The Viper's Successor by Somsiddha Saha (ebook reader play store .txt) 📗

lost! Lord save us all, then heard the news of this! Man! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Let us see if I could reach to headquarters! It’s all over the Tv channel now!” Sam was agitated.

“Try to track the callers ID and location from this phone. Quick!” Navan handed over the phone.

“Hold on!” Sam took out his laptop and connected the phone. “Alas! this person is using some analog algorithmic encryption to this device that cannot be percolated through. His location is constantly changing!”

“Predictable. Any names or identification can you sought out?”

“Waiiiit…nahhh…only some fake IP Addresses are appearing at those changing locations. Check out.” Sam showed the screen to Navan.

“Mark those locations and share the intel to headquarters. By the time contact Sidius and Armun through payphone.”

From last night after boarding on plane to Italy Navan blocked the calls from Sidius and Armun. The Headquarters also tried to reach him and Sam, but he mentioned Sam not to attend those calls.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN! Without any information ,without any strategies, you had the audacity for execution just because you got superpowers?” Sidius was enraged. “Just because Lucy instilled a tracker in you, Hudson kept a constant watch. This was not at all expected from you, Mr.Navan.”

“The conference at Harleem was just a hoax, Sidius. I think you might have captured the agenda of their meeting? Hope you got the news of Ponte Coperto?”

“ We have already departed from Harleem some hours back, Navan. About to reach in 20 minutes. And Navan?”

“Yes, Sidius?”

“Your suspicion was correct. Good job.”

There is one thing tingling continuously inside Navan’s head, this identity, deceased 5 years ago in reports is one of Vipers men, what is he up to? Suicide bombers? Altered from plastic explosives? All the henchmen and disciples of Viper are terminated as per the official records but are still operating throughout. Are they some active explosives about to blow? Viper used to deal with nuclear arms and ammunitions, but what was his real mission? Subjugation? Imposing tyranny over the world? There was a news 3 years back that Viper trans-mutated into Zombie and no one could escape his Venom. Turned out, that was a sham. Viper’s upcoming plan must be vicious and needed to be stopped. But why this explosion is different from the last one. This voice over the phone, is this his idea?

23 years ago…

“They were so brave, Baba?”

“Their mettle and grit knew no bounds. The persistence and perseverance will be inscribed in gold in the history of valorous warriors forever. In late 1100AD Minamoto and Taira, two formidable warrior clans challenged the Japanese government to usurp the whole country. Minamoto gained victory, thus started the era of those warriors. They lived like “Bushido” -Way of a warrior, lived an exemplary life abstaining from all the luxuries, vowed to protect the community and chivalry. They ruled for over 700 years.”

“You know Baba, today at school some seniors were bullying me. Dada protected me from them. Dada is also like those warriors, Baba?”

“Yes, my child and someday you’ll be like them too. Always stand for those who are in need.”

“Baba, you didn’t finish the story. What’s next?”

“Previously they were employed by feudal lords called Damiyo to act as their bodyguards and to defeat enemies and hostile threat identified by the government. For their living, barracks and castles were made. Just like today’s world guilds with political power started seizing the other fleets. Thus from 12th century under the reign of Minamoto no Yurimoto, the Kamakura period started. The warriors were guided and supervised by a Shogun, like a colonel or lieutenant in modern days.”

“Wow, the warriors didn’t care about anyone?”

“Being phlegmatic, they honour those who deserve to. Many of them came from Kanto region of Japan and developed the fighting skills against the Emishi tribes of north. From that they developed a code which kept themselves unique from their Shogun and other fighters. They used to boast about their past victories riding on a horse, visiting every villages, and later they used banners.”

“All of them wear armours and kill the enemies with swords, Baba?”

“No dear, they had a definite system of hierarchy, based on skillsets and efficacy. They were divided into three principal ranks. The Gokenin belonged to the lowest ranks. They were housemen and vassals of a feudal lord. Succeeding them were the rustic warrior or Goshi. Unlike Gokenin, they were at cadet rank and could not use two swords until they reach the elite rank. The predominant who used to put a substantial impact of the true warriors were Hatamoto, belonged to the highest rank. The bannermen I told you about, they were these warriors. They were emotionless and sacrificed their life to protect the landlord’s interests.”

“They didn’t fear to die, it’s so courageous Baba!”

“Yes, and they also had their trustworthy henchmen, who were called Baishin. Most of them used to reap crops on lands owned by landlords. They comprise of 5-6% of the total population in Japan, roughly 18 million in total in 1600.”

“I have seen one armour of them at a museum. They used to wear such heavy armours?”

“Those, made of metal plates and iron stitching, portrays a Warriors rank, division, and their home region. The badges of their valour, the painted symbols were associated with their family or military houses called Buke. Dragonflies were painted as a symbol.

“But why dragonflies, Baba?”

“Because the insect cannot fly backwards. It emphasizes the unwithering guts of them. But contrary to that the perjury of some resulted in violation, villages were burned. They were defeated and slaughtered. Out of allegiance, they were motivated financially. But sometimes out of outrageous ostentations, they collected severed heads of victims as trophies. Some of them also switched sides out of conspiracy in mid battle at the Battle of Sekigahara during the year 1600. As prohibitions and regulatory framework were bestowed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, they enjoyed the impunity to kill anyone of lower rank.”

“So, they were undefeatable and could not be captured?”

“They fight