Author: Look how good I am at updating.

Disclaimer: No.

Chapter 9

For the first time since the war with the Army had started, Dais allowed himself to feel a glimmer of hope that he would actually win. Even when outnumbered 3 to 1 in terms of mystical armor, and with one of his Warlords coerced into working for the enemy, he was still doing really well. The Ogres were his, any mercenary warriors had signed on with him, Kurosuke was dead and replaced with a new General, Tasuku, that Dais hand picked, and he had the Army back to the size of their original holdings.

Sekhmet had almost managed to kill the Knight of Air, and the Warlord was Very Upset when he saw her on the battlefield again. That had caused a spike in sorties, as Sekhmet was determined to actually kill one of the Knights, so the Army and Crusaders had always walked away the worse for the fight.

For all the headaches Sekhmet made, he solved just as many.

Kayura had taken the Knight of Darkness out of commission for a good while, which had made their animosity only deepen. Kayura had also been annoyed that the Knight had survived, but was slightly content since the Knight would always carry with him the knowledge that he had been steamrolled by a technically twelve year old girl.

All the while, Dais had been orchestrating the Dynasty's war machine. Doing that well wouldn't earn him the same reputation as leaving a field of corpses in his wake, but it also decreased the possibility of him dying, and he had signed on to be Talpa's vassal because of the immortality-unless-you-go-out-of-your-way-to-die clause.

It wasn't like the Army was oblivious to the fact that it was his doing, either, so while they feared Kayura and Sekhmet in battle, they were terrified of ever coming into contact with him. It was gratifying and part of why he kept his faceguard up whenever he stepped outside the War Room.

The less people knew of him, the more power he had over them.

He was writing out orders when a familiar presence joined him. He spared a glance for Tano, but kept her kneeling as he finished the order he had been working on. He dismissed the messenger who he handed the orders to, then said, "Why are you here?"

"I found what the Knight of Spirit's power is," Tano said to the floor, still not looking up at Dais.

Dais hummed and said, "Why didn't you send a written report?"

"It…was no longer safe for me to be there. I've learned too much and with the success of your offensive, they're tightening the ranks."

"Stand and report, then."

Tano stood, her hands clasping behind her as she began: "The Knight of Spirit might also be called the Knight of Will. He has the ability to…inspire troops in battle. Influence thought. And, in the case of the Warlord of Darkness, the Knight was able to…enforce…the virtue of 'Obedience.'"

Dais hummed. "Which is how he was captured and brought to heel."

"Yes, my Lord."

Dais picked up the piece that marked the Knight of Spirit. "Tell me about this man. Leave nothing out."

Tano took a deep breath, and launched into a wonderfully long and detailed description of the Knight, from his speech patterns to his eating habits.

"I believe…Arago…has him convinced that he is calling the shots," Tano wrapped up, "but he is not actually the one in control."

"No, Arago is," Dais said as he turned the Knight of Spirit's figurine over in his hand.

"Yes," Tano agreed, not even a hint of surprise coloring her voice.

Dais picked the figurine for the Knight of Spirit up and said, "How does Kale fit into this?"

"He is unwilling, and fights the control to the extent that he can. He is very stubborn. He is more of a hostage than an asset, as they have not allowed him to fight for fear that extended time away from the Knight of Spirit will allow him to break free."

"Have they been able to get information about the Dynasty out of him?"

Tano's eyes glowed a little brighter and she said, "The information has never been entirely correct. He contradicts himself constantly. I believe he enjoys it."

"Then enforcing obedience is not complete control," Dais murmured. "Interesting." He put down the Knight of Spirit. "When are they planning on attacking?"
"Sire?"

"They must have some information, what with Arago knowing what he does and Kale their prisoner. Do you know when they plan to attack? How much they know about the Capital?"

Tano paused, then answered: "There is unrest. Many Crusaders are talking of returning back to their home realm, but the Knight Commander has invested too much of his pride in this venture to retreat. While the Crusaders who are killed don't actually die, they are merely sent back to their home realm, it still takes a psychological toll. They think they should be dead, but somehow aren't. If they are ever going to attack the Capital, it will be soon."

Dais picked up the figure of the Knight Commander and turned it over slowly in his armored fingers. "If you had to leave, that means you were discovered. They should attack any day, and they will turn all the Knights on us at once."

Which I am not entirely sure that we will survive. Sekhmet, for some bizarre reason, has an armor that has the virtue of Filial Piety and the Ogre armor has Loyalty. I might lose the others to the Knight of Spirit, depending on how adept he is at controlling others' minds.

Dais put down the Knight Commander's piece. Well, then. If they're going to attack, might as well flank them. I just wish I knew how they plan on getting here.

"My Lord?"

Dais looked to Tano. "If the Army and Crusaders throw everything they have at us, that will include 9 elemental armors against our 3. We are strong, but I don't think we can withstand that. I don't want you to die in the battle—you're going to be the pain in their collective asses once the dust settles. Well, you and hopefully a few others. I know that the Netherworld will not take kindly to being under foreign rule."

"You really think you may lose?"

Dais looked back to the map. "The odds are not in my favor if they concentrate all the Knights on attacking the Capital."

"The Ronin…"

"Will not help a Warlord of the Dynasty in Netherworld politics. I got them to work for me because I appealed to their need to protect humanity. They won't involve themselves in this, no matter how politely I ask. It is, quite bluntly, not their problem."

"So, then, what will you do, my Lord?"

"I have no plans to die," Dais said. "But, for now, we prepare. Stay here. I have orders for some of my generals in the field. You will act as my messenger and then watch. Wait. See how the dust settles. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sire."

"Good."

Dais took out a brush and ink and set about writing his orders. After a half hour, he sealed each and handed them over to Tano.

"Go. And do not return unless I call for you."

Tano took the missives, bowed, and then vanished.

Dais sighed heavily, and called Mayuri to him. Neither Kayura nor Sekhmet were in the Capital at the time, so he called two Tengu to him as well.

The Tengu arrived first.

"Tell Lady Kayura and Sekhmet that the Army will likely be attacking the Capital within the next few days. They can either return here, or wait for the Army to attack and then come at them from behind. The decision is theirs. Repeat that back to me."

The Tengu parroted back the message flawlessly, then left in a flurry of feathers.

"You called for me, my Lord?" Mayuri asked as she entered the War Room.

"We are as prepared as possible for an attack from within or without of the Capital, correct?"

"Yes, sire."

"Good. The Army should be attacking within the week. They will be desperate and in all probability will have recalled all the Knights from there other positions to attack the Capital together."

"We will make them work for it, my lord."

Dais smiled tightly inside his helmet.

"I do not want you to die."

"Sire?"

"I have passed on the same message to Yami. If it looks like we are going to lose, I want you and whatever remains of your troops to withdraw."

"But, sire—"

"I refuse to let the Dynasty fester in the hands of foreigners," Dais snapped. "I am counting on you and Yami to make their lives hell while they remain here."

"I will not leave your side," Mayuri responded heatedly.

"I do not intend to die or be captured by the Crusaders."

"Are you going to run away?" Mayuri asked, curious.

"No," Dais replied. "I will fight them for as long as I can and to the best of my ability, but I refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing me dead or in their hands. I will retreat, but I will return and we will take the Netherworld back from them."

"You plan to go to the human world, then?"

"Only if defeat is certain," Dais said. "But you must tell no one."

"Even under torture, I will not tell."

"Good. Prepare your troops. The battle will be a hard one."

"We will break them," Mayuri said confidently. "For you, my lord, and for the Dynasty!"

Dais inclined his head as Mayuri left, his general already barking out orders as she disappeared down the hall.

Sekhmet abruptly dropped into the War Room, reeking of blood, smoke, and poison.

"They're really going to try to defeat us, huh? In our stronghold?"

"You forget that Talpa leads them," Dais said mildly. "Sekhmet."

"What?"

"The Knight of Spirit has leashed Kale by forcing him to hold to his armor's virtue. Yours is filial piety. Kayura's is loyalty. Do try to resist, since he will surely be at the battle."

Sekhmet scoffed. "I owe my allegiance to no one, and I certainly don't see Kale as my brother or Talpa as my father. I killed my father figures."

"Yes, well, be careful nonetheless. I can survive your fangs, but the normal grunts won't."

Sekhmet snorted. "Right. When do you think they'll attack?"

"Tomorrow, maybe the day after at latest. We may not even see them coming."

"Because of Kale and Talpa creating portals, right?"

"Yes."

"Damn. Well, it wouldn't be fun if it wasn't a challenge."

"Of course," Dais drawled. "What's your virtue, Dais?"

"Endurance. You need not worry about me."

Sekhemt cackled. "Oh, won't that be fun. Thinking he's trying to control you will only make you fight him harder!"

Sekhmet wandered out of the War Room, and Dais felt a polite but emphatic tug on the connection he shared with Kayura.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I will be arriving from the south," Kayura said. "When they attack, I will be waiting."

After that, the connection snapped, and Dais was left alone with his thoughts again, until a familiar form coalesced out of shadows in front of him.

"Yami," he acknowledged, and his general bowed deeply.

"My Lord. You wanted me?"

"I want you by my side throughout the battle that is to come. When it inevitably turns against us, I want it to look like you've killed me. I will give you my armor to make it more convincing."

"Sire!"

"We will be fighting against nine mystical armors as well as Kale, and I have no doubt that at some point during the battle both Kayura and Sekhmet will be turned against us. I refuse to give the Crusaders the satisfaction of killing or capturing me. I will retreat, but I will return, and we will wrest control of the Netherworld back from the foreigners."

"Of course, my lord. But, will they trust me? Believe me?"

"That is why I'm going to give you my armor. Arago doesn't care whether or not the man who wears the armor lives, he just wants the armor. He will not look harder than that, and so neither will the Crusaders."

"You are certain?"
"Absolutely. If it looks like they are going to try to kill you anyway, retreat. There is no shame in living to fight another day, and with your skills, you will be quite the annoyance to them. We will drive them back to the world they came from, it will just take time."

"And what if we win?"

"Then we decorate the fields before the Capital with their corpses."

Yami's eyes brightened slightly at that before they dimmed back to a more somber glow. "I understand, my lord, and I will do my best."

"I trust you, Yami. Do not betray my trust."

"Never, Lord Dais."

"Go prepare. The battle will come soon enough."

Yami bowed deeply again and departed with a flourish of his cape.

Dais returned to his rooms and put together a small pack of essentials for passing as human in modern Japan, folding some gold into the clothing before packing it and sunglasses into a bag.

He looked at the package and sighed softly.

What will come will come. Now, all I have to do is wait.

—

Dais stood on the highest rampart of the Capital and looked down at the chaos that was unfolding below.

Without the Knights in battle, the Dynasty was winning. The Crusaders and the Army were being repelled, and the very human screams of the Crusaders wafted up to Dais. Dais closed his eye and took a deep breath.

This first wave is a test. They want to see if they can win through just their normal soldiers first. They will see they are wrong, and then they will come at us with the Knights, probably leaving the normal soldiers back to lick their wounds. I am ready for them.

Dais knew when Kayura joined the fray by her signature violet light. The wails of the dying crescendoed as she tore through the ranks of the Crusaders.

Wasting her energy on the foot soldiers, Dais thought with a sigh. And she could have surprised the Knights. Oh, well. Perhaps she thinks that mass murder will intimidate them. It's probably only going to anger them.

Dais jumped down a level, then another, until he was standing on the first layer of the main building's roof.

Come, Knights, try to find me. You will cut each other down for me long before you do.

Dais had instructed his generals to let the grunts tire themselves out with the normal soldiers and to preserve their power for the Knights, when they arrived. The Knight of Metal and the Knight of Wood were to be their priorities, followed by the Knight of Fire. Dais felt that the Knight of Spirit would not involve himself in dirtying his hands unless things looked grim.

"Their will to fight will be broken soon," Yami reported, appearing at Dais' side. "We have weathered their first assault."

"Tell the other Generals to expect the Knights to show up and ready Sekhmet's berserkers. Kayura's generals are all prepared, as well?"

"You are sure they will show?"

"I have no doubt," Dais said. "Tell me when you see the Knight of Metal. I have a…surprise planned for him."

Yami's eyes narrowed in expectation. "Of course, my lord."

The wind that had been more or less constant abruptly stilled.

"They are here," Dais murmured and stepped back, seeming to melt into the wood of the pagoda, and he could feel Yami step into the shadow next to him.

Dais closed his eyes and extended his awareness to all the traps and alarms that he had placed throughout the Capital.

"Release the berserkers along the western canal. In the secret entrance beneath the statue of Kannon is the Knight of Water."

He distantly heard Yami pass on the information, but his mind was elsewhere.

He felt the wind pick up to a howl, then calmed to the same level it had been before.

"Kayura has found the Knights of Wind and Wood," he murmured absently.

"Shall I send someone to help her?"
"They would only get in the way," Dais responded. "The Knight of Earth is at the Eastern gate. Dispatch Mayuri to meet him. Sekhmet has found the Knight of Fire."

"Can you tell where the Knights of Light and Dark are?"

"The Knights of Light and Dark aren't in the Capital proper right now. They are likely hanging back with the Knight of Spirit in their camp."

Yami grunted, seemingly discontent.

"You will get your chance soon enough," Dais said, and Yami murmured and apology.

There was a loud, wrenching sound from the South gate, and Dais smiled wryly. "And there is the Knight of Metal."

Dais jumped down onto the roof of one of the hallways, then swung in through an open door. He sped through the corridor, Yami sticking close to him. He slowed as he reached a point where he could look out onto the South gate, and saw the Knight of Metal making easy work of the grunts.

Dais took his flail from its position, wound it up, and then landed a precise hit on the helmet of the Knight, catching his attention.

They locked eyes, and that was all Dais needed to slip beneath flimsy mental shields and catch him in an illusion. The Knight's broadsword fell from his hands, his eyes becoming glassy and unfocused.

"Kill him," Dais told Yami, and his General darted out from the hall and neatly sliced the man's head off with a strike from his shadow sword.

The body began to fall to the ground, but evaporated in a plume of smoke before it hit, as always happened to a fallen Crusader.

It should take him a while to recover, Dais thought and slid into the hallway, Yami back at his side.

"Well done, General," Dais said.

"It was my honor," Yami responded. "I believe that will draw attention, though."

"The other Knights will likely be able to tell that he 'died'," Dais agreed. "But I don't think the Knight of Spirit will make a move until all other options are exhausted. You will have your match with the Knight of Dark."

Yami's eyes glowed brighter in pleasure.

"Go," Dais said. "I will be watching and you will likely find the Knight of Dark before I do."

"Yes, my lord," Yami said before slipping into the shadows that lined the corridor.

Dais returned to his perch on the top of the main building, and watched the new battle pulse beneath him, elemental energies writhing and clashing.

Multiple geysers sprung up out of the canal, which told Dais that Sekhmet's berserkers had lost.

Although I can't imagine that they didn't do substantial damage, he thought as he made his way over to where the Knight of Water was directing the geysers, ripping open the hallways near him. From his jerky, frantic movements and the blood that seeped between chinks in his armor and covered his face and tabard, Dais felt confident in assuming that the poison in Sekhemt's berserkers' weapons and blood was taking its toll.

Dais coiled himself and bounded forward when there was a space between two geysers. He and the Knight went flying into a wall, and Dais made sure to angle them just right that the Knight was impaled on a piece of broken wood that had resulted from the Knight's reckless destruction.

The man coughed in pain, and Dais pushed him further onto the wood until the man stilled and vanished in a plume of acrid smoke.

Dais heard a high-pitched whistle behind him, and managed to dodge a volley of arrows, darting into the area of the hallway that was still intact.

"You can't hide from me!" the Knight of Air yelled.

Dais smirked faintly and slid underneath a hidden panel in the floor. He heard the Knight running down the hallway, and just as she passed over him, Dais surged out from the floor and threw her up to the ceiling. She cried out in surprise, but her control of air put a cushion between her and the wood. Dais unhooked his scythes and raked them across the ceiling, but she pushed herself out of the way and down the hall at the last moment. She fired a volley of arrows at him, but Dais knocked them casually aside before flinging his scythes out. The sticky webbing shot out and wrapped around her limbs, holding her in place.

She thrashed against the bonds and Dais appeared before her, grabbing her by the face and making her make eye contact with him.

It was a different comprehensive illusion, and Dais had only one more of such illusions left in his armor before he would be forced to use only cantrips. He released her face and her expression changed to one of puzzlement.

"David? I thought I saw—"

Dais shook his head and pointed down a corridor, towards the sounds of where Sekhmet was battling the Knight of Fire. "That way. Come on."

She nodded and took off.

Dais watched her go, impressed by her speed, before following at a more sedate pace. He knew it was ill advised to gloat, but he just had to in this situation. It would be too satisfying.

When he reached the scene of the battle, he chuckled darkly.

It was clear that the Knight of Fire hadn't counted on one of her comrades turning against her. Sekhemet caught sight of him, and gave him a wide, fanged grin and a jaunty salute before darting in to engage the Knight of Fire again.

Although, I do wonder…why did the Knight of Air manage to break away from Kayura? Did the Knight of Wood prove more difficult than she anticipated? Or, perhaps the Knight of Spirit has already made his move.

The earth heaved and trembled beneath Dais as he trotted away, and it wasn't long until he came to where Mayuri and the Knight of Earth had clearly fought to a stalemate. Both were wounded, but Mayuri had the strength of the never-living keeping her going. She would not tire. The very human Knight would.

Dais released his scythes and lashed out with them, the blades impacting the area around the Knight.

The Knight jumped in surprise as the sticky tendrils shot up and wrapped tight around his throat, bound one of his arms to his leg, and yanked the other so it was hyperextended.

Mayuri took the opening and lopped off one of his arms with her sword before slicing deep into his neck and chest with her off-hand short sword.

Mayuri was breathing hard, and bowed deeply to Dais.

"Leave," Dais commanded.

"What? But, sire—"

"Take your best soldiers, whatever is left of your contingent, and leave the Capital. If all goes well, you can clean up what is left of the Army and Crusaders. If all goes poorly, you will be able to start stirring up dissent and rebellion."

Mayuri took a breath as if to protest, then her shoulders dropped and she simply bowed again, sheathing her swords. "Good luck, my lord. I—"

"You did well, General. Congratulations," Dais said before turning away. The daylight was becoming almost unbearably bright, so much that it hurt his eye.

Well, it looks like Light and Dark are finally being put into play. Leave no place to hide in the shadows, hm?

Before Dais could re-enter the hallway, Sekhmet and the Knights of Fire landed not too far from him. The Knight of Fire was clearly hurting, his poison wrecking havoc on her body.

Dais finished the kill, his flail wrapping around her neck and yanking back so her neck snapped.

Sekhmet gave him a feral grin. "Haven't seen Metal around."

"It seems that decapitation is harder to recover from," Dais said smoothly.

"Damn, it's bright out," Sekhmet murmured before both he and Dais had to dodge pillars of sunlight that slammed into the ground where they had once stood.

"Yami," Dais murmured. Immediately he was swathed in shadows, and pulled into the cooler confines of a nearby hallway.

Sekhmet's maniacal laugh rang out through the courtyard and Dais heard the clash of metal on metal.

The shadowed halls were growing darker, and Yami's touch on his arm brought the light levels back to normal. Dais mind skittered along the traps and alarms he had set in the Castle and he found the Knight of Dark walking not too far from them.

I have one more illusion left, Dais thought. It will be worth it to use it on him.

Dais melted into the wall, Yami vanishing into a crack in the floorboards.

The Knight of Dark approached, his steps cautious and soft. The nightingale floors gave away his position anyway, and Dais heard him curse softly. Once the Knight was parallel to him, Dais pushed away from the wall, body-slammed the Knight, and knocked the air out of him. Before the Knight could pull his weapon, Dais forced him to lock eyes. After a brief internal struggle, Dais captured the Knight's mind, and the man froze in place.

Dais tore out the Knight's throat with his hand and snapped the Knight's neck for good measure.

Outside, the battle had died down, which meant Sekhmet was either dead or captured.

Dais slunk along the interior, Yami matching his steps as his shadow. The castle interior was mostly intact, so he made his way quickly to a vantage point on the roof.

There was no more destruction than when they had battled the Ronin, which was gratifying. His foot soldiers were driving the remaining human and Crusader grunts away, and he could only feel one Knight on the edge of his web. However, Kayura was approaching him quickly, which made him wary.

Perhaps I have finally forced the Knight of Spirit out of hiding, Dais thought. And perhaps he went after Kayura first.

"Be prepared," Dais told Yami and braced himself.

Kayura finally came into his vision, and the kanji for loyalty burned bright gold on her forehead.

Well, shit.

Dais barely dodged the light of Kayura's Star Scream swords, the light obliterating some of the castle behind him. He jumped from roof to roof, forcing Kayura to keep moving. However, as she wasn't using the kusarigama that came with the Ogre armor, nothing was available to slow him down.

She was, however, faster than him, and closed the distance between them quickly. Dais deflected her swords with his spinning scythes, and the torment and fury in Kayura's expression was gratifying. Although she was being made to attack him, she wasn't taking any pleasure from it. That at least meant that she was mostly in control of her thoughts and actions, and that she was angrier with Talpa than anything else.

Dais had danced with the Lady enough times to know her skills and how to best avoid them, so he wasn't doing half bad, considering Kayura herself was also being deliberately sloppy. She was doing more damage to the castle itself than to Dais. It would force the Army to divert resources to fixing the castle, since Talpa wouldn't allow his Capital to be a smoldering ruin.

Sekhmet abruptly joined the battle, and not on Dais' side. He swung his snake fang swords towards Dais, but was slow enough that Dais could step aside. The venom that coated the weapons was flung onto Kayura's armor instead of his, and Kayura hissed in annoyance.

A brief touch against Sekhmet's mind said that there was no way Dais was going to break the hold the Knight of Spirit had on him, which, while unfortunate, wasn't entirely unexpected. Kayura and Sekhmet deliberately got in each other's way until they were more fighting each other than Dais.

Dais could feel the new Knight along with familiar ones approaching from the outside, and Dais sighed. He knew they would recover quickly, but had hoped that it would take at least a day. However, he had no more tricks except basic illusions, and he wasn't liking his odds.

I can't fall to them too easily, he thought as Kayura and Sekhmet took each other out of the battle.

A high-pitched whistle heralded the arrival of the Knight of Air, and Dais knocked the arrows away from him. He was forced to dodge grasping wooden hands, dancing lightly along the rooftops and on top of the semi-sentient wood. The two warriors came into view in front of him, and Dais was forced to dodge an attack from behind, a fireball scorching the area next to him. He heard Wood yell at Fire to watch where she was shooting, but Dais was more concerned with how Air's arrows were suddenly imbued with searing light. Earth came charging along the roof, two-handed sword at the ready, and with a battle cry lunged at Dais. Dais ducked beneath the attack and swiped the man's legs out from beneath him with his scythes. Dais rolled down the roof, but had dragged his scythes behind him, so they left a trap of webbing where they had traveled. Strands also sprang out to wrap around the arms and legs of Earth and Fire, who had closed in on him.

Dais dropped into a nearby courtyard and was hit with a geyser of water to his chest. He was flung into a wall, but moved with the momentum deeper into the Castle. He shook his head to clear it of water and disorientation, and had to dodge a halberd attack from Water.

Dais was not enjoying playing cat and mouse with the Knights, but had little other choice.

He dropped into a secret passageway and, with Yami's help, melted into the dark corners, appearing only briefly as he sprinted along the earthen tunnels. He didn't stay under for long, and ran up two flights of stairs and out onto a rooftop overlooking the marshalling yard.

The Knight of Darkness was waiting for him.

Dais deflected his first attacks, and taunted him out onto a nearby rooftop, where there were no real shadowed places except underneath them both, and, as Yami was his shadow, Dais' shadow could not be used against him.

Light and Air arrived along with Fire, and Dais found himself flanked on all sides. He still wasn't ready to give up.

He knew how to play the others against each other too well, knew when to disappear and how to position himself that they risked hitting each other with their attacks.

He didn't come away unscathed, but had battled them to a stalemate when the Knight of Spirit arrived. Dais felt him skittering along the edges of his mind, and smirked as he felt new strength infuse his body.

Stubbornness was a much maligned quality, but it would serve him well. He dredged up resources he hadn't known he had, and managed to knock Air unconscious and seriously injure Darkness (with Yami's assistance) when the Knight of Spirit said, "Enough!"

The other Knights backed away and stood down, leaving Dais exposed and alone. All the Knights had congregated in a loose semi-circle around Dais, and Dais knew that the battle was over. There was no way he could win against such odds.

Dais had lost, but that didn't necessarily mean that he was defeated. Afterall, Yami still lurked in his shadow.

The Knight of Spirit was talking, but Dais wasn't listening. They had blocked every exit except the canal behind him, which they assumed he wouldn't use because of the Knight of Water. However, it would give him enough cover to use a portal—for some reason, the water in the Dynasty canals didn't listen as it should to the Knight of Water's commands. Perhaps it had something to do with the different realms. Perhaps it was as much a part of the Dynasty as any of the warriors.

Dais looked at each Knight's face, committing them to memory. One day, he would return, and when he did, he would make them regret ever stepping foot into the Dynasty.

The smallest gesture communicated his and Yami's previously agreed-upon plan, and Yami formed out of the shadow that stretched in front of Dais. The cries of surprise—and hatred—that came from the other Knights were inconsequential, as Yami drew his shadow sword and slashed, then stabbed Dais.

Yami was an exceptional warrior with an uncanny amount of control over his abilities. While the injury hurt and likely looked bad, it was far from fatal. Dais would recover, given time, and if he really needed to, it wouldn't slow him down too much in a fight.

However, the wound was only one part of the charade.

Dais staggered back towards the edge of the roof while Yami withdrew his sword, his General yanking the blade free with a carefully placed kick to Dais' chest. Dais made it seem like the injury and attack pulled the armor off of him, and he projected the armor onto Yami himself.

It was very strange to see his armor on someone else's body.

Dais took two more steps back before his foot hit air.

It was a long fall, and it would hurt to land in the water, but Dais knew he'd survive—he had, after all, fallen from greater heights and lived to tell the tale.

It was odd, though, seeing the Dynasty, the castle, his home, upside down. His blood soaked the cloth of the T-shirt he wore beneath the yukata, but no one had eyes sharp enough or was near enough to tell that he had modern human clothes on underneath the more traditional garments.

When will I see the Dynasty again? He wondered as the wind whistled in his ears. Will they lock me out? How long will it take me to recover without the armor? Do I really have any better of a chance in the human world than I would have sticking it out here?

The last question had an obvious answer—of course. Humans were easily manipulated and there were billions of them. It would take time and resources to find Dais, which the Army did not have in excess.

He hit the water, and the shock of cold and wet on his body would have made a less disciplined man gasp in surprise.

Dais turned in the water and put his hand out in front of him.

Let's just hope I don't end up dropping into the middle of traffic, he thought fleetingly before opening a portal to the human world.

He fell through in a rush of light and liquid and landed on a person, knocking them to the ground as he slid through the breach in realms. The portal sealed on its own.

There were gasps of shock and a few screams, which Dais figured stemmed from the fact that he was bleeding and fairly beaten up by being forced to have head on encounters with multiple Knights. Appearing from midair probably hadn't helped any.

He was glad that he had landed on another person instead of asphalt, since it meant that another body had taken some of the force of his fall.

People were speaking quickly around him in modern Japanese, and while he could comprehend bits and pieces of it, he was pretty sure he had a mild concussion that was making focusing and thinking difficult.

He sat back, his head going to his hands as the world spun, before a cry of anger and surprise came from the person who he had landed on.

The voice was exceedingly familiar.

Dais let his hands fall and opened his eye to see the person cushioning him, and couldn't help but laugh.

It wasn't his usual smug, superior laugh. It was closer to a panicked disbelief.

Of course. Every time I come to the human world, I run into him. Why would this time be any different?

Laughing aggravated his wounds, however, and his laughter dissolved into coughing, which only made things hurt even more until he was shivering in inarticulate pain, eye screwed shut against the agony.

Dais heard Torrent speak, and he felt the man's slighter hands rest on his shoulders from behind. Dais wanted to shrug off the Ronin's concern, but the inky blackness of unconsciousness was nibbling at his awareness, and he had to focus all his energy on pushing that back.

They probably can understand me—I will sound old fashioned and a little strange, but modern Japanese came from my time's Japanese. Torrent may have studied it.

"Stop complaining, I'm not that heavy," he snapped at a squirming Hardrock as he opened his good eye again. He slowly tilted forward until he was no longer sitting on the Ronin, balanced on the balls of his feet, and he reached blindly for a support.

He was surprised when another hand took his and he looked up, half expecting to need to turn the grip into a throw.

But, no. It was just Torrent and, for the moment at least, the Ronin was the least of his concerns.

He was surprised by the young man's strength, but managed to get his feet solidly planted under him as he stood. He was oddly aware of when Hardrock stood, the Ronin's fingers absently, thoughtlessly, brushing against his (Dais') side.

Dais was leaning more on Torrent's strength than he would have liked, but exhaustion and a keen sense of lack had pounced on him, stealing his strength.

The last time I was without my armor was 400 years ago.

It felt as real a wound as anything inflicted on his body. It was a gaping absence, and while his natural illusory powers remained, they were feeble compared to what the Armor of Illusion had bolstered them to. He felt naked. Exposed.

It was distasteful.

"We need to move," Torrent told him. His archaic Japanese, while not flawless, was certainly better than anything Dais had expected.

"Yes," Dais agreed.

Hardrock was clearly beginning to complain when the sky darkened and a Gate sprung up nearby.

Torrent looked between Dais and the Gate, clearly torn. The accusatory tone in Hardorck's voice said that he rightly blamed Dais for their appearance.

Dead men don't sink. I hope Yami survived.

Dais let go of Torrent's hand and took a few steps backwards until he was standing on his own.

"Go," Dais said. "I will not die."

Torrent grimaced, but Hardrock calling his (Torrent's) name made him (Torrent) turn and call on the new, fancy armor.

Dais hadn't expected the white hot jealousy that surged through him, but he tamed the emotion quickly. He would never be able to effectively wear the armor of Torrent, and the Armor of Illusion was superior anyway, so there was no need for jealousy.

The Gate opened, divulging Dynasty and Army soldiers along with a few Crusaders.

Only the Army soldiers and the Crusaders attacked, however, the Dynasty contingent holding back, weapons either not drawn or held nonthreateningly. They were disheartened and unmotivated. Unless directly overseen by Talpa or a Knight, Dais doubted that they would do much besides take up space.

The Ronin easily cut through the Army grunts, although they had a slightly harder time with the Crusaders.

It is because they are clearly human and they bleed. All the attacks against the Crusaders are non-lethal.

Dais watched, and pressed his hand against his wound. His hand came in contact with tacky, damp fabric, but the cloth was already stiffening, which meant that he had at least stopped bleeding. He was less dizzy and nauseous, and his headache had lessened, which was good. Strains and sprains and fractures would heal in time, he just needed food and rest.

When was the last time I really got either of those? He mused as he watched the Ronin fight. He caught a quick shimmer of copper, and stepped to the side and caught the strike from clawed hands before it could hit him, and while it hurt to torque his body, he pivoted and threw his opponent to the ground before twisting their arm behind them and placing one foot at the base of their spine.

"Running is cowardly," Tano spat.

"It is a tactical retreat," Dais replied smoothly. "I refuse to work for them, and I am far too attached to my life to die needlessly. I will find a way to recruit the Ronin—hopefully the Crusaders will make my job easier—and then I will wrest the Netherworld back from them. I imagine that rumors of my survival will only piss them off further and make them sloppy."

Tano sighed heavily, then laughed.

Dais let go of her wrist and stepped back so she could roll into kneeling before him.

"You will have to be careful in your sedition, but I know you are skilled. Work with Yami or Mayuri. Yami will eat away at them from the inside while Mayuri will be nibbling the edges of their control."

"So he wounded you under your orders?" Tano sounded impressed.

"He still lives?"

"For now."

"Good. Go. I will return, do not doubt that."

Tano stood, bowed, then left him, following the sullen Dynasty forces back through the Gate.

Dais couldn't quite help the smile that formed on his face.

Talpa may have won the battle, but I will win the war.