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The Shoku Emergency Shelter camp near Touka Village was where the villagers had fled to during the sudden enemy attack. Hidden in the woods, it was guarded by soldiers who would keep the villagers safe.
The villagers had grown accustomed to the occasional Rinrinshi appearing to wreak havoc on their peaceful village. But lucky for them they had nothing to fear as Gaim and the Shoku Warriors would always protect them from the wretched undead fiends. However, if enemy forces were to attack in large numbers, the guards would immediately gather the villagers and escort them out of the village through the rear exit, taking them to the emergency shelter camp.
Touka Village had not been doing very well since as it had suffered from three consecutive attacks in such a short time. The first attack had come in the form of Bujin Gaim who had destroyed many homes.
Following that, Idunn had revealed herself to be a traitor and took control of Gaim to conquer Shoku, starting with Touka Village. She had even brought along an army of insect-like monsters to assist her.
And the third, most recent attack had come while everyone was still trying to recover from the last attack.
The shelter was a safe place where the villagers could just wait out the massive attacks. Some prayed for it to be over soon and return to their normal lives, but it would seem that this was the largest attack perpetrated by the enemy yet. The Kurokage Troopers had appeared out of nowhere, quite suddenly, and sent villagers fleeing, killing any stragglers they came across. Already, the survivors were mourning their losses.
Among the refugees who managed to escape during the attack was Kada and he was treating the wounded the best he could. He did not have time to pack all his medical equipment thus he only had a bag in which he carried his medical supplies whenever he went traveling.
Presently, opinions concerning Gaim were divided. There was doubt among the villagers who questioned his position as the Seiryuoh. His own flesh and blood, the Armored War Goddess Idunn, had tried to destroy them all. Yet, instead of executing her for her treachery, he had allowed her to live.
Now, they were all forced to hide from another attack. Some began to wonder if the Armored War Gods were not truly the protectors they believed them to be but were, in truth, beacons of destruction.
With all the deaths and disasters caused by monsters that followed since their arrival, it was beginning to look that way.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: End of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome & Ten-Faced Paladin
Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92 & Kamen Rider Goji
Chapter 42: Fractured Faith
Ryuubi, Kanu and Chouhi arrived at the shelter camp to see the villagers. When the guards saw the trio, they allowed them entry.
"Gather the villagers," Kanu instructed the guards. "Tell them Ryuubi Gentoku-sama wishes to address them."
The villagers were all gathered together and Ryuubi gazed upon them with sympathy. Many people had died tonight and it had a devastating effect on all of them. She could see that the villagers were anxious and worried about their home. Being stuck here, they did not know what was happening until they received any new information. The guards were of no help as well as they were also in the dark.
She knew it would not be easy, but she decided she needed to step up. These were her villagers. It was her duty and responsibility to reassure them and ease their worries. Hopefully, her honesty could give them hope.
She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, whispering a short prayer under her breath. She then opened her eyes after gathering her courage to speak to the villagers.
"Everyone, the attack is over and we defeated the enemy forces. We have also taken the enemy's base camp and subdued the enemy commander," Ryuubi informed them all.
She could see the relief on their faces. Good, this was a good thing, but she needed to deliver the bad news too. She could not hide it from them. It would not be fair for the villagers.
"However, our village has been devastated and many homes were destroyed."
She could see their mood fall quickly at the announcement. She knew this was going to happen but she needed to lift their spirits.
"But please, do not fear. We have survived tonight just as we have survived before. Though we have all suffered great losses, as long as we are alive, we can rebuild and put this tragedy behind us. We shall mourn the ones we have lost and move forward as we have always done before."
That should ease their fears and that should be the end of it.
"Where's Seiryuoh-sama?"
Ryuubi's eyes snapped wide open at the question.
"What's he doing?"
"Why isn't he here to tell us everything is alright?"
More and more questions followed and Ryuubi was being overwhelmed as the blood drained from her pale skin. Her mouth froze. To be honest, she did not know where Nagata was but she could not tell the villagers this. She knew she needed to be honest, but this was one piece of information they were not ready for.
"He's..." Ryuubi hesitated as the words failed to come out. What was she supposed to say? That Nagata was gone? Then they would believe he had abandoned them.
What could she tell them that would ease their fears now?
Fortunately, witnessing her distress, Kanu came to Ryuubi's rescue.
"Seiryuoh-sama has gone to bring the ones responsible for this attack to justice!" Kanu answered loudly, silencing the villagers and, hopefully, expelling their doubts. "In his absence, we will make sure your needs are taken care of! Until his return, we must remain strong!"
"That's right!" Chouhi supported, following Kanu's lead. "Onii-chan will come back! There's no way he'll abandon us!" She sounded so earnest that the villagers could not deny her words.
Kanu nudged Ryuubi forward to conclude her speech.
"So please, do not fear! Seiryuoh-sama will be with us soon! In the meantime, we are preparing a temporary camp to house and shelter you all! There will be supplies for everyone!" Ryuubi told the villagers.
After they managed to settle the villagers down, Ryuubi, Kanu, and Chouhi left to rejoin the others.
"Thank you," Ryuubi said gratefully to her sisters. "When they asked about Nagata-sama, I just choked."
"There's no need to thank us, Aneue. It's our responsibility to help you," Kanu replied.
"Yeah, it's no problem!" Chouhi cheerfully smiled brightly. She was sure things would go back to normal pretty soon.
"I'm just glad that you both haven't lost your faith in Nagata-sama," Ryuubi added. She failed to catch the deep unhappy frown on Kanu's face when she mentioned Nagata.
Awhile later, Iori went to Nanban to ask for his brother's help. It was not that hard as all Iori needed to do was ask for food. Naturally, Ichiro provided his little brother with his assistance.
"Alright, you're all set," Ichiro said as he stood beside Iori's Sakura Hurricane with its sidecar filled to the brim with food. The Wild Armored War God of Nanban was dressed in a winter coat made out of bear skin. It was thick and warm, providing him protection from the cold.
"Thank you, Nii-san," Iori said appreciatively as he got ready to leave. The sidecar was full of numerous fruits that were native to Nanban as well as fish and meat that was wrapped up in leaves. Rope was used to tie down the supplies so they would not fall from the sidecar.
"Sorry I couldn't give you more, Iori," Ichiro apologized. When he learned what had happened to Touka Village, he sympathized with the plight of his brother and the villagers. While he could not change the past, at least he could provide aid for his brother by sharing some of the food they had.
"It's alright, Nii-san," Iori smiled to his brother. He understood that his brother had a huge tribe to protect and provide for. "I still appreciate it."
"Well, take care of yourself then, Iori. Oh, and say hello to your wife and friends for me."
"You know I will." Iori got on his bike but then he paused. "Nii-san, do you ever regret coming to this place?"
Ichiro wondered why his brother would ask that, but he answered anyway.
"Well, I can't say I regret it. Sure, there are things I miss, like our parents and the people we left behind," Ichiro answered.
"And modern conveniences," Iori interjected.
"Yeah, those too," Ichiro agreed. It was easy to take things like that for granted, only missing them once you no longer had access to them. "But I don't think I regret my decision."
"Good, neither do I," Iori concurred. "Henshin."
[HAI~! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA-HA!]
Ichiro watched as his brother sped into the portal with the supplies. He smiled proudly. Iori had grown up and was working hard to make sure everyone in his village could survive the winter. He knew how much worse the situation could've been. All Ichiro could do was hope everything would turn out alright.
Several days later, the En Clan recovered from their time in captivity. They just needed food and water as well as medical attention. Ensho also got the bath she had been so desperately in need of. Being forced to wear her dirty clothes for days had been disgusting and undignified. She had not even been allowed to change her underwear, which had been disgusting, but not as disgusting as being forced to use a bucket to relieve herself. At least she had her beloved husband by her side now to help her recover from her traumatic experience. She felt safe in his strong embrace.
Enjutsu and Ensho needed to talk. This could not be put off for much longer. Enjutsu had betrayed them, straining the cousins' relationship. Haru had defended the girl, claiming she had not been herself and had been manipulated. However, Ensho still needed to speak with her cousin personally as this matter needed to be resolved.
Both cousins sat across from each other in a tent for privacy. Enjutsu fidgeted, not daring to meet her angry cousin's eyes. Sure, she used to relish upsetting Ensho with one of her pranks in the past, but this went far beyond tricking her. This was a betrayal of the worst kind as Enjutsu had not only locked up her own family in the dungeon but had attempted a coup. Such a thing could not be forgiven, but the circumstances behind the situation complicated matters.
Ensho simmered as she glared at her younger cousin, but took a moment to study her. Enjutsu just looked so broken. Was she feeling guilty? Perhaps. After all, Enjutsu had lost her most loyal retainer who had always stuck by her side. With Chokun gone, the young girl felt lost and did not know what to do.
"Miu, we need to talk," Ensho stated.
"...Yes, yes we do," Enjutsu responded, resigned.
Ensho folded her arms. Body language was important for these kinds of talks. They properly conveyed her feelings.
"Let's get to the point: you betrayed us. You invited us into your home only to have us locked up in your dungeon. Also, you used Haru-sama to attack our allies. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Sorry? You're sorry? Sorry does not bring those people back!" Ensho stood up, towering over her cousin angrily. "Sorry does not make up for the days we were stuck in that dungeon! Sorry does not make up for your betrayal!"
Enjutsu cried loudly but Ensho did not feel any sympathy, at least not at first. She took a deep breath and counted backward from ten. It was an exercise Haru had taught her to calm down so she could think clearly and not let her anger get the best of her. Ensho sat back down. She had terrified her cousin enough already.
"Miu, I know you. You're self-centered and selfish, but I never expected you to ever be so cruel. Please, tell me what happened?" Ensho requested gently.
"I..." Enjutsu started, trembling with tears in her eyes. "I don't know. It just all started since Duchess brought me the Seal of Heaven as a gift."
"You mean that fake."
"Yes, the fake Seal of Heaven. There was a spell on it that took over my mind. They used that spell to turn me against you all," Enjutsu confessed, ashamed that she had been used as a tool and made to betray her family. "Look, I know that I can't change anything with an apology, but I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean for all of this to happen."
Ensho sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Enjutsu was family after all and as the head of the family, it was Ensho's responsibility and duty to take care of her now.
Ensho walked over and Enjutsu watched as she came over. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting a hard smack to the face, but then felt her cousin's arms wrap around her in an embrace.
"I forgive you."
"Reiha-neesama...?"
"We've all been hurt by what happened," Ensho said gently. "Let's not cause each other any more pain, OK?"
And once more, Enjutsu bawled her eyes out, apologizing repeatedly to her cousin.
Outside the tent, Haru smiled as the two cousins started to patch things up.
Awhile later, Haru and the En Clan (including Enjutsu) stood at the entrance of the camp. They were dressed in warm winter clothing and carrying packs filled with supplies. Ryuubi, Kanu, Chouhi, Iori and the rest of the Shoku Faction were there to see the group off.
Ensho, Bunshu and Ganryo were grateful to Iori for assisting Haru in rescuing them. They also gave their thanks to the Shoku Faction for sheltering them until they fully recovered from their ordeal. After being fed cold porridge for days in that dungeon, warm and proper food was like a luxurious feast to them.
Enjutsu had also apologized to the Shoku Faction, begging them for their forgiveness. She even went so far as to kowtow before them. As she had been brainwashed and manipulated by Ukitsu, she really wasn't at fault, so the Shoku Faction forgave her as it would be too cruel not to, especially after she had lost Chokun. She already felt guilty enough already, so she needed some relief from the guilt.
"Are you sure you should be traveling home right now?" Ryuubi asked worriedly. It was pretty cold in the winter and the weather could become harsh.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Ryuubi-dono, but we really must go. We have things to take care of," Ensho said as she glanced over at her cousin. She just looked so devastated, especially since they could not rescue Chokun and Denho.
They needed to go back home, not just to take care of things, but to keep Enjutsu safe. As she had led the attack - despite being a puppet under Ukitsu's control - she was a target for the villagers' ire. If the En Clan stayed for much longer, one of these days, someone might try to attack her.
"And don't worry," Haru smiled confidently. "We're good at roughing it."
"Let's just hope Haru-sama here doesn't adopt another bear," Bunshu joked.
"You have a pet bear?" Chouhi's eyes sparkled excitedly.
"Yeah, but he's asleep right now," Haru answered, smiling. Bears hibernated during the winter. "You should come visit in spring then you can play with him."
"Yay!" Chouhi cheered.
"Once we've reached home, I'll send my men over with aid," Ensho promised. She needed to repay them for their rescue and providing them shelter, even though the Shoku Faction had very little to spare.
"Have a safe trip," Iori said to Haru. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to call."
"Thanks, and I hope you find Nagata," Haru replied as he and Iori shared a firm handshake. To his credit, Iori did not show his displeasure at the mention of Nagata's name.
The En Clan said their goodbyes and left for their journey home. Along the way, they would stop frequently in towns and villages, doing whatever they needed to earn money for their stay in inns. But that was a story for another time.
Ryuubi sat in her tent, which originally belonged to Enjutsu. She let out a groan as she planted her forehead on the desk.
It had been over a week since they settled in their new camp and everyone was unhappy. The campsite was cramped and tension was thick. Several arguments and fights had broken out in the past few days. Just recently, two men had fought as one accused the other of stealing his rations. Ryuubi had to intervene and talk them down.
Nobody was happy about sharing rations and supplies with the prisoners either. Some of the villagers had tried to attack them before.
She could not blame them. They were angry. The cultists had taken away their homes, as well as killed their loved ones, and they were now cold and miserable. The tents really weren't comfortable for large families. They had very little food to go around, even with the help Iori got from Nanban. Also, Kosonsan had not arrived yet.
Ryuubi tried to encourage everyone to stay optimistic, but everyone was stressed and tired, even herself. Her friends were trying to maintain the peace during these hard times, preparing for another attack. With how frequent they had been and how often they barely won, another one was inevitable. The enemy could launch an attack at any time, one last time to wipe them all out.
As instructed by Ryuubi, Komei and Hoto had compiled a damage assessment report. It broke Ryuubi's heart when she heard everything that was listed on it, especially the number of casualties.
First of all, besides their castle, many homes were destroyed and the cost of replacement materials was definitely high. The issue was made worse since their treasury ended up being looted during the attack.
Secondly, not all of the villagers managed to make it out alive when the attack started. Some were killed in their homes, either by spear or by fire. There were survivors, but a lot of them were wounded. They also suffered casualties among their soldiers who bravely fought and laid down their lives to face the enemy in defense of their home.
The village had been devastated by the attack and it would take a long time to rebuild. While homes could be rebuilt, lives were tragically lost forever. More graves would be filling the cemetery, more people lost and many people left behind to mourn them. Sadly, they did not have the manpower or the resources to rebuild any time soon.
Clean water could be found at the river, but food was another matter entirely. Most of their food storage houses were destroyed during the attack. Fortunately, they were able to salvage some food they found stored in the castle's pantry and basement. They even had Enjutsu's honey but it was not a whole lot. Nevertheless, they were able to manage with what they got, but there were still a lot of mouths to feed and morale was at an all-time low. Any aid they managed to receive now would be a blessing.
Iori had reached out to his brother in Nanban while Ryuubi had a letter sent to Kosonsan to request aid. They had also asked for aid from the villages and towns within their territory but there was only so much they could ask for. Big eaters like Chouhi and Ryofu needed to curb their appetite. The elder redhead could handle a bit of hunger, but Chouhi complained about being hungry and not being able to enjoy one of Nagata's delicious meals. She really did miss him.
While salvaging the ruins of their castle for anything useful, they recovered the remains of Nagata's family shrine. The shrine itself was ruined but not the memorial name tablets of Nagata's parents. Ryuubi decided to keep them herself, out of respect. In what was left of Nagata's office, they found the shattered pieces of the communication crystal ball gifted to them by Sousou. There was no way to fix it. Fortunately, Iori still had his LockPhone so they were not completely isolated and without a means to call for assistance.
The Lockseeds that they had in storage were all gone and Iori only had the ones currently in his possession. Nevertheless, they did manage to acquire spoils from the battle to make up for the loss. After smashing the remaining terracotta soldiers to pieces, they went through the supplies brought by the enemy forces. They recovered working SengokuDrivers from the Kurokage Troopers and Lockseeds to replace the ones they had lost. Not only that, but they had acquired two GenesisDrivers and two Energy Lockseeds to go along with them. Batai had found Ukitsu's GenesisDriver and Dragon Fruit Energy Lockseed on the castle grounds and had given them to Iori. While the Driver itself was damaged, the Genesis Core unit remained intact and functioning along with the Dragon Fruit Energy Lockseed. Sadako's GenesisDriver and Lemon Energy Lockseed were both taken from her corpse and put away somewhere for safekeeping.
They even went to Enjutsu's castle to raid her supply of honey. They had not expected to find the entire place abandoned, though. It seemed that after Enjutsu got captured, the Genesis cult decided to leave, but not without robbing the place first. Thankfully, they left the honey alone and didn't even touch her art collection. They obviously had better taste in art than her.
Haru and what remained of the En Faction decided to travel back home. After Ensho, Ganryo and Bunshu fully recovered, they all decided it was best that they all returned home, taking Enjutsu with them to take care of her. It was En Clan business after all. The Shoku Faction saw their friends off, giving them supplies, some traveling money, and bid them a good journey.
There was another good reason that the En Clan needed to leave. The tension was rising and the villagers were still upset from their losses. As the one to lead the most recent attack, Enjutsu would be in danger as she was made the scapegoat. It just wasn't safe in the camp for her. It was only Haru's presence and the Shoku Warriors that dissuaded the villagers from attacking the young girl for retribution, but it was only a matter of time before her life would be threatened, so they all needed to go for her own safety. Thankfully, Ensho promised to send over some supplies once she and her companions arrived home.
The Shoku Faction could not ignore the fact that Karasu had escaped and was currently at large. She could try to raise an army and attack them again. They needed to find her and they also needed to inform the other kingdoms to be on the lookout for her in case she decided to escape to one of their territories.
Things were dire. If their situation did not improve for them soon, they may not survive the winter.
"Nagata-sama, where are you?"
And Nagata was still missing.
Where was he?
Where was the Azure Dragon King of Shoku?
Bursting from a flower-shaped portal, Ryugen entered Helheim Forest on his Sakura Hurricane. As he dismounted, he took out his LockPhone to use it to try and track Gaim's signal.
After he and Haru had successfully rescued Ensho, Bunshu, and Ganryo, Iori had gone to Kada to get his injuries stitched up. Once he had recovered, he finally obeyed Ryuubi's request to find Nagata.
"Nagata, where are you?" Ryugen murmured as he went in search of his friend. On the screen of his LockPhone was a map of Helheim Forest. If Nagata was nearby, there would be a blinking dot to show his location.
While Iori was mad at his friend for leaving them to rescue his treacherous cousin, he was still worried about him. They all were. Ryuubi and Kanu both tried to remain strong, but once or twice he had caught them breaking down as they missed him, wondering what might've happened to him. Even Chouhi desperately wanted her onii-chan back.
Nagata may have made some bad calls recently, but that did not change the fact that they needed to find him. He was still one of the Four Sovereigns and they needed his power in case their enemies decided to strike again.
"Nagata, when I find you, I'm going to shoot you in the foot for making them cry," Ryugen threatened as he continued his search. "Hope Ren's having better luck than me."
Ryofu Hosen had taken a Rose Attacker into Helheim Forest. Strapped around her waist was a SengokuDriver to shield her from the dangerously hypnotic allure of the Fruits of Helheim. As delicious as the fruit looked and smelled, it would be a bad idea to take a bite.
Like Ryugen, she had come in search of Nagata. Unlike Ryugen, she did not need any fancy gadgets to track her targets. She would've brought her dogs, but she was told it would not be a good idea. They could wander off and the fruit could claim the minds of animals much easier than it could on humans. She did not want to lose any of her little friends.
She would've loved to explore Helheim Forest. This was an entirely new world for her, and while it was eerie and creepy, it was still strangely beautiful. But she didn't have time for a leisurely stroll. She needed to look for Nagata.
She came across a clearing and immediately found signs of a battle. She knelt down to find the grass stained with dried blood. She could not tell if it was human or animal blood, but she was sure it did not come from an Inves.
When she had learned what Inves were, she had nothing but pity for those creatures. They were just empty husks that were infected and driven by the parasitic fruit to spread their seeds and to protect the fruit. It was a cruel fate for any creature.
Once she was done here, she would need to go back and unhappily report her findings.
The Shoku Warriors were gathered in the meeting tent. Another thing that they managed to salvage was their Round Table where they held their meetings. First, they were discussing the food shortage. Their food supply was dwindling and Kosonsan's party had yet to arrive. They had not even heard from Ensho either.
They were officially in a state of emergency. Such a dire situation only bred more desperation and tension.
"You know, if we're so worried about food, we could always eat the prisoners," Iori suggested.
Everyone at the table turned to stare at the Ultimate Eye, giving him disturbed looks. They wore looks of disgust and shock at what he just proposed.
"That's not funny, Iori-sama," Ryuubi remarked. Everyone had gotten used to Iori's occasional dark sense of humor, but right now it just seemed so inappropriate.
"I'm not even joking this time. They attacked us. They owe us and since they're not going to tell us anything then the best way they can do that is offer their flesh to feed all the people they've hurt," Iori argued. "Look, I don't like the idea either, but we're in desperate times here, people."
"Iori-sama, things may seem desperate, but we have not gotten to the point where resorting to cannibalism is an option," Ryuubi rebutted. "So please no more talking about eating our prisoners, even in jest."
True, cannibalism was not a rational option. Only animals and savages would perform such a horribly taboo act. However, Iori knew that in times of desperation, when survival became top priority, people would do anything to survive. While normal people would never consider eating the flesh of another human being, most would choose life over death and would even commit horrific acts just to survive. Hopefully, their situation would improve soon and they would not have to resort to that. But, if things did get so bad that they had to cross lines to survive, then Iori would throw the prisoners into a cooking pot himself to feed everyone.
"OK, but we still need to do something about them though. They've been spreading their ideas throughout the camp," Iori warned his comrades. "Things were bad enough after the villagers heard that Nagata refused to execute his own cousin for treason. With how bad things are now, they might convert the villagers to their beliefs."
The prisoners were members of Ukitsu's cult which meant that they were very Anti-Armored War God and were spreading their beliefs to the other refugees. That kind of propaganda was as dangerous as any weapon. They were confined to one corner of the camp and tied to wooden poles with a fence built around them to prevent them from escaping. While the guards were assigned to stop them from escaping, they could not prevent the prisoners from talking. Actually, they could threaten the prisoners with violence or, barring that, gag them but that would be too cruel and Ryuubi would not allow that.
They had tried to question the prisoners to find out what they knew about what happened to Nagata but only received silence in return. When the prisoners did answer, they only cursed the Shoku Warriors while praising their 'true' Armored War Gods. Using torture to interrogate them was out of the question too as that was deemed by Ryuubi to be cruel and they should not resort to such methods.
Iori did not care if it was cruel. They needed information. Since the prisoners were unwilling to give them any information, the Shoku Warriors had no reason to keep them around. Additionally, the prisoners were a threat to their peace and harmony. Given the chance, Iori would kill them himself. Even if he was not given the chance, he would take it upon himself to get rid of any threat to his family's safety.
"That is a problem, Aneue," Kanu said to Ryuubi. Things were already tense with their food supply running out and they did not need a mutiny on top of that.
"So, what should we do about them?" Ryuubi asked. "And please, Iori-sama, do not suggest cannibalism again."
"I wasn't about to. How about we hand them over to my brother and the Nanban Barbarians?" Iori asked.
"You want to hand our prisoners over to barbarians?" Chou'un asked.
"Look, they might be called 'barbarians', but they're not savages," Iori defended.
"It's true. They're very civilized despite only wearing animal skins," Kochu added.
Iori grinned when he remembered seeing Kochu dressed in skimpy barbarian garb. He never thought she could look so sexy in a fur bikini.
It had been a very, very enjoyable evening for both of them.
"OK, but what will they do with them?" Bacho asked cautiously.
Komei was afraid to say anything. She had paled since Iori mentioned cannibalism earlier.
"They won't eat them in case that's what you're worried about," Iori scoffed. "They'll just use those guys as slave labor."
"Is that a good idea?" Ryuubi asked.
"They'll be out of our hair and won't be around to spread their twisted beliefs, and they'll actually be useful for a change," Iori insisted without shame. "Look, right now, we can't afford to send any guards away to escort them to the prison. This is our only option."
Ryuubi considered it. The prison was a long way away and they had no way of transporting the prisoners right now. They would have held prisoners in the castle dungeon, but that was no longer an option due to its damaged condition and their current situation.
"What do you think?" Ryuubi asked Kanu.
"If it's for the good of the village then we should send them away," Kanu answered.
"I agree. Also, once they're gone, Iori-sama won't ever mention cannibalism again," Komei supported. She really did not want to think about it or hear it mentioned ever again. Hoto agreed with her. Cannibalism was taboo and disgusting to her.
"I still think that if things get really rough, we could use the meat," Iori insisted. "But I promise to never mention cannibalism ever again."
"You know, I'm surprised you didn't suggest we cook and eat Ren and Nenene's pets," Batai quipped.
"Tanpopo!" Bacho scolded.
"Not cool!" Chinkyuu scolded.
Ryofu said nothing, but the sharp glare she gave Batai spoke volumes of how she felt about the matter. If her glare was daggers, then Batai would've been stabbed all over.
"I could never suggest something like that," Iori retorted as he took offense to the accusation. "I'm not a monster."
"And yet you suggested cannibalism," Chou'un muttered. If Iori heard her, he did not seem to acknowledge it.
"Enough, let's put it to a vote," Ryuubi commanded. "Those in favor of sending our prisoners to the Nanban barbarian tribe, raise your hands."
There was a unanimous show of hands. They all agreed to send the prisoners to the barbarian tribe in Nanban.
It was either that or cannibalism, and nobody (except Iori) wanted to do that.
"Alright, next order of business," Ryuubi continued. "Have you found any clues to Nagata-sama's whereabouts?"
"I've been combing Helheim Forest for days. He's not in there," Iori reported. He looked everywhere he could and found nothing, not even a sign of Nagata.
"Found something," Ryofu interjected. All eyes looked expectantly to the normally quiet girl. "There was a battle and I found blood on the ground. It might be Nagata-sama's."
"Then he's hurt!" Ryuubi interrupted, panicked.
"I found blood, but I did not find him," Ryofu clarified.
"Then where could he be?" Ryuubi asked.
"He's either been captured or he ran off with Karasu," Iori surmised.
"He would not abandon us!" Ryuubi denied. "Right, Aisha?" Aisha did not answer. "Aisha?" She saw doubt in Kanu's expression. "Aisha, you know Nagata-sama would never abandon us, right?"
"During the attack, he left us to rescue the traitor and never came back," Kanu stated. "That's all I know."
"That really doesn't sound good," Bacho agreed.
"He would've come back to us if he could," Chou'un said. "I know I have a habit of being flighty, but you can always trust me to come back. We should trust that he'll return too."
"If he's been captured, we need to find out where he's being held so we can rescue him. If he's dead, we can mourn him," Iori said with a neutral expression. His expression changed before he spitefully added, "But if he's left us, then we should not waste our time looking for someone who isn't around when we need him the most. We're in a state of emergency and we have more important things to worry about than some deserter."
"Nagata-niichan will come back!" Chouhi yelled angrily. "He promised he'd always stay with us!"
"Rinrin, he's gone. Just accept it," Iori said with a tone of finality.
"No!" Chouhi stormed out of the tent with angry tears. Everyone just sighed.
"She'll understand soon," Iori stated. "We're at war and she needs to grow up."
"You could've at least phrased things gently, Airen," Kochu said sadly.
"We don't have the luxury right now, Koi."
Chouhi needed to understand that, while hope and optimism were good, she needed to face the reality that Nagata may not come back. It was best she understood that now.
"Do we have any good news? Any good news at all?" Ryuubi was begging at this point. She was desperate for any sort of good news. She was hopeful, but everything that was happening was slowly killing her hope.
Iori's LockPhone beeped and he took it out to flip it open. He began to read the text message he got from Mars. He scrolled through it, reading every word, his squinted eyes widening with every line.
"Shit," he cursed.
Ryuubi heard and did not like the sound of that.
"What is it, Airen?" Kochu asked.
Iori stood up, addressing the table.
"I just got a message from Armored War God Mars of Son Go." He paused dramatically. "The Kingdom of Son Go has fallen and Armored War God Zangetsu and Armored War God Kamuro are gone."
For a moment, nobody said anything. They were completely speechless, shocked by the news.
It was Ryuubi who broke the silence first.
"I asked for some good news! Is that too much to ask?" Ryuubi complained. She felt like crying in a corner right now.
After she had stormed off, Chouhi went to sit by the river, throwing pebbles in it. She was upset at Iori for being stupid and saying mean things about her big brother. She was also mad at him for saying that her big brother was not coming back.
He would come back!
He promised!
"Stupid Iori. He doesn't know what he's talking about," Chouhi grumbled. "Onii-chan won't abandon us. He won't. He'll come back. He always comes back. He promised he would never leave us."
Nagata went out for a walk with Chouhi riding on his shoulders. This was their private brother-sister bonding time when they played together. She always enjoyed herself when it was just the two of them. They would play all kinds of games, like tag or hide-and-seek.
"Onii-chan, you won't leave us, will you?" she asked. When Nagata and the others had vanished, she was afraid he would never come back.
"I promise, Rinrin," he swore. "I'll always be here for you."
They hooked pinkies and made a pact.
Chouhi smiled brightly.
She and Nagata made a pinkie swear and that was a sacred thing to her. Chouhi trusted and believed in her onii-chan, so she knew he would come back. However deep down, she was secretly afraid that Iori might be right. What if Nagata really had left them all behind? She had lost her parents and grandfather so she did not want to lose anybody else. Losing Gien had been hard on them all, and now Nagata was gone.
Her family was being threatened and there was nothing she could do about it.
As she dwelled on these thoughts all by her lonesome, a stranger sat down beside her. She did not recognize him. He was dressed in black with a red sleeveless coat. His hair was black too and he also wore dark opaque glasses that concealed his eyes.
"Why do you look so sad?" the stranger asked.
Now, Chouhi should know better than to speak to a stranger, but right now she was upset and needed to vent.
"Because my onii-chan's gone and a big stupid meanie thinks he left us," Chouhi answered.
"Did he?" he asked.
Chouhi shook her head.
"I don't know, but I know my onii-chan won't just leave us like that. He promised," Chouhi insisted, remembering their sacred pinkie swear to each other. It was even more sacred since they swore to be brother and sister, always.
"You must really believe in him if you have so much faith in him," the stranger commented. "What would you do if you saw your big brother again?"
"I'd hug him forever and never let him go!" Chouhi said brightly. "Then I'll tell him I love him and tell him not to leave me ever again!"
Chouhi noticed that the man was gone. She blinked when she looked around. He had vanished without a trace. A shiver ran up her spine, but not because of the cold, but out of fear.
Had he been a...
"G-g-g-GHOST!"
Chouhi raced back to the camp in fright.
Iori shared a tent with Kochu and Riri. As a family, they needed to be together, especially during these difficult times.
"You really should not think badly of Nagata-sama," Kochu advised.
"You're taking his side now?" Iori glared at his wife.
"Didn't he forgive you for your own lapse in judgment?" Kochu reminded. Iori winced. He knew what his wife was talking about. When he had killed Nise, he had inadvertently set things in motion for his evil spirit to rise as Bujin Gaim.
So much death followed soon after.
Iori was still ashamed of that.
"...Yeah, he did. But that was different. I only did what I thought was right."
"So did he and like you, Nagata-sama never meant any harm. Neither of you is perfect. You both made your choices, based on what you believed was the right call."
Iori wanted to argue that everything he did had been done to help them, but then he paused to think. Nagata had always done his best to help others. It was what originally drew them to him and made him endearing in the first place. It was why Kochu and Iori had decided to join Nagata's faction.
Kochu did have a point, which Iori could not deny. They've made mistakes that cost them. However, Iori was still here to protect them. That was what set them apart.
"But I'm still here, Koi. Unlike him, I'm not going to disappear. I'm going to stay to protect our family." Iori emphasized this by gently placing his hand on Kochu's stomach. He did not want to argue or cause his pregnant wife any distress.
Their eyes met tenderly and they shared a kiss.
"Can you believe what Iori-sama said?" Bacho asked Chou'un as they patrolled around the refugee camp. Ryuubi had just dismissed them after ending the meeting. After hearing about what happened to Son Go, she did not have the heart to continue and needed to be alone.
"I know, right? I don't care if I starve, I will never resort to cannibalism."
Bacho gave her friend a deadpan look.
"Sei, you know what I mean."
Chou'un knew they needed to address the matter. She really wished they did not have to discuss it, but there was no use ignoring it.
"You want to talk about Nagata-sama's disappearance, don't you?" Chou'un asked.
"He wouldn't abandon us and run off with that traitor, right?" Bacho returned. She trusted Nagata, but now she was having doubts.
"He would never abandon us but we all know how important family is to him. Since Karasu's no longer in her cell that meant someone must've let her out. Since he went to rescue her, only Nagata could've done it."
"Well, when he comes back then he can explain what really happened."
"That is if he comes back, Sui." Chou'un paused. "Would you prefer he be dead or alive?"
"Alive, of course!" Bacho answered quickly. "And he's not dead! Ren and Iori-sama did not find a body!"
"Yet. They have not found a body yet. At least if he's dead, then he has a reason not to come back. If he's alive, then he was either captured or he left us."
"Only Karasu would know for sure." Bacho made strangling motions with her hands. "And when I get my hands on that witch, I'm going to make her tell us the truth."
"Get in line. We all want a piece of her." Chou'un had some choice of words for the traitor. They had trusted Karasu but she threw that back in their faces. She had betrayed them and killed one of their own. Now she was free, but she was also a fugitive. Once they spread the word, there would be no place left for her to hide. Once they found her, they were going to make her regret for ever betraying them.
KRC: This is a chapter that allows the characters to reflect over new information and it seems opinions are split. Iori and Kanu believe Nagata has abandoned them but Chouhi and Ryuubi believe he will return. The others are still on the fence. I did this to point out that people are emotional and make judgments based on beliefs more than facts.
Ryuubi and Kanu remained in the meeting tent after everyone was dismissed. The two of them were silently dwelling over the last bit of news. To hear that one of their most powerful allied kingdoms had fallen was a huge shock for them all.
It was Kanu who broke the silence first.
"Son Go has fallen to the enemy. They were one of our most powerful allies. Even worse, they've lost two of their Armored War Gods, including a Sovereign. At this rate, the RinJyuKen Akugata will win!"
Kanu was right. The RinJyuKen had scored a huge advantage by destroying Son Go. They had the largest amount of Lockseeds collected, including Lockvehicles. Not even Sou Gi or Shoku could boast about that.
With both Zangetsu and Kamuro gone, the Alliance had been significantly weakened by the loss of two Armored War Gods. The loss of a Sovereign also crippled them, and with the possibility of Nagata abandoning them, then their chances of winning against the enemy had plummeted.
"Then it's even more important than ever that we find Nagata-sama!" Ryuubi insisted. She believed that with Nagata, they had a chance to fight back. His power was needed. She needed him.
"Where will we even begin looking?" Kanu retorted. The only clue they had that Nagata might be alive was the lack of a body. "No, it's more important for us to focus on what matters right now."
"Nagata-sama matters!"
"I never said he did not matter, Aneue, but our people are cold and starving, our food supply is dwindling, and we're not even sure when Kosonsan-dono will arrive. I hate to say this, but we can't let our emotions blind us to the possibility, Aneue. We need to face the truth that Nagata-sama's not coming back."
"No, you're wrong! He's come back before, or have you forgotten?" Ryuubi reminded. Kanu remembered. Back during the Armored War God Tournament, Ukitsu had sent Nagata and the Armored War Gods away. But when they had needed them the most, they had returned, Nagata included. Then there was the time when he had been struck down by Braco, but he still managed to return to save them from the Dorinki-powered Venom Fists leader.
"No, I have not forgotten any of that, but we need to face facts. Nagata-sama has left us," Kanu stated firmly.
"How can you say that?" Ryuubi demanded.
"Because if he was coming back, he would've done so already!" Kanu snapped.
Ryuubi was stunned by the vehement declaration.
"...I don't believe it. You've lost faith in him."
"Because he did not trust us. Even me. That's why I don't think I can ever trust him again." Kanu looked away, trying to hide her tears.
"How could you, Aisha?! How could you lose your faith in him?! You're supposed to love him unconditionally!" Ryuubi yelled.
"Don't you dare, Aneue!" Kanu warned. "Don't you dare imply that I don't love him! I've always loved him! I was with him since the beginning while you were fawning over him like a fangirl! Even now, you still are!"
"Maybe that's a good thing since Nagata-sama needs at least one person to believe in him!" Ryuubi shot back angrily.
Both sisters glared hotly at each other. They both loved Nagata and he had hurt them, yet only Ryuubi was willing to still believe in him. Kanu, his first retainer and his first lover, had her faith in him fractured because of the choices he made.
The tension was so thick as they silently glared daggers at each other.
All of a sudden, the silence was broken once again when Kaku barged into the tent.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you, but there's something important I need to tell you," Kaku informed them.
