A crowd had gathered in front of Akizaku's house.
Saya made her way to the entrance, guarded by two armed men.
"Wait, you can't go in!" one of them stopped her "Akizaku-dono is having his wounds treated!"
"What happened?" Saya asked, with her heart racing.
"That is none of you business, stranger!"
"I'm no stranger to Akizaku-dono. If you don't believe me, bring me to him: he'll recognize me. But first, please...for the love of the Gods..."
She looked at them with pleading eyes; her request seemed to made its way into their hearts.
"Princess Reiju was in town. But the new King of Thorvesk, the bastard, came here. He flogged children and the village chief to lure the Princess out. She tried to fight him, but in the end, he took her captive"
Saya's heart leapt, as relief spread to all of her body.
She's alive! At the very least, she's alive!
After searching her for hidden weapons, they allowed Saya to pass. What she found inside, was a group of half a dozen people gathered around a bed. The old village chief was lying on one side, with his back exposed: many nasty cuts covered it. A woman was disinfecting them with a rag soaked in alcohol.
Tears watered Saya's eyes as she got closer.
"Akizaku-dono…"
"Ooh, Saya-dono" he greeted her, with a feeble voice "At least you're safe..."
"I'm sorry, Akizaku-dono. I should have never left Reiju alone"
"I won't question the good will of a disciple of Hokuto. If you left her, it was because you thought it was for the best. You are the one who brought her to us in the first place, after all"
As soon as the word Hokuto was spoken, Saya sensed hostility rising all around her. Villagers were looking at her with stark resentment; a couple of them left the room. She decided to ignore them.
"Is it true that they flogged children?" Saya asked, rage now burning her throat like fire.
"It is" he answered her "The usurper knows no mercy, and his dog, General Tatsuya, was just to happy to oblige. He laughed as he wielded his own whip"
Saya bared her teeth in a snarl of disgust, and clenched her fists.
"General Tatsuya, uh?" she muttered "I'll remember that name"
Then, she pressed a point on Akizaku's back. The man quivered from relief.
"The pain!" he uttered "It's going away!"
"You wounds will start to heal soon" she explained "I'm sorry: this is the best I can do. I'm not as skilled as my sister Olga when it comes to healing techniques"
Suddenly, a voice came from outside.
"Woman of Hokuto! Come out and face us!"
Saya looked at the village chief: he was just as puzzled as her.
"What could they possibly..." the man muttered to himself.
"Don't you worry, Akizaku-dono. I can handle this"
Saya walked out of the building. Around ten men were standing at the forefront of the crowd, wielding stones and iron crowbars in their hands. They eyes were bloodshot, filled with a fierce hatred.
"What is this about?" Saya asked, with a stern look on her face.
"So, you are the woman who brought the Princess to this town?!" a man uttered, his hands shaking from rage "You brought disaster upon us! Why did our sons and daughters have to suffer like that?"
"And if you are indeed a woman of Hokuto, why just leave the Princess alone?! You brought Thorvesk's army to our town, and left us undefended! Isn't your duty to defend the weak? Aren't you supposed to take responsability?!"
"Or, maybe, she's just a friend of the usurper. They share the same Fist. She can't be trusted!"
"Now, now" Saya slowly said, looking into their eyes "Let's calm down, won't we? I can explain"
But those men weren't willing to listen.
"I d-don't care if you kill me!" one of them yelled "My son was flogged because of you! Take this!"
He threw a rock at her. Saya didn't even raise her ki to protect herself: the stone left a bleeding cut on her forehead.
"She bleeds!" another man uttered "How can this be!? Is she not a Hokuto master after all?"
"She's a fake!" a villager wielding a crowbar exclaimed "Watch this!"
He stepped forward, and swung the iron bar at her face. Saya didn't try to dodge; she didn't even try to harden her skin to shield herself. The bar hit her, breaking her nose on the impact. Saya fell to the ground.
"Look! I told you! I told you she's a fake!"
Now, those ten men were not the only one enraged: the whole crowd was getting hostile.
They jumped her.
They kicked her, stomped on her, spat on her. Saya just cowered on the ground and took it all.
"Die! Die! Die! You fake Hokuto bitch!" another guy yelled, as he brought the crowbar down on her head.
"Enough of this madness!" someone croaked.
Everyone turned their heads. The village chief was at his house frontdoor, standing on trembling legs.
"Akizaku-dono, you mustn't get up!" a man exclaimed, with a troubled expression on his face.
"Shut up, you fool!" the old man yelled, moving a few steps forward and slapping him in the face; swinging the blow made him lose balance: the man who had just been slapped had to catch him as he stumbled forward.
"What are you doing!? Have you all lost your minds!?" the man kept screaming, as his eyes filled with tears "She and her sisters are the only ones willing to oppose Shun! They are our only hope to save the Princess! Is this how you welcome our saviors!?"
Saya was getting up. Most men had dropped their weapons, but one of them was still seething with anger.
"She's no saviour! I'll show it to you!" he declared, swinging the crowbar towards Saya's neck.
The iron bar bent on impact. Saya merely looked at him, a gaze filled with sorrow, and the man moved a step backwards and let go of his weapon. The Hokuto woman then stared at the crowd before her, her face covered in her own blood.
"I take full responsabilty for what happened to you" she said, in a grave tone of voice.
Then, she slowly knelt before them and brought her forehead to the ground.
"I humbly ask of you: please, forgive me! Your children suffered because of me! Please, allow me to use my healing powers to ease their pain! Let me atone for my sins, by helping you at the best of my abilities!"
The crowd stood silent. Men just looked at her with widened eyes: their hostility had vanished.
"Saya-dono" the village chief whispered "why wouldn't you…?"
"Why wouldn't I fight back?"
Saya brought her hands to her broken nose, and put it back into place with a swift movement: a creaking, squishy sound echoed in the alley.
"I'm simply accepting responsability for my foolishness. Besides" she said, with a gentle smile "my Fist can never hurt a father who's suffering for his son"
In the great hall, the King was sitting on his throne. Beautiful maids were standing along the walls, waiting for orders: but Shun attention was focused only on the man kneeling before him.
"General Yoshimasa. I assume everything went according to plan"
The big, muscular warrior in his forties bowed his head even lower.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Rumia villagers complied with the order of remaining inside their homes. Nobody saw what happened at the southern gates...we have spread the lie that His Majesty himself personally executed those raiders. General Tatsuya has been tasked with cleaning up the bodies"
Shun nodded.
"Very well. I already sacrificed a whole village to prevent them from learning about the Hokuto women: we can't afford to commit another slaughter, or our economy will suffer greatly.
I allowed Enoch village to live after learning about Saya...but they haven't seen her in action. They can't possibly imagine how powerful she really is, and thus, they won't find the courage to revolt. Besides, after the way we handled things, it may be safe to assume that we broke their fighting spirit"
"Most likely so, Your Majesty. Speaking of which, only forty-seven raiders out of two hundreds survived. Shall I have them executed?"
Shun remained silent for a moment. Then:
"No. We have a shortage of men working the fields right now. So, I hereby condemn them to a lifetime of forced labour"
Yoshimasa hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"As you wish, Your Majesty"
His hesitance didn't go unnoticed.
"Are you suprised by my mercy, General Yoshimasa?" Shun asked, with a forgiving smile "For a new world to be made, terror is mandatory. But, with me getting credit for the mass execution at Rumia's southern gates, we already stroke terror in the heart of any bandit who still roams these lands. You should know by now, that I only kill when I'm 100% sure that is the best course of action. A living person is more valuable than a dead one: because as long as people live, no matter how rotten they are, they might still be able to do something good"
Yoshimasa nodded again, with no hesitation this time.
"As always, His Majesty's wisdom knows no limits"
"Allow me to change the subject, General...have you visited the Princess yet?"
A shadow of sadness clouded Yoshimasa's eyes, as he lowered his gaze.
"No, Your Majesty. I didn't have the heart to face her, and tell her what's in store for her"
"I never expected of you to tell her: that is my responsability, after all. I just thought that you might want to check on her recovery: I know you two are very close. You were her father's closest friend"
The General didn't answer. Shun gazed at him with intensity, almost staring into his very soul.
"Your heart has been weeping, am I right, General?" he muttered "Still, I trust you will do the right thing, and go along with my plans. That's why I granted you, and only you, access to Reiju's cell.
That's how much faith I have in you: you can see where the greater good lies"
"Yes" Yoshimasa replied, his voice shaking from emotion " I have cast away my honour and decided to serve you, the man who stained his hands with my friend's blood, because I truly believe you are the Saviour. I will keep doing your will, not only for the good of this Kingdom, but for the future of the entire World"
If those words pleased Shun, he didn't let it transpire on his face. Instead, the King of Thorversk nodded with gravity.
"Very well, General. You may go"
Then, he clapped his hands, and each maid stepped forward, ready to comply with his orders.
"Leave me alone for now: I just got back from some intense travels and fights. Let me rest for a bit"
Ayako walked into the great hall by a lateral door, one of those normally used by servants.
The King was sitting on the throne, offering her his right side: he had his head leaned to the left, against his closed hand, his elbow supported by the armrest. He appeared to be sleeping.
Good, she smirked. I'll give him one hell of a wake up.
She approached slowly, with very light footsteps: she was barefoot, after all. Her naked body was covered only by a sexy nightgown.
Even from up close, he's just as handsome, she thought, licking her lips. But, he's a bit foolish. Sleeping alone, without even a soldier guarding the throne room? No matter...I'll teach him how to survive in this world...I'll teach him many, many things…
She was now towering over him.
"Ayako-san" Shun politely greeted her, with his eyes still closed "What may you be doing? I didn't call for you"
"Oh" Ayako said, taken aback "How did you know it was me?"
"I can sense your pitch-black karma from a hundred feet away. And my senses are always alert, even as I sleep"
"I see. You truly are a formidable man" she commented, as she leaned towards him "Won't you open your eyes though, and look at me?"
She opened up her nightgown and let it slide off her shoulders. Shun turned his head: he stared at her beautiful, shapely body with pure indifference.
"So, am I better than your concubines?" she whispered, in a sexy voice.
"I don't have any concubines: only servants. I do not touch them"
"Whaat?" Ayako said, in a playful, mischievous tone of voice "Are you telling me the mighty King of Thorversk does not indulges in carnal pleasures? Or, could it be that you prefer the company of men?"
Shun smiled, gazing at her with dead eyes. Something in that gaze sent a shiver up Ayako's spine.
"I haven't had sex with anyone, man or woman, in the last fifteen years"
Fifteen years? Ayako thought, furrowing her brow. The hell is he talking about? He looks like he's still in his mid-twenties…
"Anyway" he cut it short "I thought you were Goro's woman"
"Am I?" the woman said, in a coquettish tone of voice, as she leaned even closer to Shun "I never said I was going to be his woman for the rest of my life. He spends all of his time training now, and leave me all alone...boooring. Besides, His Majesty is way more handsome than him...way more powerful..."
"Ah, I see" Shun calmly said, closing his eyes again "I see how it is"
Shun's hand moved quickly, way too quick for Ayako to even see it. Before she could understand anything, his index was already placed the middle of her forehead.
W-what…
Intense waves of pleasure started to erupt from that point, spreading to all of her body. Her nipples got hard at once; her lower parts got instanly wet.
By the GODS!
Ayako was familiar with the kind of pleasures that the Hokuto Sinful Fist could grant: Goro would often manipulate her tsubos in bed. But this, this was beyond anything she had ever experienced. The pleasure was hitting her in waves so powerful, that her torso muscles started to contract spasmodically, as if she was having seizures.
It's like being touched by an angel! This is too much!
Her body couldn't take that kind of stress: she instinctively tried to back off, to sever the physical contact with Shun's finger. But she coulnd't move: she was completely paralyzed. Unable to bear the pleasure, she climaxed. A few seconds later, she climaxed again.
"Sho...good..." she moaned, drooling like a dog "too much...can't...take it..."
"The pleasure is going to keep rising, until, eventually, your vital pressure points will be fatally impaired by my ki" Shun explained, with a stern expression on his face "If I don't pull back my finger, you'll be dead in twenty seconds"
Alarm and fear appeared on Ayako's face, already twisted by pleasure, turning it into a horrible grimace as a result.
" It...can't...oh Gods...shooo goooood…."
"If you want to live, beg me to pull back my finger" Shun said "It's time to choose between your pleasure and your life"
Ayako's body was now completely shaken by muscular contractions, as if she was getting electrocuted. Her eyes had rolled back into her skull, and her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. Her naked breasts, covered in sweat, bounced frantically in the air.
I don't want to die! She desperately thought, tears appearing in her eyes. She was fighting to not completely lose her mind to the pleasure, but it was getting harder and harder. I don't want to!
"Say it" Shun pressed her, in a cold, merciless tone of voice "You must say it. If you let your mind go numb, it's all over for you"
I must do it!
"I...on't...want..."
"I can't hear you. Speak louder"
Tears were rolling down Ayako's cheeks. Her lips trembled, her mouth opened up spasmodically, as she made the highest effort to survive.
"I ON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASHE, SHUN-SAMA!"
Shun pulled the finger back. Ayako's body stopped writhing: a second later, she collapsed. She fell heavily on her ass, covered in tears, sweat, saliva and her own vaginal fluid.
"Y-your Majesty..." she sobbed uncontrollably, shaking from head to toe.
"Now listen to me" Shun growled, giving her a ferocious stare "Don't you ever try something like that again. From now on, you will live in the west wing of the Palace, and you will never show yourself unless I specifically call for you. Just looking at a piece of shit like you makes me want to throw up"
Then, he picked up her nightgown from the ground, and tossed it at her.
"Here. Cover yourself, and get out"
"Your Majesty, please!" Ayako cried out, utterly terrified "Please, please don't tell Goro about this, I'm begging you! He will murder me! He will murder me in a horrible, unspeakeable way!"
A shadow of compassion appeared on Shun's face; sadness flickered in his eyes.
"I'm not going to tell Goro anything" he granted, averting his gaze "Now, get out of my sight"
Enoch's village
At the first floor of the inn, Theresa, Roxanne, Mai and Olga were sitting in the same room. Roxanne was bending and extending her leg, enjoying her full ricovery... but she was also bored out of her wits.
"It should be about time, right?" she asked "They said they were going to call for her"
"Just be a little more patient" Theresa reprimanded her.
"That's what you said an hour ago"
They hadn't dared to use the handheld transceiver to locate Saya; instead, they had gone straight to Enoch village, hoping to find her. The village chief had informed them about the situation, and told them Saya was lending their help to the wounded children of the village.
A few seconds later, they all turned their heads to the door, perceiving a familiar karma.
Saya walked in, with a tired smile on her face.
Theresa hugged her first. Then, all of the Hokuto sisters shared a warm hug.
"I was so worried about you" Theresa said, while holding her.
"Damn, how did you get those?" Roxanne exclaimed, noticing the bruises and grazes on Saya's face. Seeing her sister hurt, the red-haired Hokuto lady was now burning with fury.
"It doesn't matter, it's nothing" Saya shook her head "I was a fool, you girls. Shun was listening to our tranceivers the whole time. I fell for his bait"
"We all fell for it" Theresa said "We can't use the transceivers anymore"
"So, what's the plan now?" Mai asked.
Saya readily answered.
"I've been thinking about it all day. First, I propose we move to Rumia village, the closest place to Thorvesk, and start gathering intels. We'll use travel clothes to hide our identity: if needed, we can get into the village by climbing the walls at night, eluding surveillance. This is not only about Shun and Goro anymore" she added, with a fiery look in her eyes "This is not only about our revenge. This is a rescue mission. Reiju is our friend, and we are going to save her"
The Princess of Thorvesk was sitting on the bed, gazing at the iron bars with dead eyes. Just outside of her cell, two guards were sitting on the floor, playing dice.
"How long do you think we are going to stay in this place?" one of them asked "They haven't told us"
The other one, who looked older and bigger, shrugged.
"Hell if I know. Could even be weeks"
"Weeks!? Buried in this place, with no way out? They can't possibly do that! There's got to be a guard change, at some point"
"Who knows. We must do as the King commands, no way around it"
"They think they can leave two guards here, tasked with feeding a girl and cleaning her bodily wastes for weeks? Sure, we have food, water, beds, toilets and a working ventilation system, but a man can't live buried down here"
"Eh" the bigger one grinned, looking at Reiju with lust in his eyes "I wouldn't mind being here if I could get a piece of her. But Shun said he would give us hell if we dared to hurt her in any way"
"You're sick, man. She's a little more than a child"
"Ah, fuck off. And you know what? Stop bitching about being in here. With all that's going on outside...people exploding into pieces and such...this may very well be the safest place on Earth"
Then, a sudden noise startled them. With a hiss, the metal hatch in the ceiling started to automatically open. Then, an athletic man started to slowly climb down the ladder. The guards got on their knees, and bowed their heads.
"Leave me alone with her for a while" the man ordered "I need to speak to her in private"
Eager to get some fresh air, the guards readily obliged.
Reiju eyes suddenly burned with a fierce light, as they met Shun's. She got up from the bed and threw herself at the bars, like a tiger in a cage.
"You!" she hissed "You took away my Fist!"
She expected Shun to put on a smug smile, but he didn't. He was dead serious instead.
"Only as a temporary measure" he pointed out "I impareid the ki flow in your body, but you will recover. I could have made that permanent, if I wanted to. Or, I could have even erased your memory completely"
"Then, why didn't you?"
Shun got closer to the bars.
"Your memory is who you are. Erasing it would be akin to killing you. And as I told you, I need you to live"
"Why!?" she growled, baring her teeth "What do you need me for!?"
Shun sighed, and closed his eyes.
"You know, back when I killed your Father...I told myself I would kill you too, and be done with it. I told myself I could rebuild and hold this Kingdom through sheer terror alone. I thought I could spare you further suffering. But I was being naive: because, deep down, I knew terror was not enough"
He opened his eyes, and Reiju saw the same look that terrified her in Enoch, when he had towered over her defeated body.
"A Kingdom needs stability. And stability comes with terror...and loyalty. More than that, people must live with the certainity of the future: they must be assured that, when I die, this Kingdom will not fall into chaos. And I need the certainity of the future too: because what I dream for, cannot be accomplished during the arc of my lifetime"
Reiju stared at him with a puzzled expression. She wasn't sure she understood...no: she didn't want to understand.
"W-what are you…?"
Shun got even closer to her, his face almost pressing against the bars. His eyes looked more dead than ever, like the pitch-black eyes of a shark.
"I need you to give me a heir, Reiju"
Silence fell in the bunker for a few seconds. Those seconds seemed to last ages to the girl, as she processed what she just heard.
"I need a son that belongs to the original Royal Bloodline" Shun went on "People fear me and obey me…but there are still those calling me the usurper. This may lead to revolts in the distant future...expecially when this country will get too big for me to keep things in control with my presence alone. While I'm confident I won't be overthrown by strength, blood will flow, people will die, and the Kingdom will get weakened as a result. I cannot allow that. I need a son that won't be called usurper. I need to bless this country with the stability that comes with a legitimate heir"
" A son..." Reiju whispered, in shock.
"Yes. A son that must grow to be as strong as me. I will pass down Hokuto Shinken to him...and you will teach him Nanto Seiken. He will do the same with his heir, and so on. Our bloodline will be one of invincible fighters. Think about it: Kings that can't be asassinated; Kings that can turn the tides of war by simply appearing on the batterfiled. They'll need to be strong, in order to carry out my will"
"But why?! What do you aim for!?" she uttered, her eyes now filling with tears.
Shun's gaze got even colder.
"I dream of conquest. Not the mindless conquest that Ken-Oh carried out: I could care less about frivolous things like glory. We'll have years of peace, marked by economical and military growth, followed by quick and effective military campains. This will go on after my death, expanding our territory generation after generation...until one day, all the villages in former Japan will have what Thorvesk has now: security, abundance of food, health care, political stability. And with that, education and human rights will come. In short: civilization"
"You talk like you can see the future" Reiju whispered "You are insane. You can't possibly know what will happen after your death!"
"You are right: I can't. But it's my duty to do all that is in my power, to make sure that my will is carried out. I will teach my son...our son, so that he may rule wisely. Will all of my descendants be wise? Of course not. Some Kings will be foolish, bloodthirsty, harmful to their own Kingdom. But hopefully, this country will recover from them. The very existence of this country is a start, an essential step. It's the hope for a new world"
"That's it?" Reiju asked, tears now coming down her cheeks "In order to build your ideal country, you are just going to rape me?"
Shun smiled bitterly.
"You won't be the only one getting raped" he said.
"What do you mean by that!?"
Shun's eyes narrowed.
"Saya hasn't told her, has she? What our Mistress's test consisted in"
Reiju said nothing.
"I guess not. So, Saya has not revealed to you the true, hideous face of our wicked Fist. No matter...you don't really need to know. It will suffice to say, I haven't been able to make love to a woman since I took that test. The very idea of touching and being touched like that...makes we want to throw up. I couldn't even be with the one I truly loved, no matter how much I tried..."
He stared into the void, his gaze clouded by deep sorrow. Then, he bared his teeth, as a ferocious resolve cast the sadness away.
"But I will lay down with you. I will force myself upon you, even if that means filling myself up with drugs. Even if I'll feel so dirty afterwards, that I'll wish to take my own life. I will do it: I will violate this body of mine. Because there are thousands...no, millions of people who are in need of my help: confronted with their cries, my body doesn't really matter"
Reiju moved a step back from the bars, terrified: she expected him to open up the cell and throw himself at her. Shun noticed...and the fierce light in his eyes went out, replaced once again by sorrow.
"But I'm no beast" he muttered "I'll give you three days to prepare yourself. Three days to think about this….to make a choice, deep in your heart"
"A choice?!" Reiju uttered, fighting the urge to burst into a nervous, hysterical laugh "Do you really think I could willingly choose to be with you?"
Shun turned his back on her.
"I know it's not going to be easy. Even if you make such a choice...this is going to scar you for life. But I really want you to think about what's best for this country, for your people. If necessary, a ruler must bleed for his people. And I'm bleeding for Thorversk: every life I take, innocent or not, is tearing me apart. Maybe, the time has come for you to be willing to bleed for them too. Stop being a Princess, Reiju: start being a Queen"