That night two people overlook a small village. One wearing a teal tunic and pants armed with a spear with a teal cloth around the part where the wood and the blade are tied together with a rope. The other wearing a yellow tunic and pants armed with a sword while wearing a bronze helmet with a yellow bandana around it.

'So this is the village you talked about?' The yellow turban inquired. The mystic nods.

'Yep that very one, look at it so helpless, so unaware of what's going to happen.' The mystic smirks.

'And you're sure this special treasure of yours is here?'

'Without a doubt.'

'Why would something like that be just in a normal village like this though?'

'Well you wouldn't normally look in an average village like that would you?' The mystic responds.

'Tch well in any case you better keep your part of the bargain none of us actually like doing this you know.' The yellow turban commander states.

'You have no other choice but to do this to stay alive and want to retreat to a place far from the corrupt Han's reach, yes I get it. As if I didn't hear you the first five hundred times. As I've stated before once we get the item I'll personally lead you to your new home.'

'All right then that's good enough for me. I'm not sure why you want this thing but we'll get it for ya.' The yellow turban commander smirks as he looks behind him to his band of former yellow turban soldiers that has been following him since their defeat at the hands of the Han.

'Alright boys lets ransack this village, this can be the last time before we can be led to the land of peace we have dreamt of and finally escape the Han's tyranny!' he shouts. The band of yellow turban bandits cheered in response as they made their way down the hill and charge towards the unsuspecting village. The young looking mystic smirks as he watches them do his bidding.

'Ha knaive humans, they make a good fodder force should I encounter any resistance. I don't know why that demon decided to forge that armour now but I was glad to stumble upon him when I did. Once I take that armour I can lure the demons out on my terms and eliminate them and their so called glorious leader without any interference.' The thought of being generously rewarded along with the glory of claiming Mitsuko's head overcame him as he followed the band of bandits he employed.

They approached a field of crops next to the village itself, something about it didn't seem quite right to the mystic though he pushed the thoughts off to the side. As they charged through the fields the first line just fell over, they didn't think much of it as they leapt over them. The mystic just thought these humans were just clumsy. Though all of a sudden a few more fell over. He started to become more suspicious as the previous humans are not getting up.

'Argh it's a trap they have spikes everywhere!' A soldier yells as he sees the bodies impaled by small wooden spikes imbedded in the fields with a thin piece of rope shrouded in darkness with two wooden stakes pinned to keep them in place. The majority of the bandits were impaled at the throat or chest area, a few unfortunately didn't receive quite a quick death as they were still squirming, blood seeping from their wounds, they tried to get up unfortunately they were stepped on by the others before they knew what was going on.

'They laid traps on the fields, get on the pathways!' the yellow turban commander ordered. The bandits did as they were instructed to, surely they couldn't lay any traps on the pathways...right? The remainder yellow turban bandits ran to the sides of the fields on the pathways and resumed their march. Shortly after however, the ground gives way leading to several bandits falling into a large pit. The mystic and the bandit commander were in shock of what just happened.

'How!? How can they know we were coming!?' The yellow turban shouts while the mystic thinks to himself.

'Hmm they shouldn't have been able to recognise this little ambush I made sure I covered my tracks, even so they shouldn't have been able to get an ambush ready like this since I've only recruited these humans a couple of days ago and I was sure they were too busy overlooking their precious, disgusting excuse of a leader.' The yellow turban commander walked up to him and grabbed him by his collars.

'You didn't tell us this place was riddled with traps!' He yells in his face. The mystic pushes him away with his strength and shouts back in response.

'I didn't know ok! Don't blame me for your mens incompetence you should've been more careful.'

'Go to hell!' The two stared into each other's eyes, each pair full of anger at the situation they're in. The bandits in the meantime made their way off the pathways and back into the field but tread lightly. Two of them in the front were impaled by blades. The left punctured by a crescent blade through his chest, the other one stabbed through the stomach by two blades shaped like a glaives. They fell backwards as the two commanders heard their short lived screams. As they fell backwards LingQi and Mitsuko stood up replacing them, Mitsuko planting her scythe into the ground as LingQi used her double bladed glaives into a cross weapon and wielded it with one hand between her fingers.

'Well you've got to give it to him, he knows how to lay a good ambush.' Mitsuko states.

'Perhaps though at the same time if he was that great he shouldn't have needed us no?' LingQi questions.

'Ahh c'mon he only like a day and limited free resources, besides weren't you complaining about not fighting on the frontlines.' LingQi giggles slightly at this.

'Perhaps but if I recall correctly you were louder with your complaints than I ever were.' Mitsuko turns away in embarrassment.

'Th-that's not true at all.'

'Hey stop ignoring us! We'll get this damn treasure and go to the promised land, everyone attack!' The yellow turban commander orders as the rest of the bandits charged towards the ladies. The commander turned around to see his mystic acquaintance disappeared without a trace. This infuriated him deeply. He should've held his ground like the rest of them...he'd have to find this treasure first and then he'd use it confirm their passage to the promised land since he's only a man after all.

The bandits lunge in their direction as the two ladies prepared for battle. Most garnered their interests in LingQi due to her being closer. She moved and strikes with discipline and Grace, easily dispatching her enemies, Mitsuko every now and again could not help but turn her attention towards her. She sweeps one of the few bandits left on her end.,She raises her scythe and attempts to strike him though her attack is blocked by the commander who pushes her back.

'Now you face me!' He yells as he goes for another strike at her, she blocks it with the polearm and looks into his eyes full of determination. As Mitsuko was pre-occupied the mystic found higher ground quite a ways away from the action. He drops his spear and equips his bow and arrow. He pulls the arrow from the bow and aims towards Mitsuko trying to get a clear shot as the bandit commander keeps her busy. Satisfied with the angle he has he smirks and lets go.

'Fairwell...Orochi.' The arrow zooms towards her at a very high velocity. The mystic waits for the moment of satisfaction as the arrow pierces her body. As the arrow got closer as it zooms towards Mitsuko's left side. She kicks the commander away and unsheathes her concealed blade with the snake markings on it and splits the arrow into two. The two halves land on the sides of her, Mitsuko eyes changed to her reptilian ones and stare at the mystic in his eyes. He could only stare in the eyes...those eyes pierced his soul. It shakes him down to his very core, she follows up with a sadistic smirks at him as she licks her top lick before stepping back, dodging the commanders overhead attack.

'Impossible how did...how did she do that!? ...I need to pull back, rethink everything this isn't over demon.' He thought to himself as he starts to take a few steps back before hearing a giant thud behind him. The moonlight that was shining on him was engulfed in a large shadow. He was paralysed by the fear that consumed him. The shadow did not move nor did the mystic...until he quickly dropped his bow and rolls out of the way, under the legs of an enormous creature dodging an incoming heavy strike.

Gyuki turns around and growls with hatred. His eyes staring into his soul much like Mitsuko as he raises his heavy stone club high and smashes it into the ground at the mystic who dodges to the right side of it. Gyuki lifts the club and strikes again where the mystic is at again. He rolls forward dodging the strike again however now he is close enough to strike his leg. As he finishes his roll he uses his body weight forward to put as much power in his thrust as much as possible. To his surprise Gyuki raises his leg quickly and stomps down on the spear as he does a vertical swipe making him drop the spear in a blind panic and barely dodges backwards. The mystic looks at Gyuki's face with disgust and anger.

'I'll get rid of you soon, pig!' The mystic starts to run away.

'Hey I'm not a pig!' He slams the club on the ground creating a huge short gust of wind that was powerful enough to lift his feet of the ground as he retreats making him crash into the ground. He struggles to get up as Gyuki makes his way towards him. As he stands up he gets picked up by his left leg and gets lifted up to see Gyuki's face.

'You've been a bad person trying to harm my lady. You need to be punished.' Gyuki states as he slams the mystic to the ground a couple of times face first like a doll. The mystic gained a broken nose aswell as severe whiplash, after two or three times Gyuki held him in his gigantic hand and smiled delightfully as he squeezed tightly causing him drastic pain as he screams in agony. His ribs punctures his lungs and a couple of other internal organs making him cough blood violently before he stops, crushing a few more bones in the process.

Gyuki drops his club and uses his free hand to grab him by his right foot and raises him high over his head. The mystic screams as he gets dropped as Gyuki opens his mouth wide, catching his torso. He closes it to make sure he doesn't escape but doesn't chomp straight away. Instead he lets the mystic attempt to squirm his way out as his slimy tongue caresses its new food. His screams were muffled and his arms and legs were flailing wildly. During his flailing the mystic pokes one of Gyuki's eyes which irritated him and quickly chomped down. His limbs dangle lifelessly and his screams finally silenced. He gobbles roughly half of the body greedily until he hears chuckling behind him. He turns around to see the fledgling phoenix Pang Tong.

'So that's where he was, I figured I needed to keep a closer eye on him but I see that's no longer necessary.' Gyuki didn't know what to do as he quickly swallows the torso in his mouth and throws the legs away. He ran up to him and roars.

'Now that you have seen me human I must devour you!' He limbers towards him like a huge monster however Pang Tong seems to still keep his cool.

'Now now, if you do that wouldn't Mitsuko wonder where I was?' He questions which makes Gyuki pauses for a moment which makes him smirk underneath his mask.

'So you know Mitsuko then eh?' Gyuki seems stunned.

'How did you know!?'

'You two are not as stealthy as you think you are.' Gyuki rushes straight towards his face.

'You haven't told her yet? Have you?' He inquires clearly worried.

'No I haven't don't worry.' Gyuki sighs a breath of relief in response.

'Oh thank goodness...please don't tell her, she's not supposed to know about me yet.' He begs of him like a child. Pang Tong puts his hand on his chin mimicking contemplation before laughing.

'Don't worry I'm sure you have your reasons, after all if you two wanted to kill her you would've done so already. Not like that one.' He states referring to the mystic.

'Did you know who he is?'

'No but he seemed to have malicious intent, especially in the way he asked me where Mitsuko was but when I said I didn't have a clue who he was on about he quickly changed the question to where Puyang was.' Pang Tong walks to the edge of the high ground with Gyuki following him.

'He asked me as I was travelling where he was but something was quite...off about him. I gave him the directions but I figured I wanted to keep an eye on him, do my good deed for the land just in case he was causing chaos and all that. That's how I come across his little bandit raid.'

'So that's why you went to the castle then.' Gyuki answers as if he had a eureka moment, Pang Tong chuckles at him.

'Yep, that's when I met Mitsuko who you seem to know. Now its none of my business what business you have with her but it doesn't seem to be malicious so that's good enough for me...for now at least. But she is an interesting one though.' He and Gyuki watches Mitsuko's prowess in battle as Gyuki plops down next to him.

'There is a certain...aura about her, its subtle but it's there. What could it be though...strength? Power? Brilliance perhaps...i would ask you but I don't think you're allowed to tell me right?' He inquires as Gyuki waves his hands in front of his face.

'I-its nothing personal honest, we've just been following orders is all.' Gyuki responded trying to make sure his feelings weren't hurt.

'Ha ha then in that case you have nothing to fear. It's good that you're being loyal I can't fault you for that.' Gyuki looks at him with a perplexed look as Mitsuko finally lands a blow on her opponent.

'Well that looks like it's my cue to get down there. They'll probably be wondering where I am. Don't worry I'll keep you and your partner a secret for now. Least I can do after you took care of that one for me. Well cya.' He walks off while waving behind him. Gyuki stands up immediately.

'Wait...so what are you actually going to do now?' Pang Tong stops and scratches his head, he turns around with his eyes happily closed.

'Who really knows?' He laughs.

'Ghurk!' the bandit commander quickly grasps his fresh wound on his chest before staggering backwards.

'Ridiculous to be killed by...a woman like you.' He drops to the ground on his back as Mitsuko chuckles to herself as she hovers over him.

'C'mon now you shouldn't feel too bad about your death, at least you didn't die in a second like your men.' She laughs as she removes herself from the bandit commander as her eyes return to normal. She saw the very few bandit survivors retreating for their lives and sees LingQi finishing the last one before turning towards her.

'Well that was fun don't you think?' Mitsuko places the scythe's polearm over her shoulder and sheaths her shoulder.

'Yes I must admit this was...enjoyable.' She admitted as she sees Mitsuko chuckle to herself and smiles alongside her. However almost immediately the yellow turban bandit manages to stand up and run at her for one last strike.

'Look out!' she shouts as she throws one of her double bladed glaives. It zooms past Mitsuko's head who didn't know what was going on. It didn't touch Mitsuko as she stops in confusion and hits the commander in the chest as it sends him flying. As the last bit of the weapon passes her face she turns around to see the commander flying. She grasped her scythe tightly as she became to be infuriated more with herself than the commander for being sloppy. She walks to the corpse and strikes the crescent blade of the scythe in between the eyes penetrating his skull with anger. It takes her longer to remove it due to how deep its dug in though she manages to pull out her blood stained blade. She sighs and looks back at her.

'Sorry just had to be sure you know.' She responded as she removes one of LingQi's glaives and walks over to hand it over to her. Their fingers scrape one another as the exchange took place with them making eye contact with each other making both of them silent until a jolly voice filled the void along with horse hooves.

'Well well, looks like you managed to clean up the rabble that could've caused serious concerns. Excellent work. You two work together quite well. ' Pang Tong praised them. They turned around to see him arrive on horseback slowly with him lying on his back lazily. He sits up as he closes the distance between them.

'We should be the ones thanking you, if it wasn't for your awareness and your traps I do not think the village or its inhabitants could've survived. I apologise for doubting you.' LingQi respectfully bowed followed by Mitsuko.

'Ha ha no need to for any of that now, I'm just doing my good deeds I hope to cash in one day.' He dismounts his horse as he laughs but stops suddenly.

'However, the chaos of the land doesn't seem like it's going to end soon does it? But how can we achieve the peace we so desire though is the question.' Pang Tong states as he walks to the ladies and stands in front of Mitsuko who was confused by his actions.

'Something about you and the way you fight interests me greatly and I see something in you...a spark of some kind...something that compels me to believe you'll be instrumental for the future of the land. Allow me to help serve you...my lady.' He took a knee and this took both Mitsuko and LingQi offguard. Mitsuko didn't think this was going to happen to her...should she really accept? How much will change if she says yes...why does he feel this way though? Sure she's a little...unusual for this era she hasn't exactly done many grand feats unlike the famous generals she knows of the games she played.

'Hmm I don't think our strategist is the type to share.' LingQi states as Pang Tong shakes his head.

'Do not worry I won't compete to be your army's strategist, I'll be silent and stealthy you won't even notice I was there or anyone important.' Pang tong laughs at himself. LingQi glances at Mitsuko who was still visibly shocked by Pang Tong's request and smirks to herself.

'Well I believe Mitsuko has the final say to that request.'

'Wait what?' Mitsuko looks at her with confusion as she LingQi smiles.

'He seems to be requesting to join your unit, you're the one in charge of it so naturally you should be the one to accept or reject him seeing as there's no one else around.' Mitsuko looks at Pang Tong before closing her eyes and crossing her arms in deep thought. Ten seconds has passed before she started to smirk.

'All right then, I accept your proposal I'm glad to have someone like you along with me.' She extends her hand out and Pang Tong shakes it while closing his eyes happily.

'Ha ha indeed I do think this will be the beginning of something spectacular.' They stop shaking their hands as Pang Tong start to walk towards the village.

'Well now that that's settled we should rest here for the night. I believe they would be charitable considering we saved them from impending doom.' Pang Tong laughs as the two ladies follow him.