Tatsumi and the Thousand Teigu

by The Ruff Pusher

AU. Though he doesn't know it at first, Tatsumi is a descendant of the First Emperor. In a world much different from the original, how will he navigate the intrigues and intricacies of ruling the Empire as a young and impressionable youth, while dodging assassination attempts and young ladies at every corner? mature/will contain smut in future/will have elements of Diablo series

4. Chapter 4

It had been a long time since Tatsumi had slept outdoors. In the months leading up to Esdeth's surprise visit, which had utterly changed his life forever, there had been no major hunts that the village needed to pursue. These hunts required days of camping out in the bleak, snow-ridden wilderness surrounding their village.

Such conditions were harsh and unforgiving, but he thought it the measure of a true hunter if he could ignore all that and persist to see the hunt through to the end. Those were days of seeking caves first and foremost, then checking if they were inhabited currently by any predator. The challenge then became trying to find sleep on the icy-cold rocky floor, curled up over a small, sputtering fire while icy winds battered relentlessly outside.

If they could not find a cave, then it was a small burrow dug into the snow and reinforced by the Beastskin tents they all had to bring with them, where they were forced to sleep right next to snow, without a fire, while making sure never to leave any part of their bodies out of the sleeping cocoons. There would be an abrupt amputation otherwise, and a quick trip back to the village and be declared an invalid for the rest of their days.

That was not to say that Tatsumi was experiencing the exact same conditions as before. The Emperor was not allowed to sleep in bleak, harrowing conditions, after all.

At first, he had been given the option of his own palanquin, just as his predecessors had used before. It was the Great Imperial Palanquin, if one wanted to be technical, and was as large as his old house in the village. It had everything within it too, including enough space to field several retainers to prepare the food and clean it up. It was to be carried around by the Imperial bodyguards who had been currently reassigned here. This was also the sole reason why Tatsumi ultimately refused the arrangement. It was just so weird to live inside a cross between a tent and a house while being carried up on the shoulders of a dozen burly men. He couldn't imagine eating, let alone defecating there (and yes, there was even a small privy and bathtub provided for his needs).

When he told his refusal to General Abell, the one who was assigned to his security detail, the man had been dismayed, but had then given him an alternative. The ironside currently docked on the ground were available for him to commandeer, and he would thus be able to sleep up there.

"It would be also be quite safer than the Great Imperial Palanquin," the general explained, "As the security requirements for entry into the ships are quite steeper than down here in the camps. Any interlopers, if they exist, would be easily tracked and intercepted by our loyal marines."

But Tatsumi recalled how he and his friends turned bodyguards had tried to take a nap on the long air ride here, and how it had been virtually impossible with the cramped space and the way the ship moved and creaked and rumbled around them. Being forced to sleep there was a fate he left to his eager Admirals, and not something he'd seek out himself. With that, he made his decision and intentions clear to General Abell, who drew his eyebrows together and frowned thoughtfully.

"Very well, my lord. As you command: there is one other thing we have available. You may use a General's tent, which is something reserved for the Generals. I hesitated to suggest this, because its hardly a place appropriate for the Emperor to sleep in. Not even a bunch of pillows and cushions piled high can take away the strain of feeling the rigid, uneven ground beneath your spine, or of the way the night's chill yet somehow finds a way to creep through the closed blinds." The man's face twisted, as if the mere recollection of such facts left a foul impression. He continued, "It does not have the amenities of the Palanquin, my lord, which means it may not have a fire inside. It shall be a quite bothersome experience for you, and that is why I do not recommend it."

"But that actually sounds decent enough!" Tatsumi had nonetheless proclaimed, and there the matter was left. One did not argue needlessly with the Emperor, and Tatsumi was secretly glad for once to have the last word when it came to decisions he really wanted. A large general's tent was therefore set up, within one of the more populated camps currently established outside Folkis. Surrounding it were many of the bodyguards' own tents, along with Ieyasu's and Sayo's. A full complement of guards were posted on high alert every hour of the night, helped by the many sentries that were hiding in plain sight all throughout the camp.

After receiving the initial briefing from an assembly including Generals Esdeth and Abell along with some senior officers from both armies that were present, Tatsumi and his friends ate an early supper at his tent, before the two were gently reminded to leave when it was time for Tatsumi to sleep. Apparently, it was tradition and necessity for the Emperor to sleep alone—or if he insisted on having company, then the guards were duty-bound to strip him or her of all clothing, and have at least two guards inside to watch.

The ridiculous rules were said to extend even to any wives or lovers Tatsumi may have in the future—an Emperor's consort or personal mistress was expected to sleep in a separate place while the Emperor was outside the Palace. As General Abell patiently explained to Tatsumi—who was desperately trying not to blush—if Tatsumi desired to have female company to comfort him, he was to complete their "business" and then afterward send the woman away, or otherwise the guards were tasked to send two of their number inside to watch the couple sleep. And it didn't matter if the Emperor found offense and killed off the two: more guards would come in, suffering their master's wrath, even until all of them were dead.

"Of course, such an impulsive Emperor would be seen as weak and unworthy of the tenets the First Emperor passed down—such as it is, it has led more than one Emperor to be swiftly displaced during a civil war… I'm sure you understand, my lord," General Abell explained.

"Oh yes, yes, I do understand," Tatsumi said quickly, his heart pounding at the implication of having sex with a woman—particularly as Sayo was also present, listening to the same explanation. He didn't dare turn to talk to her then. He didn't even bring it up later, when they had supper.

The experience of sleeping inside this new "general's tent" wasn't quite the same as roughing it in the snowy woods during a Hunt. Contrary to General Abell's claim, the cushions were still fluffy enough that only people unused to sleeping on the rocky ground would find it inadequate. And the space was wide enough that he could stretch his whole body and still have more than enough left over, unlike the usual cramped conditions of their usual tents. And the heat, of course, was better here than in the basic Beast-hide he was used to—there was probably some high-quality material used in the tent that adequately trapped the heat generated by the torches during supper. It wasn't quite warm, but it also wasn't as cold as the General had claimed, too.

All in all, this first night on the campaign road hadn't been anything noteworthy. The nerve-wracked Tatsumi was able to settle down and catch a few winks after straining to hear above the raucous sounds of his army outside for the tell-tale sounds of battle.

He awoke, the next morning, to the muffled sounds of an argument coming from outside the tent. Curious to know what all the hubbub was about, Tatsumi took his sword from its rest and tucked it inside his bathrobe, then proceeded to open the flap of his tent without bothering to freshen himself up.

He saw his imperial guards standing in close formation, acting as a makeshift wall as they all faced down Ieyasu, who was staring bewildered at them from the other side.

"… bodyguard like you! Are you trying to tell me that shit doesn't even count?" he was saying incredulously.

"Regardless of your status, sir Ieyasu, the official roster bodyguards has regrettably not included either yourself nor lady Sayo," one of the guards replied.

"What's going on?" Tatsumi asked. As he spoke, the ring of armed guards immediately moved to face him, their bodies acting in unison like a well-oiled machine. "Hail, Emperor!" They all cried, stamping the butts of their weapon to the ground.

"Oh, morning, Tatsumi," Ieyasu greeted, in comparison quite a bit more normally. "Nice to see you up and about. Why don't you go tell off these guys for me."

"Why?" Tatsumi asked. "What happened?"

"They told me they wouldn't let anyone inside the tent. Couldn't even try and holler to see if you were awake!"

You shouldn't even be doing that! Tatsumi wanted to say, but he knew the guards would just interpret that differently and therefore never ever allow Ieyasu within.

"And we informed sir Ieyasu that no one, not even the guards, may be allowed to enter the Emperor's tent, not even to wake our lord, unless there is an emergency in the camp that requires his wakening. That is our responsibility as his bodyguards," explained one of the armored fellows.

"But aren't I already one of you?" said Ieyasu. "That General Budo signed off on it and everything."

"That is precisely the reason," repeated the guard. "No one may enter the Emperor's tent, for whatever reason, unless there is an emergency. Not even a bodyguard like you, sir."

"Well that's definitely weird," Ieyasu said with a frown. "How would you be able to know if, like, Tatsumi had already been killed the night before, and you wouldn't even know it?"

The guards shifted in their boots, glancing at each other uneasily as if the question had triggered something unpleasant. Tatsumi could tell his friend had struck a nerve, and though he would always support his best friend above all, he was also loathe to antagonize his guards.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Tatsumi asked drily. "You implying something, punk?"

"Huh?" Ieyasu uttered, eyes widening. Perhaps he was surprised Tatsumi had returned to speaking as if they were at the village.

"Anyway, sorry man, but I'm gonna have to say thanks to these folks here for stopping you," Tatsumi continued. "I do prefer my beauty sleep to being rudely awakened." Not that that had stopped his being awakened by Ieyasu coming and arguing about it, but Tatsumi wasn't going to mention that.

"I wasn't gonna wake you up!" Ieyasu said.

"Yeah, yeah," Tatsumi said, waving, hoping his friend would take the hint and just shut up already. He turned to look at his nearest guard. "Listen, I'm gonna go in and change, and then I'll be ready for breakfast, clear?"

"Yes, my lord!" the man replied, banging his gauntlet on his armor in salute. "I shall inform the staff that breakfast will be readied."

"By the way, where's Sayo?"

Ieyasu shrugged sheepishly. "…She didn't want to go along with a prank."

"I knew it!" Tatsumi cried, before retreating back inside his tent.

---

With Tatsumi up and about, his guards no longer had any qualms allowing either Ieyasu or Sayo to join him at breakfast. After all, one of the guards was already at Tatsumi's back, standing there at all times while the entrance to his tent flaps were flanked by more of them. Tatsumi also knew, with the instinct experienced fighters developed, that more of them were positioned in a perimeter all around his tent.

After Tatsumi was done freshening up, the servants had then been given permission to clean up his quarters and ready him for breakfast. They laid the food out for three people, as he'd requested, on the large mat that had replaced his sleeping cushions. Then Sayo and Ieyasu arrived, and they exchanged their customary morning pleasantries. Then the servants came back and laid out the meals, which were fresh and hot from the fire. They were served white bread crusted perfectly on the outside, a slab of honeycomb mired in sweet honey, many strips of sizzling bacon, several slices of hot eel pie, chopped pieces of creamy stewed pheasant, a large bowl filled with succulent vegetables and juicy fruits, several jars of both hot and cool milk, and a large pot of tea.

All told, his servants informed him that the food had been sourced from the four corners of the Empire, as per Prime Minister Honest's request, to "show the Emperor the wealth of his vast dominion". Personally, Tatsumi was just grateful for the variety of food available. The three of them were used to dried venison and crumbly biscuits, the usual fare for hunters on the prowl. Inside the village, everyone shared from a large pot of soup or stewed animal that had been hunted that day. On special occasions, there was roast, which usually meant a bounty of supplies.

"I knew he was up to something funny," Sayo remarked while frowning at their friend. "Had to give him a sock in the eye because he just barged inside my tent without even announcing himself. Gods above, have you no decency?"

Looking closer, Tatsumi could see Ieyasu did have a bruise over his eye. He flinched to imagine Sayo doing that, as she had one of the most powerful set of arms in the whole village. She routinely dominated arm-wrestling contests, especially when neither the elder nor a few of the veteran hunters participated.

"I don't mind the prank myself, man," Tatsumi said while picking at some eggs. "But I'm the Emperor now, and they expect some stuff from me that's way different than normal people. And I have to act the part, too."

"So… I get it. No more pranks."

Tatsumi shrugged. "At the very least, not one that'll have someone incorrectly identify you as an assassin or something and get you killed." Ieyasu understandably blanched when he glanced at the guard standing right behind Tatsumi.

"Well, alright, I'll watch myself. I was just getting kind of antsy back there. I mean, we're gonna be watching a battle and shit. With the fucking Ice Queen out there, too!"

They stared at him. "The… Ice Queen?" Tatsumi asked. "You're keen on her, Ieyasu? Why?"

"Well, you've heard the stories, right?" he said, as he drank more hot tea. "It's one thing to hear them, it's another to see them in person."

After a short silence, Sayo said, "It's a battle, Ieyasu. There's nothing interesting to see about it, except maybe seeing the blood flying."

"Well, why not? We're all used to it."

"I recall you puked when you had to carry Vasli's torn arm all the way back to the village."

Ieyasu's face turned green and he gagged. "Ugh…" The case of Vasli, who had been a veteran hunter in the village, served to keep reminding Tatsumi and his friends of the seriousness of having to fight Danger Beasts. One thing to always remember was that one did not fight them alone, unless they preferred to have their body torn apart and spread all over the forest for the villagers to have to gather. Tatsumi had carried his share of spilled offal in a rag, and had endured much the same reaction as Ieyasu in response to all the torn flesh and the reeking blood.

Thankfully, they were able to stave off discussing the bleak subject further when a messenger from General Abell arrived.

"He wishes to inform Your Majesty that the meeting shall be commencing after the troops' mess. That will be an hour from now."

"Okay," Tatsumi said. Thinking that sounded not too Emperor-like, he said, "Thank you for that, soldier."

"Er… I'm not a soldier, sir. I'm just a retainer to General Abell," the man replied, bowing. "Noncombatant."

"Oh, okay. Well, good work nonetheless." If he was a noncombatant then Tatsumi was the ultimate noncombatant. He could fight, and wanted to fight, but logic and all his advisors told him that he should remain out of it.

"Are we even allowed in the meeting?" Sayo asked.

"Why not?" Tatsumi said. "You're my bodyguards now. Though, I know Esdeth will be there, so please try not to anger her guys."

---

The Imperial banner was clear to see from here. So were the number of troops they had brought, which was represented in the thousands of tents that filled the horizon. That was not to mention the great, looming flying ships that, for the moment, were "docked" on the ground, which still made a considerable impression on everyone's mind.

It seemed the Emperor was indeed aiming for conquest. It was hard to misread the situation, as one did not bring live steel to a training spar, or just to talk. One did bring an army of that size to conquer, and none of the Revolutionary Army, nor the people of Folkis, would interpret it in any other way.

They had all taken turns spying on the camp from afar with their binoculars, as if they were eager to find a suitable ingress. But the camp was solid and formidable, as was usually the case for an army under General Esdeth's command. Therefore the only thing the members of Night Raid saw through the binoculars was the sheer implacable might of the Empire, which reignited in them the passion of rebellion that had led them to this point.

Upon their arrival at Folkis, their leader Najenda had immediately left to discuss matters with the local leadership. They had expected their contact in the Empire to have to fabricate an opportunity to draw the Emperor out of his fortified city. This was good fortune to have the Emperor sally forth personally. Of course, this came with a very dangerous factor coming into play: namely the presence of the brutal Ice Queen and her armies.

She was another high priority target for Night Raid. However, all viable plans against her remained squarely in the realm of impossibility. Standard methods of assassination were impossible with the many layers of insulation that protected the General from infiltration, while the woman herself was possessed of a keen danger sense that would detect a hidden blade or poison in the drink. Further, none of them had the raw power nor the tenacious skill to combat the Ice Queen openly, even at her worst, and to their memory she was never at her worst. Even the best of them, Akame, had admitted out loud that her skills could only suffice to delay Esdeth for a time. The only strategy Najenda had involved a full-on assault by all the Teigu-bearing users of the Revolutionary Army, and even that alone was just a fanciful scenario that had no realistic basis, nor plausible outcome.

Part of the reason for Najenda's disappearance, therefore, was to confer with the other leaders present to try and figure out a plan to deal specifically with Esdeth's presence. They'd already had a working plan, ever since they'd received the news from their contact, on how they would assassinate the Emperor. Esdeth may well ruin those ambitions, but they were determined to strike now that the opportunity had presented itself.

They were also concerned about the city of Folkis itself, particularly its people. They could sense it in the air, even as they walked down its streets or observed its people. For so long they had been free men and women, allowed to do whatever they wanted under the benevolent guidance of their courageous mayor, who'd risked his own life to defy the Imperial throne at a time when it would have cost him his head. And yet now, because of his efforts, the people of Folkis were able to live without fear of oppression, without being forced to provide exorbitant tribute to Honest's greedy hands, or being forced to join the Imperial army without any questions asked.

Night Raid whispered among themselves that the Army was just as likely to give up Folkis if it was needed. There hadn't been any serious fortifications of the area, given its close proximity to Imperial lands without any natural areas of terrain surrounding it that blocked or hindered the free movement of armies. Therefore, it was difficult to reinforce, especially on a shoestring budget.

Its status as an outpost, a major one at that, would mean a severe blow to their efforts if it was lost. This soon after the termination of the Buruskai outpost meant that things would become that much harder for the Resistance to retain their reach on the Empire's crucial fringes.

It was therefore imperative that they succeed. Even if it would mean wholly sacrificing themselves so that another may have the chance, or even sacrificing others just to seize the opportunity personally, every member of Night Raid was determined to see things through to the bitter, bloody end.

Najenda returned in the early morning, right before dawn. Her news was grim, as expected, but that didn't mean it was entirely without hope.

"Tilandr will not send reinforcements," she said. "They suspect Esdeth's presence here to be a feint, of sorts. They will not commit their forces to a drawn-out battle with her present, even if we do end up succeeding."

"That's crazy!" Lubbock exclaimed. "If we succeed here, then Esdeth or the other generals won't have a leg to stand on! It's the best time to take them all out, because they'd be all demoralized and shit."

"Or conversely, we'd have an army right at the doorstep of Folkis, an army that's gone 'rogue', in a sense. What's to stop them from venting their anger, or even worse, their bloodlust on the poor citizens?" Chelsea said next. "You've seen her armies firsthand. You know what lengths she allows them. The army must be here to reinforce them."

"We're all aware of that, but understand that we are at an impasse," Najenda said firmly. "Luck willing, we shall succeed in our plans and the Empire shall end before the week is out. And that is the only thing we can focus on, in order that it will become the future we have always sought. We cannot afford to think of what may come after, whether it's dealing with Esdeth or Honest or whoever it is who need to die. Our target is here, in Folkis, a chance well beyond all our hopes. So mark my words, I do not like the plans any more than you do, but I understand the weight, and the logic of it. Night Raid has a job to do. Now the matter remains: are you still willing to carry this through?"

She looked around, and though some of them looked like they wanted to protest, no one spoke up this time. "Good," she said. "I knew I could count on you all."

"What is the plan of attack?" Akame asked.

"We've just received word from our contact," Najenda said. "He's here, in the city, as we guessed. Unfortunately, his identity's on a need-to-know basis for now. But he has floated an idea that was interesting to the higher-ups, and to me as well." They all followed Najenda's pensive gaze towards Chelsea, who tilted her head in confusion.

"It appears we need to use Kanai's Cube, after all."

---

It felt silly standing there, in full view of all the soldiers down below, but he knew he had to do it. He felt that he hadn't needed General Abell's constant prodding to accept the task of standing on an elevated platform to watch over his assembled armies. He felt like he owed it to them somehow—as he would soon be sending them to their possible deaths, all for his sake.

Traditionally, the governors levied able-bodied men and women from each of the cities under their rule to join the ranks of the Imperial Army every three years. These conscripts started at the lowest level, and thus were "fodder and chaff", as General Abell put it bluntly, to be pointed enmasse in the direction of an enemy force. During times when the Army was not campaigning, these low-level troops were charged with menial tasks around the camp, doing work that they were used to from before they had been drafted like cooking, cleaning and occasionally the "comfort" of the higher ranks.

It was during this stage that much of these recruits were methodically chiseled away through death or desertion, until three years had passed since their recruitment. When that time came, they either consented to be permanently branded as "loyal" then freed from their duties, or were promoted into regulars, the next rank. As Tatsumi understood it, the "loyal" brands were a form of death sentence, something he had heard about when he was still in the village. It meant that someone had refused the offer of serving the Emperor, and was therefore treated as cowardly. Therefore it meant a harder time seeking employment from those who did not wish to associate with those branded by taboo. Even Tatsumi had thought of "loyals" as such, thinking they must have done something bad to be treated in such a way; it was only now that he learned that the brand was ironically supposed to congratulate a citizen for enduring service in the Emperor's name.

The regular soldiers weren't paid that much higher than conscripts. But at this stage they were accorded the chance to partake in the gathering of loot. When lands were conquered or rebels crushed, any loot an army seized through pillaging would be gathered up in a pile. The general and the other high-ranking officers snagged their share for however much they wanted, but tradition dictated that they leave a decent amount for their men, or they'd end up a "decently" laid corpse on the next morning. Loot therefore was a regular's primary way to supplement their pay, and was also the source of much of the attrition in the ranks. Over time, regulars, who were usually skirmishers, shock troops or backup to reinforce the main conscript army, often would die from being stabbed in the back for their treasure box than from battle.

Ascension for regulars followed several routes. If one had demonstrated a good enough thinking brain, the Imperial Navy was always ready to recruit more to crew their ships. The Navy had a separate culture entirely, where promotion relied entirely on one's desire to learn more about the workings of an airship, and some may even become pilots of the smaller escort ships. The hopeless cases were either kept forever as marines in Castellum-classes or sent back down to be a regular in an army.

Else, regulars could join the Cannoneer Corps, the replacement for the Knightly Orders when horses and therefore cavalry became outdated. These brave soldiers learned to master the cantankerous mobile cannons that were individually like replicas of the ironsides' great cannons, only fitted with a generally unstable and cheap version of the batteries used for normal horseless carriages. These batteries were essential to lugging around the large, box-like vehicle containing the cannon itself and all its ammunition, the cannon loading crew and the vehicle operators themselves. However, these batteries also carried a much greater risk of imploding, as no one in the Empire had yet to figure out a way to miniaturize the ironsides' great batteries without sacrificing performance. Being a cannoneer therefore was a frightful, dangerous career with few benefits, and was therefore reserved for those bloodthirsty individuals who longed to smash enemies and fortifications into pieces.

Lastly, a regular could hope to begin his or her ascent into the ranks of General. This usually meant being assigned the rank of sergeant, tasked with keeping discipline and maintaining order over the poorly-trained masses of conscripts, some of whom might take grave offense at being ordered around. If they prospered enough, they became captains of their own bands of regulars, where their tasks turned to reigning in the various quarrelsome personalities and trying to prevent the regulars from eating themselves from the inside out just for the sake of treasure. If they survived even that, while also surviving the many harrowing, near-death events that a soldier was expected to face in the Emperor's armies, then they needed to contend with fellow officers, who might share the same ambition. They soon became part of a hierarchy no less cutthroat than the regular ranks they had left. Only fierce martial skill, brilliant cunning or sheer dumb luck saw these souls ascend to become Generals.

Although Tatsumi had learned all that with great patience, that still didn't change the fact that looking out at all of the soldiers gathered below him, he was only able to see line after line of uniformed, faceless people. People he didn't know, and wouldn't even be able to know, without devoting his time to learning them. In the village he knew every one of his fellow hunters, because one could not entrust one's life to people they did not know. Yet here he was, expecting these people to go out and die for him, and he wouldn't even recall all their names. It sparked a feeling in Tatsumi that he honestly hadn't felt before.

"Tatsumi? Oi, Emperor, are you there?"

"Wai—huh?" He blinked, suddenly stirred by Ieyasu's voice. He turned towards his friend, who was waving a hand before his eyes.

"Oi, you alright? We've been trying to get your attention for like, a while. Something on your mind?"

"No, it's nothing," he said hastily. He looked around. "Was there something…?"

"Oh, right. A messenger came, said the meeting was about to start. Also said the Emperor could come at his leisure."

Tatsumi sighed. Although that did mean that he could wait for however long he needed and the people at the meeting had no choice but to shut up and wait for him before starting, he knew he couldn't just do that. Common courtesy, and the need to appear as dignified an Emperor as he can, meant he had to go.

He looked back down at the marching troops for one last time. "Yeah. Let's go."

---

The moment would be marked for eras yet to come as the most seminal of Tatsumi's reign. In the greater scheme of things, it was an insignificant event—just a military meeting involving the most recent campaign initiated by the new Emperor, Tatsumi. Yet the consequences of this meeting continued to reverberate far into the future, when Tatsumi's descendants would become as numerous as the stars in the sky.

At stake was the city of Folkis, and to a greater extent, the territories of the Revolutionary Army, whom the Emperor had finally decided to eliminate in a grand campaign, all to serve the vision of his rule. Therefore, two armies and a fleet had been sent as a vanguard force: General Abell was head of the Emperor's escort, General Esdeth was leader of the main force, and Admiral Kyuson watched over the ironside that had brought Abell and the Emperor here.

None of the people who had initially arrived at the meeting tent had no idea of the provenance of the events that were to come. In one corner was Admiral Kyuson, a lean, mustachioed, middle-aged man with sunburnt skin, nursing a cup of coffee to wipe away the stupor of the previous night. Beside him were two female officers, whose names would be lost to time.

Recently arrived in the tent was General Abell, the portly General who had been so helpful to his Master. His large bulk almost made him look comical in his general's uniform and the many medals and lapels he wore, were it not for the quiet, weasel-like cunning that flashed through his eyes from time to time as he surveyed his surroundings. Flanking him were his captains Yoran and Quenid, both gloomy-looking men who were as fragile twigs besides their superior's superior size.

General Esdeth arrived next, accompanied with a fantastic blast of cold wind that battered the tent. She marched proud and tall, her figure statuesque, her cold unfeeling gaze sweeping over the gathered soldiers with the energy and surety of a predator wetting its snout in the watering hole. None present dared challenge her gaze.

The only subordinate she brought was one who might be considered the biggest elephant in the room, for he was as infamous as his mistress among those present. It was not in any way remarkable, though: this was the disgraced former General River, once a brilliant general in the Empire's service. Near the end of the succession war, he had been involved in a scandal where his rank and accomplishments were rubbed out, and he was sentenced to rot for all eternity in a forgotten prison. Still, he managed to claw out of that darkness, though he had transformed into something entirely different. He had then seemingly offered his unique experience and military insight to Esdeth's cause, and had been definitively transformed into a loyal dog of his former peer. They kept such mockeries to themselves, as the man yet possessed his own Teigu, and also, who knew how the mistress would react to its dog being insulted besides that? Better to treat Liver like he was just another subordinate.

The wolves were thus gathered, each trusting no one other, each disdainful of the others, in their own way. Yes, even the great Ice Queen was looked askance by both Abell and Kyuson, each prejudiced in their own ways of one whom they perceived to be a wild, uncontrollable predator that should be put down at the earliest convenience. And of course, the less said of Esdeth's open contempt for her peers, the better.

Such was the situation inside the tent when fate thus decreed Tatsumi's entrance: he who was the final architect of this momentous event.

The Emperor was unassuming at first glance in his military suit, his size easily dwarfed by both Abell in terms of girth and Esdeth in height. And yet in that brief moment those inside saw a being swathed in a cloak of darkness, vengeful and silent. It was like a shadow playing behind him, snarling at those who stared with monstrous, twisted shapes flickering in and out of focus, all from the cover of a young and guileless man.

It was later generally agreed that this impression very likely stemmed from the Teigu the Emperor had first chosen. Yet there were those who disagreed, and thought this was but a portent of all that would stem from this young man's cloak. For however much many would claim that destiny was the provenance of the gods, it was also just as easily said that greatness inevitably stemmed from the truly great. Though the Emperor would not realize it, his every action from here on would dictate the fate of millions of people living, and those yet unborn.

Regardless, the moment passed, and the Emperor greeted his generals, before approaching the table upon which their battle plans had been laid out. The moment passed; and there they all stood now, on the cusp of history.

---

"Good morning," Tatsumi said, his tone light, but authoritative. "I hope everyone is ready?"

"Aye, my lord," Admiral Kyuson was quick to answer first. "Cheerful day for a spot of massacre, aye?"

"Admiral, please," General Abell said, as if exasperated. He tapped on the maps laid out on the table. "My lord…"

"Please do not misunderstand," Tatsumi said, looking to each of his generals one after the other. "By my command, there shall be no massacres today—at least, not of those who do not fight. Spare those who lay down their arms, I say, and let those who lived by the sword die by it."

"That is naïve," Esdeth cut in ruthlessly. "Boy, this is war. There is no need to walk softly. Should it be their time to pass, then let them all die, choking on your Imperial vengeance. You will not stifle me and my men by issuing orders of mercy like that."

Tatsumi shook his head vehemently. "I give you leave to kill however you wish, General Esdeth, especially those who have long raised their arms in rebellion against the Empire. But leave the citizens for the Empire to absorb, to be once more placed under our protection."

"That is the thinking of the weak."

"Those weak citizens shall be my strength!" Tatsumi cried, slamming his small pointing stick on the table. "When peacetime comes and they all return to the correct thinking of serving the Empire, I assure you they will be encouraged to work to the bone, and if they will not be encouraged then they will be forced. They will feed my soldiers, feed my war, and ultimately feed our Empire, and I will not let you or anyone else undermine my strength, General! Spare my workers, or spare me your presence in my army."

A large, almost palpable emotion seemed to coalesce between the two: Emperor and General. Though Esdeth's face showed no emotion, those who knew her best, like Liver, recognized the tempest that brewed inside this tent, with his mistress at the very center of it all. And yet, though her gaze could pierce the hearts of the stoutest mercenary and leave them a blubbering wreck, the Emperor stared back, his anger hot and obvious but no less diminished. Indeed, something seemed to arise from behind the Emperor, an indistinct, flickering shadow that seemed to sense the brewing conflict, and somehow reveled in it.

Though Tatsumi had a healthy fear of Esdeth, and respected her skills as a general, he nonetheless stood firm. For Tatsumi had a much greater fear: to upset the order imposed by the Judgments laid down by his predecessors. Enough had been lost, and much had been disrupted, since the dawn of the Revolutionary Army, that he knew it would not take long for the whole foundation to collapse under the slightest pressure. Order had to be maintained, cities wrestled from rebellious influence, and rebellion itself muzzled, so that the Empire Tatsumi had inherited wouldn't fall down around him, with his name forever etched as the architect of the demise of so great an institution.

It was then that General Abell cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. "… It is my pleasure to report that the supply route has been finalized just over an hour ago. We have received word from the Governors assuring us that the schedule will be followed to the letter."

"Good," Tatsumi said, without breaking eye contact with Esdeth. Her stare was frigid and piercing, and it was getting harder and harder not to blink, but he was determined not to look away.

"There is the matter of maintaining a link… in Folkis directly. Reports indicate that the rebellious mayor is still doing his part ruling this city in the name of the rebellion… Should we be sparing him, then my lord?"

Folkis had become unique in that several of its bordering towns were far enough geographically from it to form a technical sort of barrier when it came to a military standpoint. It just so happened, then, that the cities they would need to capture after Folkis were also far enough away from any other town that Folkis itself was vital as a crossroads to keeping a supply train going. When Ieyasu had asked over breakfast how it would be easier to just use the airships to go around, Tatsumi had found himself giving a lecture on why that was a stupid, wasteful thing to do, what with all the ether they would have to consume. Smaller, even horse-drawn caravans would have to do.

To conclude then, Folkis' economic value to Tatsumi was great, and its strategic value even more so. Whether or not the rebels realized this would perhaps be crucial to their reaction to Tatsumi's intended campaign from here on.

Tatsumi clucked his tongue. "The mayor will be imprisoned to await Imperial justice," he said. "The Empire will then occupy the city temporarily until the mines can be made to work."

"Ah… speaking of the mines, my lord…" Abell continued.

Tatsumi's first and primary directive was the recapture of Folkis and its many lucrative mines that were scattered all around the hills. He would have preferred that the city surrender of their own free will, as it would lead to less bloodshed. With that, they would be able to start working in the newly liberated mines for his benefit, while the campaign continued in an orderly manner. He had hoped for their surrender from the beginning, right when he'd boarded the ironside that took him here.

Reality, however, proved to frustrate his desires. Surrender seemed far from the city's mind, as General Abell had been quick to report before he'd gone to sleep last night.

"Our spies have reported that the general mood of the city continues to be highly defiant, my lord. They seemed to believe in their heads that they would be able to withstand the Empire's assault no matter what. They seemed to have placed their ultimate faith in these rebels whom they continue to support."

"If they're that confident," Tatsumi had said. "Then surely there must be a reason."

"Yes, we had been thinking about that as well. Impossible though it may sound, perhaps the rebels have concocted some secret counter-measure, some stratagem that would ensure their superiority. It is either that, or it is merely false bravado on their parts, my lord. In any case, your army is ready to serve."

Returning to the matter of the mines, Esdeth's scouts had reported sightings of a major rebel presence that now swarmed all over the hills upon spotting the General's arrival. This meant that not only were the mines littered with rebels, there was an even greater chance that they had manipulated the area to their advantage, such as constructing elaborate tunnel networks or secret caverns hidden behind false doors.

This thus led to a situation where capturing the mines and defeating every last remnant of the rebel presence there would most likely take some time, and would thus delay the campaign. And if what the General surmised in the previous night was true, then perhaps they were also hiding some sort of secret weapon inside those tunnels, which would explain Folkis' general confidence in spite of great odds.

"...They have been unable to confirm any rumors of secret weapons hidden in those mines," General Abell said, in the present. "Only that there are rebels present there."

By this point, Esdeth's ire towards him seemed to have faded, as she went to stand before the table without saying another word to Tatsumi. Instinct told him that he was far from safe from her reprisal, however he was willing to take whatever small victories or draws he could get away with. It would at least help him focus on the really important things.

"I suppose the rebels have still got their ridiculous 'canisters' lining up the place?" Admiral Kyuson said.

"It was the first thing we saw when we got here," Esdeth said in grumbling voice. "The cowards."

"Why dintcha throw your men into that explosive grind eh? Clear a path for the Emperor?"

"I refuse to commit my men to an ignoble end. Scattered to pieces by traps laid so obviously on the ground." Esdeth shook her head violently. "It is no way to die."

"Ah, but you would not object if they did die from stepping on an invisible mine down in the labyrinth, aye?"

"Of course," Esdeth replied, with a scoff, as if there were no other possible answer.

"Currently, we have estimated that the area that is littered with the mines to be around this size," one of the unnamed retainers said, pointing to a red smear on a section of the map.

"That's at least a two mile strip," Esdeth remarked.

Admiral Kyuson whistled. "With that amount of mines jammed into place, I wonder why those folks didn't pay for barrels of wine instead of gunpowder instead. That can't have been cheap."

Abell frowned. "We may be dealing with a 'Numanis', General. did your soldiers…?"

"They tried at random, using arrows," Esdeth cut in quickly. "They're most definitely real. And most definitely explosive."

Tatsumi looked between the two of them. "What's a Numanis?" he asked.

"It's shorthand for a deception tactic," Abell explained. "It's used to describe a change in the presence of anything on the battlefield so as to make it appear as any other. For instance, those mines they laid out here may just look like mines on the outside, even if they're really just empty barrels. If a foe is successfully fooled and changes his plans because of it, then the tactic has worked."

"Oh, so it's like a sort of camouflage then?" Certain Danger Beasts were able to disguise themselves sometimes, usually as a tree or a particularly shaped snowdrift. "Hum… So is there no way to clear them out?"

The three military-minded people in the room shook their heads. "It is never feasible to clear out a placed field; we leave that clean-up to the citizens," Abell said. "It costs us time, a most important thing we cannot give to the enemy."

"And all the while it gives them the initiative in the field," Esdeth said. She gestured to a spot behind the city, in the middle of the hills said to be harboring hostile rebels. "If we commit to methodically clearing out the field, that gives them more time to organize a strike, maybe even several. Thus, it forces us to forsake approaching the city from the front and instead commit to assaulting their tunnel networks here and methodically clearing them out."

Tatsumi found himself frowning. While technically the soldiers of his armies were expected to die gloriously in service of him, Tatsumi still found it distasteful to have so many men die for his sake like that. Especially since the conscripts were to be the ones to navigate the hills and explore the tunnels first, when it came to it.

"We could try the aerial option."

"Oh right." All eyes went to the Admiral, who raised his hands and shrugged.

"It's certainly doable," he rumbled. "It'll cost some precious ether, true, but it will help occupy the city better if we just send in troops from the sky." Tatsumi's ear pricked at the mere mention of ether being wasted. Over time he had become quite sensitive to ether being mentioned in his earshot, particularly since it usually involved using the precious ether. More often than not, it ended up making him think of the relative cost of the ether wasted in terms of gold and goods of comparative value. Just the thought of fueling all that mobile artillery stationed outside made him queasy. "Of course, we also have another option entirely…" The man glanced at Esdeth.

"That is certainly an option," Abell rumbled. "However, I do not think General Esdeth would like that."

"Like what?" Tatsumi asked.

"It would be child's play for me to freeze the whole field, allowing our soldiers to pass through without triggering the mines," Esdeth explained. "But that would defeat the purpose of bringing an army here. You may as well order me to wage war on the city all by myself. Would you… want that, 'my lord'?" Her elegant face turned to face him. "Save the lives of the soldiers by ordering me to be your attack dog?"

Tatsumi actually made to look as if he was considering it. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and took long enough that the other people in the tent suddenly had a deep sense of foreboding. Though Esdeth's expression never changed, it was clear that something fierce was going to pounce soon.

However, the moment quickly passed, as Tatsumi sighed and shook his head. "That won't do. I don't know you much, General, except all that I've heard about you. And while I consider that enough to give you a healthy amount of respect, (and praise besides, because you're working for the Empire's benefit after all) it's still not enough for me to consider you as something invincible. Something out there may end up doing you in, after all, and where would that leave me?"

"That's true," Esdeth said slowly after a long pause. "There may be something out there."

"However, the fact that we can freeze that field is definitely an asset we cannot ignore. May I ask you to do that?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That would invalidate this whole battle, Emperor."

"But is it not a dishonorable tactic? You said that yourself, I heard you," Tatsumi then raised a finger. "And also, who's to say that's the whole extent of the rebels' preparations? What if they've booby trapped the city once you got in? Well now, wouldn't that still work for you?" Tatsumi clenched his fists. He still felt bad for having to sacrifice so many soldiers like that. "Plus, even with the city itself in our grasp, there's still those tunnels to clear out. I need—the Empire needs those mines. As soon as possible."

"… The Emperor speaks rightly, General," Abell said, a bit hesitantly. "With this tactic we can secure the city on this day, which will allow us to fortify it ourselves, and use it as another staging ground for the next phase, which is to take the hills."

Tatsumi was grateful for General Abell's assistance.

Esdeth sighed. "Oh, very well. It is a workable plan, on the outside. Rest assured, I will also make sure the inhabitants of that city come to no harm, unless they fight me first."

"Cause no massacres, I pray," Tatsumi repeated. "Leave my workers alone."

She snorted. "And, I repeat, this is war, Emperor. And we are Generals, made to wage war. Bloodshed cannot be wholesale avoided."

"I must also agree with the General, my lord," Abell said, in a surprising turn. "Hesitation in the field can only get you killed. Mercy is, as General Esdeth says, for the weak."

"I know that full well," Tatsumi rejoined. In hunting Danger Beasts, after all, the slightest misstep could be instant death. "That being said, I am placing my trust wholly in your discretion. We are not all beasts, slavering for blood. At the least, I don't expect my generals to be that way."

A long silence followed, during which none of the generals said anything. Esdeth shrugged to herself, while Abell had an inscrutable look on his face. Finally, it was Kyuson who said, "Well, with that settled, how do we set about capturing the tunnels? High chance for them to be even more booby-trapped, or lined with more hidey holes for the rebels than we care to count. Then where does that leave our campaign?"

Tatsumi glanced at Abell. Though technically Tatsumi would be the one calling the shots, he had already professed to being unused to military matters during the meeting at the Capital. Therefore Abell was tasked to head the strategic course of the campaign, insofar as he would be the one to point where Esdeth was to go, and of how the ultimate campaign against the rebellion would be prosecuted.

"My army will stay behind," Abell said. "And root out the rebels. Because the city will have been secured, however, we can already start using it as a base of operations, regardless of the continuing operations. If we need help, reinforcements from the Capital will also be coming on the next week, which will 'start the snowball rolling', so to speak. As such, if there shall be no problems with capturing the city today, we can start sending General Esdeth towards the mountain fortress at Tabang." The general pointed to a red dot close to a picture of a forest. "It is the least tactically defensive fortress, but it is a key to link up with Governor Imisol to the west to open up a second supply chain."

"So wait, does that mean I'm going to stay behind?" Tatsumi asked.

Abell looked surprised. "Why, yes, my lord. We shall have to take over the offices here, until the Governor can assign a new mayor. Even then, we'd still need to be here… Hrmm…" The man faltered at the look on Tatsumi's face. "…Well, I'm sure we can arrange for someone else to take over your escort duties, my lord."

"What's this? You want to get in on the action that badly, Emperor?" Esdeth asked. "Is it your desire to lead from the front?"

"Not in that way," Tatsumi said, a little defensively. "I just want to have a more… personal hand with all this."

"General, if the Emperor wishes it be so, then let it be," Abell said. "We shall certainly endeavor to acquiesce to your request, my lord. I can have word sent to the Capital that a new strategic head for this campaign be found, so that I may lead an army in your name while escorting you. Do bear in mind we may need an Admiral or two, like Admiral Kyuson here, to help protect you, so it will mean several resources diverted from the campaign… but I am sure we will manage. There is a big chance that General Esdeth will be able to reach far better results than we anticipated, is it not true?"

"I do not wish to assault Tilandr with nothing but the best," said Esdeth.

"Oho, so there is a limit to your great abilities, General. How humbling," said Admiral Kyuson. Tatsumi raised a brow. Throughout the meeting, it had seemed that the Admiral was doing whatever was in his power to antagonize Esdeth. He wondered if the man was fearless, or stupid.

Esdeth, in the meantime, looked prepared to skewer the admiral. "Fool. Thanks to the incompetence of cretins like you, the rebellion has access to many of the Empire's Teigu! Objects whose strengths even I cannot fathom completely." Then she slammed her foot. "And lest we forget—it was the stupidity of you generals that allowed Kanai's Cube to slip through our grasp."

"Please, let us not deal with past ills," Abell implored.

"What's this?" Tatsumi asked.

"It is a long story, my lord," Abell said wearily. "Suffice to say, not too long ago, some of our own blundered, heavily. They were deceived by these fellows known as Night Raid—you are familiar with them, yes?"

"Yeah, they're those assassin-type fellows right? I heard about them from before." Word came through the merchants coming into the village of these so-called assassins who struck only at night. They had killed plenty of high-ranking people of the Empire, and were thus said to have some sort of grudge against the Empire as a whole. When he'd ascended to the Throne, he'd been briefly informed that the organization did exist, but that he should not personally worry about attacks on his person: the Capital, and the Palace, was said to be impenetrable, and would keep him relatively safe.

"There was a theft at the Imperial Bank, which I am sure they were involved in. The ruckus was so great and the crime so bold that General Esdeth was sent in, to pursue the criminals. However, several governors and generals, each seeking what had been stolen, blocked the General at every turn—until the last battle, where she lost the trail as the rebels contrived to disappear completely out of sight, the priceless Teigu in their grasp. I have withheld a number of other details, but those were the important facts."

"And what's even more important," Esdeth said with much icy rancor, "Was the fact that those people who dared impede me without cause ended up coating my blade with their blood."

"Which would have earned a reprimand from the Emperor," said Abell. "If there had been an Emperor. After, the Ministry heads also independently decided that those she'd killed had been treacherous in their acts, and had thus been punished accordingly."

"Thank the gods for that," Admiral Kyuson mumbled.

Tatsumi cleared his throat. "Well, if they do have this Teigu, then it stands to reason they might have it situated in their base, along with all the other Teigu. If it comes to a point where Tilandr is the only rebellious place left, then you have my assurance, General Esdeth, that the full might of the Empire shall be leveraged to ensure the final victory."

"Let it be as you say," Esdeth replied.

---

When it was almost time for lunch, Leone was surprised to hear the booming sounds of the bells, which signaled an enemy attack. She sprinted from her place in the mess hall, and then rushed for the nearest wall tower. She ran in the opposite direction of the many citizens who were rushing to their homes in a panic at the sound of the alarm.

They had been briefed before as to the significance of the alarms. Thanks to Folkis' deep and long history of mining, the city itself had its own underground tunnels separate from the sewer system, which were connected to the labyrinthian mine complexes in the nearby hills. These had traditionally been used to transport food and other important objects to and from the silver mining operations. At one time, a particularly large tunnel was used to export the raw material output from the mines to the city directly, which enabled the city's production to skyrocket.

Nowadays, the mines weren't seeing that much work, and for many years the tunnels remained unused. With the arrival of the Empire, however, the entrances to these tunnels were quickly reopened, and each citizen briefed to use them whenever the signal for alarm came ringing. This was to prevent the Empire from butchering Folkis' citizens in the siege or during the assault on the city itself, which was always a possibility thanks to the previous actions of certain bloodthirsty generals like Esdeth.

This was all Folkis could do, as the Revolutionary Army was still adamant on Night Raid doing their part whilst leaving Folkis alone, leaving its people's fate to the winds. Whether they succeeded or failed, Folkis would be at the epicenter of a massive turbulent wave, and the Army preferred to ride this tide from a safe distance.

Using her Teigu's ability, Leone easily scaled the stone bricked wall leading to the top of the signal tower. When she arrived at the top, none of the soldiers there were paying attention to her: as their eyes were fixed permanently on the fields outside. Judging from the tones of all their voices, there was something completely terrifying down there.

"I-impossible..!"

"It's true! That's the Ice Queen! In the flesh!"

"Aiiieeee! I don't want to die!"

"Hush, coward! For Folkis!"

Leone leaned over and analyzed the situation with her own eyes. Even if she was used to the sight, it still made her hair rise on the back of her neck, and her skin prickle with fear. There stood the ordered formation of thousands of Imperial soldiers, arrayed in full battle attire, a thousand and more spears glinting like a haystack of needles. From a distance they were like a thousand shiny ants swarming over the plain. Many banners, proclaiming the Imperial sigil, floated high and proud above the assembled ranks. Behind them loomed the appearance of the dreaded mobile cannons, the bane of any walled settlement.

Much more terrifying than all this assembled collection of heavily-armed soldiers though, was the appearance of one particular persono. This one was easily recognizable by her pale complexion and the long silvery hair that cascaded down to her hips. In that instant, Leone ducked behind the wall, for she felt as if that one's gaze had been travelling over the ramparts and had been just this close to spying her. Leone had recoiled, out of the necessary paranoia that Esdeth's committing her face to memory would hinder Night Raid in the future—but also of the gutless instinct of fear.

"Bullshit! You've heard the stories! You've heard what she does! I'm heading down the tunnels to my Ara! Don't you fucking stop me!"

The one who looked to be a captain whirled angrily. "Leave your post and you'll be feathered, soldier! The penalty for treason is death!"

"Then let death come for you all, traitors! You supported the damned mayor with his stupidity and now we have to pay the price! Fuck no! Fuck you!"

"Have at you!"

"Stop!" Leone hissed, kicking the men before their bows could fire the arrows at the soldier. Seeing this, the protesting soldier quickly clambered down the ladder, fleeing the danger. "Enough! While I don't agree with that asshole, you must also see and face the facts. You can't face down Esdeth, not with everything you have! You must retreat to the mines!"

"You are not my leader, foreigner. Though you are the mayor's honored guest, an outsider you will remain," said the leader of the guards. "Please leave, before I will be forced to restrain you."

Leone chuckled. "You're welcome to try. I—"

"Sergeant!" someone cried. "Something's happening!"

They all went back to the ramparts to see what was going on. Then there came a bewildered murmur from those who were gathered.

"Is she…? By the gods, what of our landmines? What of our defenses?"

"That can't be! She's a devil!"'

Right before their very eyes, a sight of pure sorcery occurred. Where once was a dug-out field, every yard filled with an explosive death trap meticulously devised to explode at the slightest pressure, there now grew a field of pure white, like a sheet of ice. The wave of ice grew and grew, until it covered the whole area, slamming into the base of the walls down below. A lake of ice had therefore grown in a span of mere seconds. From here, Leone could feel the wave of unsettling cold that wafted towards this way, no doubt generated by the stupendous exertion of such a powerful Teigu.

The Ice Queen wasted no time. After her sorcery was completed, she made some sort of gesture, whereupon the army behind her began to march—right on top of the ice. Their combined footsteps on the newly conjured sheet of ice were like the crackle of thunder on a distant mountain-peak: except that the sound never ended, and just kept on and on as the wave of black advanced upon the white field below.

"Fire! Fire, damn you!" the leader shouted at his soldiers, who all shivered in their armor, as if Esdeth's nefarious cold had gripped them down to their bones.

"If you're smart, you'll abandon this spot immediately and flee," Leone said, before climbing down the walls. While she had every sympathy for those willing to fight against the Empire, she was also not one to so frivolously throw away her life for nothing. Besides, this was all going according to Najenda's plan.

She scurried on over to their hideout in the city. No doubt the others were also now aware of Esdeth's troops soon to be arriving in the city.

"It's her, isn't it?" Bulat asked, at the door to their hideout. He opened it and ushered her inside.

"Yep. Are the others prepared?"

The pompadour-wearing man nodded and locked the door behind him. "They've already went on ahead. But we'll be hot on their heels if we go now. Are you ready?"

"I always am."

Leone spared no more thoughts of the defenders at the wall, wishing them luck in whatever path they chose.

For now, she and Night Raid had to do their own separate thing, which meant following the next steps in Najenda's plan to the letter.

---

All in all, the occupation of Folkis was a short affair, lasting for several hours at best. The mayor and his retainers had been captured safely. There was also minimal damage to the infrastructure, and was only on the outer walls, where much of the fighting had been concentrated. As if such a thing had been anticipated, a bill for reconstruction had been given to Tatsumi almost immediately for him to sign, which he did.

But it also wasn't completely bloodless, as Tatsumi had hoped.

The initial approach on the city, which involved the now infamous "March over the Ice", had some casualties on the Imperial side. Though the soldiers on the front-lines were experienced in using their shields, a few of the rebel archers were still able to find their true mark. Nonetheless, soldiers of Esdeth were used to pain and bloodshed, and the deaths of their comrades only served to fuel their battle lust. As a paltry hail of arrows sprinkled against the shield wall, their ranks parted to reveal the advance of the mobile cannons, which immediately fired upon the guard towers on the wall, silencing the defenders. Another cannon fired on the iron gates, shattering them in one loud explosion, thereby necessitating the aforementioned repairs.

As the shattered portions of the wall crumbled and burned, the rest of the army, now free from attack, surged through the ruined gates. Acting upon knowledge garnered from old maps of the city, the army moved from district to district, capturing key points and making sure there were no surprise combatants to be found. A group of soldiers then cornered the mayor in his house, and had reported to Esdeth that the fellow had had guards around him, who had then been told to lay down their weapons instead of resisting.

It was notably strange that there were only a few citizens the soldiers had found inside the buildings. When pressed by Esdeth, the mayor freely admitted that the citizens had fled in great numbers to the mines, hoping to find asylum among the Revolutionary Army.

"And why did you not abscond with the rest of them?" Esdeth was reported to have asked.

"This is my city. I shall remain with it, no matter what happens, as a captain to a ship."

In the meantime, Esdeth's army had taken to looting the whole city. It was something Tatsumi could scarce control, not without making himself appear as a weakling Emperor. Even General Abell had protested, for though he agreed somewhat with the Emperor's directive to spare the citizens, the same could not be said of their property. The right to despoil and pillage was a tradition inherent to the army, and denying this chance to Esdeth's army now would prove problematic to Tatsumi's reign in the long run.

"Leave it alone, Tatsumi," Sayo had said, when he'd voiced his frustrations out in private to his friends. "This is their ways now—you've done all you can to stop a massacre."

"It's wise to choose your battles," Ieyasu added. "Even in something like this."

Still, Tatsumi could not help but feel slightly guilty at watching the frenzied looting going on all around. After all, was he not the one responsible for sending all these soldiers here to attack and capture Folkis, and every other city out there? This would obviously not endear him to those citizens who were supposed to work at the mines for his sake. But the alternative was also not something he wished to contemplate.

After all was said and done, and the afternoon hours bled on, Tatsumi met once again with Esdeth and Abell on the next course of action. Admiral Kyuson was on standby in his ironside.

"My soldiers are ready to march on," Esdeth said, with arms crossed.

"If you are not averse to a night march, you can leave as soon as the next hour. However, with the Emperor's permission, you can tarry here for the evening and leave on the first light."

Esdeth glanced at Tatsumi. "I think I would prefer to leave now. Keeps the troops blood pumping. There isn't a better antidote to slake their battle-lust, at least until they reach that fortress."

"Do leave the fortress mostly intact," Tatsumi said, fighting to stop himself from sighing. "I am informed it would make for a good defensive position for our armies."

"I will try, but I do not make promises."

After Abell and Esdeth hammered out a few more details on the campaign, the latter bid her leave, though not before congratulating Tatsumi for a job well done in capturing Folkis. Then, it was his and Abell's time to discuss things.

"The implications of the citizens leaving for the mines cannot be understated," Abell pronounced grimly. "If you will recall, Esdeth's scouts had long been watching both the mines and the city. The exodus of so many people would not have been missed, unless they had been given extra warning days before we'd begun this campaign."

"So what are you trying to say, General?"

"That there might be secret passageways here that none of us know. And the mayor is being tight-lipped about it as well. If we had our seasoned interrogators we would have the truth out of him at once, but alas…"

"Wait, hang on. If they were able to build something that connects to the mines, wouldn't it stand to good reason they would be able to strike at us using these secret passages?

Abell nodded. "Yes, my lord. That is exactly the concern we have to face now. I fear we will have to make a thorough search of every building here, unless you give us authorization to demolish the houses."

"No," Tatsumi said, shaking his head violently. "None of that. We have to make do with searching. General Esdeth's troops have already sucked the whole place dry, and I shan't hobble this place any more by leaving it in ruins." Besides, it would be the Treasury—and by extension, Tatsumi himself—which would feel the strain of financing for the reconstruction of a broken city.

"Very well, my lord. I shall set my soldiers to the task immediately. With any luck, we should be able to find and locate the entrances before they're able to start in on any sort of mischief against us. Therefore, in light of what we've discovered, my lord, it would perhaps be better for you to camp outside. If the rebels have done something here in the city, then it would be better for you to be at a safe distance."

"I… well, I can't really say anything to that," Tatsumi replied. "Thanks for the advice, General." Of course, part of the reason for his ready agreement was his discomfort in sleeping at some room in comfort while much of the people who should have been in the city now cowered in the darkness of the tunnels below, all for fear of him. He had brought the army here. It was all for a good cause, true, but that fact would never be forgotten.

As Tatsumi turned to leave the conference room with Sayo and Ieyasu on his heels, General Abell said, "You have done well, today, my lord."

"Hm?" A puzzled Tatsumi looked back at the General.

"Though I personally have a lot of things I disagree with, there can be no doubt that you made a difference today, my lord." The man shrugged, his whiskered mustache quivering in what might be mirth. "So do not doubt that, and please relax. We, your loyal retainers, shall ever be here to support you."

"I…" Tatsumi nodded jerkily. "Thanks, General. You've done a good job too." He grinned. "By the time this is over, I know someone who'll get a comfy Admiral job, if I'm not totally mistaken!"

The man chuckled. "Very good, my lord."

---

River was there to meet his superior when Esdeth returned from her audience with the Emperor. Among her direct subordinates, the infamous Three Beasts, Liver occupied a special, distinctive place, being one of those well-attuned to military matters. He could, therefore, give advice to his superior on the rare times when it was needed, and even when it was not, he could still provide unique insights that were always appreciated by the Ice Queen.

"We're to leave immediately," Esdeth announced, passing the aged ex-general by, her cape flapping mightily behind her.

"So that is the course they have decided?" River wondered out loud. "One would think they wished to march on Tilandr before the month ended, the way they're pacing this campaign. Unfortunately, unless my instincts prove me wrong, we'll be having supply problems once the main vanguard reaches the vicinity of the Rathwald mountains."

The Rathwald mountains had been mentioned during the great planning meeting back in the Capital as one of the three main plans for striking deep into rebel lands. It was unfortunate that the chain of fortresses that the Empire had established there had long fallen apart to disuse and mismanagement, as it was located so far away from the Capital. This only ended up causing a major headache to Imperial military planners, as the topography of the mountains made crossing it a major headache not just in terms of the prohibitive terrain, but also the various independent bandits and rebels who now inhabited the area would make any Imperial advance there perilous. It was then just as unfortunate that it was the shortest way to advance upon Tilandr, which would have made the Emperor's campaign a lot faster.

"I believe our Emperor does wish for us to have the rebels done and over with before the week is done," Esdeth remarked, though it was as if she were talking mostly to herself. "However, even he readily admits he is not accustomed to military matters. I myself could have easily told him we would not be able to accomplish such drastic results without mobilizing the entire Empire."

River's gaze sharpened, before his face turned into a stone-like caricature of itself. "You suspect intrigue." If the Emperor had not been educated as to the various intricacies of his planned campaign, then there must have been a concerted goal of keeping him ignorant, or so River now suspected.

"That's a given, but I don't particularly care at this point," Esdeth said with a shrug. After a beat, she asked River quietly. "Tell me, what exactly did you mean earlier that the boy would have 'potential'?"

The "boy" Esdeth referred to in this instance was the Emperor. Liver had made it a point to remark, earlier in the day after concluding the military meeting, that the young Emperor had "potential" of sorts.

"Do forgive me, master," River said. "But as I said before, I only meant it in terms of his will to rule. He neither has the political savvy, the frank charisma nor the unmitigated strength that would make for a good ruler. But he has potential, if only because he desires to rule well. With the right advisors he could become great." And with Honest behind him—was the unspoken phrase, which tasted bitter to this man who credited his greatest misfortunes to the porcine bastard.

"He has the spunk, I'll give you that," Esdeth said. "It's enough for someone like him to join my army. He seems almost like a dog that'll follow your orders to the bitter end. But other than that, there's nothing quite remarkable about him."

It was strange for a general to be talking of the rightful ruler like so, but River figured if there was anyone who would be able to mouth off to the Emperor and live to tell the tale, it would most definitely be Esdeth. Therefore, he said nothing more about the Emperor to the General, and instead said something else.

"With regards to the matter of our deployment: I'm afraid your warriors are still fighting over the spoils, General. It will still be some time before all the conflict is settled. Unless you wish for us to… expedite it?"

Esdeth halted in her tracks, causing River to screech to a halt as well. "… No. They may continue. They only expect us to have arrived at the rebel fortress by tomorrow: I expect the warriors will be more motivated to march through the night if they were satisfied with their booty."

River could only grin to that. The one thing that the old general found most markedly different about Esdeth's personal army, was the notion she instilled into her soldiers. No, "soldiers" wasn't the correct term for them. They were all "warriors": from those who should be the lowest, the conscripts, all the way up to the captains who reported directly to the Three Beasts. Unlike other traditional Imperial armies, induction into Esdeth's army from the governor's various tithes or transfers from other armies was entirely prohibited, unless the Ice Queen personally evaluated the new prospect first. And as Esdeth's criteria were quite exacting, it was a given that only a few of these were ever allowed to join her as her new warrior.

For in treating all of her subordinates as warriors she granted them, even the new recruits, the means to acquire wealth and glory without having to climb the ladder, as Imperial soldiers often had to do. There would be no one taking a greater bite from the stock, each warrior was promised the many rewards from Esdeth's victories, making them all fight all the harder to bring her triumph.

This was the reason why Esdeth had pushed harder to have her army pillage the city. Though the Emperor seemed naïve and foolish to prohibit the wholesale slaughter and violation of the city's inhabitants, Esdeth was willing to go along. But she did draw the line entirely at being forbidden from taking the loot. Frankly, River wasn't sure what would have happened if the young Emperor had persisted in the order. The looting was more than a custom for Imperial armies: it was the way of life for Esdeth's warriors.

Of course, that did not mean the warriors lived a luxurious life. For just as Esdeth preached that rewards were guaranteed for those who proved themselves as strong individuals to her, so too did she demand that those who follow her also strive to live by the example she set. Duels for honor, for wealth, for almost anything imaginable, were encouraged. Internal politicking, though Esdeth disliked it personally, ran rampant through the ranks. Anything went, as long as it was readily understood that such things were to be put to the side whenever the time came for a battle.

About the only thing that was "forbidden", was outright assassination. The perpetrator, if found, was to be executed on the spot, without appeal. Of course, if the perpetrator contrived to never allow himself to be found, then the penalty was waived, and the unknown assassin publicly congratulated by Esdeth herself for having successfully evaded his fellows.

During times after a city or settlement had been looted, the process of dividing up the spoils was not as regulated as in normal armies. True, it would start off simple and quiet, with warriors taking from the pile whatever caught their fancy. Things would then quickly come to a head when two or more warriors sought the same thing, leading to a confrontation which more than likely ended up in a warrior's death. River had witnessed seasoned warriors killed so unceremoniously in this way. Such was the way of life in Esdeth's band.

A distant boom drew the pair's attention to the side. There, far in the horizon outside the city walls, floated several shapes, all converging on the one solitary shape that had been there since the beginning. They were as smaller fish approaching a whale, and this was exactly what it was like to see several flying boats approach Admiral Kyuson's ironside.

"Reinforcements? This soon?" River wondered.

"It would seem that Abell's schedule keeps on grinding on, like a millstone," Esdeth remarked. "Were I in a sympathetic mood, I might even pity Kyuson." River smiled to himself; as his master was rarely in that kind of mood.

Admirals generally disliked being forced to work together whenever orders came to form their ships into a fleet. This was because a debate would ultimately arise among the gathered admirals: who was going to take lead? Thus, the competing egos would give rise to conflict more often than not, and a lingering case of bad blood would continue to fester between admirals for a long time.

River had known about it himself since his days as a general. He used to think the admirals' heads too swollen for their egos.

"Punctual or no, nothing changes about our deployment," Esdeth said, turning to continue her measured pace. "I shall always allow my warriors their due. But do make sure to impress upon them the things the Empire—and the boy Emperor—expects of them."

"With pleasure, General."

---

Admiral Kyuson had just been enjoying a long smoking session when he was duly interrupted by the shrill ringing of the communications device. Ash and cigar flew as one, before landing all over the table and on his pressed coat. Cursing and cussing, he snuffed out the lit end of the cigar before answering the device.

"What? What is it?"

"This is communications. We've hailed airship reinforcements from the starboard side, Admiral. It seems the requested reinforcements have arrived a little too early."

"Yeah, I could already bloody see them you stupid ingrate! Ask them what the hell they're doing here so early, tell whoever's in charge that since I was here first, then I'm the bloody boss, and lastly that our ether stockpile's off limits!"

He slammed the device receiver down, huffed and glared down at the mess of ash left on his table and on his person, as if it personally offended him. Then he sighed, and picked up the communications device again, this time contacting a different person on the ship.

"Matty, get some of the boys and girls to my office on the pronto. We've some matters to discuss. We're about to be meeting with other crew, and I want our own crew reminded as to the proper answers to be given to any nosy questions they be having. Especially about the you-know-what in the cellar."

"Of course, admiral," his first mate replied. "We'll be there in a second."

The admiral grunted, put down the device, then scowled down again at the accursed mess. After uttering another string of curses, he rose, crossed the few feet of space afforded him in this office, and slammed open the door to the outside. He glanced up and down the narrow corridor, and spotted what he was looking for.

"You there! Marine!" he shouted, causing the aforementioned woman to jump. "Quit yer loitering and get in here. I've a mess that needs cleaning up, fast!"

The jumpy young darling, who didn't look like she was barely past twenty-five, scurried to follow his order. Glancing at her beautiful face and appraising her slender figure, he figured she was one of those poor unfortunates who got stuck with spear-polishing the most while a fresh recruit, and was lucky enough to be transferred to a marine's division. He smiled lewdly, rubbing his scraggly beard as he imagined doing such unsavory things to this lovely thing, all in the name of serving the Empire of course. Perhaps, after this meeting, he'd be able to partake in a little tete-a-tete with the young marine.

"We're here, sir," cried his breathless first mate a few moments later, interrupting his brief perusal of the young marine. "I've gathered everyone."

"Everyone?" He glanced, surprised, at the assembled crowd. "You look like you brought the whole damned crew!"

"Well, them's the ones who know our business, admiral."

"Aye, well we can't bloody well discuss it with their lot hanging about outside my office looking in, now can't they? Hang on, let me grab my ledger, let's talk about it down in one of the empty holds where we're sure no one can hear."

"Of course, Admiral."

When he came back to the door with the ledger in tow, he handed it to his adjutant, before he turned back to face the marine.

"Be sure to come back later after the mess, m'dear," he purred to the cleaning Marine. "I've a mind to talk to an aspiring marine such's yourself."

"Admiral, it seems there's something wrong with this ledger. You brought the wrong one."

"What?" he said, whirling towards the first mate. His temper rose. "Don't be daft. There's only one ledger, recall?"

"Aye, but according to this, your name's here. Which is strange because—" The man looked up from the book, then slammed the door close.

"—You're supposed to be dead," came the muffled voice from behind the door.

Kyuson stared in confusion, before he felt the touch of cold steel on his neck. Before he could react, the touch had expanded, to cover his whole neck, as if encircling it. He glimpsed the twin edges of a blade poking out from behind his head for a brief moment before he felt intense pain—and then, darkness.

A moment later, the door opened again, and those outside twisted their faces to see the headless corpse of their former admiral, blood still oozing from the severed part. Behind him, the "marine" he'd admired stood, wielding a giant scissor-like weapon.

"Assassination complete," the marine said tonelessly. What had once been a cowering, cringing marine was now masked behind an emotionless façade. "The ship is yours."

"Aye. 'Tis good he raised no alarm. Now we wait for dusk, as per the plan," the first mate said.

"I'm not cleaning this up," the woman said, putting a way the giant weapon.

"Have no fear," assured the first mate. "This wretched one's remains will disappear as if he never was. After all, I wouldn't want my office to remain this dirty."

"Do as you will, but remember your orders," the woman said bluntly, as she walked straight into the assembled crowd of mutineers. They all parted to let her through, a silent sort of respect in their eyes.

"Sit you there, you stupid boor," the first mate spat, at Kyuson's rolling head, his last moment of surprise forever etched onto his face. "See what comes with taking what isn't yours.

"Now we're gonna take it all back, you'll see. Down with the bloody Empire!"

---

Tatsumi had asked to be left alone upon their arrival back at camp. It seemed he would be delegating his commanding tasks to General Abell for the time being. Not even he nor Sayo could find a way to talk to their friend. One annoying thing about his being an Emperor and their being his bodyguards was that technically he could order them around now. And if nothing else, he had a whole bunch of other bodyguards who would do their utmost to bar entry if he wished it, even if they were just close friends who wanted to talk.

Ieyasu himself felt conflicted. Tatsumi seemed in that sort of mood where nothing he wanted was going well, and the frustration therefore was building up inside him. Ieyasu had seen it first-hand: having seen his close friend contend with the likes of the Ice Queen and the other Generals while all he could do was stand off to the side, forcing himself to stay silent for the sake of his friend. He could tell they were treating Tatsumi like the newest hunter in the village: never coddled, yet nonetheless passed around from mentor to mentor because no one except the village elder was inclined to teach them the ropes. The eagerness to learn clashed with the lack of available teachers—and when the time came for serious work, the beginner was then blamed swiftly for any flaw or wrongdoing, as if they could and should have been taught any better.

It was no wonder that Tatsumi had then secluded himself. The dude was always one to keep troubling things to himself. He recalled a similar event, when the Danger Beast Brightsmile had terrorized the forest, and an arrow Tatsumi had shot had missed, and ended up wounding another hunter. It was hardly his fault, as the beast had dodged, yet he had been lectured by almost every other senior hunter. Tatsumi hadn't exploded in anger, yet had also kept to himself, most of the time, until a lot of time had passed.

He'd never missed an arrow again.

Left with nothing to do, Ieyasu had bid his leave of Sayo and went to watch the Ice Queen's army pack up. It was always fascinating to see so many people moving about, doing their business, particularly when they moved in perfect order to complete their task. He then played a spot of cards with some of the sentries in Abell's camp, all the way until dusk signaled the end of the day. By then, Esdeth's army had begun marching out, with the whole army making a hard right to go beyond the enemy-occupied hills.

Using that as a signal for him to return, Ieyasu shouldered his axe and made his way back to the inner circle of tents where the Emperor's tent was. There, he discovered from his fellow royal guard that Tatsumi had left.

"You just missed them. It's a celebratory banquet, up in the city, sir Ieyasu," said the guard. "The invitation from General Abell came just as you left. Lady Sayo was one of his guards. You can stay here if you want."

"I ain't gonna be left out of any parties," Ieyasu retorted, as he tied the axe to the hunting strap on his back. Admittedly, he did feel the slight pangs of hunger biting into his belly, which fed into his desire to join said party. "I'll see you all later." And with a salute, he jogged the way to the city, crossing the makeshift wooden bridge that had been erected hastily over the temporary field of ice that Esdeth had created.

Beyond the walls, the city was as desolate as it was a few hours ago. Not that it affected him much: back in the village, the only thing that staved off boredom was the presence of his best friends, and training his guts out at the yard. The village was just as desolate especially when everyone was huddling for warmth inside their houses.

Still, he did feel a little sympathy for these folks who got displaced from their homes because of them. He couldn't really wrap his mind much about "rebels" and "rulers" and all that, and the only thing that really struck him was the many ways these city folk justified having to fight and kill each other. Maybe the whole world needed to be just like his village—filled all around with Danger Beasts—so that people would stop doing that.

"Now that's a scary thought," Ieyasu murmured to himself. "Ain't no way I can survive in a world like that."

While thinking such thoughts, he ascended the stairs within the building, using his keen hunter senses to follow the tell-tale boot-prints on the fancy carpet, which meant Tatsumi's armored bodyguards had just been in here.

He reached the second landing, his eyes on the trail. He walked along the corridor, ears straining for the tell-tale sound of his friends' voice, or the clanking of utensils.

"Ah." There, rounding a corner, was one of the imperial guards. He paused, and frowned, as the soldier approached, and nodded as he passed the other by. Ieyasu stood there, suddenly uncertain, the gears in his head ticking.

Without even giving another second to think, he grabbed his axe and hurled it as swift as he could at the bodyguard. His doubt was justified, as the bodyguard immediately drew a strange weapon, deflecting his spinning axe upward into the ceiling.

The helmed bodyguard turned to face him. On second glance, its weapon looked just like the one Tatsumi liked. It was a curved, thin blade, a design that was supposed to hail from the far east.

Beckoning with his glove, he summoned the axe back to his hand. "You… who are you?"

"You can see me?" the false bodyguard asked. Ieyasu blinked. Unless he was hearing things, this one sounded female.

"Yes of course," said Ieyasu. "I see as plain as day you aren't what you say you are." But primarily, it had been the smell. Every hunter had a keen sense of smell. He had gotten used to the distinct scents that the sweaty bodyguards usually exuded. Even Tatsumi, who'd been literally bathed in a lot of perfumes and sweet-smelling oils, still had a distinct scent that separated him from the others. So when the differently scented bodyguard passed him, he was reasonably sure it wasn't one of the people he'd been working with for several weeks.

Secondly, there was also the fact of its weapon, which he'd managed to spot. Though the stranger's different scent could have been explained away easily by being someone Ieyasu had never met, the fact that it had a different weapon on its side highlighted its foreign nature. Ieyasu was aware, from the many lectures given to him and Sayo by the "real" imperial bodyguards, including that stick-in-the-mud Budo, that the bodyguards' armaments were supposed to be just as uniform as the suits they wore. As far as Budo was concerned, the two of them were the only irregularities, and only because Tatsumi had personally requested it.

Combined, this was what made him throw his axe, despite the low chance of him attacking an innocent person.

"I see. Then, the solution is obvious." He tensed when the stranger grabbed the hilt of its sword in both hands. When it charged towards him, too fast for him to anticipate, he was only able to put up his axe in time to be blown back by the intensity of the attack.

"Gwargh!" Battle instincts kicking in, he rolled to a stop, then planted his feet square on the ground in order to kick off and somersault himself into a standing position. His eyes widened when his opponent was already on him, swinging its sword around like nobody's business.

Just from their brief exchange of blades, Ieyasu could sense he was outmatched. In the first place, he wasn't used to one-on-one duels: he worked better in a group with his comrades supporting him. In addition—though he was not one to claim unfairness—that sword had a long reach. He was at a clear disadvantage.

Still, no one could claim that Ieyasu was one to run from a fight. Steeling himself, he brought his senses to the fore, gripped the haft of his axe tightly, and charged.

---

Sayo observed that despite looking outwardly cheerful, Tatsumi seemed downright distant still. His eyes were unfocused, his manner stilted, and his reactions to the japes made by General Abell or any of his coterie only bestirred a forced smile.

He didn't even have much of an appetite, to the disappointment of his host. While the other men in the room feasted and drank freely, Tatsumi nursed a goblet of wine that had been pushed into his possession, and didn't bother to take one sip. He didn't even pay attention to any of the food that had been laid out: this was a sign that Tatsumi was truly out of it.

Unfortunately, Sayo was currently acting as "bodyguard", which meant she couldn't just go and talk to him without arousing comment (particularly from her fellow bodyguards). Therefore, she had to wait until her friend excused himself from the feast to get some fresh air outside, before she followed in turn, pre-empting the other guards who were about to escort him themselves.

"You haven't seen Ieyasu?" Tatsumi said, when they were alone. They stood on a balcony which overlooked a portion of the city below. Thanks to the absence of the citizens, the city was left in a state of near-darkness, except for a few glimmering lights scattered all over the city and on top of the massive wall in the distance, which indicated the locations of the various garrisons Abell had scattered throughout the city.

"Nope. I'm betting that guy's sleeping in his tent or something. He's been complaining about standing around for the whole day." Tatsumi chuckled. "And I told him, he's not the only one who's had to keep standing around, you know." She drew close, as close as was appropriate for a bodyguard, anyway. "… How are you really feeling, Tatsumi?"

His smile faltered, turning wistful as he looked away from her. He mused in silence for a long moment, before he sighed and looked down at his spread hands.

"I'm kind of tired. It's always so hard trying to be the person everyone needs you to be. It's like I have to wear this suit of armor that doesn't let me move so well, and I have to keep wearing it until the minute I get back into bed. It might be worse than stalking a Beast for a week straight. At least there I could say I'd successfully outwitted the Beast. Here? I feel like all I've ever been doing is making a big fool of myself. A thought's always in my mind: 'Am I really the right person for this throne?' Perhaps it would be better if I were not here." He clenched his hands. "But I'm… cursed with the fact of knowing… full well… that the alternative would be much worse. The Prime Minister is doing all he can to keep things together. And here I am trying to salvage the situation by being proactive. I'm doing what the elder always said: never leave a threat to roam outside your home."

"Tatsumi, it's only the start of this campaign," Sayo said in a soothing voice.

"Yeah, and here I am questioning the fact that I'm even here," he said. "Maybe Budo was right. I should just leave the tedious army stuff to the Generals, and stay my ass at the Capital."

Sayo wanted to say something, but felt that any of her advice didn't have any real wisdom behind them. Thus she was only able to shrug. "That's ultimately your choice, Tatsumi. Oh, sorry, 'Emperor'."

"Sayo?" He tilted his head in confusion. His eyes then widened in surprise when she squeezed his cheek.

"Hello, Emperor? Can I talk to Tatsumi? Short, scruffy guy, has really messy hair, not very smart, but a real good hunter? Hm? I can't seem to find him."

"Wh-what're you—" Tatsumi asked, with cheeks pinched.

"Listen, I can't really offer much advice to you, Tatsumi. All this Emperor stuff is just going over my head. But never forget that underneath it all, you're just a massive goofball who's got the record of 'most times late to a scheduled hunt'. So you're not exactly perfect—even if you're not the Emperor." She let go of his cheek. He frowned at her while rubbing at the red, pulsing spot.

"I was being serious!" Tatsumi protested.

"So was I."

He spluttered. "Well, you've got a strange way of showing it!"

She placed her hands behind her and walked a few paces away. "'Don't ever change.' That's the only piece of advice I can give you, Tatsumi. Well, that, and the fact that me and Ieyasu will be here to keep beating some sense in you when the time calls for it." She placed a hand on her chest, puffing it out proudly. "That is, unless you wish to dismiss these two ultra-quality bodyguards from your service, which would be a very bad idea."

Tatsumi stared at her for a long while, before exhaling loudly. "If you're the best bodyguards then I'm the best hunter in the village. I should probably fire you before I end up in some unfortunate mischief."

Sayo smiled to see Tatsumi's face relax. It was easy to spot the difference from before: her friend always wore his emotions on his sleeve, making it easy to guess what he was thinking or feeling most of the time. It was honestly a bit cute and endearing.

She laughed. "Well, I—"

She froze. Instinct had called to her. Without even knowing why, instinct drove her forward, knocking Tatsumi to the side.

"Gufh!"

A loud bang impacted the floor right beside them, sending fragments of marble flying.

"Tatsumi, stay down!" Sayo shouted, getting up from his prone body and crawling to hide behind the banister. She drew her weapon, and peeked up over the edge.

She saw the flash of light long before she heard the tell-tale screech of something hurtling through the air. She ducked, and a second later the projectile impacted on the marble behind her. Then she rose, and fire three shots into the darkness, and inwardly marveled at the smooth operation of her bow. The Skeleton was truly a master.

"What's going on?" Tatsumi asked.

"We're under attack!" she cried. She bounded quickly for the door, banged it open, and shouted the same, "We're under attack! Save Tatsumi!" She kept her bow nocked and trained on the darkness where the attacks had originated.

Immediately, there came a flurry of iron-booted footsteps. Swords were drawn and shields readied. A mass of steel barged through the door, and immediately moved to secure Tatsumi behind a barricade of steel.

"What's going on? Where are the attackers?" asked the head of the guards present.

"Unknown, but they're using some sort of projectile," she replied. "We've got to secure him!"

"That goes without question. Move!" the head barked. A bewildered Tatsumi was lifted up and carried back inside the dining hall. Sayo fired a few more shots into the darkness, before she scurried back inside and locked the doors behind her.

Within, the raucous atmosphere in the hall had turned into one of wonder and panic. A pale-looking General Abell approached the guards escorting Tatsumi.

"The Emperor! By the gods, is he..?"

"We're under attack," the head bodyguard announced, causing a storm of muttering in the room. "We need to secure the Emperor immediately."

The general blinked and frowned, as if he was calculating something in his head. "This place isn't exactly secure—" he began to say before an explosion rocked the room, throwing everyone into chaos.

Sayo rushed to the window to look outside. The ironside that had brought them here was now floating, meaning it had once more been deployed. Intermittent flashes of light appeared along its side, followed some moments after by a flurry of explosions all around the city.

"Is that…?"

"Oh my! The ship has gone rogue!" Abell exclaimed.

"Damn…" the head bodyguard said. "The camps won't be safe for the Emperor."

Tatsumi, who had so far remained silent, said, "Why is the ironside firing on the city?"

"It could be traitors, my lord," said the head bodyguard. "Or a number of reasons. We can only work with what we see, and what we see is a danger. General, we shall try to find a safe haven for the Emperor. In the meantime—"

"No," Abell said firmly, drawing the sword on his hip. He had a determined look on his face. "It is my responsibility to protect the Emperor, and protect him I shall. I trust my capable subordinates to coordinate a defense on my behalf." He glanced towards the other people in the room, and nodded. They nodded in turn before jogging out. "I know of a secret area in this building that will serve as a suitable hideout until this ruckus ends. Follow me."

Sayo and the bodyguards followed Abell. Tatsumi, who refused to be manhandled now that the shock had passed, jogged along in their midst. All around them the earth rumbled and shook. Sayo could almost hear the sounds of fighting in the distance, of steel clashing against steel.

They came to an underground area, where a number of weapons and armor were stored. A thick layer of dust lay over the entire place, which forced Sayo to cover her mouth to ward it off.

"Spread out and search the area," Abell ordered. "Try and see if there are any spots we can reinforce. After that, I leave it to you to find a way to station yourselves around without giving away that we're keeping the Emperor here."

"Understood," the head bodyguard said. By all rights he answered only to General Budo and the Emperor, but he ended up following Abell's suggestion anyway. The bodyguards filtered away, slipping into side corridors and rooms. Sayo for her part, paced the entrance through which they'd come. The hallway outside the door leading here was reasonably long enough for here to be able to spot anyone coming this way and pepper them with arrows.

"This is bad," Tatsumi said behind her. "We can't stay in the city for too long. If the rebels have indeed built tunnel complexes underneath like you said, then this whole place is a literal death trap. The rebels could come streaming out from the hills through the tunnels to besiege us here. And I know we probably shan't be able to last long."

"Tunnel complexes? What tunnel complexes?"

"The ones you said they'd dug… up…"

Curious why Tatsumi had trailed off, Sayo looked behind her, and saw something that froze the blood in her veins.

General Abell had a hand clamped around her friend's mouth, forcing his head back to bare his neck. In his other hand a great, ugly knife glinted in the darkness, its intent unmistakably clear.

Sayo could not even move—too great was the shock. She could not even summon the strength to lift the bow in her hands. The tip of the blade swung down, closer and closer, until it kissed the vulnerable flesh of his neck.

She blinked, and suddenly a great black substance exploded from Tatsumi's neck where the knife had touched. Like ink being splashed onto their bodies, this strange substance covered them both, making a keening sound like a sword being sharpened. Then, a moment later, the black substance receded, like smoke blown away by the wind. And then, there remained nothing.

Sayo moved forward, on shaky legs, confirming with her eyes what her mind refused to see. Her friend was gone. There was no sign of Abell, nor of Tatsumi.

"Tatsumi!" she cried, drawing all the bodyguards back to the room.

---

At first, he was blinded by the darkness. It was like he was trapped in the midst of a great blizzard, unable to move, unable to breathe. The last moments he'd experienced kept repeating themselves in his mind, over and over.

Abell. The cellar. The knife. Abell with the knife. Abell about to kill him.

A flash of rage coursed through him. Was he, then, a traitor? Had everything he'd done, everything he'd told Tatsumi, all the advice—had it all been a lie? A front, to make Tatsumi lower his guard?

In the next moment, light filled his eyes, and he found himself stumbling to the floor. Coughing and gasping, he heard the sounds of people screaming, and something falling to the floor. Then there was the sound of something metallic clattering to the ground.

He looked up, and saw he was looking into Honest's eyes. The Prime Minister looked supremely surprised, his eyes bulging clear out of his face. Then Tatsumi looked down, and saw his whole body was wreathed in a black substance. He screamed, moved his hands to free himself, then found that the substance actually felt like some sort of cloth.

"M-my lord Emperor?" Honest said. "H-how can this be? Are you not-? And General Abell?"

Hearing that man's face, Tatsumi twisted, craning his neck to see that General Abell was slumped on the ground behind him. Tatsumi scrambled to stand, and was relieved to see that the cloak of darkness had disappeared.

"Arrest him!" he shouted frantically, pointing at Abell. "Traitor! He is a traitor! Assassin!"

A stunned silence followed. Then, Honest shouted, "Guards! Come! Seize him!" There came a clatter of footsteps as the imperial bodyguard came as ordered. Yet before they could come close, the body of General Abell rippled, like he was made of water. A moment later, his form melted away, revealing the body of a beautiful woman, with flowing red hair.

"I see! So this is the true form of the traitor!" Honest declared. "An assassin, indeed! With a special ability to disguise herself, no less!"

Tatsumi blinked, utterly surprised. So it wasn't General Abell at all?

"Take her away," said Honest, sneering. "Let the Rooks have their way and pick her mind clean, before she's executed."

"Wait!" Tatsumi said. He looked around, and saw that he was actually in the Throne Room. What was going on? Why had he come here? "Imprison her, but don't call in the interrogators yet. I want to talk to her myself."

Honest looked conflicted, but bowed nonetheless. He gestured swiftly to the bodyguards, who took the unconscious woman's body away.

"Prime Minister, what happened? Why am I here? Is this really the Capital?"

"Why yes, indeed my lord," Honest replied. "As for the 'why', well, we're all rather curious about that, myself. It was surprising to see you appear from out of a pool of darkness that just happened to appear from out of the ground. I initially thought it all some sort of strange assassination scheme, at least until I saw you. Then again, I am still in disbelief: how are you here, and not at the camps at Folkis!"

Tatsumi snapped his fingers. "Oh, right! Folkis! Damn it!" He cursed himself for losing control of his wits like that. He dashed to the window, and confirmed that the great Pandemonium was still out there, which meant he really was in the Capital. He pinched himself: he felt pain, which meant he was not in some strange near-death dream. "The ironside is actually rebelling! The city's under attack! We need to send troops there or General Abell's army won't last!"

"A rebelling ironside?" Honest repeated in disbelief, even as the gathered people murmured darkly around them. "I—I understand. Let us inform General Budo at once. Hoh, but wait, is not General Esdeth there? I am sure any sort of rebellious acts will soon be quashed under her capable hands."

"But she and her army's already left!" Tatsumi said.

"Why would she? Unless I'm much mistaken, the plan called for the forces to capture Folkis, fortify it while we use it as a base of operations to project an attack. Esdeth was not to leave at least until a week had passed, and more intel had come."

"What?" Tatsumi couldn't believe it. "But that's what General Abell said!"

"That is indeed strange," Honest said, stroking his moustache.

Wait a second… Could General Abell actually be in on it? The assassin had taken his form, true, but Tatsumi had assumed he had been innocent after all. But with this new piece of information, a dark cloud of unpleasantness settled once more around the supposedly duplicitous general.

Boom! There came the sound of an explosion from outside, making Tatsumi's heart sink. It was exactly the same sound as the explosion of the cannonfire he'd just heard a few minutes ago. Was there a battle occurring here, too? But Honest had also heard, and the two of them went to the source: outside the Throne Room, in the great gardens that immediately flanked it.

There, one of the bodyguards stood before a great smoking crater, while the rest stood to the side, still carrying the accursed assassin.

"What's going on?" Honest shouted.

"An explosive, my lord," said the bodyguard. "We checked her just to be sure, and found it on her person. We scarcely had a few seconds before it detonated."

Honest glanced at Tatsumi. "Ah, so they wanted to be thorough. It is a good thing you were thorough my friends. The Emperor commends you. Come, Emperor, let us inside, before more surprises come. Take her away, and strip her naked if need be. The Emperor wishes to speak with her, so make sure she isn't carrying anything more!"

The two of them came back to the Throne Room.

"We should contact the front, and see what's going on," Honest said. "Fortunately, General Maldo's armies are enroute. I'll alert him, and we shall see the situation. Don't you worry, my lord."

"Sayo…" Tatsumi muttered. He'd utterly forgotten. Sayo and Ieyasu were still back there!

He whirled and shouted, "Prime Minister! We need information on the situation there now! I command it!"

For the first time since he'd met Honest, the man's eyes looked frightened. The moment passed, as the Prime Minister bowed hastily. "It will be done, my lord, no worries. Rest assured, we shall find the truth of it all."

Breathing heavily, Tatsumi could only stagger towards the Throne. He didn't want to wait for news. He wanted to see it himself. He wanted to know what exactly was going on. He wanted to see his friends safe.

As if responding to his will, the Throne immediately gave his mind a boost as it flew over hills, plains, and mountains until it reached the familiar landscape of Folkis. There, he focused, his mind glancing over the rampaging chaos outside the walls, until he went and followed the same steps he'd taken just a few minutes before when they'd all followed Abell.

"Damn." He couldn't enter. The eye of the Throne could not see into the underground. He cast around, trying to see if Sayo had left, his sight wandering the city.

Then he saw Ieyasu.

"No. No!"

His friend lay on the floor, a great gash in his chest, and blood pooling under his body. He wasn't breathing.

"NO!" He slammed his hand on the Throne's arm, and wrenched himself from the Throne's sight. He pounded the marble steps, as rage and sorrow filled his soul.

---

He was beaten. Ieyasu had danced with a master, and had failed. His bruises were innumerable. He could feel his whole body aching, his bones battered, maybe even broken.

It was strange, though. The girl (and he'd only found out this stranger was a girl midway through the fight) had every right to use the very sharp edge of her blade, and yet she settled for using the back of her sword. It was as if Ieyasu wasn't worth slashing to bits. There must be a reason why his blood wasn't on the floor, with himself chopped up into many itty-bitty pieces.

Oh well. It didn't matter now. He was beaten. Breathing heavily, he lay against the wall for comfort, his blood roaring in his ears. His axe felt too heavy to lift, and he was sure that nothing he could do with it would be able to ward his enemy off, anyway.

"What… are you going to do? Who are you?" he asked, through puffy cheeks.

"I am to eliminate a target," the girl said, her flowing black hair looking so beautiful in the moonlight. Her eyes glittered, like blood-red rubies. If he wasn't currently a bruised-up farce of a man on the ground, he would've taken steps to admire her loudly and proudly.

"Who…? Is it…? Is it Tatsumi?"

"Tatsumi?" the girl echoed. "Who is that?"

"My friend. He's the Emperor."

"Ah." The girl's eyebrows quirked. "My apologies."

"Why?" he asked after a short pause. "Why do you want to kill him?"

"It is my duty," the girl replied. "He is a target, and the target must be eliminated."

"But he's a good guy!" Ieyasu said, ignoring the fiery throbbing in his whole body. "I mean, yeah, he's the Emperor and all, but he's doing his best to fix things! Are you from the rebellion?" The girl didn't answer. "If you are, then you have to understand that he's willing to work with you guys if it means peace for the whole Empire! He's not a bad guy! Urf!" He'd tried to stand, to try to explain his case better, but the pain kept him there.

"… You should stop moving. It will help make it easy for you."

Ieyasu panted and wheezed, his mind oddly feeling clear though his head felt like something was hammering it repeatedly. "He's not… Tatsumi's…"

"I have to leave now," the girl said. Her face was as expressionless as ever. She raised her sword, its tip pointed downward over his body.

"Good night."

---

Another new chapter that has been "encouraged" by a very generous reader. Thank you very much.

I primarily deal in commissions, if you would like a story made, feel free to contact me here or on archiveofourown under "RHoldhous".