AN: Now start the 'division' part of the story. For those who remember the original Warriors Orochi 3, it's after the first time travel stage that the cast sort of splits into factions, and each go in their own direction and get their own force going. This is going to happen here to an extent. As I said, I'll be taking some liberties with both WO3's plot and mechanics. The fact that the first chapter here was Mikatagahara and not Yiling should be proof enough.

Also, you know how WO3 barely skims over how the Coalition plans their attacks? Yeah, I'll flesh that out here more, so be ready for some moments of exposition.

As always, thanks for reading, and be sure to tell me what you think!

Enjoy!

-TMW-

(Play: Fate Stay Night OST - Whirlpool of Fate)

Hamamatsu Castle Inner Keep

Night rolled around over the former Tokugawa main base. The stars shone above, uninhibited by the usual artificial lighting Shiki was so used to back in Misaki City. He had never really looked at the sky during his short time in this new world, as he had been forced to focus on the constant influx of enemies around him.

As such, this old Japanese castle felt comforting, in a traditional sort of way; although some Tokugawa retainers might tell him it's not that old. Regardless, he finally allowed himself to calm down a bit, as this was the first time since he had arrived that he could sit in relative silence.

However, that silence was soon going to be broken. He watched quietly as the generals of the Coalition Army took turns bowing to the Tokugawa crest that hung on the wall behind him. As each of them paid their respects to the presumed-missing lord, they sat down just like feudal generals always did: in the part that was of lower elevation and in two uniform lines in front of the entrance, creating a sort of walkway to the heart of the room.

Shiki, together with Mordred, Fujino, and Kaguya all sat on the higher platform that was usually reserved for the lord. Mordred had earlier voiced her complaints at this oddly traditional style of war council, having personally preferred to sitting at a table; however, she eventually begrudgingly relented to the generals' request.

It calmed their hearts and made them feel at home, so she didn't bother arguing against it.

The Coalition's current state was better than it had ever been since the appearance of the Hydra. Their meagre force, previously barely numbering in the two thousand, now surpassed the five thousand mark. The amount of soldiers that were liberated from Kiyomori's grasp, and together with the generals that were freed, increased their overall strength by a large magnitude. They also now had ten generals in their employ, most of which are former Takeda retainers who were brainwashed by Kiyomori.

Touko and Cu preferred standing up, and took to leaning on the closest wall. While the chain of command of the Coalition Army convened for a strategy meeting, the soldiers were standing guard inside the castle. With the main gate destroyed, security had to be heightened a hundred fold, but they reckoned nothing would come attack them now, not after they had chased away the demons in the area. The Coalition quickly made itself at home in Hamamatsu Castle, making fair use of the supplies and infrastructure that the demons had left practically untouched.

It really was a lucky break.

"Lord Mordred, Lord Shiki, Lady Fujino, Lady Kaguya," One of the newer generals, Masatoyo Naito said while bowing to the four from his sitting position. "I must once again thank you on behalf of the Takeda for freeing us from Kiyomori's clutches. In the name of our lord, we hereby pledge our allegiance to assisting you in saving humanity."

He raised his head, and blinked in confusion as Mordred simply waved him off. "It's nothing, don't mention it. We weren't about to let anyone stay under that bastard's control. Anyone else would have done the same."

It was an odd response that he didn't know how to react to. He fell silent, which gave Touko the opportunity to speak up from her position by the wall. "So, you four have something to tell us, no?" She asked, taking a whiff of her new pipe. She somehow managed to find the old thing, by her standards, that probably belonged to one of Ieyasu's many concubines. There was also tobacco stashed with it, so she counted herself lucky she managed to find a replacement for her self-destructive habit, even if it didn't taste as good.

The knight nodded, straightening her posture. "Yeah, we do," She replied, the sudden sharpness in her eyes causing the generals to tense up instinctively. "It's a bit of a long story, but this is how it goes…"

And so Mordred explained, making sure not to leave any stone unturned in her story. Several times many pairs of eyes widened, several gasps could be heard, and mumbled musings filled the keep with background noise.

By the time she finished recounting their ridiculous tale, there was no one in the council that could even bring themselves to argue against their claims.

"Well...I think this is the first time I found myself shocked, to be perfectly honest," She said, taking another whiff. "Time travel...such a thing should be impossible, considering it's supposed to be one of the five True Magics; but I definitely don't think you're lying. It's just a lot to take in, as you also said that we are all effectively supposed to be dead."

She watched the smoke dissipate into the air. "So, we need to put this to good use. We need to think up our next course of action right now. With an enemy like the Hydra, even being able to undo our mistakes won't help us take it down."

"I agree, Lady Touko," Kaguya said softly. "That is why it is important we continue our journey. The more troops we gather, the further in the past we will be able to go."

Nobufusa Baba, another former Takeda general, stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I see. I believe I understand where you're going with this. What do you suggest we do first?"

Touko pushed herself off the wall and walked to stand in front of the sitting generals. They did not comment on her obvious breach of conduct and tradition, surmising that such a thing wouldn't bother a woman of her caliber.

"Does any of you have a map of this world? A general list of provinces and who controls them?" She asked them. If anyone was bound to have at least some record of the shape of the land, it would be one of those who had been in this world since the beginning.

It was Masakage who responded, reaching into his robe and withdrawing a rolled up scroll. "I have one right here. I do not recall where I obtained it, but it should be accurate to up until the Hydra's appearance."

That was good enough. Touko walked over to him and took the offered map. She unrolled it, and began studying what she saw, pacing around the large room in silence. The generals watched her as she circled around them. Eventually, she came to a stop, and they noticed her obviously confused expression.

"What is the matter, my lady?" Shigetoshi asked her after a brief period. In response, she turned the map around, making sure that everyone in the room could see it.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?" She asked in response. As Fujino took a better look, she immediately understood what Touko was perplexed about.

The map was, to put it lightly, a mess. Looking like a frankensteinian fusion of differently colored patches, the overall map of the dimensional world was one of the more confusing and cluttered that she had ever seen. So many territories controlled by different factions were scattered all over the place, and almost not a single one of them was connected to another territory of the same faction. Fan Castle, a Wei stronghold that was originally close to its capital of Xuchang, was now kilometers away in another part of the world, somehow placed next to the plains of Yamazaki, one of the Oda territories.

And that was just one example of the sheer clusterfuck that was the dimensional world. It was simply impossible to decipher. She felt bad for the poor cartographers who had to put this together, and at the same time admired their skill.

"Ah…" Kunoichi murmured. "Yeah, that...that is what we have. We already got used to it, I guess. We've been here for a few years after all."

"How you managed to not destroy each other in the meantime has to be a miracle," Touko said as she walked over to where the three time travellers sat.

"It took a lot of work, and it wasn't always successful. Lord Nobunaga and Lord Cao Cao fought for domination constantly up until the Hydra appeared," Masatoyo said, recalling the often confusing war councils that Shingen called together on an almost daily basis.

"Wonderful, but that's not what we're here for. The reason I asked for this map is so we can plan our next move," Touko replied, and strode up to stand in front of the gathering. Rolling up the map again, she smacked it once against her palm and voiced her decision. "Let's me say this outright: we need to abandon the forward base."

That didn't sit well with the six who originally came from the future. Ma Teng nearly shot to his feet in exasperation. "Abandon the forward base?! You want us to surrender our position next to the Hydra's lair?! What will be the point of going back in time if we lose our ability to even reach the monster?!"

"What's the point of having it now?" She retorted as she took another whiff. "We don't know how far we'll be going, or where. Do you really want to use that tiny base as our permanent foothold, or do you want to wait until we can establish a much more solid one? One that isn't built over a river of molten rock, preferably."

The Xiliang general fell silent, unable to find an argument, and she continued. "Now then...our next objective should be to find ourselves a more permanent base," She said, unrolling the map once more. "We can't stay where we are now. We need to pick a location that is easier to defend, as well as one that gives us access to more territories. As the army grows, we'll need to expand our sphere of influence. Doing so will pressure the demons all the more. It goes without saying that we take back all of the people Kiyomori placed under his control, but we should also be ready for the possibility that we'll find civilians."

"Civilians...do you presume any managed to stay alive?" Nobufusa asked.

"If they did, we'll have to take care of them, and so that's why we need a big place to put them all together. Only once we kill the Hydra and eliminate the threat should we think about letting them live out on their own...if we get that far."

The generals looked between each other, contemplating what location they could use as their base of operations. Asking the lord of the castle would be impossible, so they had no choice but to occupy it by force, and later explain their actions should the lord show up.

"So, does anyone have an idea?" Touko asked again. She needed to get their minds rolling faster. If anyone knew a castle that fit the bill, it would be them.

And so, chatter began to fill the room. As the the others watched, the ten retainers began discussing possibilities.

"Then perhaps Shouchun will work?"

"Are you mad? Lord Yuan Shu never bothered to reinforce its defenses!"

"What about Ichijodani?"

"No, the Asakura's territory is too small, and besides, how will we fit the army there? It's all ragged hills."

"And Xuchang? Lord Cao Cao was always diligent with protecting the city from assaults."

"No way. Dong Zhuo is holding onto it with an iron grip. I hate to say this, but he'd be an even bigger challenge than the demons right now."

"Okazaki?"

"Too far away from important locations. We need something with a bigger reach."

They continued throwing names into the air, many of which Fujino and Shiki did not recognize. Touko kept holding onto the map, scanning the messy terrain and trying to find a good candidate for a permanent base.

It was then that Shigetoshi spoke up, silencing the others. "What about Odawara?"

"Odawara Castle…" Nobufusa repeated, once again stroking his beard. "It could work. The Hojo territory have the sea to their backs, so we could use the port there to circle around some of the more troublesome areas. Not only that, but it's a big castle with a large living space. It can hold up to at least one hundred thousand people just in the province alone, not to mention the other big territories that lay around it."

Touko raised an inquisitive eyebrow, and quickly located the aforementioned Odawara Castle on the map. However, Sima Yan then spoke up. "Unfortunately, last I heard Da Ji was using it as her base. Even if we want to capture it, how will we do so? We'll never be able to break through the defenses with our small force. It's supposed to be impregnable too; nobody has managed to take it away from Lord Ujiyasu yet."

Touko held back a chuckle. Yet, he says. Well, it made sense he wouldn't know the fate of the historical Odawara Castle; it was too far ahead in the future for him.

They could go with what happened in history, and starve the defenders by surrounding them on all sides. However, seeing as the demons did not use the provisions in Hamamatsu, Touko inferred the demons didn't need supplies...or didn't care about supplies, considering they revive every time they die. As such, a siege wouldn't really work...so what can they do to reduce the demons' numbers?

Well, regardless of that, they first needed to secure the outlying territories to even start thinking about conquering Odawara. She studied the map again, this time focusing on everything around their target. She began to list them out loud so the others could hear.

"Nagashino Castle, Wan Castle, Odani Castle, and Oshi Castle. What a collection of fortresses we have here," She said. "Then here is our battle plan: we take over these four locations. We need to do it fast, and be as in sync as possible. Da Ji will not let our conquests go unanswered, and will most definitely send troops to stop us. That's when we act; we leave behind a skeleton crew to defend our new territories, and at the same time strike at Odawara while she thinks we're too preoccupied to attack her."

The occupants of the room listened carefully as she spoke, leaning slightly forward as they took note of the specifics.

"In any case, we need to act with haste, both in taking over the territories as well as launching our attack while she's caught off guard. If we succeed, the forces she sends out will have to return to reinforce her, at which point we'll have already taken over the castle. At that time, those who remained behind will hit the demons in the back; we'll launch at the very least four pincer attacks in retaliation."

"This is an incredibly risky plan, Lady Touko," Ma Teng said, straightening his back after a moment of contemplation. "If we fail to reach any of our objectives in time, the demons will leave us with nowhere to run. Our attempts to encircle them will end up with us trapped instead."

Touko rolled up the map, and lazily tossed it over to Masakage again. He caught it with one hand, and in the meantime she took another whiff of her pipe. "Not much we can do about this at the moment. Our troop strength is simply too low to be able to gain an advantage in numbers. We have to outwit them at every turn."

"With Da Ji leading them, that'll be incredibly difficult," Masatoyo said. "She's as sly as a fox, that wretched woman. She has been a thorn in our side even since we were dragged into this world."

"Considering you haven't died yet is proof enough that she can be overcome," Touko retorted. "Stick to the plan, and we should be okay. It's not like it'll be just us too; there are bound to be more people we can recruit to our cause. We go back as far as we can go, and launch an orderly strike."

She gestured with her pipe towards the gathered generals. "Now then, do we know who we might be able to help us?"

"I...do not know," Nobufusa said honestly. "I do not remember anything from my period in Kiyomori's clutches. If it was as bad as I remember, then I'm afraid that our odds are very slim…"

"No, I think we might be able to find the assistance we need. After all...the Hydra twisted the dimensions again, didn't it?" Shigetoshi asked. "And the new arrivals joined forces with the remnants of the many factions. I believe we should aim to bring them in to the fold."

Masatoyo grumbled to himself. "Our chances of victory are so low...what will we tell the men? How will we keep morale high enough?"

"We simply win," Mordred said, cutting into the conversation. "We win and give them the ray of hope they need."

Nobody could find any other argument to make.

"Then I see we have a plan of action," Touko concluded, noticing the generals were becoming quite tired after a long day. "Here's how it's going to work: Tohno, Kaguya, and Sima Yan will take three thousands troops, and will attack Wan Castle. Once you've taken it over, gather up the army again and head straight for Odani. With you the bigger force, Da Ji is bound to send more troops to intercept you."

Both Shiki and Sima Yan stared at her with wide eyes, but she ignored their unvoiced complaints and continued. "In the meantime, Mordred, Cu Chulainn, Kunoichi, and Ma Teng will take the Takeda Cavalry and head to Nagashino. It'll be the farthest point, but with two Heroic Spirits you should be able to turn the tide."

The two Servants acknowledged her, and the generals in charge of the Cavalry nodded in understanding. "And finally, Asagami, Takenaka, and myself will head towards Oshi Castle. Once we have captured all of our objectives, we gather up the troops and launch our combined assault on Odawara Castle. Does anyone have any questions?"

She waited for someone to complain, to argue against her obviously dangerous plan of action. However, she knew these men were wise enough to understand that they simply did not have another option. As such, the room remained silent, and she decided to take this opportunity to finally bring the war council to a close. She turned to the three time travelers, and asked them a simple question.

"Does that sound alright to you?"

The question seemed to be directed at Mordred more than at Shiki or Fujino. The two understood why; the knight was the only one among them who had actual experience as a commander. She was, for all intents and purposes, the acting leader of the new Coalition.

And Touko knew Mordred wouldn't bother trying to dissuade them from going through with this plan. "Yes, we'll do that," She said, rising back to her feet. She turned her gaze to the generals, and gave out their orders.

"Rest well, men, because we move at dawn. Make sure all the preparations are finished by the time the sun rises! We want to bring these battles to a close as quickly as possible!"

They bowed obediently to her. "Yes my lord!"

"And one last thing!" She added. "...don't die. We can't lose even a single one of you. Don't try to be heroes out there; you need to survive. Anyone who dies on my watch will be severely punished, am I understood?!"

"YES MY LORD!"

And with that, the war council was adjourned. Mordred watched as the generals filed out of the room one by one, heading out to give the soldiers their new orders. Once the last of them had left, she propped back down on the floor and let out a heavy sigh.

"This is going to be tough as hell."

"Just the way I like it," Cu said, speaking up for the first time and pushing himself off the wall. He put a hand on his hip, and grinned widely. "These are the kind of battles I live for. No need to worry yourself too much; I've handled worse numbers before. Hell, as we are right now, we got a better chance than I did back in Ulster."

"Of course you'll be happy with a mad battle. That's the only thing you've ever liked," Mordred shot back.

"Heh, well, it is what it is. I plan to make the most of the time we've got here. Now don't worry, I ain't gonna be reckless out there. I know better than that."

As the two Servants exchanged banter, Fujino spoke up quietly. "Um...is this really the time-?"

"Well, if they're that confident, then I say we're already in a better spot than before," Shiki said to her with a smile. "It'll be okay. We can do this. We beat the demons once already; I'm sure we can do it again."

His positive outlook calmed her nerves somewhat. "If you say so, Tohno-kun," She replied, giving a small smile of her own. She then raised her gaze to Touko, who continued to smoke silently. "Um, will I really be able to help?"

The Magus let out a whiff. "Asagami, not only will you be able to help, but you're even the key player in our assault on Oshi Castle. Don't worry, I'll fill you in on the details on the way there. In the meantime, I suggest we all get some sleep. We're not going to be able to rest for a while once we wake up. Nobody here wants to get a sword in the gut because you're too busy yawning on the battlefield."

One by one they rose from the floor, dusting themselves off and straightening their clothes. "Now then, good luck to all of us tomorrow. We'll need it."

Those were the finals words spoken that night. As Hamamatsu fell into a deep sleep, the tension that built up during the war council hung in the air.

-TMW-

Wan Castle outskirts, south western area.

"I don't think I could ever get used to time travel," Shiki said. Once morning broke, the army deployed fairly quickly. Everything passed by like a blur, and before he knew it he, Sima Yan, and Kaguya found themselves enroute to their first objective. Luckily, it wasn't far from their drop point, so they weren't all that tired.

They didn't get any of the horses though, as Mordred needed them more; but if Touko was to be believed, then they should be fine.

"Ah, my apologies Shiki-sama," Kaguya replied as she walked beside him. She stopped in her tracks and bowed lowly.

Shiki stopped as well, shocked at her apparent remorse. "No no no, it's fine!" He said while rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably. Right, he forgot that Kaguya was a gentle one. "I was just exaggerating! I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. It just feels so unreal you know?"

"I share your sentiments, Lord Shiki," Sima Yan said, looking ahead. At the moment, their force was waiting for the scout to report back the conditions in and around the castle, as well as delivering a secret missive to their allies within. They can't exactly head straight into battle without knowing who the enemy was, and they also had to make sure those stationed in the castle knew they were coming.

Shiki rubbed his cheek sheepishly as he regarded Kaguya again. "You know, Kaguya-san, you kind of remind me of Hisui in a way."

The mystic tilted her head in question at the unfamiliar name. "Ah, she's uh, one of the maids from my home," He answered, clarifying what he meant. "She's also very quiet like you. Ah! That's not a bad thing, just so you know!"

Kaguya didn't respond, but Sima Yan seemed interested. "Oh, you come from a noble family, Lord Shiki?"

"I guess you could call us that? As you can tell, I'm not all that noble. It's my sister Akiha who's far more noble and upstanding than I am. Even though I'm the older brother, she's the one who's really the head of the family. I haven't been at home for eight years, and it's only fairly recently that I came back to the main house," Shiki said, picking up a tree branch off the ground and playing mindlessly with it. "I had an accident when I was a child, and had to go live with my relatives."

He could explain his entire life's circumstances, but this wasn't the time nor place for such a thing.

"I see, that is quite a fascinating story, Lord Shiki. I must admit I have never heard of such a tale," Sima Yan said. "Does it have something to do with that special ability of yours?"

Oh, so he put it together. Shiki smiled as he confirmed the general's guess. "It does actually. My family isn't exactly normal."

"In that case, I'd like to hear about it someday. Now is not particularly the best time."

"Heh, you're right about that. We need to focus after all."

Kaguya quietly listened as the two spoke. They were quite intriguing, she had to admit. She knew that the two of them had come from two very different places, separated by centuries, yet even in this bizarre situation they got along well.

The mystic remembered how during her time back in the Mystic Realm, she wasn't one to draw much attention. While she did have a few close associates, only Nuwa truly interacted with her on a daily basis. She found it quite odd that the woman who was nicknamed 'the Ice Queen' paid attention to her at all.

Perhaps if she managed to meet her again, she might explain why. In the meantime, Kaguya had a job to do. She pledged herself to humanity's cause, and was not about to let them down.

It took another fifteen minutes before the scout finally returned. He seemed to be out of breath, but even though he was so tired he still knelt before Sima Yan and Shiki, and quickly delivered his report.

"My lords! Battle has already been engaged! The defenders are valiantly fighting back, but they won't be able to hold for long!"

Sima Yan narrowed his eyes. "And who is the enemy?"

"It's…" The scout began, choking on his words. "It's Lord Yuan Shao!"

The chinese general faltered, his eyes widening rapidly at the news. Shiki looked at him in surprise as he processed the gravity of the report. "Lord Yuan Shao?! Are you certain?!"

"Positive, my Lord! The banners of the enemy...they were clearly Yuan's!"

Shiki could hear the moment Sima Yan clenched his fists. "Who's Yuan Shao?" He asked.

"He's one of the most powerful warlords in the land! He comes from an incredibly noble lineage, and even though he's often indecisive, he has some extremely talented officers in his army!" Sima Yan clarified, the anger and confusion evident in his voice. "What is he thinking?! I knew he was aiming to establish some union between the demons and humanity, but I never would have believed he would resort to attacking our territories!"

"Then clearly something is wrong," Shiki replied, then turned to the scout. "Do you know who are the defenders?"

"I have sighted a few Wei banners," The scout said. "Although among them I also saw a strange young woman whose hair could turn red."

Shiki's eyes widened. "Akiha is there?!" He yelled out in shock, and both Sima Yan and Kaguya looked as surprised as he is. "Then we have to get there now!"

"Then there is no time to waste!" The Sima clan member exclaimed, and turned to their force. "We must uncover the truth behind this battle, and rescue our allies in Wan Castle!"

Together, the three leaders of the northern battalion turned to face the battlefield. Sima Yan raised his sword, and shouted out the command.

"ALL UNITS, CHARGE!"

-TMW-

Chapter 1, Episode 2:

BATTLE OF WAN CASTLE

Coalition Army vs. Yuan Army

(Play: Dynasty Warriors 8 OST - Desperate Run)

-TMW-

"Yuan Shao's forces have already overrun the place! As expected, his army is simply massive!"

It was a good thing that Yuan Shao's main camp did not lie in their path towards the castle. As the scout reported, the enemy had camped at the north eastern point, and had chosen to surround the castle on all sides and establish a siege.

So it would be the Coalition's job to strike at their backs and make their way into the castle, and immediately break through the siege to strike at Yuan Shao.

But Sima Yan was still suspicious. The noble leader had absolutely no reason to attack humanity, especially after their descent to near extinction. Even he was smart enough to realize that pursuing his own ambition in such a desperate time will only end with that grim prospect becoming a reality.

Had Yuan Shao and his entire army fallen under Kiyomori's spell? It was possible. Sima Yan swore to find out what had happened.

The Coalition's path cut through a village, which was now probably flooded with Yuan's soldiers. The lord of the castle, Zhang Xiu, had seemingly died during the Hydra's first appearance, and his domain lay completely untouched until some the surviving members of humanity decided to inhabit it. Since then however, it had been again abandoned, and as far as Sima Yan knew there shouldn't be any civilians here.

Regardless, there was an order he had to give out before their army got the wrong idea. "Aim for knockout blows! Do not kill the enemy!"

It would be tough, fighting without aiming to kill; but Yuan Shao's troops weren't the demons. If they killed them, they would lose valuable allies in the battle against the true enemy. It was still possible that if they could reach the enemy main camp, they could speak to the noble leader and convince him to join forces with them. Having him on their side would be a massive boon to their forces, and would significantly improve their chances in the eventual siege of Odawara.

But he was still skeptical. Something nefarious was afoot.

As the Coalition forces made their way to the bridge that connected to the village area, the Yuan troops finally realized that someone was coming upon their rear.

"Wh-what? An ambush?! Nobody said anything about this!" One of them screamed.

The commander of the rear guard immediately shouted to his subordinates to meet the Coalition's charge. "Don't let them cross the bridge! We can't allow them to rendezvous with the troops inside the castle! Do it for Lord Yuan Shao!"

It was as if his words stirred up a frenzy within the troops. Holding their ground against the Coalition, there was a noise like a miniature explosion as the two forces clashed. The Coalition soldiers pushed their strength to their limit, trying to break through the staunch defense.

But they were facing a disadvantage: the bridge funneled their forces into a tight formation, so they couldn't use their numbers to even try and surround the enemy. So long as Yuan's forces could hold them back, they wouldn't be able to advance.

And it seems they had another trick up their sleeves. "Archers, prepare to fire!"

The arrows were notched in the backline, and the archers raised their bows towards the sky. There was no wind, and the sky was clear; at this distance, the arrows will only hit the Coalition troops.

Arrows that they had no way to block or counterattack against.

"FIRE!"

And they were let loose. A hail of arrows soared through the skies above the ranks of the Yuan troops. The Coalition troops screamed, raising whatever they could to defend themselves from being turned into pincushions.

Luckily, they had someone a little bit supernatural on their side.

Kaguya chanted, the indecipherable words leaving her mouth rapidly. She waved her Sakaki branch, and all at once the arrows stopped midflight, each one surrounded by a golden glow that locked it in place. With another wave of her hand, the volley was parted in half. Releasing her hold on the projectiles, the arrows fell into the river below uselessly.

The Coalition troops marveled at the act. Reinvigorated by Kaguya's assistance, they pushed forward, and the Yuan forces slowly began to lose ground.

"Now's our chance! Break through their blockade!"

Sima Yan's command was met with added enthusiasm. A gap in the defenses finally showed, and the Coalition soldiers began to pour into the village, engaging all enemies they could see. The sound of clashing blades and bloody warfare returned tenfold, and following through with their unit, Sima Yan, Shiki, and Kaguya made their way in as well.

The Sima clan member however had his eyes on the enemy general. He quickly locked his gaze on the large man within the group, and ran towards him with his sword drawn. The enemy responded in kind, and the two locked blades, grunting and groaning as they pushed against each other.

"Master Gao Lan!" Sima Yan shouted in his face. "Why?! Why are you attacking humanity?!"

Gao Lan's response was to push his strength into his arms, and force the younger general away. "This is all for the future of the Yuan clan! We swore to protect it with our lives if need be!"

That statement shocked Sima Yan. "What are you talking about?! Tell me!"

"I cannot!"

They clashed again, duelling wildly in the middle of the village. Sima Yan had only a brief moment to look around to see that their situation had rapidly deteriorated; the Yuan army simply outnumbered them even in this tiny village. Gao Lan was also physically stronger than him, and they were not allowed to kill the enemy.

If there was one advantage they had, was the still present element of surprise; considering that Yuan's troops were still reeling from the sudden attack, and that their field strategists would take a while to respond, they could try and take over the village, establishing a foothold right outside the castle.

All they needed was to surpass Gao Lan and his unit, a deed easier said than done.

Luckily, Shiki came in to assist. Gao Lan could only stare dumbly as the small knife in the schoolboy's hand whisked past him, and all at once his sword crumbled to pieces in his grip. Sima Yan moved in to take him out, but the Yuan general recomposed himself and leaped back, picking up a discarded spear off the ground.

Shiki moved to stand beside Sima Yan, holding his knife in a reverse grip. His Mystic Eyes shone, but he knew he couldn't make use of them completely in this case. "So what do we do?" He asked the Chinese general.

"We need to turn the tides," Sima Yan said. "Cause them to retreat. This is the only obstacle to the castle. If we can't beat them here, we won't make it in time to save our allies!"

Just the thought of Akiha dying at the hands of human troops angered Shiki; but could he kill these men? They weren't controlled by Kiyomori, as it seemed they still retained their reason.

But Gao Lan's earlier statement worried him. Preserving the future of the Yuan clan? Shiki didn't know an awful lot about them, but he did know that a motivation like that was probably because something had happened that could threaten that future.

"Sima Yan...does Yuan Shao have children?" Shiki asked him. Gao Lan slowly began to make his way over to them, keeping his guard up all the while.

"He does. Three children to be exact. Why do you ask?"

"I'm beginning to think something may have happened to him," Shiki replied.

That raised a red flag in Sima Yan's mind. His eyes widened, and he locked his gaze to Gao Lan's. "Master Gao Lan! Did something happen to Lord Yuan Shao?!"

The enemy general seemed to tense at the question. He gritted his teeth, looking visibly upset at Sima Yan's conjecture. Unwilling to give an answer, Gao Lan charged, yelling out madly with the spear upraised.

Before Shiki could do anything, Sima Yan stepped in the middle of Gao Lan's path and blocked the overhead blow. "Lord Shiki, you go and take care of the soldiers! I'll hold him off here!"

"Right!"

And so Shiki dashed through the enemy ranks, making sure to evade any blow that came his way. He was worried about Kaguya, who after saving the Coalition soldiers from the rain of arrows, had vanished within the chaos of the battlefield.

Although it didn't take him too long to find her.

Kaguya stood still, encircled by a large ring of enemy troops with their spears raised towards her. While they looked distressed, and outright frightened, Kaguya was the epitome of serenity. She did not attack nor make any hostile move against them, and merely spoke softly.

"Please, lay down your arms. I do not wish to hurt you. You are in pain; please, allow me to help you alleviate it."

It seemed to ring true in the minds of the enemy soldiers. Shiki saw how several of them, just like Gao Lan, clenched their teeth in frustration, and a single brave one shouted to the mystic.

"W-we would if we could! But if we don't...if we don't do as they say, they'll-!"

'It's just like I thought!' Shiki realized. 'They're being threatened! But how? And by who?'

"I see," Kaguya replied. "I will do my utmost to assist you in your time of need, but I must ask that you let us pass. Please let us save you."

Her kind words drained the enemy troops of their morale. Having lost the will to fight, they turned tail and ran. The soldiers who did not hear Kaguya looked confused at their comrades suddenly fleeing, but one glance at the mystic began to fill them with a sense of dread.

That's right, at the moment, they could not truly distinguish the reason. The madness of the battlefield affected each person differently, and instinct could take hold at any given moment. Terrified of the prospect, the domino effect fell into place.

Soon enough, the Coalition began to gain ground in the village as the troops under Gao Lan's command retreated, heading towards the backline of the army to regroup. Now surrounded by enemy troops, the Yuan general who had been duelling Sima Yan disengaged from the fight.

The Sima clan member breathed heavily, having managed to stand his ground against the superior opponent. "My lord!" A soldier called to him. "The enemy troops are fleeing!"

Sima Yan let out a sigh of relief. "Then we'll capture the village soon enough. I don't know what caused this change in the enemy, but it works in our favor."

He looked at Gao Lan's retreating back, saddened by the fact he was unable to get him to explain his motivations; however, he knew it'll come in due time, whether later or during the battle itself. At the moment, their objective remained the same.

"Prepare for a march at once! We'll enter the castle as was agreed with our allies from the inside! Advance towards the western gate!"

There was no time to rest. Every second they were not joined up with their allies was a second that they lost another soldier in their defense of the castle. The worst case scenario would be that they would arrive too late to help, shifting the responsibility of the defense to the undermanned Coalition army and then suffering the same fate.

It was again a matter of time. Luckily, troop morale was high; with the victory over the demons at Mikatagahara, and now the sign of actual progress in this battle, they were more than able to continue the fight.

But it was nevertheless a fragile morale. The troops were tired, that was no doubt; a single hole in their formation would spell their doom. They had to play this carefully and swiftly.

Now it was time to make their way around the enemy. Sima Yan ran to meet with Shiki and Kaguya at the frontlines, and together the three commanders of the small Coalition force began the march. With the Yuan army too busy sieging the castle, and Gao Lan's force having taken the long way around back to their main camp, it stood to reason that the main force did not know of the Coalition's arrival.

Not yet anyway, but the more time they spent undiscovered, the more time they had to surprise the enemy.

The first course of action was to take the path through the forest surrounding Wan Castle. It was a tight fit, and they couldn't run at full speed, but it was better in the long run.

"Maintain formation as you advance! Be wary of ambushes!"

Not that Sima Yan expected any. Yuan Shao was one to never really take the advice of his strategists...and if his theory was true, it wasn't even him making the call.

They were damn lucky they hadn't met with a competent strategist in the enemy ranks yet.

Wan Castle wasn't the biggest of castles, so the path towards the western gate wasn't a long one; as expected, the siege was the lightest in that area as their allies inside reported. Considering the gate led right into the forest, there wasn't much space to lay down siege weapons or even comfortably carry ladders to scale the walls.

Which was why the Yuan unit at the gate were caught completely by surprise when the Coalition army appeared seemingly out of nowhere behind them. "W-what?! Enemy reinforcements?! When did they even have a chance to-!"

The soldier wasn't able to finish his sentence before the handle of a spear smashed into the back of his neck, knocking him out cold. The Yuan troops struggled against the numerically superior Coalition, all the more disheartened by the fact that they had to fight more of their fellow humans. Soon enough, the last of the attackers dropped like a sack of bricks.

Sima Yan signalled to one of the standard bearers to move forward. The soldier acknowledged his order, and taking point at the front of the formation raised the Wei banner high into the air, making sure the defenders knew they were on their side.

"Open the gate! Our allies have arrived!" The commander atop the wall shouted to his subordinates. Promptly, the massive wooden barricade slid open, finally giving the Coalition the entrance they needed.

Sima Yan thanked the Heavens that the scout had succeeded in his daring mission; not only did he have to make his way into the castle undetected, he had to deliver the message to the allies within, and then come back out without being caught. But the effort was worth it, and now the Coalition managed to enter the castle without the enemy's knowledge, as far as he knew. Nobody followed them in through the gate after all.

Shiki however was impatient. "Akiha!" He yelled, screaming at the top of his lungs, sprinting forward. The defenders within stared at him with narrowed eyes, not sure why this strange boy with strange clothes was yelling that name so loudly as soon as he came in.

He stopped by one of the soldiers, and was quick to question him. "Hey, do you know where Akiha is?!"

"Ah, Lady Akiha?" The guard replied. "She should be further in. I could lead you to her-"

Before the soldier could finish, Shiki already broke into a run again. He followed the lines of soldiers, trying to locate his sister amidst the chaos. The siege by the Yuan army was still going strong outside the castle, and the Coalition needed to join the defenses before they could launch a counterattack.

After ordering the men to reinforce the walls, Sima Yan and Kaguya followed after Shiki to the

commander's tent that was erected in the courtyard of the castle. Shiki burst in, and his heart soared at the sight.

"Nii-san?!" Akiha exclaimed in shock, having been caught in the middle of speaking with one of the defending generals.

"Shiki-sama?" Another voice called out to him, and he moved his gaze to find Hisui standing by the Tohno head of the house. The biggest sense of relief dawned on Shiki as the two girls ran over to him, surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Akiha! Hisui! You're both alright!"

"Nii-san…" Akiha murmured softly, touched by his concern for her. She quickly shook her head and recomposed herself, flicking her hair behind her. "O-of course! As if I'd let a bunch of demons get the better of me!"

"Shiki-sama, are you well?" Hisui asked him in worry.

"Yeah, I've been helping out where I can," He answered. Sima Yan and Kaguya both walked in at that moment. "We've been through a lot, but I'll tell you later."

The maid understood, and stood aside to let her two masters join in the table. It was then Shiki noticed the other two people that sat around it apart from the Chinese general.

The first was a woman, with long blonde hair styled in four long curls. Beautiful and exotic, she exuded an air of pride and nobility, her blue dress a sign of her wealth. The other was a young man, who Shiki realized looked quite like him. He sported short dark hair and glasses, and he wore a small smile as he acknowledged the newcomers.

The three who remained sitting around the table rose to greet their allies. "Ah, where are my manners?" Akiha said, beckoning to the three. "These are…"

"Luviagelita Edelfelt," The blonde said with a dramatic flick of her hair. "For your convenience, you may call me Luvia. I permit it."

Akiha looked peeved at the woman's interruption, but said nothing more. She let the others introduce themselves. The second to speak was the Chinese general, who bowed respectfully to them. "I am Han Hao of Wei. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Ah, Master Han Hao," Sima Yan said. "I am glad to see that you are well."

"Thank you, Lord Sima Yan. I am grateful that you have come to our assistance."

Sima Yan smiled, and let the last person at the table speak. The young man, who looked quite similar to Shiki even by his standards, spoke up in an even tone. "My name is Mikiya Kokutou. It's nice to meet you all."

The similarities between Mikiya and Shiki confused Kaguya, who looked between them in an attempt to determine whether or not they were related. They did not have the same last name, therefore she couldn't quite tell if her guess was true or not. What she did notice however, was that Mikiya did not give off the feeling of a soldier; instead, he felt more akin to a civilian, who was sitting in this table purely by chance. What sort of chance that was, she didn't know.

"It's an honor to meet all of you. I am Sima Yan, style name Anshi, the son of Sima Zhao," He said, bowing in return. "This here is Kaguya, who was instrumental to our success thus far," He continued, beckoning to the mystic who also bowed.

Shiki took his turn. "I'm Shiki Tohno, Akiha's big brother. Thank you for taking care of her and Hisui while I was away. I was really worried about them both, and I'm glad they were in good hands."

The two girls blushed, but Akiha coughed to make her embarrassment vanish. Deciding to change the subject, Sima Yan spoke up. "What is our situation?"

"It's as bad as you can see my Lord," Han Hao replied to him. "We're surrounded on all sides, and the siege is causing our forces to lose morale. It won't be long before the enemy breaks through the gates."

"Hmph, I'd have expected those brutish demons to launch such a pathetic attack, but humans? That is clearly beyond unacceptable. If this Yuan Shao is supposed to be a noble, he sure isn't acting like it. What does he think he's doing?" Luvia said, frustrated by the lack of information.

"We think they're being threatened by someone, and are acting against their will. Our plan is to break through the siege and head towards their main camp. Once we get there, we are bound to get some answers," Sima Yan said.

"But how are we going to do that?" Shiki asked.

"We already have a plan in place, but we just didn't have the manpower to pull it off," Han Hao answered. "We planned to use Lady Akiha's and Lady Luvia's abilities to stun the enemy long enough for our forces to charge and rout them. With our momentum, we should be able to reach their main camp with little difficulty. If they're under duress as you've said, then they won't commit to counterattacking."

The two women raised their heads up, conveying their importance through their stance. Shiki sweatdropped mentally, expecting that hanging around two noble women is going to be quite an experience.

"We will use the south and northern gates, as they're the ones with the least troops. Once we force the enemy assaulting them to flee, we'll close on the unit attacking the eastern gate and then make our way forward."

"A pincer attack...not a bad idea. We must start preparing the soldiers at once," Sima Yan said. "Master Han Hao, let's do this quickly. Ladies Akiha and Luvia, please be in position to launch the attack."

The two women rose from the table. "They will see what a true noble is made of!" Luvia said, and proceeded to start laughing arrogantly. "Hohohohohohohohohohoho!"

Akiha groaned. "If you have time to laugh, do it after we're done."

"Oh my, is the little backwater princess jealous of my superiority? Be honored you're allowed to be on the same side as one such as I!"

The Tohno lady felt a vein pop from frustration. "Listen here, you-"

"Now now Akiha, is this really the time?" Shiki asked her, trying to defuse the increasingly volatile situation. That's why he didn't want two noble ladies next to each other, especially since Akiha was involved. Her short fuse was legendary after all.

"Hmph, if you say so Nii-san," Akiha replied. "Hisui, please watch over Nii-san; he is helpless after all."

Shiki stared at her in shock as she walked out together with Luvia, Han Hao, and Sima Yan. Hisui bowed to her mistress. "Understood, Akiha-sama."

Kaguya watched the proceedings with a curious gaze. She studied Hisui carefully, reminded of the fact that Shiki had compared herself to her before the battle began. She approached the schoolboy, who turned to her. "Shiki-sama, what should I do?"

Hisui perked at the manner Kaguya referred to him. Shiki did not notice as he spoke to the mystic. "Just do the usual, Kaguya-san. We're depending on you once again."

Kaguya smiled. "Then I'll go and help Lord Sima Yan," She said. She bowed to Shiki once more and then left the tent, following after the generals.

Shiki sighed as he watched her go, putting his hand on his hips. "Man, what a day, and it's still not over."

"Shiki-sama, sighing is rude. Please watch your manners as the head of the Tohno family." Hisui said.

Mikiya chuckled in the background due to their antics. Shiki turned to him, finding his reaction odd. "Ah, excuse me," Mikiya apologized. "I was simply reminded of my own family. I see we're quite alike even in that regard, Shiki-kun."

The schoolboy couldn't help but smile. "Really? I'd like to hear all about it when we can," He said. "Are you also-"

"No, I can't fight," Mikiya replied. "I can only wait for you all to bring the good news. Although...I can't help but feel that you have achieved something quite miraculous to be able to come here. Kaguya-san seems to be quite a special one."

Shiki's eyes widened at his counterpart's intuition. "Yeah, you're right. We'll tell you all about it after the battle."

"In that case, I wish you all luck."

"Thanks. See you later."

And with that, Shiki and Hisui left the tent to join the others.

-TMW-

Twenty minutes later, all units were in place. Luvia stared down at the battlefield from atop the battlements on the north gate, a sour expression on her face and her arms crossed over her chest. "Seriously, what an uncouth bunch; but I guess I can't blame them completely, considering their circumstances."

The Yuan troops were still sieging the gate, but their attempts were, to put it lightly, lackluster. According to what Han Hao told her, they weren't using some of the basic tactics required to capture a castle, and they simply wasted their time trying to tear down the gate. However, because the defenders couldn't leave, their supplies began to whittle down, and in time would run out completely. The enemy didn't need to fight them if they'd perish all on their own.

But now the tides would turn. With assistance from the Coalition army, the additional troops and supplies would allow them to run through the enemy.

All she needed to do now was to wait for her signal.

"Lady Luvia, preparations are almost finished," Han Hao told her, walking up to stand beside her.

"It's about time. Now, let us bring this battle to a close. I tire of watching these meagre troops do such a terrible job," She replied haughtily, flicking her hair once again. Reaching into the pocket of her skirt, she withdrew three gems, all red in color, and began to pour her od into them. "I'm ready; please make sure Miss Tiny Chest over there doesn't miss her mark."

Han Hao groaned inwardly. This wasn't the first time the two women bickered, as he had experienced it on his skin. No matter what happened, they simply could not get along. He chalked it up to their differing noble sensibilities; if he was honest, Akiha was a bit easier to speak with, if only because her familiar eastern looks were easier on the eyes for him. Luvia's extreme exotic features were a bit more than he was prepared for.

But regardless, they worked together despite their differences.

He turned around, and gazed towards the gate on the other side. Squinting slightly, he could see a flag being waved to and fro, informing him that they were ready on their side. He beckoned to his standard bearer, who repeated the process.

And now starts the countdown. It was as they had planned; ten seconds after the signal was received, both gates will be opened at once while the women would blow the enemy away.

Luvia clutched the gems in her hands tightly, and smiled.

"Drei schließen! Weis auf, Feuerlicht!"

And she threw the gems as hard as she could. They soared through the air, and the Yuan troops assaulting the gate dumbly looked upwards at the light that outshone even the sun above. Unaware of what was happening, they were caught completely by surprise when the three gems detonated.

The soldiers screamed as they were blinded by the overwhelming flash of light, their attacks ceasing immediately. They grabbed their eyes painfully, dropping their weapons and shields as they writhed in agony from the loss of their sight.

At that moment, the gate opened.

"CHARGE!"

(Play: Dynasty Warriors 9 OST - Evacuation for the Future)

The advance of the Coalition Army from within Wan Castle's premises went almost uncontested. The enemy, unable to see their opponents due to Luvia's actions, were left completely defenseless. The Coalition troops rammed into them with their own shields, sending the enemy troops flying and crashing to the ground in heaps.

This was preferable to killing them. Luvia promised that this blindness would only be temporary, but would last long enough for them to finish the battle.

They could take the defeated soldiers in later and get as much information as they could out of them.

The situation in the southern gate was likewise similar. Akiha, right as the countdown ended, launched her one woman assault on the Yuan troops. With so many in her sight, it was easy to bind them all with her hair and drain their energy. This is turn left them unable to fight, letting the Coalition troops out of the gate completely unabated. She stared down at the battleground with her own smile as the allied forces rushed outside, scattering the few troops who had remained on their feet after Akiha's actions.

Having not expected this assault from a numerically inferior enemy, the Yuan army scrambled to rearrange their formation in response to the enemy advance. Soldiers poured out of the northern and southern gates by the hundreds, immediately turning their attention eastward in order to catch the main unit of the Yuan army by surprise.

The orders of the Yuan commanders went almost unheard in the renewed chaos on the battlefield. The soldiers' motivation was extremely low, and their officers couldn't match up to the caliber and resolve of the Coalition's own.

"I'm sorry about this!" Shiki yelled to one of the enemy generals, whipping his knife back and forth over the lines on his spear. The weapon fell in pieces to the ground, and immediately after a ray of light impacted the general square in the chest, sending him flying. He crashed to the ground unconscious a second later.

Kaguya batted away the enemy soldiers with the light from her mirrors, inwardly asking them for forgiveness. She knew their circumstances were terrible, but for the sake of humanity's future they had to fall here.

One of the enemy soldier ran towards Shiki with his sword upraised, a crazed expression on his face. The schoolboy looked with wide eyes as Hisui suddenly burst forward, and with a twirl of a spear knocked the sword from the soldier's hand. She followed up by striking the soldier with the bottom of the spear in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain.

"Hisui?! Since when do you know how to fight?!" Shiki asked her in absolute shock.

The maid turned back to him with the same even expression on her face and answered. "I have always been able to, Shiki-sama. There was simply never a need for me to do so."

That...made sense, he figured. Still, it sure was astonishing to see the proper Hisui handle the spear with such skill.

It was fitting too, considering a spear and a mop weren't all that different in shape or size. How convenient.

This wasn't the place to stay shocked however. The fighting only intensified as they started making their way around the castle walls, heading straight towards the eastern gate. Sima Yan was also leading the northern unit around to join in as well, and soon they'd strike with full force at the center. Han Hao remained behind to direct the defenders, waiting until the forces outside the castle would rout the enemy. Only then would he join with the rest of the troops for the assault on the enemy main camp.

The clashes were so loud Shiki could barely hear himself think through all the noise. He whipped his knife about again, cutting through the armor of a soldier and then kicked him in the chest, tossing him backwards. It was tough, avoiding hitting the lines of death that made up the soldiers themselves and not just their armor. He was used to fighting, but not on such a massive scale.

Luckily, he wasn't alone. Red hair wrapped around more of the Yuan troops, and they began to drop to the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Akiha ran up to join in on the fighting, making sure to aim at the enemy forces and not accidentally hit her own allies. In the chaos of the fighting, it was important to distinguish between who was the enemy and who was not.

Thankfully, giant banners with the emblem of the force were a sufficient indication.

As more and more of the Yuan soldiers fell or fled, the Coalition army finally reached their destination point. Catching the main unit of the enemy in between their two forces, the combined Coalition charged into the fray, forcing the enemy's attention to them. With the pressure on the gate lifted thanks to the efforts of his allies, Han Hao ordered the remaining units inside the castle to head out and reinforce the charge.

It was no longer possible for the Yuan army to continue the assault on Wan Castle. Surrounded on three sides, their only option was to engage the enemy in battle or retreat, which would ensure that the Coalition would follow after them.

With the success of the pincer attack, Sima Yan and Luvia rendezvoused with Shiki and the others. "We must make our way to the leader of this force!" The Chinese general said loudly so they could hear him. "If we can talk to him, we may finally be able to get some answers!"

"Right!"

Shiki nodded to the others, and together the group made their way through the enemy troops, leaving Han Hao in command of the army. They'd rejoin him soon enough; they just needed to get the answers they needed.

Sima Yan led the way forward, as he was the only one familiar with the banners scattered around the battlefield to identify the commander of the vanguard. It didn't them take very long to find him, having set up camp on the far side of the battlefield.

They pushed the intervening soldiers out of the way, and broke through the defenders. Soon enough, they came face to face with the vanguard leader, or in this case, leaders, to Sima Yan's surprise. However, the thing that did not surprise him were their identities, as these two generals were among the most famous in Yuan Shao's domain. He called out to them in exasperation, begging for answers.

"Master Wen Chou! Master Yan Liang! Please, stand down! We only wish to talk!"

"My apologies, Lord Sima Yan," Yan Liang replied, "But we cannot. For the sake of the Yuan family, we will stop your advance here!"

Both he and Wen Chou withdrew their swords, and with a loud battlecry, charged towards the group. Sima Yan immediately engaged Yan Liang, while Wen Chou aimed straight for Luvia. Enemy forces began to surround the group, and so Shiki, Hisui, Akiha, and Kaguya began to scatter them, hoping to get some time to speak alone with the two generals.

Wen Chou grumbled as his swings missed their mark, the blonde foreigner proving to be too swift for him to catch. "Oh my, for a servant of a noble, you sure lack refinement," She said, once again sidestepping a brutal overhead swing from the massive general.

"Grrrrrr-!"

"Step aside if you know what's good for you," Luvia said to him.

"We will never surrender! The fate of the Yuan family depends on our success here! We can not fail Lord Yuan Shao! We can never let his legacy be extinguished!"

"Hoh, you say some interesting things," She said, processing his words as she continued to dodge. "Then I suppose that your lord is in great peril, and that for his sake you'd wield your blade even against your fellow humans. Your loyalty is to be commended, however…"

Wen Chou's sword struck the ground, and Luvia took the opportunity to step into his guard. "You cannot topple the daughter of the Edelfelts! Feel my nobility on your body!"

And that's when she grabbed him. Against all odds, the petite foreign woman had enough strength to force the massive general to the ground. Wen Chou groaned as he fell on his back, and Luvia maneuvered herself to grab him by his legs.

"What are you-!"

His words came to an end as Luvia began to spin rapidly in place. Wen Chou was lifted off the ground, his sense of balance immediately thrown to disarray at the sheer speed the woman was spinning. Like a hurricane in the middle of the battlefield, none dared approach the storm that was Luvia; any who tried immediately got smashed by Wen Chou's body crashing into them at top speeds.

Finally, after a few seconds, Luvia released the man, and Wen Chou went flying so far he crashed into a low wall at the other end of the field. The wall proceeded to crumble under his weight, leaving behind a trail of dust.

"Oh...oh crap…" Shiki murmured in shock, and even Akiha was astonished by the brutality Luvia just displayed. The blonde noble brushed herself off, looking towards the direction she threw the general. She was surprised to see him rise back to his feet despite what she had just done.

"Hoh, you sure are a tough one," She said as she closed the distance to him with an elegant stride. "Not many can face my superior abilities head on and come unscathed. You're not all talk, it seems."

Wen Chou brought himself to his feet with a heave, breathing heavily as he composed himself. His vision was still swimming, but he shook his head to throw off the dizziness and once again picked up his sword, preparing to meet Luvia head on.

"I...will not fall...here! Lord Yuan Shao's sons...must stay...alive…"

"Hoh?"

"Wen Chou!" Yan Liang yelled to his partner, disengaging from combat with Sima Yan. He went to stand beside his fellow general, supporting him with one arm. "We need to get out of here! They're too strong for us!"

"Have you forgotten our duty Yan Liang?! If we surrender now, everything we've done up until now will have been for naught!" Wen Chou said, the desperation clear in his voice.

"Explain yourselves," Akiha demanded from the two men. The pair of generals stared defiantly at the Tohno leader, "Tell us why you're attacking us right now or suffer the consequences."

"We-!"

Before either of them could open their mouths, something suddenly dropped in the space between the two Yuan generals and the Coalition leaders. The two sides looked at the stick of dynamite that appeared out of nowhere, and hurriedly threw themselves to the ground.

It proceeded to explode, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Shiki, raising his head, called out to his companions. "Is everyone alright?!"

He heard a cough, followed by a response from Akiha. "We're fine, Nii-san."

He was glad to hear that. Although, what the hell was that?

One by one the group raised themselves to their feet, and the dust cloud began to settle. They looked towards the direction that the explosion came from, and froze.

There, at the other side where Yan Liang and Wen Chou now lay battered on the ground, was a man who could only be described as a spider. His black hair was slicked to the left, towards the side of his face that sported a weblike scar. With a gigantic sickle in his right hand aimed at the two downed generals, the man sported a massive savage grin on his face.

"Now now you two, you know what happens to those who fail, don't you?" He said with a maniac tone. Yan Liang and Wen Chou struggled to raise their heads, and Yan Liang grit his teeth as he mumbled the man's name weakly.

"H-Hisahide...Matsunaga…"

Suddenly, the man swung his sickle, and with a single blow cut down Yan Liang. The group could only stare in shock as the general was slain right before their eyes, the brutality in the man's execution evident in their eyes. "Don't ruin my entrance with your weakness."

Kaguya gasped in horror, holding her free hand to her mouth in order to try and cover her distress at the sheer cruelty displayed. The man turned his sickle on Wen Chou next, holding the weapon to the general's throat. Finally taking note of the group staring at him in shock, he dusted himself off with his free hand.

"Oh my, where are my manners?" He said with an odd sense of elegance. He bowed, showing the top of his head to the group for a moment before finally introducing himself. "The greatest evil in the land finally makes his appearance! The true villain whom none expected to see in this day and age! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

His manic laughter sent a chill down Shiki's spine. Luvia and Akiha took a step forward, standing side by side in front of this strange man that appeared out of nowhere.

"The name is Hisahide Matsunaga!" He screamed, and then bowed again. "At your service."

"...who?" Shiki blurted out without thinking, causing the strange man to glare at him.

"You dare not know who I am, boy?! Gah, I knew these new fellas were going to be a clueless bunch! Listen well, for I am-!"

"An eyesore," Luvia said, cutting him off. "An uncouth, barbarian eyesore. You dare to cut down a man when he's so defenseless? Have you no shame?"

Hisahide laughed again. "You may not have heard me, my lady, but I am a villain after all! I have no need for something like shame! That's for you do-gooders to worry about!"

"So you're the one who's threatening Yuan Shao's troops," Sima Yan said. "Stop this at once!"

"Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Hisahide cackled wildly again. "I'm afraid that is a little too late, young Sima! For you see, the venerable Yuan Shao has met...a quite untimely and tragic end! Betrayed by the very demons he tried to pacify!"

Sima Yan's eyes widened in shock. "It can't be...Lord Yuan Shao is…"

"Deader than dead! And yours truly didn't even have to lift a finger! Oh, what a twist of fate that was! It was definitely worth seeing first hand! And now, the poor lord's sons are being held hostage, and his loyal retainers will do anything to ensure their safety! How I love these kind of developments! What irony!"

Wen Chou struggled to move, and could only bite out a pair of words. "You...bastard…!"

"The defeated should stay dead."

And with another final sweep with his sickle, Hisahide cut down Wen Chou as well. The two highly respected retainers of the Yuan were slain without a second thought, by a man who for all intents and purposes should not have been in this place.

Hisahide sweeped his sickle to the side, and the two mens' blood splattered on the ground next to him. He turned to the group again and bowed lowly. "I hope you have enjoyed the show, but my time here is done. Do make sure to be entertaining the next time we meet!"

"Do you really think we'd let you get away?" Akiha said, power flaring within her. Her hair began to redden once more, and she kept Hisahide in her gaze. She'd squeeze the life out of him for daring to be so vile and despicable.

But it seemed the villain had another idea. "Well, it's not really up to you, my lady!"

It was the combined shouts of the Yuan army that forced the Tohno head to tear her glare away from Hisahide. The group was rushed from the left and right by the maddened enemy soldiers, forcing them to defend themselves. Hisahide just watched as they engaged in battle, and turned away.

"So long, heroes from another world! I do hope you'll survive long enough for our next encounter! See you!"

And with that, Hisahide left the battlefield, returning to whence he came. With Yan Liang and Wen Chou slain so suddenly, the command of the Yuan army vanguard crumbled, and began to retreat enmass. The troops fighting the group were defeated, and a soldier of the Coalition ran towards Sima Yan to make his report.

"My lord! The Yuan army is retreating! They seem to be abandoning their main camp as well!"

Sima Yan clicked his tongue. "So quickly? Damn it!"

Luvia huffed in annoyance. "How bothersome. So the nobleman's army is in the demons' clutches, while this brute goes around executing any officer who fails in their duty? What a hateful man."

"Shouldn't we...shouldn't we help them?" Kaguya asked, overcome with grief for the Yuan army.

"There's not much we can do no, unfortunately," Sima Yan said apologetically. "They're already retreating, and the commander of this force has probably already left. We can only take in the soldiers who were defeated and give the slain a proper burial. At the very least, we managed to protect the castle. If we give chase, they're bound to ambush us; it's better to be safe than sorry."

He turned to the messenger and gave out his orders. "Tell all units to stand down and retreat back to the castle. We must regroup and treat the wounded."

"Yes my lord!"

The messenger left, and Sima Yan sighed.

"Let's head back," Shiki said, seeing the exhaustion of his comrades. "We need to get some rest and calm ourselves. Let's take care of things one at a time."

"Yes, you're right."

With nothing left to do on the battlefield, the group headed back to the safety of Wan Castle.

-COALITION ARMY VICTORY!-

-TMW-

Wan Castle Inner Chamber, thirty minutes later…

Shiki propped into his seat, leaning his head against the backrest of the uncomfortable chair. As the others also took their seats, grateful to have earned some much deserved peace and quiet.

But the group coming from Hamamatsu knew that it wouldn't last long. They had another place they had to go to straight after this.

Han Hao was the one to speak up first, summarizing what they had learned in this battle. "So Lord Yuan Shao is dead, and his sons are held hostage by the demons, forcing the army to fight in order to keep them safe. Not only that, but Hisahide Matsunaga is in league with the demons, executing all those who fail in their tasks."

"Sounds about right," Sima Yan replied.

Han Hao sighed. "How pitiful; I do not envy their situation. To be under the thumb of someone like Matsunaga is nothing but hell on earth."

"That's not all we have to worry about though," Shiki said. He look to Kaguya and Sima Yan, who nodded in understanding. "We weren't able to tell you this because of the battle, but there's something important you must know."

The original defenders of Wan Castle looked at the three strangely. Without further ado, Shiki began explaining their circumstances. He said everything he remembered, from his fateful retreat from the Hydra to their victory in Mikatagahara.

And of course, he focused on what would come next: the march towards Odani and the preparation for the assault on Odawara Castle.

By the time he was done a few minutes later, there seemed to be nobody truly surprised at the table except Luvia.

"You say you travelled through time? How absurd! Such a thing is reserved to the five True Magics! It's ridiculous to the point of blasphemy!" She said, her noble Magus mindset shining through at the strangest of times.

The odd term fell on deaf ears for everyone else, and Shiki was quick to explain himself. "It is true. Everyone we know died, but we went back in time in order to fix things. The very fact we're here with reinforcements proves that."

The blonde wanted to argue, but Akiha cut in, flicking her hair back. "Not much we can say to refute that claim. There's no way you'd have had so many soldiers on hand if you hadn't pulled off something crazy. I'm amazed Nii-san, you're always caught in these odd situations. I wonder if it's something about you that draws the bizarre towards you."

Shiki wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a thinly veiled insult, but he put it aside, chalking it up to Akiha's normal demeanor. Han Hao looked skeptical, but figured they had no reason to lie, especially after saving them at the most opportune time.

"So your next target is Odani Castle before you head to Odawara, correct? Da Ji is bound to send forces here once she hears the castle didn't fall."

"We know; in fact, we're counting on it," Sima Yan replied. "That way we can weaken the forces protecting Odawara. I apologize, Master Han Hao, but I'll have to ask that you stay behind to meet their attack, and keep them occupied long enough for us to capture Odawara. Once we succeed, we'll send you reinforcements to catch them in a pincer attack."

"Ah, no need to apologize Lord Sima Yan; in fact, I was about to suggest that myself. Leave me about two hundred soldiers and I should be able to hold out long enough. It is fortunate that Wan Castle is a fairly well fortified structure, so we should be able to hold out as long as supplies last. The demons aren't known for complex strategies aside from attacking head on after all."

"I see. Thank you, Master Han Hao. Your assistance is greatly appreciated," The Sima clan member said gratefully, bowing his head. "I do not think the Yuan army will attack again, so you should be fine until then. In the meantime, we should prepare to head out towards Odani. We can't afford to waste any time."

"Hmph, in that case, I shall come along. I want to deliver due justice upon these demon scum. Da Ji will regret angering me," Luvia said proudly, folding her arms.

"Then I'll come too. You need all the help you can get," Akiha said, looking to her brother. "If I let Nii-san out of my sight, he's going to get himself in trouble once again."

Shiki groaned, but smiled regardless. Hisui also spoke up, offering her own help. "Ah, then I shall assist Akiha-sama and Shiki-sama."

Mikiya, who had been watching quietly until now, chuckled to himself. "I can't help much, but if you'll have me, I wish to come along. I want to meet up with my own Shiki as well; I feel that with you, those chances are much higher."

"You are more than welcome, Lord Mikiya," Sima Yan said. "In that case, we leave Wan Castle in your capable hands, Master Han Hao. I wish you luck, and may we meet again."

"Likewise, Lord Sima Yan. Please take care."

The Wei general then looked to Shiki, and smirked. The schoolboy caught his gaze, and without a word instantly realized what that stare meant.

'Good luck with these ladies, Lord Shiki.'

Oh crap. He really was now stuck with this duo of overly proud girls butting heads. The burden of their bickering was now officially transferred over to Shiki.

"We'll leave the captured Yuan troops and the wounded here with you. Please make sure to give a proper burial for the fallen as well."

The group rose from their seats, and began to make their way out of the room. However, before they could, Han Hao spoke up again. "Ah, wait just a moment Lord Sima Yan, I just recalled something important."

The group stopped in their tracks and turned to him. "Last I heard, Lord Taigong Wang was sighted within Odani Castle. I'm sure that you'd appreciate his help."

"Lord Taigong Wang?!" Kaguya exclaimed. "We must go to his rescue!"

"I see, that is reassuring information indeed. Thank you Master Han Hao."

"You're welcome. May the Heavens support you in your endeavors."

And with that, the group left the room, heading out to prepare the soldiers for the march towards Odani Castle.

"I hope everyone else is okay," Shiki said in concern, looking towards the sky.

"I'm sure they are doing well. Have faith in their abilities, Lord Shiki. They will not fail us," Sima Yan reassured him.

"They should be just fine, Nii-san. Now then, how about you tell me exactly what you've been doing until now. I'm sure there are a few things you left out in your explanation, no?" Akiha said, smiling darkly.

Shiki gulped, suddenly feeling more in danger than he been until now.

Never had he wished so strongly that he had been in Mordred and Fujino's place right about now.

-Akiha Tohno has joined the cause!-

-Hisui has joined the cause!-

-Luviagelita Edelfelt has joined the cause!-

-Mikiya Kokutou has joined the cause!-

-TMW-

WISE UP!

Battle of Wan Castle: A battle that took place between the forces of Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu in the year 197. Cao Cao, having been cordially invited to feast in Zhang Xiu's castle, was betrayed and ambushed by his hosts due to the machinations of Zhang Xiu's strategist, Jia Xu. Cao Cao was eventually able to escape, although at the cost of his bodyguard Dian Wei.

Yuan Shao: A warlord from the late Eastern Han period, he was a childhood friend of Cao Cao as well as the leader of the alliance against Dong Zhuo. A descendant of a noble line, he controlled the vast majority of the territory of northern China. He eventually launched a campaign against his once friend, but was defeated in the Battle of Guandu and died two years later due to illness.

Gao Lan: An officer who originally served under Yuan Shao. During the battle of Guandu, he defected to Wei alongside Zhang He.

Han Hao: An officer who served under Cao Cao. He joined Wei after his brother was killed by the Shu forces, and swore to avenge him. He was instrumental in establishing the Tuntian system, an agricultural system which bolstered Wei's economy significantly. He was later killed in the Battle of Mt. Dingjun by Huang Zhong.

Wen Chou & Yan Liang: A pair of officers who were said to be Yuan Shao's greatest generals. They were said to be peerless on the battlefield, and supported the noble leader in his conquest of the north. The two of them eventually fell in battle against Cao Cao at Guandu, and were said to have been killed by Guan Yu.

Hisahide Matsunaga: A once retainer of the Oda clan who was known for his cruelty, violent nature, and cunning. Harboring his own ambition for the land, he was said to have consistently defied Nobunaga. He eventually committed suicide in order to avoid being executed by Nobunaga, and to spite his foe, shattered the tea vessels that Nobunaga coveted for his collection.

Masatoyo Naito: A Takeda general that was known as one of Shingen's Four Guardian Kings. He served the Takeda faithfully and was said to have made no mistakes during his campaigns. He eventually died at the Battle of Nagashino against the Oda forces.

Nobufusa Baba: Also known as Nobuharu Baba, he was another one of Shingen's Four Guardian Kings. He, like Masatoyo, fought for Shingen throughout all of his campaigns and went on to serve his heir as well, Katsuyori Takeda. He too fell in the Battle of Nagashino.