Contents
Chapter 49: The Prince’s Stand
Overview
Ru celebrates his birthday at a Mountain-district lounge where a bartender and a femme lure him into a jealous ambush by Koben Ashi. Ru seizes honor by declaring a clean-blade grievance and dueling the scheming bartender.
Tadino fatally slashes Ru’s throat; Koben executes Tadino and Juni, spares Dano, and coerces Bero to publicize that clanless culprits were responsible—threatening fragile clan peace.
Summary
Ru, stressed by studies and recent turmoil, agrees to celebrate his birthday with Dano at the Little Persimmon in Mountain territory. There, bartender Tadino and flirtatious Juni court Ru’s attention. Unaware it is a setup, Ru follows Juni to a back room.
Tadino alerts jealous Mountain Fist Koben Ashi, who storms in and beats Ru. Realizing the trap, Ru draws his talon knife and claims a clean-blade grievance, revealing his identity. Koben hesitates; Ru redirects the challenge to Tadino, the true instigator. Koben agrees that a settled duel will avert clan retaliation.
Choosing no weapons, Tadino fights Ru bare-handed. Despite earlier injuries, Ru’s training prevails; he dominates the duel. As Ru pummels him into submission, Tadino, panicking, grabs Ru’s loosened talon knife and slashes Ru’s throat. Ru dies swiftly despite Koben’s futile Channeling.
Terror-stricken over No Peak’s response, Koben kills Tadino for dirtying a clean blade and strangles Juni for her role. He spares Dano to testify truthfully and orders bystander Bero to tell authorities that clanless conspirators caused the death. Bero leaves to spread the narrative, as the scene’s carnage forebodes renewed clan conflict.
Who Appears
- Kaul Rulinshin (Ru)Pillar’s stone-eye son; lured into a trap, claims a clean blade, defeats Tadino, then is fatally slashed.
- Koben AshiMountain Fist; ambushes Ru, then enforces honor, kills Tadino and Juni, spares witnesses to frame the story.
- TadinoBartender and branded ex-gangster; orchestrates the setup, loses duel, panics, and slashes Ru’s throat.
- BeroCynical clanless veteran; observes the plot and aftermath, then leaves to spread Koben’s version.
- DanoRu’s friend; invites Ru, uses sand, helpless witness, spared by Koben to recount events.
- JuniKoben’s on-off girlfriend; seduces Ru as bait, later strangled by Koben.
- Koben’s FingersMountain enforcers; back Koben, restrain Tadino, witness decisions and cleanup.