Replay: Sword of the Samurai

We’re nearing the exciting climax of Sword of the Samuari. Or, as I like to think of it: Crown of Kings Lite with the Japan skin. I’ve come far and made a few friends, and now am about to face down a demon which guards the fortress.

On my side are a kirin (kinda like a unicorn), a tatsu (a dragon), and a tiger (a giant cat). And now comes the really stupid guessing game part, the only part of this whole book that ticks me off. See, there’s no reason nor clue about who to send up against each of the 3 champions: each one is weak against one specific ally, and if you guess wrongly then the companion is killed, and eventually you’ll be left with no companions and need to fight through the rest. And I find such randomness tedious.

Still, I guess reasonably well. Tiger eats frog. Mantis eats kirin but then is roasted by tatsu. Leaving me solo with the bronse statue with frickin’ laser beams for eyes. I got a little bit cooked, but perserved… which kind of ticked off the demon. He comes at me, and I do not like the look of that magic club. “When he hits you, take the 2 damage but also roll randomly” That is never good for me.

But I never find out what happens there. I get super lucky, and smash him down without taking a scratch. As he lies there dying, I get to ask him a question. I remember from way back in the preface that anyone who tells the secret of the magic sword will be damned eternally. I figure that for a demon hat’s kinda moot, so I ask him. He tells me that the magic word Harmony will cause the sword to come to me if I have enough honour (I have 7, which I think is good).

As he dies, the body starts to mutate and dissolve into a hideous something else… something bad. Fortunately, I befriended that tatsu way back and he old me how to handle this. I say the magic words, and a monk appears from nowhere and lays down some magic… and it’s gone. Wonderful! I was not looking forward to that fight.

And now, ahead of me… is my goal, the demon Ikiru and my master’s sword the Singing Death.