Chapter 2: The giant serpent beast appears.
After Orochi was killed the second time. Lords, generals, tacticians of the Three Kingdoms and the Sengoku era all came to an agreement that they would return to their respective homeland, lead the people to restore their lives from all the bloodshed, and live peacefully together.
And since then, three years have already passed. The people were finally be able to return to their daily lives without fear of Orochi, the war with the demon army which has cost thousand of lives was never mentioned again.
Or should I say... no one dare to brought up the topic, for they fear that the demon would come back to life once again if they ever talk about it.
But then this one-eyed guy suddenly banged into my very room right when I was taking my usual peaceful afternoon nap, and started to talk about this whole demon army troubling-thing sighted around this Wu Zhang plains area. You know, because Orochi mixed China and Japan together, so there are castles and towns suddenly appear in places where they shouldn't have been before, and Wu Zhang plains happened to be one, and I happened to have the honor of being the one to boss people around if I so want to... Which is not really my favorite thing to do.
"Hey! Are you listening to me?"
Haaaa... Now that I think back about it, I don't exactly remember doing much in the last two wars, so why do I have to be the prefect of this remoted place anyway? This place isn't even where I was born. If there's no significant invidual that originated from around here, then at least let someone who actually did something to help winning the war. Jiang Wei, for example. ..
"Hey! I'm talking to you here, Sima Zhao!"
Oh oops... The one-eyed guy yelled at me. Geez, that almost made my heart jumped out of my chest.
"Oh, sorry my bad. I was just thinking about the situation a little." The basic excuse to used when you are caught goofing off. "Now, where were we?"
"You... Pay attention a little, you imbecile!" The guy yelled at me again, how he used 'imbecile' at the end of his sentence, remind me of how father used to adress me. He grunted a little, then orders the retainer who was sitting next to him. "Kojuro, review what I just said to him. Make it quick."
Not again... I'm bored with this kind of thing. Just finish this and go home already, will you.
"You see here, master Sima Zhao..."
"Okay okay, I got it I got it. Lord Masamune here have the duty of patrolling this little northwest of the land which also include this place, the Wu Zhang plains here, where I'm the prefect."I paused a little, 'cause the way the one-eyed guy look at me like he is telling me to stopped saying the obvious already, so I quickly get to the point. "And then lord Masamune here had reports of his men about some disturbing movement in the area, which he suspected to be somehow related to the demon army. Am I correct?"
"Yes, that was it." The retainer replies. "So, what do you think about this, master Sima Zhao?"
'What do I think? Go home already. I'm very sleepy here.'
... Is what I'd love to say, but I don't want the angry one-eyed guy to take out his gun and shoot me in the head, so I'll refrain from saying it.
"Didn't the demon army disappeared along with Orochi 3 years ago? Aren't you worrying too much?"
"We are not worrying too much, you imbecile. We are being extra careful here." The one-eyed guy slammed his fist to the wooden table. "What would you do if the demon suddenly appear again? Then all the hard thing we did to maintain the peace would be all for naught."
Okay okay, I got it got it... Stopped being so loud already.
"Hey Masamune. Don't you think you're a little too strict? His father speaks up.
He's also a father to two sons, but the different between him and my father is like water and fire. While he is unbelievably gentle, father is... a nighmare.
"I'm not being strict here. You're the one being too soft, father. That's why the retainers are beginning to lose respect to you." The one-eyed guy responds back in a shockingly impolite way to talk to one's parent.
Imagined if I ever talk like that to father...
'Zhao, why can't you be more like your brother? You're being too easy-going'
' It's not that I'm too easy-going, it's you who are too strict, father...'
'Do you realize that you're talking to your father, you imbecile? Men, take him to the courtyard and tie him to a pole for 3 days. Let him starve to death. Mwahahaha'
... Father would seriously do something like that.
" Ahem... Lord Masamune. Please remember that you're currently at lord Sima Zhao's castle. Won't you mind your manner a little?" The woman sitting right behind the one-eyed guy speaks up.
If I'm not mistaken, she's supposed to be his wife. What's her name again? Oh right... Megohime. I've heard many talk about her, how she is not only beautiful, but also a very intelligent, brilliant woman.
And I finally had a chance to see her in person today. I don't know if she's really as smart as the rumors says, but I sure can see that her beauty is real. The one-eyed guy sure is blessed to have a wife as beautiful as her... Ah... Ouch! Ouch!
"My lord. Why are you staring at lord Masamune's wife? Aren't you supposed to pay attention to something else?"
" Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Okay okay, I got it I got it. Let go of my ear already, Yuanji."
Yuanji let go of my ear, not forgetting to give me her trademark cold stare. Ouch... She really didn't have to pull my ear so hard, it feel like she would have ripped it off if I hadn't told her to stop. Haaaa... This is why I hate doing meeting like this. No benefit, and all I receive are painful services from Yuanji. Should have let Deng Ai do all the work.
Ah... Speaking of Deng Ai.
"Hey, Yuanji. Where's Deng Ai? Shouldn't he be here to listen to what lord Masamune have to say?"
" When lord Masamune came over, master Ma Chao and his friends also came, they said that they have something important to talk about so Deng Ai is currently conversing with them on the ground floor."
So much for ditching all the work for Deng Ai. Haaa... What a pain. Just look out the window, the sky is crystal clear, the sun is shining warmly, it was such a beautiful day to take a nap. What a waste.
... Aw come on, I've just finished praising the fair weather and the sky immediately turn dark like they want to oppose me. Talk about...
... What...
What is that... thing?
Out of the window, what look like a creepy giant eyeball stare right at my face. Hey, am I starting to imagine things from all this talk about demons or something?
I glance over to Yuanji to confirm, and it looks like I'm not the only one who can see it, since Yuanji also has a horrified look on her face. Others also seem to have notice it, as they are all looking out to the window.
I stare back the eyeball for about 2 seconds, then it slowly retreat far from the window, revealing a little of what seems like its mouth. I may not be the smartest person in the land, but even I can see that whatever it's doing, it isn't going to be good.
" Everyone, get out of the room. NOW!"
I quickly ordered everyone and got up from the floor and run as fast as I can. The instant we get out of the room, waves of fire balls blasted through the castle wall, creating holes on it, which make it now possible for me to see what that thing really is.
My whole body freezes the very moment my eyes caught the complete figure of that thing. A one-eyed demon that can extend his arms at will, a giant oxen, or a horned old man. I had already seen many demons before in the last two wars. But, that thing staring right at me over is nothing like what I've ever seen before. It's a giant eight-headed serpent beast, bigger than the whole castle.
Gah! No no no no! Now is not the time to stand here observing thhat ugly thing. I have to get out of the castle quick...
Ack! The one-eyed guy and his family had already left me and Yuanji behind. Damn, gotta scram.
"Yuanji! What are you standing there for? Run!"
I took her hand and run downstair as fast as I could, leaving the rubble of the second floor behind.
...
Yes, the ground floor at last. Now, quick! Out of the gate we go. I can see the one-eyed guy just outside it.
"Master Sima Zhao. What's with all the rumble, what's happening?" Gah. My heart jumped as someone suddenly call out my name. I glanced over at him and regconized that it was Ma Chao and his friends, Ma Dai and Pang De, Deng Ai are also standing right next to him.
"You guys get out of the castle. NOW! You'll undestand when you're outside!" I said to them, and quickly run out of the castle gate.
When I finally got out of the castle, the outside come into view. The demons has already take over the place, almost everything is in ruin... What the...? Everything was still fine just a couple of minutes ago. How... How can everything got destroyed so fast? It's incomprehensible!
I got stunned by the site for a while, but quickly snapped out of it.
"Master Sima Zhao, master Sima Zhao"
Oh ah... It's master Ma Chao.
"We have our weapons with us so we'll cut open an escape path, you just have to follow us and be careful." Master Ma Chao said, pointing at him, Ma Dai, Pang De and Deng Ai, all of whom have their weapons ready for combat.
And not just them, the one-eyed guy also have his guns and sword in ready, his subordinates and also his father as well, even his wife has a katana with her. How embarassing, I forgot my Dao somewhere in the castle, I can't help them dealing with the demons. Oh well... At least I'm not alone, Yuanji is with me here... Or not, her weapon of choice are knives, so she always have some with her all the time.
... I'm the only useless one here.
Okay, enough of that already. Let's get a move on, while that creepy giant serpent beast is still busy 'devouring' the castle. Now, let's go.
As out of the 4 possible directions, north is where the giant snake is busy devouring the castle. The west would only lead to the deserted land of Xi Liang, and it would take too long to reach Tian Shui. The east is where most of the demons gather. So we decided to take the south direction, because that's where the Ueda castle of the Sanada located and can be reached in about a day time.
As we escape, we also saved some peasants from being killed by the demons. Though I said 'we', it's mostly master Ma Chao who rushed to save them the most, and the others followed him, while I just stood out of the fighting and... cheer them up... Well, at least I did do something.
The castle has began to collapsed since the giant sepent has bit most of the supporting pillars of the castle, and breathes fire to burn off what's left of the castle. And somewhere from the direction of the rubble of the castle, a faint sound of a girl crying for help could be heard.
"What's wrong master Sima Zhao?" Noticed that I suddenly stopped running, Deng Ai ask.
"Did you hear a girl's voice cries for help somewhere?" I point in the direction of the castle "I'll go back there to check for the girl. I'll get back to you guys as soon as possible. Take care Yuanji for me."
But Deng Ai held back my shoulder, stopped me from going.
"Let go of me, Deng Ai."
"I can't. I wouldn't know what to say lord Sima Yi if something happened to you." Deng Ai replied.
"Don't worry. I'll be back right away, it won't take long."
I take Deng Ai's hand off my shoulder and run off to the direction of the girl's crying.
"Hey. Where are you? You still alive?"
"Is anyone there? Help me. I am over here." A voice came from a little to my right. There I see the girl, her leg got stucked under the pile of stones. I quickly get over there and remove the stones for her.
"Oh, thank you so much. I wouldn't know what to do if you hadn't come."
"Save it when I get you out of here..."
"EEEEEE! I found a human! I found a human!"
Ack! The demons spotted me. Damn, I don't have my Dao with me.
"EEEEE! Die human!" With a sword in his hand, the demon ran torward me "Urghh..."
Okay... What just happened? Oh, Deng Ai! He followed me. Thanks goodness.
"Master Sima Zhao! Are you alright?" I can also see master Ma Chao is here too, alright.
"You imbecile. Don't just run off on your own and slow us down like that" Oh, even the one-eyed guy came back for me.
BOOM!
Gah! What the...? A fire ball came out of nowhere, it almost hit me in the face. Damn it, the giant serpent changed its target to us. Oh no, more are coming!
"Ah!"
Oh no, the girl! The flame seperated her with the rest of us.
"My lord! What are you doing? The flames are too strong, jumping in is suicidal." Yuanji ran in front of me, stopping from going to the girl's side.
"But I can't just let that girl in the flames like that! She'll die!"
"You are the one who will die if you jump into the fire like that!" Yuanji yelled at me. She's usually very calm and cool, it's rare to see her get so upset like this.
"Ah!"
Argh! Another fire ball came flying down. And there's a few more coming!
I quickly hold Yuanji and jump to the side, the giant serpent breathes several more fire balls, but I managed to dodge all of them.
After the wave of fire ball, I quickly get a hold of myself and stand up. I quickly look around. The flame has spread a lot wider than previously.
I can no longer see the girl nor hear her cry for help...
"No... No..."
It was just a little more... If had had a little more time, if I had rushed over to the girl a little sooner, I would have able to get her out of the rubble. And yet... I couldn't save her... Not just the girl... I couldn't save the town... I couldn't save anyone...
Sima Zhao: *cough* Hello there readers.
Sima Zhao: So I got to be the main character of chapter 2. Of course I'm happy, but after being the main character of DW7 Jin's story and WO3 main story, I'm kind of tired being the main character already.
Sima Zhao: Don't you think someone else should be the main character this time?
Sanjima: Okay, I'll kill you off the next chapter then.
Sima Zhao: Wait, wait! That's not what I mean.
Sanjima: Anyway, now that you've finished chapter 2, please do look forward to chapter 3. Thank you very much.