On the border of Gi and Zhuo

One year and three weeks after the prophesied arrival of the Messenger of Heaven

Riten's defeat, from her perspective, was sudden.

She had been pressing herself against Gengan's Heaven Cannon with bared teeth and a fierce smile, while their men battled around them. They'd taken their fair share of wounds; in addition to the slash and the puncture wound that Gengan had given to Riten, the younger girl had taken a few blows to the face, splitting her lip open and bruising her cheek. Gengan's arms were littered with fresh wounds from stray clips from Riten's Spiraling Spear, and was panting slightly as blood loss began to catch up with her.

Though she heard a loud horn call over the noise around them as she and Gengan split apart, Riten disregarded it. Instead, she let out a slow, ragged, excited breath, and tensed her legs. "You're almost done, aren't you, old lady?" she said, pushing her smile into a grin. "Your blocks got weaker. Your stride slowed down. You're no good like this!"

To her surprise, though, Gengan didn't seem annoyed by the insults; if anything, the amused smile on her face and the slight easing of her spread-legged stance indicated that she was relaxing considerably. "I warned you earlier. Confidence is a very appealing thing in a young lady, but being overconfident is a problem too. Especially when it gets you so wrapped up in a fight that you don't notice the rest of the world moving on without you."

The horns sounded again, and Riten realized belatedly that they weren't the Gi army's horns. That, and they sounded much closer this time. Coupled with Gengan's words, that meant only one thing—she'd been played. "You all are a bunch of bastards," she said after a moment. "Was this your plan the whole time? Keep me busy and pinned down so that you could get the rest of your forces to get behind me?"

Gengan offered her a pert smile similar to Kouchuu's. "Not just that. The fact that Lord Ragna himself is coming to us means that our other two objectives were achieved, too. You've lost the fortress, and Ukin has been captured. We have our foothold back, and can continue to press forward into Gi territory with two very valuable hostages in tow." Seeing the outraged, shocked look on Riten's face, Gengan's smile gradually straightened out. "It would be best if you gave up now."

Riten growled and dug her booted feet into the ground. Put that way, the meaning of the words "two very valuable hostages" was too clear; unless she acted quickly, she was going to be captured alongside Ukin. She revved up her Spiral Spear once more, but repeatedly squeezed the ignition trigger, causing it to roar as the air around it swirled. "This time...I'll pierce right through you," Riten said slowly, bending down to charge." Then I'm going to rescue Sawa, and kill that bastard Ragna and all the rest of you." The hard light of determination and anger shone in her eyes, and Gengan could tell that the girl had forgotten about the hole in her body and the blood dripping from the gash on her arm. "I don't have time to screw around with you any more, you old bat!"

Gengan sighed, and settled low again. "That goes both ways, child. When you took that fortress, you started something that won't be stopped until you destroy the entirety of Zhuo's forces...or get crushed under Lord Ragna's heel. Conquest for its own sake doesn't mean anything to him, but when people spit on his pride by attacking what's precious to him...well, this is the result." She positioned her hand over the trigger of the Heaven Cannon, and pushed her legs back out with her left to the rear, tensing to move.

With a roar, Riten charged in, eyes blazing as she gunned her Spiral Spear one more time. Her hands shook with the force of holding and directing the vibrating weapon, but her aim was true nevertheless. "Child, huh? I've fought hard, too! Bled for Gi! Nearly died for Gi! You call me a child, but what do you know about me? Who the hell do you think I am!?"

Gengan sighed, but kept her eyes narrowed and focused on Riten's movements. Though it was a straight-line charge, she knew that Riten still had enough presence of mind to avoid a pre-emptive attack. If Gengan wanted to win, she'd have to make sure Riten couldn't counterattack. As Riten thrust her whirling weapon forward, Gengan took a quiet breath and sidestepped as Riten started to thrust the Spiral Spear forward and down. The bit of the weapon tore up the ground, whining and keening as dust and dirt kicked up into the air, but Gengan's quick footwork put her out of the way of the debris and at Riten's back. Wordlessly, she hefted and swung the Heaven Cannon, cutting into Riten's unprotected back.

Riten stumbled forward from the shock of the blow as blood began to run down her back, then slowly turned around as the Spiral Spear's rotations gradually died down. She raised her trembling hands as if preparing to thrust out again, but instead, she slammed the butt of her spear into the ground and fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

"Who do I think you are?" Gengan said, looming over her. "I said it earlier. You're simply a child, Riten. A skilled child, but still just a child."

Riten coughed, and stared up at Gengan angrily, but couldn't get herself to stand. All the strength in her body was gone.

Gengan whistled, and a dirt-streaked, exhausted, and weaponless Zhuo soldier came over, carrying ropes. He bound Riten skillfully, but roughly; her Spiral Spear was left on the ground as he hauled her to her unsteady feet. "Take her weapon as well," Gengan said. "I think I'll be taking a look at it sometime when we get back to Xizang. In the meantime, regroup with Lord Ragna while we clean up here."

The soldier nodded, bent to grab the weapon with his free hand, and left, leading Riten with another length of rope as if she were a dog being walked on a leash. Gengan sighed and shook her head as the defeated Gi general stared hatefully back at her, then turned her attention forward with a sigh and a shrug.

After Riten's capture, the battle progressed slowly but steadily; without leadership from Riten and Ukin, Gi's front crumbled, and those few soldiers that surrendered were spared a rather gruesome and personal execution at the weapons of the Zhuo army. The stalling tactics had cost Zhuo some men, but as much as it galled the leadership to admit it, the margins of loss were acceptable, and after some time to recover, they would be able to continue campaigning. Riten and Ukin were both conscious at that point, and were forced to watch what was left of their forces die at the hands of the man they were gradually growing to hate more than anyone else in the world.

That very same night, the two captured generals, bound and shackled, returned to the fortress that they'd held—as prisoners of the ones that had owned it in the first place. The fortification itself was now devoid of most signs that Gi had ever occupied it in the first place, and after their wounds were dressed and patched, they were led up to the main office of the fortress. Men from Zhuo laughed and jeered at them in their wounded shame as Kan'u and Chouryou escorted them from the cells to the stairs and up to the second floor, but neither general said a word to, or even bothered to look at, the people mocking them.

The office in question was located on the second floor of the fortress, along the rear wall. A large windows were set on the far side of the room, opposite the entrance; if it had been daytime, they would've provided a clear view into Gi's territory. The room itself was mostly as Riten and Ukin left it earlier that day—decorated in purple and gold, with a firm, dark-wooded desk standing in front of the windows, and candles in lanterns on the ceiling illuminating the space. Three chairs were set out in the room; the first was behind the desk, and Ragna sat in it, no longer wearing his red jacket. The other two chairs sat directly in front of the desk, and when Ragna gestured impatiently to them, Riten and Ukin, with mild difficulty, sat down in them.

"If you're going to try to get information out of us, you might as well kill us now," Riten said, sneering at him. Her goggles were still over her eyes, streaked with dirt and grime, but Ragna could feel the hostile glare emanating from behind them. "If your own weakling foot soldiers didn't tell us anything, what makes you think that we would?"

Ragna snorted and rolled his eyes. "Please. I may not have been doing this whole 'leading a kingdom' thing for as long as your midget boss has, but I'm not that stupid." He stood up, and looked down on them with even more disdain than before. "I just wanted to tell you in person what's going to be next for you."

Ukin frowned. "Then go right ahead and talk. Nothing's stopping you."

After a moment, Ragna laughed aloud and shook his head, then sat back down. He closed his eyes, and knitted his fingers together, resting his elbows on his legs, just above his knees. "None of this had to happen. Much as I hate Sousou's guts, I would've given her a pass as long as she didn't come stomping into my territory. But she did, and now I have to respond accordingly—by which I mean I'm gonna take everything she worked for, and kick her ass on top of it." He opened his eyes again, this time looking solemnly at Riten and Ukin. There was no satisfaction in his words, and no boasting. It was simple, straightforward honesty. "You and all of your friends get to watch everything you worked for go to hell because Sousou couldn't use that big brain of hers to figure out that I'm not someone you want to fuck with. After that, all of you get to sit and rot in prison, or go off and live some quiet life in the middle of nowhere—as long as you don't get any ideas about trying to mess with me again. You do that, and you're dead."

"You talk like you're so damn sure you can even make it that far," Riten shot back. "You've got strong generals, but even if you won this fortress, you can't match up in sheer manpower. And you're no god. You and Kan'u and all the rest will get tired and sloppy eventually, no matter how many little tricks you can think of. When that happens, that'll be it for you. You'll get crushed like the ants you are. Lady Sousou's too strong to lose to the likes of you."

Ragna stood up calmly, pushing the chair back as he rose. He took a moment to push it back in when he was on his feet, then shook his head as he walked past Riten and Ukin. "I may not know that brat as personally as you do, but I got a pretty good read on her before. She's too cocky, too used to letting people come at her while she plans something slick to take them down." He stood in front of the door to look over his shoulder at them. "She can plan and plot all she wants. A damn persistent dog like me won't give a shit about any of it."

He didn't bother closing the door behind him as he exited the room. After a minute or two, Kan'u and Chouryou grabbed the ropes binding Riten and Ukin and pulled them to their feet. "Time to go back downstairs, ladies," Chouryou said with a cheerful half-smile. "Dinner is lentil soup and wine, and by now your beds should be made so you can lie down and start resting up from your injuries."

Riten laughed as she and Ukin were escorted out of the office. "You'll just be giving the others time to get upset about what you've done here. And I can tell you right now that my friend Bunken Gakushin won't forgive that white-haired fool for this. I'm looking forward to seeing him lose his head to her."

In the lead, Kan'u shook her head, frowning darkly. Though she didn't turn around, the heaviness in her words caused Chouryou's expression to get thoughtful. "After what he's been through, you would need more than just one person with a revenge wish to stop Lord Ragna. And if he had chosen to treat you two the way he used to treat people that got in his way, your corpses would be rotting outside right now."

Ukin shifted her bound hands with a nervous frown, though Riten seemingly paid Kan'u no mind. Kan'u was not one to bluff, their battle had proven that to Ukin without a doubt. Going by the way that Ragna's expression had looked eerily similar to what Kan'u was sporting now, he wasn't either.

Just what kind of man is he? Ukin wondered to herself.

Gi kingdom, capital city Xuchou

One year, three weeks, and three days after the prophesied arrival of the Messenger of Heaven

It took about three days for the news of Riten and Ukin's defeat to reach Xuchou, received from a Gi soldier that had been taken prisoner, then released with a horse to spread the word. On his arrival in the city, he went straight to the planning room where Sousou was in audience with the other generals, all but flinging himself to the ground in front of them, only lifting his forehead from the floor to tell them what he remembered of the battle. As he spoke, Gakushin's eyebrows and lips twitched multiple times and Kakouton's face reddened, while Kakouen, Tei'iku, and Kakuka shared a worried glance at Sousou.

The empress of Gi kept her face completely neutral throughout the report, save for the furrowing of her brow in concentration. She, like the others, remained seated, but her posture was perfect and unmoving. Once the man finished, Sousou closed her eyes, allowing the corners of her mouth to fall into a frown, and said, "You are dismissed."

She kept her voice at conversational volume, but the soldier could feel his body quaking as if Blood-Scythe itself was poised to rip his head off. Without a word, he left, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible, and the room stayed silent for several moments longer until Sousou stood up and lowered her head. "How outrageous," she whispered. Kakouton and Kakouen, being the closest to her physically, could hear the hint of a laugh that tinged her voice. "That man...what a bold message."

"What do you mean, Lady Karin?" Kakouton said.

Sousou lifted her head with a dark smile. "He went to the effort of capturing Riten and Ukin when he could have killed them instead. On top of that, rather than coming here with the advantage of silence, he sent someone to tell us everything."

Kakouton slammed a fist on the table, understanding Sousou's point immediately. "He's telling us that he's coming for us? Then he can come, meet my blade, and be cut in half! I won't ever allow that bastard to get anywhere near you, or to stomp on the pride of this country any more than he's already dared!"

"All it means, Shunran," Sousou replied, raising her voice to carry over Kakouton's, "is that he's found his pride as a ruler. Enshou merely whetted it for a while before allowing him to put it aside. As of now, he's finally earned the right to be called my rival. He's become a man who'll crush those that dare to spite him. That is what a true emperor is. In deference to that spirit, we will fight him and crush him."

Kakouton would have stared in disbelief at anyone else that spoke those words, but considering that it was Sousou, she bit back her dissatisfaction and closed her eyes. Sousou gave a nod in Kakouton's direction, acknowledging her frustration, then focused her attention forward. "Now, as for who will deal with him before he gets much farther." She looked at Gakushin, Kyocho, and Ten'i, then over to Tei'iku. "Nagi, Kii, Ruru. You three will be stationed at the Liangdu Fortress, with Fuu as your adviser—he'll have to come through that way thanks to the Liangdu Canyon, likely after he subjugates whatever towns he can on the way through. Shunran, Shuuran, and Rin will stay here with me, at Xuchou. If it comes to it, my squad will be the last defense for our kingdom, and I'll fight Ragna face to face."

Kakouton and Kakouen nodded, expecting that Sousou would want them close to her. Kakuka, in contrast, seemed completely floored by the fact that she'd been asked to take on such a position—advising Sousou in a potential battle against Ragna was a great honor, and everyone knew it, herself included.

"I've no doubt Ragna will likely attempt to capture you like he did Maou and Sawa," Sousou continued. "If that's the case, put a priority on retreat over victory, and don't bother spiting him by committing suicide if the worst comes to pass." Though she sounded particularly nonplussed by outright saying the word suicide, the glare in her eyes made it clear that she wasn't joking about the order. It also did not go unnoticed that her gaze first locked on Kakouton, then shifted to the others. "I understand that you don't want him to defeat us, but our best bet to win is to prioritize the long-term victory over saving face. As powerful as I am, I can't resurrect the dead. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Lady Karin," everyone replied. Kakouton returned Sousou's pointed look from earlier with one of her own as she replied, but Sousou could see that Kakouton's expression wasn't hostile or angry; it was a silent reassurance that the message was clear.

That iron resolve in Kakouton's face was all Sousou needed to see, and she smiled gently at Kakouton, then turned away from the group. "You're all dismissed. Leave me to think for a while."

Jun'iku, however, took that moment to speak up. "Lady Karin. I have one more suggestion in regards to Nagi's deployment. It may be a good failsafe if the worst should come to pass."

From the sly look on Jun'iku's face and the glimmer in her eyes, Sousou knew that Gi's chief strategist might have outdone herself this time. "All right, Keifa. Let's hear it."

Go kingdom, capital city Namyang

One year, three weeks, and three days after the prophesied arrival of the Messenger of Heaven

On the same day that Sousou and her generals were meeting up to discuss Ragna, Hakufu Sonsaku gathered up her own leadership to do much the same, but on much different terms. Sonsaku herself sat on Go's throne on the raised dais in the palace's audience chamber, with Sonken sitting on a smaller throne to her left. Shuuyu stood on the right side of Sonsaku's throne, and Ryomou stood on the left of Sonken's while Kannei, Kougai, Shuutai, and Rikuson all stood on the lower level of the room.

"So, Non," Shuuyu said to Rikuson, "share with us this information that you called us here for. You look like you're about to pop."

Rikuson smiled brightly and adjusted her glasses. "As per Lady Sonsaku's orders, I've been monitoring the progression of Zhuo's campaign against Gi. We all know that earlier this month, Gi took the initiative and claimed a Zhuo border fortress. Three days ago, Zhuo reclaimed it, and captured Mansei Riten and Bunsoku Ukin, two of Sousou's rising young generals. Reports indicate that they'll be departing the fortress in approximately four to seven days with reinforcements from Enshou's old holdings. Their next destination is likely Liangdu, and the fortress stationed there."

Sonsaku laughed, a pleasant, bell-like sound that made a smile twitch around Shuuyu's lips. "The more I hear of this young man, the more I like him. He seems like he's got his head on straight. And for an army of his size to fend off Sousou's forces and take two of her generals...I think that it might be worth our while to invest in him." She turned to Shuuyu. "What do you think, Meirin?"

"Zhuo does have a policy of general non-aggression," Shuuyu replied, allowing her smile to fade as contemplation crossed her face instead. "If we cooperate with him now, we can do so knowing that he won't strike against us unless we provoke him, leaving our options open for action later."

Sonken squirmed slightly, and struggled to keep a frown from her face. A similar look of scorn crossed Shuutai and Kannei's faces, hidden behind a quick lowering of their heads. Sensible politics or not, something about betraying Ragna so coldly if the need suited them made her feel ill at ease. Given Sonken's position in the room, Sonsaku and Shuuyu didn't notice Sonken's discomfort, but everyone else did, and wisely said nothing about it. Even with Sonsaku back in charge, there was tension between Shuuyu and Sonken that was only gradually easing up; pointing out Sonken's possible objection to that line of planning might have sparked an argument.

For her part, Sonsaku hummed, then nodded. "We'll do it, then. The battle may go either way at this point, but my gut is telling me that the boy will be the one to side with." She turned to Sonken with the same smile on her face. "Renfa. I'm going to send you, Ashe, and Shishun out with a detachment of soldiers as your guard. Your goal is to offer him an alliance to defeat Gi, and only that far—at least, once he's made his way farther into Sousou's territory. If he accepts, we'll work out the terms and pool our forces when the time is right. If he asks for proof of the contract, well...let him know I've given proof through you and the others." She put a hand to her mouth, then snapped her fingers. "I want you to take Shaoren with you, too. It's high time she looked at a battlefield with her own eyes."

At the line given proof, Sonken's heart fluttered. She knew what Sonsaku was asking of her, and was torn. She was happy to have a chance to interact with Ragna again, but knew that meant harsher consequences if Sonsaku and Shuuyu chose to turn against Zhuo. Even if she wasn't the ruler of Go anymore, and hopefully never would have to be again, Sonken didn't want to lose the mutual trust between her and Ragna, small as it was.

Aloud, though, Sonken simply said, "Yes, Sheren. I'd be happy to. Though, are you sure that you want Shaoren to come with us?"

"I may want her to see battles, but I know she's not fit to fight yet," Sonsaku replied, her expression growing firm but not angry. "She's thirteen years old now, Renfa. Very soon, she could be anywhere that Go needs a royal presence, and she needs to understand how to carry herself better. Right now she's still too much a child."

This time, Sonken didn't hesitate to let her uncertainty show in the troubled frown that crossed her face. However, she knew that Sonsaku had a point. Sonshoukou wasn't a bad child per se, but she didn't have a real understanding of what it meant to be or become a ruler. Even if she never had to step into that role, she had to understand. Sacrifices, decisions, and the willpower to suffer for those that look up to your guidance, Sonken thought. If you lack those things like I did, then you'll suffer, Shaoren.

Sonken stood up, putting aside her nerves and her fear. "Very well, Sheren. It will be done. When do you want us to depart?"

"As soon as possible," Sonsaku replied. "If he's begun battle once you've found him, then send word to us so that we don't dispatch our troops until the time's right. I don't anticipate any trouble coming to greet us if I leave Gi to lead the army, but I may have to leave it to you if the nobles are still causing trouble, Renfa."

"You would think that making a miraculous recovery from a wound like yours would give them more reason to respect you," Kougai said, sighing to herself. "I think they were honestly hoping that Sonsei had managed to get rid of you."

Sonsaku shook her head and gave a weary smile. "They probably were, Aunt Sai. But considering that we may not have to even lose a soldier if Ragna performs well enough, I don't see why they'd object to this measure. If they do, I'll just have to push on regardless."

Shuuyu allowed herself a small laugh, and stroked the back of Sonsaku's hand. "Just call on me if you need me at that time, Sheren."

Sonsaku's joyful expression lifted Sonken's spirits as she walked down the side steps of the dais, joining Kougai and the others on the ground floor of the audience chamber; Ryomou followed closely behind her. "Then, Sheren, I'll go see to the packing and preparations for myself and Shaoren. We'll depart as soon as we're able."

Sonsaku stood up and squeezed Shuuyu's shoulder, then looked to Riksuon. "Non, make sure that you're doing your part to stay abreast of Ragna's movements. Renfa's counting on you."

Rikuson bowed, first to Sonsaku, then to Sonken. "Of course, Lady Sheren!"

Sonken smiled, pushing away her worries behind the expression. Whatever would come in the future, would come in the future. "Thank you, Non. Ashe, Shishun. Come with me, please."

Ryomou and Kannei nodded. "As you wish, Lady Renfa," they said in unison.

Gi territory, near Liangdu Fortress

One year, one month, and three days after the prophesied arrival of the Messenger of Heaven

In the end, Ragna departed from the Gi-Zhuo border another three days after retaking the fortress from Riten and Ukin. As he progressed forward, he subjugated a number of smaller towns with surprisingly little bloodshed, and whispers of his tame attitude towards those that didn't give him trouble began to spread further and further into Gi territory. This, of course, made it easier for the Go party to track him down, and as it happened, they met up with him about four days after he left the border fortress and arrived near Liangdu Fortress. At the time of their arrival, Ragna had been in conference with his leadership about how to deal with Liangdu itself; it was heavily fortified, and their supply train would have to come a long way to keep them capable of a long-term assault.

The discussion was...vaguely civil at best.

"We've already allowed Gi valuable time to prepare," Kan'u said briskly, staring at Chou'un across the campfire where the generals were meeting. "I know our position is bad, but our men can hold out. All we need to do is fight long enough for reinforcements to come. Showing our bravery will make even that fool Blind Kakouton wary of us if she's the one waiting in that fortress."

On Kan'u's side of the fire, Bachou, Batai, and Chouryou nodded their agreement. On Chou'un's side, Kouchuu, Shoukatsuryou, and Gengan said nothing. Chouhi stood next to Ragna, who was sitting on a different side altogether that put him somewhat between the two groups, and watched Kan'u and Chou'un's argument with a confused frown.

"Even with rest, Aisha, your wounds are still mending," Chou'un retorted. Kan'u's frown twitched, but she said nothing; the bandages still wrapped around the parts of her body scored by Ukin's blade and the plaster on her cheek were proof of Chou'un's point. "As strong as we are, we're only human. If we try to push too strongly now, then we're going to be beaten back. If we take any major losses before we resupply and get reinforcements, it could cost us our lives."

"We could harass them a little bit during the daytime, but we can't commit to an all-out siege," Shoukatsuryou added. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers, then shook the weariness out of her face and continued talking. "Our supplies are due here in two days. We can surely wait that long before starting a preliminary attack."

"By then, Gi will already know what we're planning to do!" Batai said, clenching her fists. "If they plan around that, then we're in an even worse spot than before, aren't we? What the hell do you propose we do then?"

"Big bro, you really should say something," Chouhi whispered to Ragna, glancing nervously at the two groups. "Aisha and Sui are getting really mad, but I think Sei has a good point too. A lot of the soldiers are going hungry right now and they're really tired just from getting here and taking cities on the way."

Ragna sighed and nodded. He'd quietly stepped back because he wanted to see if they'd work it out between themselves (and to see if either of them could provide an argument strong enough to sway his opinion), but the way the argument was escalating proved that wasn't going to happen. "All right, all right, that's enough," he said, clapping his hands. "Aisha, Sui, you're too keyed up right now. You both need to cool off." The two generals looked at him with displeasure, but did as they were told. Ragna then looked at Chou'un and nodded. "Sei's pretty much said what I was thinking here, so we're not going to go for a straight siege."

Kan'u's face fell in dismay, while Bachou's darkened slightly; Ragna knew the latter look all too well, and wondered idly if his face had ever been that angry when he'd been contemplating sweet vengeance against the Library. Seeing that Kan'u was about to protest what he'd just said, Ragna continued speaking, folding his arms as he stepped closer to the fire. "We can't sit around, though, so we're going to go with Shuri's idea and mess with 'em a little bit until we get our supplies. If we wind up drawing them out of the fortress for a fight, then we go in deep and try to grab whatever generals they put out on the field, or play it defensively. Evening time, we pull back and assess the situation before the next day, and we keep watch just to make sure we're not burned out of our tents by a sneak attack. Once we have an attack plan, we go in." His tone and gaze were rock-hard, brooking no argument. "End of discussion."

Kan'u and Bachou both bowed their heads, taking the censure for what it was. Chouryou sighed and patted Kan'u's back with a disappointed smile, while Batai fidgeted but said nothing more. At that moment, a soldier came up to Ragna with hasty steps. "My Lord! We've just received Chuubou Sonken and her sister Sonshoukou at the entrance to the camp with a small retainer of soldiers. She says she's here to negotiate a temporary alliance against Gi!"

Kan'u's head snapped up, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "An alliance? Against Gi?"

Ragna grunted and pressed his hand to his face, covering his left eye. "Pretty damn convenient, I'd say," he muttered. "A little too much so. Even if it's Sonken, she's not the one in charge any more, and I don't know shit about Sonsaku. Even if she's not as much a bitch as Sousou is, the timing of this rubs me wrong."

"As well it should, Lord Ragna," Shoukatsuryou said, nodding and folding her arms in thought. "I will say that in the short term, we should have nothing to fear. The fact that Sonsaku sent Sonken to us instead of someone else means that she's treating the offer seriously. In fact, Sonsaku probably expects that we hold Sonken and the rest of her retinue with us as proof of just how serious Sonsaku is."

Ragna raised an eyebrow. Seeing this, Kouchuu added, "It is a common practice among the nobility. Even in Lecheng, there were times where disputes in court were settled by an exchange of valuable items for a period of time to make up for the offender's crime. More often than not, it was an exchange of children for fostering or tutoring."

Gengan's slow nod in response to Kouchuu's statement solidified Ragna's decision. He turned toward the camp entrance and started to walk over, and the others followed behind him.

When Ragna stood in front of Sonken, she met his hard stare without turning away. She may not have been ruling Go anymore, but she still had the pride to go with the position—and thankfully lacked the arrogance that made Sousou so punchable. Kannei stood on her left, and Ryomou on her right, but in front of Kannei was a young girl in a white and gold top with billowing sleeves and a similarly-colored skirt that he'd never seen before. The girl's pink hair was done up into two loops tied off with white ribbons, and two long bangs trailed down to below her waist while another fringe of bangs hovered above her right eye.

"Been a long time, Sonken," Ragna said. "Congrats on your sister's return to health, by the way."

Sonken nodded. "Thank you, Ragna." She looked down to the young girl with a sigh. "Shaoren, you're forgetting your manners."

The girl simply gave Ragna a critical stare, then nodded her head. Her eyes were the same color and cut as Sonken's, and surprisingly no less intense given that she looked to be about Chouhi's age and size. "I'm Sonshoukou of the Son family. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ragna."

Sonken's expression grew a little more frustrated at how casually Sonshoukou referred to Ragna by his first name, but Ragna literally waved it off with his left hand. "Good to meet you too, squirt. Though, it'd be nice if you didn't stare at me like you wanted to shoot me. Kakouton's the only half-blind general we need around here, even if me losing an eye would give Gi a fighting chance to beat us."

The entire Go party blinked, but it was only Sonshoukou who broke into a merry laugh after a while, lacking the decorum to restrain herself. Though they tried to hide it, both Kannei and Ryomou winced. "You're pretty brave, Ragna. I thought you'd be a stick in the mud, but I think I see why Renfa likes you so much."

Sonken's tan skin somehow flushed a stark, bright red. "Shaoren, you're forgetting yourself," she said sharply, folding her arms and looking off to the side. "Your jokes are not appropriate for this kind of company."

"Well, Ragna said he didn't mind, so I thought it was just fine," Sonshoukou replied, puffing her cheeks out. "You're so uptight, sister!"

Ragna couldn't help but smile very softly at their antics, and Sonken looked up to see the curve of his lips shortly before he put his normal frown back on and clapped his hands. "OK, OK, that's enough, you two. You're here to talk business, right? Let's get to it."

Sonken nodded, ignoring a still-pouting Sonshoukou. "Yes. The messenger already told you that Go was interested in establishing an alliance with you, correct?"

"Yeah," Ragna said. His eyes narrowed slightly. "But I can already guess that it's not going to be long term. At the most, until I beat Sousou—or until she beats me."

That shrewd distrust in Ragna's eyes did more to hurt Sonken than any sword could, but she kept her cool. "Correct. And as proof of the contract, we'll be your guests until everything is resolved. However, if you die, or it looks like you'll be killed..."

Kan'u spoke up. "You will leave us to our own devices."

Sonken pursed her lips and stared straight forward. However, the answer was slow to come from her mouth, so Kannei cut in for her, boldly meeting Kan'u's eyes. "Yes."

Bachou snorted. "Awfully calculating of you, Sonken. I never took you to be the one to think of those kinds of conditions."

Sonken folded her arms again and turned her catlike eyes toward Bachou, though the troubled frown from Kan'u's earlier statement still remained. "You're correct about that. They are the conditions as laid out by my sister and by Shuuyu. I know they're not ideal, but I am hardly in a position to change them on your behalf. You will have to take them as they are."

Bachou bristled and clenched a fist, but Ragna interrupted with a pointed glance in her direction. "Simmer down, Sui. I think it stinks too, but they're the ones negotiating from a stronger position right now, right? If the situation was reversed and I'd sent you all to help Go out with something, then I damn well wouldn't commit on Go's terms and I wouldn't want you all risking your lives or our army on a battle that might end badly for Go."

Shoukatsuryou nodded from where she stood, but very shortly, and didn't say anything to support Ragna's statement. He understands that much now. But the question is whether or not he's willing to accept that Go's terms of assistance are temporary. They can help elevate us now, but they never said anything about never betraying us in the future. She took a moment to look over the Go party; Sonken and Kannei's expressions were back into stern masks, while Ryomou was actually a bit calmer than normal and Sonshoukou just looked bored. Sonken most certainly doesn't look happy about it, but she was sincere about the terms of the agreement being out of her hands.

After a few more moments of pointed silence, Ragna looked at the Go party, then his own generals, then back to Sonken. "What's the guarantee that you'll stick to this agreement aside from your good word? If you were still the boss, that'd be one thing, but just because you promise me something doesn't mean your sister will honor it."

"You shouldn't say such things about the women of Go, Ragna," Sonshoukou replied, her voice cutting as she stared up at him again. "Our word is as good as our bond and I'm insulted you would imply otherwise!"

Sonken took a moment to glare at Sonshoukou with such ferocity that the young princess immediately shut up, wilting away from Sonken's gaze like a dying flower. Afterward, she turned her attention back to Ragna, and said, "We, and our soldiers, are your guarantee. We are remitting ourselves to your custody until the completion—or dissolution—of the contract."

Though he didn't turn around again, Ragna got the distinct feeling that Kouchuu was distinctly thinking "I told you so." Despite that, though, he simply turned one hand palm-up and let it drop carelessly. "Fine then. It's a deal. But right now, we're on the doorstep of this other fortress, so you'll probably have to send word back to Go with a courier, then hang out in the camp or make your own until the deal is finalized. It'll be too dangerous to put your current forces out there."

"We can't afford to wait for that courier to come and return, Lord Ragna," Kan'u said, stepping forward. "We're still vulnerable at our rear. At the very least we have to start harassing the Gi lines or we might be overwhelmed."

Ragna rolled his shoulders and nodded in Kan'u's direction. "Yeah, I know, Aisha. I was about to start dealing with that." He turned to Kouchuu, and said, "Shion, send some of your scouts up ahead to the fortress and get me a status report. If they've got a front line out there already, get Sui and Rinrin's forces to back your men up so that you can lay down some fire to pick them off. Get out if things get too complicated."

Kouchuu nodded. "As you wish, Lord Ragna."

Bachou's expression was still unusually grouchy, but she nodded as well. "You got it, Lord Ragna."

Chouhi, being Chouhi, just laughed. "Leave it to me, big bro."

Satisfied by their responses, Ragna focused on Sonken again. "Go on ahead and send that courier. Pardon me if you don't see much of me around while I deal with all of this crap. Hopefully by the time your sister is ready to play ball, we'll be moving in on Xuchou."

The continued contrast between Ragna's grumpy expression and calm demeanor took Sonken a little off guard, but she didn't let it show. "Very well then. We'll set up camp nearby." She paused, pressing her lips together again for a moment, then added, "Good luck with your battle."

Ragna allowed himself a wolfish grin, the first time that most people present had even seen an expression like that on his face. "Thanks. Now go cool your heels for a bit. I've got some business to deal with." He turned to Kan'u. "Aisha, escort them, please."

With that, he walked off to follow the generals he'd just dispatched to the front lines. Kan'u turned to Sonken, and asked, "Which way are your other soldiers?"

"We approached from the eastern side of your camp," Sonken replied. "We're not very far away."

Kan'u nodded, and began to walk toward the eastern exit to the camp, leaving the Go party to follow behind her. Sonken silently stared at Kan'u's stiff shoulders as they crossed the camp, and let out a quiet sigh. They don't trust us. They shouldn't...but, it still feels so disappointing. Sheren would say that this is the nature of our era...but why does it have to be this way?

Sonshoukou, Ryomou and Kannei looked over at Sonken, and read the troubled expression on her face, but said nothing.

Gi territory, near Liangdu Fortress

One year, one month, and five days after the prophesied arrival of the Messenger of Heaven

Unfortunately for Zhuo, Gi had gotten the drop on them again.

Conquered or not, the people of Gi's towns were still loyal to Sousou, and via some spies that had not been noticed or captured by Zhuo's forces, information about the Zhuo supplies and their expected arrival dates were delivered to Xuchou well in advance—almost mysteriously so, but at the time, no one in Gi was willing to question it. With this knowledge, Jun'iku's last-minute plan went into full swing on the day that the supplies arrived.

Groups led by Kyocho and Ten'i circled around Zhuo's camp, moving from the southwestern side up to the north where the supplies would be coming in. They were armored lightly, and moved quickly and quietly as to avoid notice; once they were in place, they hid, using the nearby foliage as concealment. After several minutes, the caravans with Zhuo's supplies passed through the area, and as soon as they progressed far enough to get pinned between Kyocho and Ten'i's groups, Gi struck, attacking them with speed and ferocity. Those that surrendered lived, but either way, not a single word of the attack passed on to the main Zhuo camp.

No more than an hour after Zhuo's supplies had been captured, Gi launched a surprise attack on the main camp from the northern side.

Shouting and mayhem took over the camp as Zhuo's forces attempted to muster and push Gi back from the gates, but things weren't going as planned; Ragna, Kouchuu, Kan'u, and Chou'un were all at Liangdu, harassing the forces stationed there, and while a message had been sent to them, that didn't make the job for Shoukatsuryou any easier. She had to guide Bachou, Chouryou, and Gengan to repel the invaders with limited troops.

The "prisoners" from Go had not been forced to stay in the Zhuo camp, but there was a group of Zhuo soldiers watching over them, further straining the Zhuo resources in terms of sheer manpower.

Needless to say, the pressure was immense. Yet, the one under the most pressure did the best job of dealing with it.

On the northern edge of the camp, Shoukatsuryou straightened her hat and glanced over to Batai, who'd been assigned by Bachou to act as Shoukatsuryou's aide; the younger member of the Ba family had just come back from the front where Bachou was fighting to keep the Gi forces away from the main camp. "Tanpopo, how is Sui holding up?"

"She and Lady Kikyou are still repelling the offensive," Batai replied, adjusting her light-blue hair barrette. "It looks like the officer in the lead is Chuukou Kyocho. We did receive a messenger from Shia's squad; she made it to the front line and is coming back with Lord Ragna and the others, but they're probably going to take another five minutes or so. "

Shoukatsuryou sighed, and reached down to her waist. She plucked a white-feather fan from the belt and used it to hide her expression. "Five minutes...hm. A tall order, but if it's Sui and Kikyou, they can fill it." She looked behind her at the empty camp, then sighed. "Once Lord Ragna gets back, we'll probably have to fall back to our border fortress. It's a loss of two days, but it's either that, or we die here. I've already packed our plans away, so as soon as Lord Ragna gets here, we'll have to depart straight away We won't be able to set up a decent camp with the supplies we're prepared to carry, but we'll have to make do until we return to the border."

Batai let out an unladylike groan and kicked at a nearby rock. "Lord Ragna's not going to be happy about that. But they came from the north, right? So they probably ran into and beat up the guys carrying our supplies in today."

Shoukatsuryou nodded, and sighed again. "That's most likely what happened. Someone, somewhere, must've kept track of the movements of our supply train, and sent them on to Gi. Possibly sympathizers in the towns we subjugated, but there's no way of knowing for sure."

It was at that moment that a large fuss came from the camp, and moments later, Ragna was riding up to Shoukatsuryou on the back of Cerberus. The moment he saw the battlefield in front of the northern edge of camp, he snarled. "Shit! We really lost this time, didn't we?"

Shoukatsuryou put her fan back at her belt, and looked up at Ragna with all the confidence she could muster. "Only this time, Lord Ragna. Once we've regrouped...we'll be able to pay them back for this tenfold."

Something about the quiet ferocity of those words calmed Ragna's agitation slightly. "Yeah. In the meantime, I've got Kan'u and the others on standby to manage Sonken and her group. By the time Go sends their messenger back they'll know that we've retreated to the border again, so until we get their answer, Sonken and the others are our responsibility, right?"

"They are," Shoukatsuryou said. "Anyway, I have the workings of a plan to break through Kyocho's front, but it'll require some work. Once we're clear on that, we'll spread the word and give the instructions to Sonken as well."

Ragna's brows drew into a tight furrow. "Let's hear it, then."

Defeat, even in a small measure, is a bitter pill to swallow, and even the proudest warrior can find their soul shattered by it. But the endless drive of determination forces shattered souls onward. Whether it's to salvage what's left of their broken pride, or to find a new pride, determination alone pushes those directionless fools forward into battle.

Proverb 11: The Endless Drive of Determination Forces Shattered Souls Onward

I'm back. Once again, that is.

This chapter, surprisingly enough, marks what should be about the middle of this saga. Unless I get carried away, the next four chapters should deal with the rest of the Attack on Sou Gi very handily, which will give us another interlude chapter before the Son Go campaign. Once the post Son Go interlude is over, the final arc will go into swing.

As promised last time, here's the Dramatis Personae for the Go faction. Again, ages are made up for this story and as such shouldn't be taken as canon for anything but this story specifically.

Dramatis Personae: Sonsaku's Faction

Chuubou Sonken (Renfa)

Age: 20

Relationship status with Ragna: Crushing really hard. Mega hard. She's kind of in denial about it but it's totally there. Though it didn't really become a thing until the Anti-Toutaku Alliance ended.

Kouha Kannei (Shishun)

Age: 18

Relationship status with Ragna: "I suppose that Lady Renfa could have chosen someone worse to be interested in." Aside from that she's not that interested in him.

Shimei Ryomou (Ashe)

Age: 17

Relationship status with Ragna: She's a little intimidated by him, but she doesn't think badly of him exactly. She doesn't exactly share Kannei's perspective on him in regards to his relationship with Sonken, though.

Sonshoukou (Shaoren)

Age: 13

Relationship status with Ragna: Once again Ragna winds up as the big brother figure for a cute little girl...except she might be trying to figure out how to snare him for herself.

As it turns out, those re-edits of earlier chapters I mentioned? I didn't actually remember to upload all of them like I said I did, so...I'll spend the next day or two doing that when I get the chance. (You'll want to look back at Chapter 9 when I do, as I forgot to add Kousonsan to the Dramatis Personae.)

Proverb 12, "An Army Is Truly Blessed By Those That Are Loyal", will be on its way soon. Please look forward to it.

~ZS

(edited 4-28-14: corrected Sonshoukou's age in the Dramatis Personae)