Chapter 2: Clawmark

Sato was just a plain, old farmer. His family had been tilling Ashina's soil since before it was even known as Ashina. Sure, the last sixty years had seen plenty of conflict, and yes occasionally samurai from various different factions would barge in to demand food, but his family and the farm was largely left untouched. Decades before, Sato's father had to deal with Ashina samurai. Currently, Sato himself deals with Ministry ones. Though they may be farmers, they are also diplomats at heart. Whoever their land was occupied by, they were sure to study up on their respective cultures and mythos. All members of his family had been very compliant with the Ministry grunts. Recently, the Ministry had even started buying his crops at market value! Alas, this just makes Sato's current situation all the more confusing to him.

Why was he tied to this chair with a bag over his head?

He was just tending to his livestock bright and early, like any other morning. The sun hadn't even risen yet and this hardworking farmer was breaking his back to ensure that the Ministry's troops remained well-fed. What does he get as thanks? He gets kidnapped by some female Ministry shinobi and brought to an interrogation! The nerve of these bullies! Oh, just wait until Sato tells the other farmers. Let's see them dominate Japan on empty bellies!

"Hey! You ungrateful ogres!" Sato shouted out in anger, blind to his surroundings. "My name is Sato Sugiyama! How long do you plan to keep me strung up here! I have pigs to tend to!" Silence hung in the air. Suddenly, Sato heard a tent flap open followed by footsteps. "Oh wonderful! The air here was becoming too fresh, you foul dogs!" Insult after insult Sato hurled towards his kidnappers, but to no use. He heard the person who entered the tent place something heavy and full of liquid beside him. "You know what? I bet it was you lot who stole my pigs last year! What's the matter? Couldn't stay civil in our exchanges anymore?" The person continued to ignore Sato as he heard them unravel some kind of cord. Then, the person grabbed his arm and jabbed some sort of needle into his shoulder. "Grah! What the hell do you think you're doing! I'm not going to stand by this! You better get me your superiors now before-"

"Hush…" With a turn of a knob, Sato suddenly lost all cohesion in his speech. A wave of dizziness ate away at any and all of his thoughts, leaving a pleasurable buzz in its wake. A drooling, lopsided smile replaced Sato's angry glare. "Sato…" The person, now revealed to be a woman through her voice, called out. "We need your help, Sato…" The woman's words were like honey to the poor farmer's ears. He swung his head towards the direction of the entrancing sound.

"Yush… missus?" He said, talking like a drunk. The woman, though hesitant at first, leaned in close to his ear and began to whisper.

"Sato… Do you know what the Dragon's Heritage is?" Each wispy word sent shivers down Sato's back.

"Mmmm... yes, miss. Every so often… some kid is born with… dragon's blood…" He answered. "The dragon's blood… it makes them… immortal, it does. Just like that… Dragon itself." The woman couldn't believe her ears. Finally she had found a local who knows a damn thing about this myth!

"Everything, Sato. Tell me everything you know about this." Sato couldn't help but giggle at every tingly word the woman said.

"Mhmhm… uh… I don't know much… just a farmer, miss. But I did hear some, uh… Ministry… Ministry samurai talking… talking about how… they gotta move a… Divine Heir… down the Shin Jinja road." That was all the woman needed to hear. Without even telling Sato, she left the tent.

"Ludwig! Teacher! I found something of note!" Maria shouted across the camp. The two other hunters were spread out through the bamboo forest clearing. It was already dusk by now. Gehrman was by the provisions tent, looking for ingredients to prepare dinner with. Ludwig had built a fire to lounge beside, his arms each wrapped around a Blood Saint. From the way they were talking to Ludwig, one couldn't tell if they were elite nuns or tavern hostesses. Maria grumbled and shouted again. "For heaven's sake, Ludwig! Teacher!" Finally, she had caught the attention of the preoccupied men. Gehrman snapped out of his focused trance and lumbered over to Maria, still carrying the provisions he picked out in his arms. Ludwig glanced over at Maria, turned back to the Blood Saints, kissed their hands, and got up to hear Maria out.

"Maria, dear! Would you like carrots in your stew?" Gehrman asked frantically. "I myself cannot decide between carrots or potatoes. It seems so decadent to include them both…" Ludwig chuckled.

"I'm more concerned with what meat you're making stew out of! Are you using canned chicken or beef?"

"Gentlemen!" Maria called out. "This is the reaction I receive when I've finally found a local peasant that knows about Etul?" Etul was the translated name of the japanese Great One. Through interrogation, Maria had teased out the names "Divine Dragon" and "Dragon's Heritage", but not the meaning behind them. Until now, all of her prisoners were folks who payed no heed to the mythology of Ashina. They've heard of its legends, but none knew about them like Sato, strangely. Gehrman and Ludwig both looked at Maria in surprise.

"Erm… Apologies, Maria. Please, enlighten us." Gehrman said sheepishly. Maria sighed.

"From the facts I've collected, Etul does indeed seem to be a Great One like Ebrietas." She began. "Her blood has miraculous properties, she is an everlasting being…" Maria paused, a thoughtful scowl appearing on her face. "However, there is still one unsolved enigma in this entire mess… Ebrietas had said that only male Great Ones choose females to impregnate, however, she also claims that Etul is a female. This 'Dragon's Heritage' involves human females giving birth to children with unique properties-"

"I see!" Ludwig proclaimed. "Since female Great Ones cannot impregnate women, this serves as a great inconsistency within our current understanding of them!" Gehrman nodded, his eyes showing a slight hint of forlornness.

"Dragon's Heritage… Even the name implies the continuation of Etul's lineage." He muttered. "Perhaps all these questions will be answered as we deepen our investigation. Have you uncovered any information that we can act upon, Maria?" Maria nodded.

"Yes, teacher. According to this farmer, a Divine Heir will soon be moved down the Shin Jinja road one mile west from here. I will get the other needed bits of information out of him shortly." She reported.

"Well! I just knew that your mastery of the japanese language would come into use one day!" Gehrman beamed. He'd pat Maria on the back if his arms weren't full of cans and cooking utensils. "Wonderful work, my pupil." Maria smiled. As cold as she could act at times, receiving her teacher's praise always felt nice.

"Gehrman, Maria…" Ludwig said, traces of sadness emerging in his voice. The two looked at him, concerned. "...We're… we're going to have to kill humans again, aren't we?" Ludwig's realization hung in the air, casting a depressing tone over the conversation. "We made all those agreements on the ship to redeem ourselves, but really. How are we going to take this Divine Heir without shedding the innocent blood of our fellow man again?" Ludwig was right. Maria looked down, unconsciously gritting her teeth in an attempt to repress the memories bubbling to the surface. Hunters must slay beasts.

"These… these are men of war, Ludwig." Gehrman said, his eyes staring into space. "How many men have they killed or thought of killing? As many as any beast, I'd assume." Though Gehrman's rationalizations helped, they all knew that deep down, killing men was still killing men. Even killing beasts could drive a hunter to blood-drunkenness. Alas, the truth was that they were hunters of the Healing Church. They have a duty to fulfill and that duty is to bolster humanity's understanding of the universe. Uncomfortable silence settled in, as Ludwig and Maria took in Gehrman's reasoning.

"I'm… going to continue the interrogation." Maria mumbled, not meeting either of the other hunter's eyes. "I'll take carrots only, Gehrman. For the stew." With that, Maria rushed back into the tent, leaving the two men standing outside. Gehrman saw Ludwig glancing at a tan-colored canopy set up across the camp. Both hunters knew that the canopy was the three hunter's workshop, where they stowed enough weapons and armaments to arm themselves ten times over.

"You know, Gehrman. I haven't even sharpened my Moonlight yet, nor have I really spoken to her since our arrival in Japan. Not even my backup silver sword had received the touch of a whetstone." Ludwig's avoidance was one Gehrman mirrored. It was such a childish thought, that if they just covered their eyes and pretended they didn't have to kill, they wouldn't have to ever deal with the issue.

"My Burial Blade is dull… my Blunderpistol uncleaned…" Gehrman shook his head. "...and I know that Maria's Rakuyo and Evelyn lie unkempt as well." Gehrman had seen Maria take only a mere dagger with her on her kidnapping excursions. The two hunters looked at each other.

"I shall help you maintain our weapons if you help me make dinner." Gehrman offered.

"Hmm, only if I get to pick out the meat."

"Then you will be cleaning the firearms."

"Played for a fool, old man. That's my favourite part."

An inquisitive look from Gehrman was all it took to send the two men into boisterous laughter. Though the dread of their eventual raid hung in the back of their minds, if they were to become beasts, at least they would do so together. As comrades.

"Listen! Did you hear that?"

"Three tweets… That means that the convoy has around thirty men. We have mere minutes before they pass us."

"Alright, men! Let's go over the plan one last time. Hoshi and I will approach the convoy head on. Together, we will draw their attention. Then, the rest of you lot will rush in from the flanks. Do not try to push forward. All we need to do is hold our ground. Then, the Nightjar will sneak in from the back and swipe the Divine Heir. They'll signal us with their reed whistles and we'll all retreat."

Tsukikage gave the rest of the survivors a confident smile. "This is it, men! After tonight, our journey to free Ashina from her Ministry oppressors will begin!" The general stood straight, and gave his men a bow, a gesture that was immediately returned by everyone. "Good luck. To your stations." With that sendoff, all eleven men scattered. Four conscripts crossed the road and dove back into the bamboo treeline while the other five remained. Tsukikage and Hoshi walked to the middle of the road, drew their swords, and sat down cross-legged, placing their weapons on their laps. In the distance, they could see rustling amongst the treetops. The Nightjar were surely in position, waiting to swoop down on ropes tied to the tall bamboo trees.

And so, they waited. One minute passed, then two. Tsukikage couldn't relax a single muscle in his body. This was by far one of the most openly dangerous tasks he's ever had his group embark on. There was a good chance that he'd lose half his men tonight. That's why he kept his goodbye so short. Because he'd go on and on if he didn't stop himself. Three minutes passed, then four. What was taking that convoy so long? Tsukikage was beginning to sweat, even though he hadn't moved a muscle. At the five minute mark, he began getting suspicious. Whenever any of the three Nightjar ninjas said "a few minutes", they've always generally meant "above three minutes, under five". He looked to the treetops. Sure enough, one of the Nightjars left his position, presumably to scout ahead.

But alas, what happened next proved that initiative pointless.

A glowing turquoise explosion erupted down the road, rocking Tsukikage and his men to the core. Rampant gunfire rang out in the distance along with the sound of clashing steel. Hoshi stood up first, looking far into the distance.

"General! We must move! Those must be other bandits!" He urged. Not one for hesitation, Tsukikage leapt to his feet and began running down the road, calling out to his men.

"Men! Change in plans! Charge down the road! Go!" Despite their confusion, the survivors emerged from the treeline and followed their brave general, bellowing war cries and the like. Hoshi looked towards the treetops.

"Nightjar! Approach from the flanks! Assess the situation and strike accordingly! We must not let those other bandits take the Divine Heir!" He shouted. With that, he grabbed his katana with both hands and followed Tsukikage. That turquoise explosion was nothing like anything he had ever seen. Of course, nothing as trivial as that would stop any of the survivors from reclaiming the Divine Heir. As the group ran, they saw more turquoise waves of light shoot out of the fray. As they all tried to figure out what was exactly happening there, they never noticed the being prowling within the treeline, getting ready to pounce.

"Grahah!" Suddenly, a tall figure leapt out of nowhere at Tsukikage. The general looked to his left to see a massive scythe coming at his face. Unwavered, he raised his odachi and blocked the swing, using his foe's momentum to send them swinging over his head. Alas, the person still landed on his feet. He was an obscenely tall, yet thin man. His face was obscured by the darkness of night, and yet his whitened hair shone in the moonlight. His clothing, from his black top hat to his dark long coat and his similarly colored cape, was nothing like he or his men had ever seen. The man stood to his full height, holding his large scythe in both hands. Tsukikage's men gathered in front of him, staring their strange opponent down. With a combined roar of fury, all nine of them charged at the man.

"No, you fools! Stay back!" Hoshi cried out. By now, he could sense that whoever was attacking the convoy were no ordinary bandits. The man whirled his scythe into the air, leapt forwards, and swung in a massive arc. Five of the nine men were sent flying into the treeline. The other four were out of range from the swing and continued charging. Tsukikage, seeing so many of his men instantly wiped out, immediately cried out in anger and advanced to face the monster, Hoshi following close behind him. When the four conscript's blades reached the man, he brought his scythe up and deflected them all in one clean motion. This, however, opened him up to Tsukikage's thrust attack. At the same time, Hoshi approached from the left and prepared to unleash an Ashina Cross. The samurai hoped with all his heart that this combined strike would lead to their foe's timely demise.

Suddenly, the man grabbed the blade of his scythe with his right hand and, to everyone's surprise, detached it from its handle. With his left, he drew a strange looking firearm from its holster. Now with both hands free, he could deal with the threats coming his way. The man dodged Tsukikage's thrust attack and impaled his shoulder with the scythe blade. Simultaneously, he aimed his firearm at Hoshi and shot. Unable to block it due to him getting ready to perform the Ashina Cross, the samurai braced himself.

Hoshi had been hit by many bullets in his day, but none like the one this man fired at him. Instead of a piercing pain, Hoshi felt a terrible cramp-like twinge resonate through his entire body. Glancing downwards, he couldn't even see or feel where the bullet had made impact. It was as if the pain traveled through his very blood, making his legs give out and his arms unable to move. Helpless, Hoshi could only watch as the man removed his blade from Tsukikage's shoulder and swung the butt of his scythe's handle at his skull, knocking him out. Then, before he knew it, the man had whirled the handle over his head and brought it down on Hoshi, sending him to join his comrade on the ground.

The last four conscripts had only just recovered from having their swords parried. Upon seeing their two strongest warriors defeated, their nerves were indeed given quite the shock. The shock was so great, in fact, that they all failed to react to the man reattaching his scythe's blade to its handle and his subsequent swing. Sure enough, into the treeline they flew.

Maria stared the convoy leader down. As long as Ludwig could keep the other troops busy, he was all that stood between her and the Divine Heir. As if on cue, yet another distant blast of glowing moonlight assured her of that fact. Behind the leader was an ornately decorated carriage. Within it, the cries of an infant could be heard, clearly disturbed by the commotion going on outside. The leader raised his katana and shorter wakizashi, waiting for Maria to make the first move. And make the first move, she did.

Maria snapped her left arm up and fired a shot from her Evelyn pistol. Just as the leader's blade came up to deflect it, Maria had already quickstepped in and slashed at his legs with her Rakuyo. The leader winced in pain, allowing Maria to kick him to the ground, get on top of him, and stick her Eveyln right under his skull. Shocked with how fast the scuffle came to an end, the leader froze up.

"Drop your weapons." The huntress ordered coldly. Now that she was up close, the leader could see that she was, in fact, a pale-skinned foreigner. And yet, her japanese was nigh-impeccable. He did as she told, tossing his blades away and raising his hands. Just as Maria was about to knock him out with the butt of her Evelyn, her honed ears picked up the faint sound of something cutting through the air. Obeying her instincts, Maria leapt off of the leader, watching as two shurikens whizzed right by where her head was. Suddenly, a much clearer sound emerged from the treetops.

"WOOH! WOOAAH!" In an instant, something large and feathery crashed right into Maria's torso, sending her flying backwards with all the air knocked out of her. Someone had swung down from the treetops, smashing into Maria with the force of a battering ram. After she had stopped tumbling, Maria gasped for breath, her eyes widened with shock. Quickly, she raised her weakened right arm to her chest pocket and pulled out a blood vial, which she then lowered to her right thigh and injected. Catching her breath, the restorative properties of the blood allowed Maria to get back up. She heard her assailant finish off the convoy leader with a slash to the throat. Just as she prepared to return into the fray, however, thundering footsteps came from behind.

"Aargh!" Ludwig's massive frame lunged past Maria, his mere presence causing her to fall back onto her knees. Without delay, Ludwig tackled Maria's attacker, a man clad in a feathery garb and ugly mask. Overwhelmed by the massive man's bulk, the ninja could do nothing but try to stop Ludwig's silver sword from piercing his throat. Gehrman ran over, a panicked look on his face.

"Maria! We must stop Ludwig at once!" He grabbed her arm and helped her up. "Look!" Gehrman pointed behind them both. There, on the floor, lay Ludwig's Holy Moonlight Sword. Sometime during the brawl, Ludwig seemed to have had his beloved weapon thrown from his grasp. Maria could see that Gehrman's arm was injured, which he noticed. "Ludwig did this to me earlier. I cannot get him to calm down!"

"What? What is happening?" Maria asked.

"Blood-drunkenness! Ludwig is out of control!" As the two hunters dashed towards Ludwig, the ninja pinned beneath him was locked in a pushing contest with the hulking brute.

"What would his blood feel like upon your skin?" Ludwig muttered. "I want to know. I must know." Suddenly, Gehrman wrapped an arm around Ludwig's thick neck and attempted to put him in a sleeper hold. Ludwig roared and began thrashing around like a beast, gnashing his teeth and clawing at Gehrman's arm.

"Ludwig! Stop this at once!" He urged, but to no avail. The pair soon began wrestling on the ground. The ninja who was under Ludwig got to his feet and leapt back into the treeline. "Maria! Grr… Maria! Go get the sword!" Gehrman didn't need to say it twice. Maria was already on her way. It was now clear to her why Ludwig spent so much time talking to that sword of his. If she and Gehrman couldn't calm him down, Ludwig's illustrious life would end here, as a pitiful man-beast. As Maria approached the Holy Moonlight Sword, she saw three figures drop from the treetops. They all landed right in front of the sword, having sensed that the weapon was of great value to these foreigners.

"Out of my way!" Maria shouted in japanese. The ninjas shook their heads.

"Leave this place! That child is ours, as well as this sword!" Maria could hear Gehrman cry out in pain. Ludwig had bitten his hand, refusing to let go. Her panic and anger both surged. No holding back now. Maria detached her Rakuyo's pommel blade, wielding it in her left hand. With great speed, she charged headfirst into the three ninjas and spun, slashing her twin blades in all directions. The ninjas dodged back, each of them throwing two shurikens at Maria. In response, she leapt high into the air, reattaching the pommel blade and drawing her Evelyn. She managed to fire three well-aimed shots at the ninja, each bullet hitting its mark and staggering them. Landing next to the sword, Maria picked it up and made a beeline for Ludwig.

"Maria! Those ninjas are right behind you!" Gehrman cried out. He had stuck his Blunderpistol's barrel down Ludwig's maw, preventing him from taking a bite out of his hand. Should it come to it, Gehrman also had a miserably perfect shot to end Ludwig once and for all. Gehrman began kicking Ludwig's face over and over, trying to get him to release his jaws. Maria could indeed hear the ninja's footsteps to her rear. Knowing mere quicksilver bullets wouldn't be enough to stop them, she instead looked to the Holy Moonlight Sword.

"Moonlight! For the sake of your master! Aid me!" With that, the sword's pale blue glow returned to its blade. It seems like it's willing to lend its power to Maria temporarily. Confident, Maria leapt upwards, spun around, and unleashed three beams of moonlight at the ninjas. Yet again, her accuracy did not falter, striking each of them square in the chest. The momentum of the swings, however, threw off Maria's balance and sent her tumbling to the ground, dropping the sword next to Gehrman. Without hesitation, Gehrman grabbed the sword. Ludwig's teeth were causing cracks in his Blunderpistol's steel barrel.

"Guiding Moonlight! Drive the bloodlust from your master!" Holding the sword by its blade, Gehrman slapped the sword's hilt onto Ludwig's ear. The effect was immediate, causing him to reel backwards, letting out a screech unlike anything the hunters have ever heard.

"WHAT IS THAT SOUND!?" He screamed. "ARGH, THOSE CURSED MEMORIES! THEY PLAGUE ME!" Continuing to hold the sword like a branding iron, Gehrman threw Ludwig to the ground and pinned him there. Maria scrambled to her feet and grabbed Ludwig's kicking legs, fully binding him.

"Ludwig! Ludwig, it's us!" She cried. At last, after delivering a few more cuts and blows to his two comrades, Ludwig's tantrum finally began to subside. His breathing became heavy, eventually breaking into soft sobs. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Ah… my guiding Moonlight…" With that, Ludwig finally seemed to snap out of his blood-drunken trance. He gasped, looking down at Gehrman and Maria. Gehrman had released his grip, while Maria still clung on tight.

"Ludwig! Can you hear me?" The Holy Blade looked at Gehrman's face, seeing all the bruises and wounds he inflicted upon the old man. "Maria, release his legs." At her teacher's command, Maria did so with a solemn expression. Ludwig then got to see Maria's face, almost as battered as her mentor's. A look of horror crept across Ludwig's face. He scrambled backwards, determined to distance himself from his comrades. His terror was purely towards this beast within him, how it could just creep out and render even his longtime allies into a bloody mess.

"Wait!" Said Ludwig, his memories of their mission at hand returning to him. He pointed at the luxurious carriage behind him. "The carriage! Get the child!" Sure enough, the Divine Heir's cries could still be heard. Maria stood up and walked over to the carriage's door, placing her left hand on the handle.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by the huntress, followed by a sharp twinge in her left wrist. Grimacing in pain, Maria tried to press down on the carriage handle. To everyone's shock, Maria's arm moved down, but her hand didn't follow, remaining upon the door. She looked up in bewilderment as the pain intensified, only to see that her hand had been sliced clean off. Before she could even scream in pain, she felt a hand grab her shoulder and a blade's tip at the nape of her neck.

"NO!" Gehrman immediately lunged at the mysterious figure behind Maria. With a swipe of his Burial Blade, he successfully drove him back. Gehrman gave the man no quarter, ruthlessly slashing at him. For the attempted murder of his beloved student, Gehrman could set aside thoughts of mercy. To his surprise, very few of his swings actually connected, most of them being deflected. While Gehrman was dealing with this new intruder, the three ninjas had recovered from their wounds and made a dash for the carriage, Maria's collapsed body lying before its door. Before Ludwig could even stop them, the man Gehrman was fighting leapt over the old hunter's head. With a mechanical clunk, a hefty axe unfolded itself from his left arm. With it, the man smashed the ground before the three ninjas, sending them reeling backwards and causing the carriage door to fly open.

In one swift motion, the man grabbed the Divine Heir from his cradle and shot some sort of rope from his left arm. Not even Gehrman made it to him in time before the man flew away, pulled by his rope. The three ninjas quickly recovered and leapt into the trees in hot pursuit, completely losing interest in the three hunters. Gehrman looked at the treetops for a moment before giving a frustrated growl, throwing his Burial Blade to the ground.

"Who in the love of god were those bandits?" He shouted angrily. His turbulent emotions didn't keep him from remembering Maria, still lying unconscious bleeding into the dirt. "Ooh, they'll pay dearly for this… For even laying a finger upon you, my dear Maria..." Gehrman grabbed Maria's severed hand and lined it up with her arm. He took out one of his blood vials and injected it into Maria's leg. Almost instantly, her hand had reattached itself to its stump. Gehrman then took another blood vial and injected himself, healing his injuries. He looked back at Ludwig. "So…" He began. "From now on, you must speak with that sword of yours every bloody day, understand?" Far from dumbfounded, Ludwig gazed forlornly into the distance.

"Gehrman… I… wish to be alone for a day." He said, shifting his gaze down to his Holy Moonlight Sword. "Clearly, my Moonlight and I have plenty of catching up to do…" Ludwig stood back up, shouldering his sword. "I will not stray far. I know the way back to camp from here. I shall report back by noon tomorrow." Gehman nodded in agreement.

"Think long and hard about what happened tonight, friend. I'd hate to see you turn into a beast." Carrying Maria on his shoulder, Gehrman rose, facing the opposite way from Ludwig. "I shall return to camp and deliver Maria to her bed." A long moment of silence ensued, Ludwig unsure of how to respond. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"...Goodbye, Gehrman. I shall return with the resolve I had lost tonight."

"Goodbye, Ludwig."

Tsukikage couldn't believe it. He and his bruised men had just returned to the dilapidated temple, all miraculously alive. This was a fact that not even the general understood. Why would that tall bandit just merely knock them out? Whatever the reason, the men have bigger problems to worry about. Their matron, Lady Emma, wasn't there to greet them. This sent a wave of panic through the exhausted soldiers, who were nonetheless ready to give their last bits of energy to ensure Lady Emma's safety. The group was split into search parties, scouring the entirety of the village and its surroundings. Eventually, one conscript noticed that the door to the main temple was open. He called Hoshi and Tsukikage over. Within, the three met a most troubling sight.

The Wolf was gone, along with his Kusabimaru, the shinobi prosthetic, and the red Mortal Blade. When Tsukikage woke up from his concussion, he did notice a strange individual fly away into the treetops, pursued by the Nightjar. No doubt it had to be the Wolf. By the time his group arrived at the wrecked carriage, the Divine Heir, along with those foriegn bandits,were gone. Did the Wolf take the Heir or did the bandits? Tsukikage did not know. If the Wolf took him, then why was he not back? Does he, for once in thirty years, have his own plans?

"General!" The call of one of his men caught Tsukikage's attention. He exited the temple and saw one of the search parties. The two men were carrying Lady Emma upon their shoulders. Her head was leaking blood. The sight set off alarm bells within Tsukikage's head. He ran towards the search party.

"Leave her here and get medicine, you lugs!" He ordered. The two conscripts did as they were told, leaving Emma right in front of the temple. Hoshi and the other conscript joined Tsukikage outside, watching him feel Emma's hands. "Lady Emma! Can you hear me?"

"Cease your shouting. If she could hear you, then she wouldn't need to be carried back by two men." Hoshi interjected while approaching, annoyed at Tsukikage's emotional irrationality. He batted the general's arm aside and examined Emma thoroughly. "Head wound, no broken bones, breathing steady… Clearly she had crashed head-first into something." By now, the two conscripts had returned with medicinal pellets.

"You two!" Tsukikage barked, causing the conscripts to stand still. "Where did you find Lady Emma?" Hoshi rose and took the medicine from their hands.

"We found her lying in a bush, sir! Around here were broken branches and shurikens!" They reported. Placing Emma's head upon his lap, Hoshi gently opened her mouth and fed her a single pellet, preventing it from dropping into her windpipe, instead letting it dissolve in her mouth.

"What?" This was worrying news for Tsukikage. Was she fighting someone? Did this have something to do with the Wolf? Suddenly, Emma's eyes fluttered awake.

"Everyone! Emma has awoken!" Hoshi's exclamation drew Tsukikage away from the two conscripts.

"Lady Emma! Can you hear me?" The general repeated at a more appropriate time. Emma looked up at him, then Hoshi, and then skywards. When her eyes met the moon, a startled expression filled her visage. She pointed up and shouted.

"Above us!" Just a second later, the sound of something massive and heavy falling off the roof of the temple caught Hoshi and Tsukikage's ear. As they turned, they saw a blinding blue glow rapidly approaching them. In an instant, Emma sprang to her feet, drew her katana, and leapt, meeting the assailant midair. With force, she clashed her blade against the blue light.

A familiar glowing blue explosion erupted at the point of contact, sending everyone, including the assailant, flying backwards. Emma landed on her feet a few feet away, as did her assailant. The survivors were launched further away.

"Give me the Divine Heir!" The massive man spoke in a language Emma had never heard before. Though injured, she raised her katana in defence. The man began his assault by flinging a wave of light at her, which she jumped over, leaping towards the man to strike from above. However, the man simply just extended a gargantuan hand and snatched her out of the air like a fly. His crushing grip around her throat, combined with Emma's earlier concussion, began causing her to black out. "You… are coming with me!" With a simple headbutt, Emma was once again rendered unconscious. Ludwig brought her over his shoulder and began his retreat.

Tsukikage watched in horror. In one day they've lost the Divine Heir, their protector, and their leader. He tried to get back up, but his newly sprained ankle told him otherwise. All he could do was look on in sorrow as the man ran farther and farther away.

Suddenly, something made the man grunt in pain. Looking carefully, Tsukikage could see a shuriken sticking out of his back. The man set Emma down and turned around with a scowl, light returning to his sword's blade. Another presence approached Tsukikage from behind. One that had managed to get extremely close to him before he could even sense it. The Wolf walked by the general, his eyes dead set upon the intruder.

"Let her go." The shinobi ordered. He raised his Kusabimaru, ready for combat. With a battle cry, the man charged forward and thrust with his glowing blade, unleashing a beam of light. From the Wolf's arm, what seemed like a metal umbrella sprang forth, deflecting the beam as well as blocking the actual sword thrust itself. Using the momentum of the closing umbrella, the Wolf spun into the air and delivered a cut with both his katana and the tool, slashing the man across the chest. In response, the man leapt back and drew a second, smaller sword in his left hand, holding his glowing sword in his right. With another cry, he charged forwards. The Wolf was prepared for any move the man could make.

Well, most moves, really.

What he did not expect is for the man to sheath his smaller sword again. Some techniques the Wolf knew start in a sheathed stance. The Ashina Cross? The Dragon Flash? The nigh-impossible One Mind? The answer was none of these. With a mechanical clunk, the sword joined with its massive scabbard, turning the formerly elegant blade into a hulking mass of steel on a stick. With little time to brace himself, the Wolf was forced to dodge away from the man's swing with both weapons. The impact was deafening. A small crater had formed where the Wolf was just standing.

The man did not relent. Thunderous crash after crash came in as he swung them with the timing of a well-trained soldier. Whenever one slow, heavy-handed swing missed, another was already coming in, denying the Wolf of any chance to counter. Dodging and deflecting like a madman, the Wolf must admit that this unexpected gimmick had turned the tables. Luckily, he too still had some tricks left. Leaping backwards, a string of firecrackers flipped out from the Wolf's prosthetic. With a flick of his arm, he left a trail of lit firecrackers in his wake. The man's aggressive advance had left him in the middle of the field of gunpowder.

They went off, deafening and blinding the man horribly. Seeing his chance, the Wolf raised his katana and leapt. In midair, he slashed at him three times, drawing blood. He landed behind him and placed the tip of his katana at the back of the man's neck. Three slashes may have left any normal man open to a death blow, but not this hulk. Despite bleeding out of his chest, legs, and back, the man grabbed Kusabimaru by its blade and threw it forward, making its owner stumble ahead. This moment of distraction was all the man needed, as he no longer planned to fight. Sheathing his weapons, he instead shoved the Wolf back and ran into the forest, leaving Emma behind. The Wolf recovered his posture and gave pursuit. He only had a five second head start. Surely the Wolf with his superior speed would catch up instantly. Surely his sharpened senses would seek out the man no matter where he hid.

And yet, he was gone.

"Lady Emma! You're awake!"

"Ugh…"

"Worry not! The Wolf chased off the intruder last night."

"...Where is the Wolf now?"

"Gone. I spoke to him before he left, however."

"What did he say?"

"He took the Divine Heir. He refuses to give him to us. He wishes to kill him."

"I thought so."

"You predicted this?"

"The Wolf served Lord Kuro, the last Divine Heir. He shared his master's wish in ridding this world of the Dragon's Heritage. They succeeded."

"...and now the Wolf wishes to see that wish maintained?"

"There is no doubt."

"Lady Emma, did you not also participate in Immortal Severance all those years back?"

"I did."

"And do you share the Wolf's beliefs? That the Divine Heir must die?"

"..."

"Well? Do you?"

"...I do."

"Oh… Graah…"

"What's wrong?"

"...you of all people. I had never expected you to be a traitor to Ashina."

"Watch your tongue, Tsukikage."

"Do not lie. I know what you were doing that night. The Nightjar told me. You were following the Wolf into battle. After he took the Divine Heir, you prepared to escape with him. However, he hadn't told you that three Nightjar were on his tail. As you leapt through the treetops to catch up with him, you were thrown off balance while dodging Nightjar shurikens."

"..."

"Look your general in the eyes, traitor."

"..."

"Emma, daughter of Dogen. You are under arrest for high treason against Ashina and her people. How do you plead?"

"…You must not use the Divine Heir to restore Ashina."

"We are eleven. They are thirty thousand. The blood of the Divine Heir can allow even one scrawny shinobi to uproot all of Ashina. We must take him in order to win."

"Ashina was stagnant. The waters that flowed through her caused an untold amount of corruption and greed."

"…How do you plead?"

"What a pointless question. You know the answer already. Any competent general would have swiftly executed a traitor, and yet your hand has been quivering upon your sword's handle this entire time."

"…Lady Emma… It wounded me greatly when I learned about your betrayal."

"Really?"

"You carry Lord Isshin's greatest teachings. I… I had been wholeheartedly looking forward to your appointment as the new Lady of Ashina, and to serve under you as one of your humble generals."

"Tsukikage! Please! Join us!"

"Hmm?"

"Let us take back Ashina properly! The people of Ashina still harbor great resentment towards the Ministry's occupation! Let us go around the region, inciting rebellion and building Ashina's army back up! With our allies, we will take Ashina Castle back!"

"…For a moment there, I could hear Lord Isshin in your voice."

"Yes…"

"But the answer is still no. The Heir is simply too powerful to waste."

"Tsukikage…"

"Also, don't you see the impossibility of your task? Lady Emma! Join us instead! Over the years, you've told me about the Wolf's journeys. Not only must the two of you regather all the ingredients for the Fountainhead Aroma, but you must also find a way to draw the Mortal Blade without succumbing to its deathly curse! To do this all over again at your age... it's madness!"

"I'd go mad before I let Lord Kuro's wish die."

"...Just go."

"…"

"I said leave! Do not make me… think twice about… about sparing a traitor!"

"…I understand."

"Please, Lady Emma. Never show your face around us ever again. Our proud hearts simply cannot take it."

"One day, Tsukikage. One day you will understand. And on that day, I will welcome you and your men to our side with open arms."