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I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH of what happened for the next few hours. I recall that once we had been subdued and restrained on the floor of the restaurant, Hideki and I had been beaten to within an inch of our lives. The Yin Clan had lost a great number of ninjas during this battle and they were not happy about this at all. I was kicked and punched over every square inch of my body, and was barely conscious when they dragged us outside. I felt myself being roughly thrown over the back of a horse and carried away deep into the heart of the jungle.
Every time the horse bearing me took a step I was jostled and a fresh bolt of pain would course through my body. It made me very difficult to focus on anything else, but I did my best. One of my eyes was swollen shut, but through the other, I thought I could make out the shape of Hideki's body. Like me, he was draped over the rear of a horse, just up ahead of me. In that moment, I hoped that I had served him better in this last battle than I had in the first, even if the outcome had been worse. That was the last thought I had before my mind faded out into darkness.
When I awoke it was night time. I was no longer laying on the back of a horse. Instead, I was inside some sort of bamboo cage that appeared to be located inside a cave of some kind. I looked around slowly. The cave was quiet, and except for one guard a few feet away, I was alone. The guard didn't seem to be paying any attention to me at all. His back was turned to me, and I was almost certain that he was sleeping. It didn't surprise me since we had put our foes through a very strenuous challenge earlier. I knew that I needed to make the most of this situation. I had no idea how Hideki was being treated, not to mention the Emperor, but I was certain that they were both nearby.
My first task was to untie my hands. Working as carefully as possible, I rubbed the course ropes against the bamboo cage until they finally broke loose. Next, I crept to the cage door. It was held shut with a rudimentary lock which I was able to pop open using a bamboo splinter.
So far, so good, I thought.
I slid open the cage door and crept up behind the dozing guard. I didn't hesitate. With a quick flick, I twisted his neck and disconnected him from the Robojama server. Now I just needed to find Hideki! I walked deeper into the cave, listening for any sound. Since I was unarmed, I was forced to hide several times from passing men. Finally, though, I spotted a secondary tunnel that jutted off from the main cave. There, restrained in a similar fashion to what I had been, was Hideki. Thankfully, he was unguarded at the moment. I crept up beside him.
“Hey old man, how are you doing?”
Hideki's response was fast and as quick-witted as ever. “I was wondering if you'd ever show up. Hurry up and get me out of here. We have an Emperor to save!”
I smiled, ignoring the pain that it caused my face, and released him from his cage.
“Great work, Raz,” Hideki said, grasping my shoulder firmly. “But our work isn't quite done. The Emperor is here. I heard his voice earlier. We need to rescue him before the Yin Clan decides to kill him!”