his sword for a D-Grade. He might have been a decent fight for me back when I was a D-Grade, but that time was long gone.

Even if I restrained myself to fighting with D-Grade speed and reflexes like I had when training my team back in Crownhill, I identified a dozen weaknesses in his stance and style. And I knew I could make a thousand more weaknesses with just a single exchange of swords.

But at my current level, all I needed was a single move.

“Enough.” I caught the crazy old oni’s katana, bringing it to a dead stop pinched between thumb and forefinger.

“Huh?” Takano tugged on his katana, but try as he might, he couldn’t budge it from my grip.

“Grandfather! Stop it. It’s me, Sakura, Nakano’s daughter. We’re here to talk!” Sakura said.

“Nakano’s brat? Ah... the American half-breed...” Takano didn’t bother hiding his distaste.

I watched Sakura’s jaw clench a moment before she mastered herself and relaxed.

“Grandfather, why is my father under house arrest?” Sakura asked with a firm and even tone.

“Family business, girl. Don’t get involved. I hadn’t intended to bring you in on it, but I suppose if you’ve transformed already your oni blood is stronger than little Rina’s. Very well, help me kill this intruder and I’ll arrange for a place with you among our family here. I’ll even set you up with a husband, if we can find someone who’ll take you. All you have to do is help me kill this intruder!”

Takano tugged on his katana again and seemed just as surprised to discover it wouldn’t move as he had the first time. He glared at me hatefully.

“I’m not here to grovel for refuge, Grandfather. And I’m not going to help you kill Carter. He’s with me. I’m here for one person and one person only. My father,” Sakura said.

“What’s your people’s saying? ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?’ I suppose it’s only natural my troublemaking son has a troublemaking daughter. If he had only stayed on the family estate instead of founding that foolish gadget company of his. Let me guess, all that racket out there is your doing?” Takano shook his head.

I rolled my eyes, and he must have thought that a sign of distraction because he quickly tugged on his sword again. But I wasn’t tricked that easily, and it stayed firmly trapped in my grasp.

This was growing tiresome. There was something incredibly annoying about Takano, and it took me a while to figure out what it was.

He was disappointing.

After meeting his son, Nakano, I thought his father would be an older and even more imposing version of him. Instead, I found an old man eager to fight and convinced he was an invincible samurai, despite the apparent evidence to the contrary.

His level, his demeanor, the way he spoke, and everything else about him felt unremarkable to me. I could probably find a million old warriors wandering this planet who acted just as he did. Soon, I could stand it no longer.

“Takano, do you have the examine skill? Why don’t you use it on us? Maybe then you’ll discover why it’s a bad idea to keep fighting us and why it’d be a very good idea to sit down and talk things over in a civilized fashion.”

Takano let out a cold harrumph, then looked at me. I had already taken my cloak off in preparation for meeting Sakura’s father, and it was still off. When Takano saw my level, I watched the color drain from his face.

He finally gave up on taking back his sword and backed up several paces away from me.

“Oh... oh dear! Heavens above, I don’t know what my Miyamoto Clan did to offend you, good sir, b-but...” Takano stumbled backward.

I sighed, disappointed once more. I jerked my thumb toward Sakura.

“Do you have somewhere to sit? You need to have a long talk with your granddaughter.”

<Note>

There we go, long awaited first meeting with Sakura's dad! Would you believe me if my original outline from before I started the series called for this meeting to be in book 2? Needless to say, the story has stretched a bit larger than planned. And a few key scenes got pushed back more times than I'd like. This was one of them.

Edit notes: Updated this chapter in the morning of 8/15/2025 due to several things I missed while editing at 3 AM last night.