Redemption of a God

by Dilis Sapherox

With the mortal realms falling into seemingly endless war. The Gods decide that the self exiled God of War must return to perform his role in controlling and limiting the conflicts among the mortals. However, millenia have passed and he has lost much of his power because of it. Chaos Game will help him get it back. The Universe of Chaos Game belongs to Nordiamus

2. Chapter 1

(Rome, Aug 14th, 117 AD)

It had been seventeen years since War had been born in this new body, and it had come with more than a few surprises. Many of which he blamed Chaos for out of spite. He was incredibly confused when he found himself born in ancient Rome. Even more so when he considered that he was an Inu-Daiyōkai that was supposed to be from Japan. But as it happened, his parents, named Ikazuchi Taishou and Hibiki Yashima

Weren't content to just sit around in the western lands of Japan they were born in. Despite their power and duties to the House of Moon that controlled that section of the country, the two set out to explore the world, find new civilizations and peoples. And perhaps great power along the way. They were surprised when they came upon the great empire in the west that called itself Rome, where soldiers, fighting and conquest were common. The two Inu-Daiyōkai decided to settle down in this new land and partake in its culture.

Ikazuchi eventually gave birth to a son, who they named Aurelius Pax Taishou. Naming him in the language of their new home but keeping Ikazuchi's family name out of tradition. Unbeknownst to them however, they had birthed the God of War, though it wouldnt take long for them to fibd out. It wasn't possible to hide his innate knowledge of battle and ability to learn everything his parents taught him with ease. In the time since he had first been born. Aurelius had learned to speak Japanese, Latin, Greek and a handful of other languages. As well as trained as a blacksmith's apprentice, quickly improving the skills through perseverance and a small bit of help from Chaos Game.

His parents taught him to control and manipulate his yōki. -A powerful natural energy that was the source of all Yōkai's life and power.- To perform incredible feats of strength and speed, create acid, fire or electricity and increase his already superhuman senses. The first lesson he truly learned however, was how to mask his physical appearance to look completely human. Concealing his pointed ears, fangs, claws and the purple crescent moon on his forehead. All of these abilities became like second nature and slowly became more potent as the reborn soldier trained in them and with the help of Chaosgame, the process was significantly faster.

Though there were many aspects of the original version of the "game" the version bestowed upon Aurelius was technically less robust and flexible in terms of freedom to apply skill points wherever he wanted. Though instead, each of his "skills" were trained all at once using a form of shared experience pool. For example, he had unknowingly and unexpectedly achieved a higher rank of his blacksmithing skill while he had been re learning how to speak the languages he had previously known, English being chief among them.

Another addition to this version of the game, was a built in heads up display for him. Normally it simply showed the most basic of information about a person he looked at. Their name, and what level they were. Something he had taken a keen interest in was when instead of a level number next to his parents names. It was simply a pair of question marks, something the young man expected meant his parents were far more powerful than anything he had ever seen in his time in the Empire.

His parents never pried for information, knowing their son would tell them what he knew when he was ready. But to say the exact truth of the matter shocked them would be an understatement. Though when he revealed to his parents the nature of his task, they looked more excited and happy than concerned. With the knowledge of Chaos Game and Aurelius giving them access to it. They all but demanded their son had to write to them about his adventures and visit them from time to time to tell them himself.

With a heartfelt goodbye the young man marched from his home. He made his way to the closest military recruiting building and joined the Military. There he underwent the training to become one of many thousand Legionaries. Rigorous combat drills, seemingly endless marches, physical fitness routines that culled the wheat from the chaff. Aurelius proved to be the single best swordsmen amongst the trainees he was with, consistently beating his peers as well as the veterans training them. Once his training was complete, he was deployed with the XIV Luna Deamonium Legion as a Centurion due to his skill and charisma. Putting him in command of a small section of the overall legion. This legion of men were informed that they may not return to Rome again. The XIV was sent on an expedition to the East in an attempt to secure favor in the Chinese by sending one of Rome's legions to fight alongside them. However, along the way they were ambushed by an unknown force of barbaric creatures that were far from humam and resembled what his parents called Yōkai.

The legion was completely unprepared for foes that moved faster than many of the men could keep up with and before they could close ranks and counter attack. The Daemon's had quickly targeted and killed the leading Legate and a portion of the other commanding men with him in the process. Aurelius took command during the chaos and rallied the remaining men of his legion behind him to conduct a successful counter attack against their enemy. A trio of men from other units distinguished themselves from their peers in his eyes during the fight, and a check with the Chaos game system indicated that they had minute amounts of Yōkai blood in them and were of a higher level than many of the others.

With a rallying push the Legionaries were able to get the upper hand and encircled the enemy combatants, leaving a single gap in their formation that the enemy took advantage of to retreat. Many of which dropped their weapons in order to run faster. However this left them mostly defenseless when the legion chased them down and killed them. They spent the remainder of the day burying their fallen brothers and praying for their souls to enter the afterlife in peace.

Aurelius had the weapons of their enemies collected and stored in a cart for inspection at a later time.

With only a few Centurions left to issue orders, the legion as a whole elected Aurelius as their new Legate and soon were ready to move on with their mission. The rest of the journey was mostly uneventful until they reached their destination. Receiving a surprisingly warm welcome upon arrival. The legion spent five years in China, during which they were sent to prove their worth against rebels and competition to the current government. He and his men learned the language and during their time there Aurelius had his first encounter with another Daiyōkai. A dragon, a well respected person amongst the Chinese and a philosopher. The two had multiple conversations about the nature of the world, humans, and trading stories of one another's cultures. Two years after that would be when the legion would be sent to the Island Aurelius knew to be Japan. Where his legion would face its most dire challenges yet. In a world where humans were not the dominant beings around.

The legion was able to easily assert itself on the Island and made a permanent camp in the Kyūshū region while attempting to enforce peace amongst the people there. While the Romans were professional and highly trained, they were not prepared for the Yōkai. Despite Legate Aurelius' impressive capability to fight them in single combat. The vast majority of the Legionaries were easy pickings for the more powerful Yōkai and after six years of hardship and creation of a small village around the camp the legion had been dwindled down to only a fifth of its original strength. Prompting Aurelius to find allies amongst the Yōkai and Human populations. Preferably Daiyōkai like himself and his parents. Taking three of his most skilled Legionaries with him into the western lands to his camp's northeast. Leaving his second in command and the remaining thousand men to take care of their home.

(130 AD)

The four Roman men marched through the forest along a stream, walking in two by two formation as they did so. The youngest of the group, Decimus Vius spoke up as they passed a shrine along the way. "Sir, how exactly do you plan on getting an alliance with these… Daemon's?"

Aurelius glanced over to the man and shrugged slightly. "Simple, I will offer them a well constructed plea for aid that will allow us to coexist in relative peace. Worst case scenario, I'll challenge their leader in single combat to gain their assistance."

The man to Aurelius' left chuckled at the Legate's declaration. "All due respect, Legate. You may be one of the few among our legion to hold his own toe to toe against one of these things. But if what we've been up against thus far has only been rabble or disorganized groups. What makes you think you can best the leader of the more powerful lords?"

Aurelius frowned at that and sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if i told you Maximus, probably call me insane or deranged."

The final member of the four man group laughed at that. "You are insane, you'd have to be to have gotten us all this far. We've served under your command for the last what? Thirteen years? You haven't given us a reason not to trust you with our lives yet, what possibly could you say to change that?"

Aurelius raised an eyebrow at the vehement support of him and sighed. "Gee thanks for the support Dilis. Alright, but you have to promise me that you'll keep it amongst the four of us for now. There's no need to cause a fuss in the legion needlessly."

The three Legionaries with him nodded and the four moved to rest under a large tree near the stream. Placing their shields against the trunk the four men sat and Aurelius began to speak. "I… am the mortal incarnation of the God of War...er.. Mars is what the Roman people… our people, call me."

The three men around him shared various looks of awe, disbelief and concern. But they remained silent, knowing the tale wasn't so simple. "I am here, with you all. Because I have to ensure humanity survives and prospers for millennia to come. For in my absence, war has gone unchecked and caused countless innocent lives to perish. The strongest of our people, who prove that they are both incredible combatants. And, who have a capacity to restrain themselves will help me both here, in this realm. And in others that have already fallen into unchecked unending war. To help with that, I was not born human myself. I am one of the... Daemons, not the same species that has been hunting and harrassing us. But a Daemon regardless. In my parents language, we are known as Daiyōkai."

The three men simply stared at their Legate, glancing to one another before looking back at him. It was Decimus who broke the silence. "C-can you prove this? Somehow? Like, do something a human never could?"

The other two men looked equally skeptical but cautious. Aurelius hesitated but nodded. Letting his concealment of his physical features drop, allowing his natural appearance to return, as well as obliterating a small boulder by shooting a bolt of lightning at it. Looking cautiously at his fellow soldiers, half expecting them to rise up and attack him on the spot. But that didn't happen, instead Dilis simply started laughing. Nearly tumbling off the rock he was sitting on. It took a full thirty seconds for him to calm himself.

"We should be dead… should have died thirteen years ago. And countless times since then. But you've done nothing but pull us and the legion through it all. Daemon or not, I owe you my life, several times over. This just means we actually have a chance at this alliance of yours."

The remaining two men nodded in agreement, neither could argue with what their brother in arms was saying. Maximus smiled widely. "We will follow you into the depths of hell if you ask us too."

Aurelius sighed in mild relief before he looked out at the sky. "We've probably got a few more hours before we should make camp. Grab your shields, we shouldn't stay idle for long."

In a few moments the four soldiers were back into their formation and marching further into the territory of the Daiyōkai House of Moon.

Aurelius was caught momentarily off guard when a notification appeared in the left corner of his vision that became larger and more clear when he focused on it.

{Hidden objective: reveal your true identity to your most loyal followers. Complete

Reward(s): 1x Divine Pedersen Device. Allows for the quick change from bolt action to semi auto. Shortens cooldown of unleashed weapon by 1 hour.}

This caused the veteran to frown slightly and immediately go to check the inventory. Something he had become accustomed to over the years. Only to find two new additions. The first, was the previously indicated weapon modification. However the second and more important addition. Was under the "Weapons" section. Where he found listed "Relic of War."

Concerned about this development, he activated the inventory process and grabbed the weapon as it materialized seemingly from nowhere in a red black mist. To his simultaneous elation and disappointment, he realized that the weapon he had been given was not in fact his rifle from the immortal plane. Though instead of the pristine white and gold of the advanced weapon. He found himself holding a weapon he was all too familiar with…. A Lee-Enfield rifle. As soon as he grabbed the weapon and felt its familiar weight in his grasp he received another notification.

of trial and error had figured out how to access his inventory. And to his relief, found his rifle. However when he selected it he was met with an alert.

Your rifle as it is back home is a powerful weapon war. So to make things a little more interesting, I've locked most of it's more powerful capabilities away behind a five minute duration ability. War Gods Wrath. It can be used once a week and will allow you to use the weapon to its full capability. However, I know you and I know Knowledge. You two will eventually find a way to reforge the weapon using your new powers and more advanced technology eventually. So the more you upgrade the weapon, the shorter the cooldown of your ability will become. But instead of some random alternative, I decided to give you the very same weapon you wielded before you became War. Happy Hunting!

Aurelius groaned in annoyance at the realization that he wouldn't be able to use his weapon as he expected. But as he looked over the weapon in his hands. He smiled softly as he realized it was indeed the very same rifle he had all those years ago, right down to the maple leaf carved into the stock.

He saw the confused and confounded looks of his men and smiled brightly. "Sorry about that. One of my old friends just gave me a gift. And played a joke on me. But i know what you're gonna ask. What is that? Where did it come from? Are we certain he's not insane?"

The three Legionaries simply nodded with mixed expressions ranging from confused to amused.

With a sigh Aurelius shook his head. "This is a weapon, a powerful one. I'll explain more about it later right now we need to keep the pace. But where it came from is… complicated, lets just say it was delivered to me by the other gods."

With three affirmative nods they continued their march as Aurelius slung the weapon over his shoulder using the leather sling attached to it. They eventually passed a few Japanese travelers along the way who spoke of the various places of interest, lakes, villages, and the large domain that the head of the House of Moon called home. Thanking the travelers, Aurelius handed them a few coins before the four men set off East towards their destination.

It was merely an hour later that the Legionaries stopped to make camp. Decimus and Maximus gathered wood for Aurelius to light for a fire, taking much less time now that he did not have to hide his powers. Dilis pulled out some of their rations and handed them out to the others before sitting with his back to a tree to rest. "Who wants the first watch?"

Decimus raised his hand slightly while still chewing. Taking a moment to finish he spoke. "I'll do it, we should have Aurelius take the last watch. The two of you can figure out who goes next."

Dilis shook his head in amusement. "Works for me, I'll take the second watch. Just don't hit me with a rock this time."

The four men laughed and spoke for a few minutes and before long Decimus was the only one left awake. The fire was still going, albeit at less intensity. The young man kept his ears out for anything that might be trying to close on them. Rustling of leaves in the wind, the occasional snapping of twigs. Such noises would cause some weaker willed men to fear. However nothing came of the noises and the remainder of the watch went without incident. As did the subsequent two watches, though the men each expressed a feeling of being watched.

Aurelius was woken by Maximus shoving him firmly. "You sleep like a damned rock you know that? I've been pushing you for the last five minutes. It's your turn to keep watch, something is out there watching us but whatever it is seems to be keeping it's distance."

The Legate nodded as he pushed himself up off the ground. "Understood, rest up. I'll wake you all at dawn."

Maximus hummed in affirmation before going to lay back down where he was before his watch. Leaving Aurelius to watch over them. And in that moment as his fellow soldier fell asleep, all went silent. No wind in the trees, no sound of his men breathing, nothing except for soft footsteps approaching him calmly. He reached for his sword but a voice softly spoke out to him.

"You will not need your blade, I am not here to fight you. Though your rifle would likely serve you better should we fight." The voice was clearly feminine, silky and confident with a sultry undertone.

Aurelius was completely surprised that the woman even knew about what the weapon resting on his back was. He stayed his hand, resting it on the hilt of his weapon "If that is true then what have you done to my men? They aren't breathing."

The woman stepped into the light revealing herself. Long black hair flowed down her back as her teal colored eyes looked upon him inquisitively. Her pale skin shone brightly in the now motionless flames of the campfire between her and him. "They are fine, time has simply ceased it's forward movement for the moment. I've been looking for you for quite some time now, War."

Aurelius tensed and gripped his sword tightly and demanded answers to how this woman knew so much about him. "How do you know that name?! How do you know what this weapon is!? Who are you!?"

The woman giggled softly at his reaction and waved his concern away. "Tell me, do you remember when we archived all those weapons of yours? The days we spent trying to log every kind of firearm and sword you could find?"

The Roman Legate frowned slightly at the question before her identity came to him. "Knowledge? What!? What are you doing here? I thought you were still in the Immortal Realm."

The smiling woman closed the distance between the two of them as she spoke. "It was decided that you alone should not bear the weight of this task. And I took it upon myself to enter the mortal realm and aid you."

"I see." Aurelius smiled softly at the raven-haired Daiyōkai before him. "Can you release my men now? They're alright I hope."

With a nod and a wave of her hand the world returned to normal, the sound of his men breathing returned as well as the other sounds of nature around them. "Knowledge I… I'm glad you are here."

The goddess smiled at the Legate and held out an elegant hand to him. "My name here is Kaguya, what is your name, War?"

The god looked at the hand for a moment before gently grasping it with his own. "Right, I was named Aurelius, Aurelius Pax Taishou. My parents kept their family name but adopted the language of my homeland, Rome. What is your last name?"

Knowledge, who he would now refer to as Kaguya frowned slightly. "I do not have one, I was not raised by a family in this life. And thus have no family name."

Aurelius frowned himself and shook his head. "Well that simply won't do. Hmm what about… Scientia?"

Kaguya smiled happily as she thought it over before nodding softly. "Scientia, Latin for Knowledge. I feel that would be fitting."

Aurelius smiled softly and gestured for her to sit with him by the fire. "I hadn't expected any outside assistance, but I'm happy to have you here with me. You're Intellect will undoubtedly prove essential to what must happen for humanity to survive."

Kaguya hummed in agreement as she sat beside the warrior. "Indeed, do you have a plan for that already?"

"The beginning of one, we know humanity will wage a nuclear armageddon upon itself from what Shadow and Light experienced, we can't prevent that. But if we can create strongholds of technology and civilization that can either avoid the war or at least weather the storm. We will have a starting point to rebuild. To do that, we will need allies. People we can trust. And technology can't do it alone. Magic, Daemonic energy, soul fire. We will need all of it to some degree."

Aurelius rubbed his face with his left hand and frowned. "But that's far in the future. I have a goal right now, secure aid from the House of Moon for my men. Whether we wanted it or not we stepped into a war with the Yōkai where we set up our fort. And while I'm able to fight the Daemon's in single combat. Most of my men are not able to, humans aren't able to match them in speed, strength or endurance. And I can't simply give them all rifles and call it a day. So, I need help. A place safe for my people where we can begin to work on the future."

The raven-haired woman folded her arms across her chest and thought for a moment. "I will obviously help in any way I can. I've become a very capable fighter in the decades since waking here. But you said your last name was Taishou, that should at least get you in to meet the current lord of the house. I believe Taishou Toga is still a young man at this time, if he is the Lord I do not know. Though I believe that will become a reality soon."

Aurelius raised an eyebrow at Kaguya and tilted his head in question. "What makes you say that?"

"There is rumor of a large opposing house that seeks to claim the western lands as its own. Supposedly they will raze the House and its holdings to the ground and build upon the ashes."

"I see, that may be the in we need. Help them defend against this enemy force and request permission to settle under their protection. I had planned to settle things with single combat, though that was shortsighted and would have caused more problems."

"Indeed, we should make best speed to the compound in the morning and present your offer to the head of the house. I'm sure you can convince them. Negotiations are a form of war after all."

Aurelius rolled his eyes at his old friend with a scoff. "Don't get smug with me. You are right however, negotiations may be required. But I have faith in my abilities, winning a battle with words is more efficient than with blades, if only less exciting."

The two gods sat in silence for a while after that, just watching the flames dwindle in the fire and the sounds of the forest around them. The other Legionaries began to stir shortly before daybreak and woke in short order. The three men each silently look towards one another and back at the two by the coals of the fire watching for the sunrise.

Decimus spoke up just as the sun began to crest the horizon, coloring the sky a myriad of oranges and yellows. "Who's your new friend Legate?"

Aurelius and Kaguya had both heard the humans behind them waking up and weren't surprised by the sudden question. "Her name is Kaguya Scientia. She has offered to assist us in our mission. And yes, she is Daemon like me."

Kaguya noted that the three men seemed to relax at the knowledge offered to them but didn't seem entirely convinced. "You told them about your powers?"

Aurelius nodded. "They know everything. About me being War, about my mission, about my Daemonic heritage."

Kaguya raised an eyebrow at that revelation. "I see, you must trust these men greatly for you to tell them so much."

Aurelius shrugged. "Over a decade of surviving together, losing friends and brothers in arms. Such bonds are stronger than most."

As they spoke. Decimus, Maximus and Dilis had gathered their gear and moved to stand

by the two gods. Maximus looked towards the rising sun and smiled softly. "So, is the plan still to march up to the Daemon's home and request an audience?"

Aurelius glanced at Kaguya and nodded. "It is, though supposedly we may have a chance to earn their favor by assisting in repelling a hostile force planning to attack them."

Dilis frowned slightly. "Are you sure getting involved in the conflicts of others is a good idea?"

Decimus shrugged and shoved him lightly on the arm. "Maybe not, but remember. The Legate is technically related to these people. So their problems are his by relation."

"That's… a fair point. I just don't want to have more of us die than have already fallen. We're dwindling as is."

Aurelius grasped the man on the shoulder firmly to reassure him. "You have my word that I won't let that happen. You three will not fall here. And when the time comes for battle. I know you will do our families back in Rome proud."

With that reassurance, the group began to leave. Putting what was left of the fire out before continuing their march towards the Daiyōkai House of Moon compound. The remaining journey was relatively uneventful, almost too much so. Despite the soft running water of the stream nearby and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. There was no signs of wildlife. No birds singing, or scavengers looking for food. It was an eire lack of noise that even the three human Legionaries took notice of it.

"Legate?" Decimus began to speak. "It seems awfully quiet. I don't even hear birds in the trees. It's rather unsettling."

Aurelius nodded in agreement but before he could respond Kaguya spoke up. "Ah, that would be me. Most creatures seem to stay well away from me. I have yet to completely understand why, though based on information from what I learned through studying Shadow and Light. It may have something to do with my Daiyōkai aura. The same might be true of Aurelius as well, though it seems as though he has more control over his aura than myself."

Aurelius himself shrugged slightly but didn't disagree. "That was one of the first things my parents taught me. In order to better blend in with the people around me. It's become something of a second nature after all these years."

The three humans looked at one another in confusion before Decimus spoke up again. "Aura? What?"

This elicited a nudge in the ribs from Dilis while Aurelius chuckled at their confusion. "Alright, this isnt exactly something you can just dumb down so pay attention. Kaguya can back me up on the details if i miss any."

With a soft nod from the ravenette beside him Aurelius continued. "Daemons, like myself, Kaguya and even the more animalistic ones we've come across all possess a source of energy. The Japanese Daiyōkai call it Yōki, it is effectively the source of our strength and life. However, Daemons also, either consciously or not. Exert this energy in a malicious aura around them, this is known as Jaki. The more powerful the Daemon the more powerful the aura, and those that wish to do so can use it as a weapon. A strong enough Jaki can effectively become a poisonous energy that kills anything or anyone it touches."

He stopped for a moment to let this information take hold for the men with them before continuing. "Now, for those of us who care about such things. It can be hidden or suppressed to the point of being negligible to those around us. In Kaguya's case, it would seem she simply hasn't had enough practice in doing so and as such her Jaki flows freely. But since she has no ill intentions towards us, it has little effect. Though animals will sense this and know that an apex predator is around and go into hiding. Which explains why we haven't come across much wildlife recently."

Kaguya looked at her fellow god with a soft smile and nodded. "This is correct, I've not had any reason to do so and didn't have the guidance of my parents to explain most of this to me."

Aurelius frowned at that. "I'm sorry to hear that, I'd be willing to help you learn to do so. If you'd like."

Kaguya smirked slightly at his offer. "I would appreciate that. Knowing how to control my aura properly hasn't exactly come second nature to me. Though that may be due to how I came into possession of this body. And before you ask, I took control of this body from a horrible Daiyōkai woman who had killed many innocent people. It seemed like the best and quickest way to assist my fellow god with his task."

The five of them traveled in relative silence for the next few miles, idle chatter from the human's at the front of the group while Kaguya and Aurelius discussed plans for the battle ahead. As they passed into the territory of the House of Moon they were suddenly stopped by the arrival of a man before them that appeared from the shadows in the trees. Though to the three humans it looked as if the man appeared out of thin air. To their credit however, they reacted almost immediately. Drawing their gladius' and closing formation to lock their shields in a small phalanx. Kaguya and Aurelius however didn't even flinch at the man's sudden arrival and could tell he was a Daiyōkai. "Stand down men."

The man subtly raised an eyebrow before nodding slightly and looking passed the humans at Kaguya and Aurelius. "I am GinKiba, General of the House of Moon. I was dispatched to inform you that you are trespassing on the House of Moon's homelands. However, your scent boy. You are a Daiyōkai of the House?"

Aurelius frowned slightly but nodded. "Technically, my parents are Inazuma and Hibiki Taishou."

A nod of understanding followed the affirmation. "I see, the two of them were always more inclined to see the world and face challenges than their duties as Heirs to the House. Are they still alive?"

The Legate nodded firmly but tilted his head in confusion. "Why? They never said anything about being particularly important here."

GinKiba rolled his eyes and scoffed slightly. "Of course they didn't. Then it should come as great surprise that Inazuma is the elder sister to the young Taishou Toga. Effectively marking her as the direct heir to the Lord of the House. Though with her departure, her brother has taken her place as first in line."

To say that Aurelius was caught off guard by this news was an understatement. It was only millennia of strict discipline and training that prevented him from making an outburst of shock. "That is certainly news to me. I hope my arrival won't cause problems to the line of succession."

The General shook his head softly. "No, it shouldn't. Though the Lord and young Toga will be pleased to know that the two of them are alright. And it seems they finally settled down, good for everyone. Come, I must bring you to the compound to present yourself to the Lord of the House. We are expecting an assault on our land any day now and could use your assistance."

Aurelius nodded and proceeded to march after the General. "That is precisely why I've come. I hoped that in return for aiding the House in repelling this attack that I could have my people fall under it's protection."

GinKiba looked back at the Legate and then to the three humans with him. "Humans? I don't know. The Lord does not hold them in high regard. He believes they are weak and useless. Though I suppose if these ones prove their worth in the coming fight that a deal could be made. You would need to discuss that with him however."

Aurelius frowned in disappointment at that. "That is unfortunate that they believe such. However my men should be up to any task necessary. Especially in the coming fight."

A shrug and the General led them through the path to the large walled off compound. "Like I said, that's something you have to discuss with him. I am a warrior first and foremost."

Aurelius nodded in understanding. "Fair enough, it was a pleasure to meet you General. I hope to speak again in the future."

GinKiba smiled in approval before opening the ornate gate for them. "Likewise young pup."

This caught the god off guard momentarily causing him to look at the General with an odd look before remembering the way his parents used to refer to him as a child. The look of confusion However caused his men to chuckle at his expense and even Kaguya couldn't help a small giggle of amusement. The Legate cleared his throat and shook his head at his friends. "Yeah, yeah, Laugh it up."

The group passed through the gate and were able to fully take in the House of Moon's home. Not exactly a palace but certainly not small. It reminded Aurelius more of a fortress disguised as a mansion, the fortified walls towered above the perimeter. Each was patrolled by Daemons and very few humans. Despite this, the Legate could pinpoint three major flaws in the defensive structure. Lack of archers atop the walls, the main gate was relatively unguarded, and aside from GinKiba, the men atop the walls seemed lackadaisical.

"For people expecting an attack, you don't look too well prepared for it."

The Daemon General frowned at that and looked up at the walls. "You noticed that did you? I suppose you would, given your weapons and the obvious training of your men. Lord Taishou does not believe the coming attack to be much of a threat and has only kept a token defense force to repel the attack."

Aurelius sighed and shook his head. He turned to Kaguya and frowned. "This isn't going to end well."

The raven haired woman nodded in agreement. "I agree, what of your remaining men? Could we not get them to aid in the defense?"

Aurelius crossed his arms and looked to his men. "Doubtful. It'd take at least three days, one to get back. And then likely a day to have the Legion prepare their war gear for transport. Then the return trip, three days minimum. And from what you've said, I doubt we have that long."

Kaguya sighed and looked at the three men with them and then to GinKiba. "Then it's down to the six of us to formulate a successful defense."

GinKiba nodded but then smiled slightly. "Seven actually, young Toga has also taken this much more seriously. He has been training constantly since we received word of the attack. You may wish to speak with him once you've finished with the Lord. Though he is currently out on business, he should return in a few days."

Aurelius hummed and nodded. "Right, let's get that out of the way. Sooner the better."

The six of them walked through the main hall of the compound and into the large room in the center, a massive table with various maps and documents sat in the center of the room with a large ornate chair at the head of the table. Sitting upon it looking at the map was a large Daemon, obvious from the pointed ears and twin markings on each cheek indicating status as an alpha.

GinKiba inclined his head respectfully to the man and spoke. "Lord Taishou, I present to you the son of Inazuma and Hibiki Taishou and his comrades."

The moment Inazuma was mentioned the white haired Daemon looked up at the group and eye'd Aurelius and Kaguya. "Inazuma? She yet lives? I am pleased to hear this. You claim to be her son? Where is my daughter and her mate then? Where did they end up running off too?"

Aurelius nodded respectfully as the Lord addressed him. "My parents traveled far to the East and settled down after several years. My men and I were born and raised there and are of one of the Roman Empire's legions. My parents are back home still, though they demanded I write to them often."

The Lord sighed at that but nodded. "I see, I am glad that she is alive regardless. But why are you here? Did you come to lay claim to the position of Heir to the House? And why did you bring humans?"

The Legate looked back to his men and gestured to them. "These men are my best soldiers, they have accompanied myself to your land to ask for the aid and protection of the great House of Moon. In return, we will help repel the coming attack and offer training to anyone else living on your lands loyal to the House."

The Daemon crossed his arms. "Us? Protect humans? They aren't worth the time or energy. What could they possibly do that any of us Daiyōkai can't?"

Aurelius shrugged nonchalantly.

"They aren't blind to the threats around them for one."

The Lord scowled at the Legate and let his hands fall to his sides. Aurelius' trained eyes noted the subtle movement towards the sword on the man's hip but made no moves himself.

"The supposed attack on my compound by the panther tribes? Bah! Far from a legitimate threat. And should they actually go through with it we would know well in advance."

Aurelius rolled his eyes and pointed to the map of the compound and to the walls specifically. "Your guards are not alert, you have no ranged defenses and your front gate is next to completely unguarded. It would be a trivial matter for an enemy to sneak through the gaps and sabotage important defensive sections as well as assassinate key members of your House. Even go so far as to get to you directly."

The older Daiyōkai clenched his fists and glared daggers at Aurelius. "You speak as if you are some war tested general and master tactician. But you are barely even of age to take the ritual hunt to become an adult. You are in no position to criticize my plans in my own home. If you want me to even consider your ridiculous request, then go with General GinKiba. He will act as an observer while you undertake the ritual hunt. Come back as an Alpha, or don't come back at all."

Aurelius had to grab Decimus by the shoulder as the younger man went to draw his gladius and rush the Daiyōkai. "You won't win that fight. Come, we will undertake this hunt of his. And return as expected."

The three Legionaries, Aurelius and Kaguya all turned to leave but the Lord gestured for GinKiba to wait and speak alone. "Find the most dangerous target you can find for them. If he truly is the son of my daughter then he won't have any issues. If not? Well then I won't have the stench of human lingering around my halls."

GinKiba's expression was impossible to read as he nodded to his Lord. "As you wish, it will be done."

Aurelius and his group had spent the night outside the compound, having spent the majority of the afternoon patrolling the perimeter of the walls, eventually setting camp half a mile from the front gate. GinKiba had protested somewhat, suggesting they stay within the compound for the night. But Kaguya and Aurelius were quick to point out that they clearly weren't welcome by the Lord and the three Legionaries would be safer outside.

They proceeded to perform the same sleep watch rotation as before, though the night went by uneventfully. And as the first light of dawn shone upon the group GinKiba approached them. Intending to test Aurelius reflexes and perception. However when he came into view of the camp he found Kaguya overlooking Aurelius' shoulder as he seemed to be meditating like a praying human. His curiosity piqued, the General elected to watch what was happening and with his incredible senses listened to the two discuss something.

While he was seated on his knees and had made his daily attempt to inform the other gods of his current progress. He was actually looking over the Chaos Game interface. And after nearly an hour of work with Kaguya they had managed to effectively implement the modification he had acquired two days prior into the rifle Allowing him to swap the weapon from a bolt action weapon, to a semi-automatic rifle. Though the modification necessitated the use of a smaller, less powerful projectile.

Kaguya spoke up in curiosity at the nature of his weapon. "I had expected you to be more irritated at the limit on your weapon here. Though the limit is necessary here."

The Legate sighed heavily and nodded. "I am aware of that. At least it's not a musket, because if he did that I think I might actually have had to shoot him."

That simply made the raven haired goddess laugh aloud. Aurelius shook his head and stood up from his seated position while inspecting the rifle. As he did so he spoke out to the General watching from afar. "General, good morning. Come to gather information on us have you? Well you may as well come over here and sit with us before you take us to the location of the hunt."

The General nodded and moved to sit in front of the two curious individuals. Ge gestured to the rifle in the Legate's hands with a hand. "What is that thing you hold?"

Aurelius looked at the weapon and shrugged. "A weapon, one meant for long range combat. Far more long range than a bow."

GinKiba raised an eyebrow and looked closer at the unassuming thing. "Really? It looks like an ugly stick to me."

Kaguya snorted slightly as Aurelius frowned. "I assure you, it is far more than a simple stick."

With a chuckle GinKiba gestured towards a tree not far from them. "Show me then."

Aurelius raised an eyebrow and nodded. Standing up he cycled the bolt on the rifle to chamber the first bullet into the barrel. The metal clicking and sliding as it rotated and moved the projectile seemed to distract the Legate for a moment as he pushed the bolt forward back into place to lock the weapon for safe firing. The sounds of distant combat and artillery explosions echoed in the back of his mind as he stared down at the weapon.

Kaguya noted this and tilted her head slightly. Wrenching his thoughts back to the present. "Is everything alright?"

Aurelius looked up slightly and had an almost different look in his eyes as they met her own. "Yes, sorry. It's… I'll tell you later."

With that he swiftly brought the weapon to his shoulder and stared down the barrel at the target. The tree was only a hundred or so meters away so he didn't need to focus much on the more complicated aspects of long distance shooting. He slowly applied pressure to the trigger of the weapon and a loud crack tore through the air for a few miles, causing GinKiba and Kaguya to wince and cover their now ringing ears.

Aurelius cycled the bolt once more with lightning quickness and lowered the rifle to look at the others. While the two Daemons beside him were still rubbing their ears, his men were looking at the weapon with awe. Dilis shook his head with amusement.

"If we had something like that back home we'd have conquered the world."

Aurelius nodded firmly and slung the rifle over his shoulder with grace and familiarity as he walked over to the General. "This specific weapon will not be invented by humanity for a long time. Which is one of the reasons I have yet to use it. Such a drastic disparity in technology and warfare could change the course of history for the worse. And would cause much more harm in the long term."

GinKiba nodded slowly as he looked back to the tree that Aurelius had shot at. Noting the small hole in the wood from where the bullet entered it. "I see, it's clearly accurate. And if I'm correct. There is no physical armor in existence that could yet stand up to such a weapon."

Aurelius shook his head slightly. "Not yet, no. We should make our way to this Hunt that my grandfather demands of me."

The older man nodded softly and gestured for Aurelius to follow. "Your human friends must remain here. The lord believes that their presence would sully the result and render the Hunt a stain on the house's honor."

The Legate sighed in exasperation as Kaguya palmed her face in annoyance. Mumbling something about ignorance and downfalls.

"Alright, you heard the General. You three will remain here. I want you to form a defensive position and remain alert. I'll try to be back quickly."

The three men nodded and turned their attention towards the task of preparing themselves to fend off any would be attackers.

As the trio of Daiyōkai made their way to the location of the Hunt Kaguya began to ask questions. "What exactly does this Hunt entail?"

GinKiba turned his attention towards the Raven haired woman momentarily before speaking. "It varies from Hunt to Hunt. But generally involves the tracking and elimination of a target. Each group of hunters consists of between four and six members. The one who serves as the most valuable member of the group tends to be chosen as the Alpha of the Hunt. As they usually end up taking the lead during the task."

Aurelius nodded slightly as he listened. "So that means we will be grouped up with a few more Daemons then. Our target must be a difficult one to eliminate if it requires more than two hunters."

The General nodded in approval. "Correct, I will explain the details once we meet up with your other pack members."

It was a few miles walk through the forest to where the other two members of the hunting pack were already waiting. A young man with dark brown shoulder length hair and evident physical features of a Kitsune such as the fox-like ears atop his head and the pupils of his eyes.. The mischievous look in the boy's eyes betrayed the otherwise calm look he gave them.

The second was a young woman who seemed to be an Ookami at first glance. Her black hair cascaded down to her lower back and her wolfish ears twitched at their approach. She stood leaned against a tree with her arms crossed as she eyed the group with annoyance.

"It's about time, did they get lost or something? It would have been better to just leave them and let the two of us take the Hunt on our own."

Aurelius spoke up before GinKiba could interject. "Nice to meet you too, do you always speak to the General with such informality and rudeness? Or do you think yourself so high and mighty that he is not worthy of your respect?"

The Kitsune laughed slightly at the Ookami as she growled at Aurelius. Her fist clenched and she made an attempt to punch the man. Though GinKiba stopped her fist with his hand easily grabbing her wrist. Moving so quickly even Aurelius and Kaguya struggled to see it happen. "The Legate is correct. As the lead General of the House of Moon you have not earned the right to speak to me with such disregard."

The General let go of the woman's wrist as he straightened his posture. "Now, Shin. Come over here so we can begin the Hunt."

Ths Kitsue nodded and walked over with a small smile on his face. "Don't mind Kaga too much. She doesn't like new people. Or anyone for that matter."

Kaguya scoffed and crossed her arms as the Ookami in question crossed her arms and moved away slightly. "So I've noticed. Tell me General. Is one of the objectives of this Hunt to force us to work together despite our personal feelings and differences?"

With a smile and nod GinKiba withdrew a map from a bag on his hip. He cleared away some debris from the ground and layed out the map before continuing. "Precisely. It's one thing to eliminate the target. But if you don't work together then the chances of you succeeding are low. Now, this circle is the area around us. This X is where the target was last spotted. And this blue circle is where we are currently."

The man stood and wiped his hands clean. "The task is simple enough. Work together and eliminate the threat."

Aurelius nodded and only briefly looked at the map. It wouldn't help much more than pointing the general direction of their target.

"What is our target? What do you know about them and their capabilities? I'd rather not risk the lives of the people fighting with me without as much intel we can get."

Despite the look of confusion at the use of wording. The Kitsune spoke up to answer instead of the General. His smile was gone and a solemn look took its place. "She is my older sister. She went on a mission into the territory of a dark sorcerer. And went missing for four months. When she was next seen… she was different. Cold and distant. And she didn't seem to recognize anyone who knew her before. Not even me. We are hunting her because she attacked and killed several people under the House of Moon's protection."

Kaguya and Aurelius frowned and shared a look of understanding. Aurelius stepped towards the young man and placed a comforting hand on their shoulder. "We will do what we can to bring her in alive. She doesn't sound like the kind of person to just turn on her house. So something else must be at work here."

The Kitsune looked at the Legate's hand for a moment before looking into his eyes. Seeing the conviction clear as day in them. With a firm nod and a small smile he stood a little straighter as he cleared his throat. "Right. Uh, let's get going then eh? The longer we talk here the harder it will be to track her down."

The group nodded and the two young Daemons began making their way towards the last sighting of their target. Aurelius was about to follow as Kaguya grabbed his arm to stop him. "Are you sure that taking her alive is possible? It's not like you to choose not to eliminate a threat like this without killing them."

Aurelius opened his mouth to reply but stopped himself. "Years ago perhaps… but things have changed. I'm not about to gun down this boy's sister in front of him when she clearly isn't the one at fault for her actions."

The ravenette smiled softly and let his arm go. "I'm not saying it's wrong, just that i was surprised at how odd it was coming from you."

Her fellow god frowned as they began to follow the two others in their pack. The General kept a distance but maintained a constant vigil over the group. "I know. And I understand but… I don't know, my time away gave me time to think… a lot of time. About how I had failed in my position as one of the gods. About how my actions led to so many souls being ravaged in the conflict that I failed to prevent."

Kaguya swatted the back of Aurelius' head. "Stop that line of thought right now. You're not the only one who didn't see what was happening until it was too late. None of us expected it, how could you?"

The man rubbed his head in response to the hit and sighed. "Because it was my responsibility to guide her, to teach her how to use her gifts correctly. Instead I failed to see how the transition to her godly powers was corrupting her. Driving her towards bloodlust."

Kaguya shook her head. "It was not only you who was supposed to teach her. And nobody could have expected that the power tied to war could corrupt so strongly. You were the first and you hadn't shown anything like that."

The Legate simply shook his head. "I believe it is due to the ways we were chosen for the gift… she was a warlord, a conqueror. A brilliant strategist and incredible warrior. But… it wasn't in her nature to let the power at her disposal not be used for those same ends."

The ravenette raised a brow slightly. "And you weren't any of those?"

Aurelius chuckled softly. "You know I wasn't. I was a young man back then. Barely twenty years old when the great war began. I was a simple soldier with a desire to fight for what I believed was correct."

The woman smiled softly and firmly gripped his shoulder. "And that is one of many reasons how you are different. You didn't set out to gain this power, or to hold the highest kill count, or for glory. I remember a man who first met Chaos and Order with a look of incredulity and the look of absolute shock on Chaos' face when that very man flatly refused to take on the role as the master of war."

She smiled softly in fondness of the memories. "I'm not some all powerful warrior or great leader. And I'm sure as hell not qualified to be the God of War. So cut the bullshit and let me rest in peace... Do those words sound familiar?"

Her hand was softly pushed off as Aurelius glanced towards her. A small nod was his initial response. "I remember. It took a few hours of convincing before I accepted the responsibility. But the guilt of what happened is not something easy to let go. Sole responsibility or not."

Kaguya nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't imagine it would be. But I'll be here to help you through it, if you'll let me."

Momentarily the man thought about it before nodding firmly. "I would always welcome your help. Now, let's catch up with the other two. Before they leave us behind."

With a nod of agreement the two quicked their pace to fall in step with their packmates. Who were silently walking ahead of them. Despite the initial crass behavior of Kaga, it seemed that she and Shin were close as the Ookami kept a watching eye over the young man. Aurelius could only guess at the reason behind the behavior, but it was good that they seemed to be close. One less potential problem to deal with.

Kaguya spoke up softly to get the two's attention. "What kind of capabilities does your sister have? What kind of fighter is she?"

Shin tilted his head in thought for a moment before responding. "Before her disappearance she was skilled at swordsmanship, even giving some of the more experienced warriors a run for their money. But as a Kitsune, she was capable of creating incredibly hot foxfire, turning the very ground into glass when she went all out."

Aurelius frowned at that. "Which means that it will be even stronger now more than likely. And they sent rookies out to deal with her? Who's stupid idea was that?"

Kaga growled in irritation at the comment of "rookies" casting a glare towards the Legate. "The current lord of the house decided it would be a good coming of age test for Shin to defeat his sister. I'm with him to keep him from hesitating when the time comes as well as to prove my own capability."

Aurelius glanced at Kaguya and was rubbing the bridge of his nose as he felt his anger getting the better of him. "If the coming attack doesn't kill the fucking idiot. I just might."

Kaguya herself was simply disappointed in the actions of the current lord of the house. "I thought he was simply arrogant and cruel. I hadn't realized just how stupid he is. The sooner Toga takes over the better."

Kaga raised an amused eyebrow. "Now who's talking out of line with their betters?"

The cold glare she received from both of them was immediate. "Better at sending lives to their graves perhaps. You two should not have been tasked with this, regardless of experience. And especially due to your personal connection to the target."

Kaga was about to retort but was cut off by Shin to everyone's surprise. "This is something I need to do. She's my sister, no one else's. And I'll do what is necessary to return my family's name to favor in the House of Moon. Even if it means killing her."

Kaguya frowned. "Family should always come before the opinions of others. And you should never turn your back on them, even if they turn theirs on you."

Aurelius raised a curious eyebrow at his fellow god in disguise but nodded in agreement. "We won't be killing her Shin, not if I have anything to say about it. I've been thinking about what to do to subdue her when we find her. And if what you say is still accurate. We're going to want to lure her into an ambush, using you as bait. If you're up for it."

Shin hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly with a fire in his eyes. He was determined to do whatever it took to potentially bring his sister back.

The Legate smiled and nodded before gesturing for them to stop and grabbed a stick to start outlying the plan in the dirt. "Alright. Here's what we're going to do….."