The next morning all the officers attended the strategy meeting, tensions were high between the officers however they managed to contain their urges and listened to Chen Gong since Liu Bei didn't have a strategist of his own, much to their dismay, however for the sake of their lord they were willing to drop all grudges...for now. The camp was situated near the minor castle in ShouChun Yuan Shu was visiting while he was gloating his position and wealth to his own people. Chen Gong came up with a pincer manoeuvre as the main strategy. Liu Bei's forces would attack from the West while Lu Bu's forces would attack from the East.

Lu Bu's army would split into two. The larger contingent would take the high road where more enemies would be stationed while the other would take the low acting as something of a strike force in case the enemy caught on to the pincer attack and the main force is delayed for too much time, this contingent included LingQi, Mitsuko and Zang Ba. Once all the enemies outside the castle were defeated then they would storm the castle. After the strategy meeting all the officers dispersed and returning to their troops to inform them of what the strategy was.

'Looks like we'll be working together again eh?' Zang Ba glances at Mitsuko who chuckles at him

'Quite.' She responds as a few of Liu Bei's soldiers were marching muttering while giving them a sly glare before leaving.

'Hmph still not sure why we're here though. We shouldn't be concerned by whoever will be on the throne since that will belong to lord Lu Bu soon enough, so why should we bother ourselves with such a trivial matter like who's sitting on the throne now?'

'Are you questioning my father's decision?' LingQi inquired annoyed by constant questioning of her father.

'O-of course not! I was only erm...' Zang Ba bowed out of respect and fear in the fact that LingQi would report him to her father.

'Erm...I...I will go and prepare the troops immediately my lady.' Zang Ba stated as he quickly retreats back to the men and to get as far away from there as possible.

'Ha you showed him.' Mitsuko snickered however stops as she sees LingQi's frown remain.

'Maybe so but they all still should have some faith in my father's decisions.'

'Well you can't blame them for being curious of this decision at least.'

'I suppose not...though I still do not like it...the constant questioning makes me fear they are not loyal enough to father.' She stated before sighing.

'Yeah I can understand that. It's difficult to listen to people saying the same thing about someone you care about and all you want them to do is to just stop.'

Mitsuko's mind briefly flickered back to her own time. Back at her school, she would normally overhear statements from the other students as she was putting her things back in her locker. She would hear smark remarks about Akari...constantly hearing degrading and ignorant comments about her. She would've done something but she was too consumed with fear and was as a result too weak to do anything, even if they upset her greatly...aswell as infuriate her.

Mitsuko's taken back to the present when she hears LingQi calling out to her. She looks at her concerned face and tries to brush that flashback of hers off.

'Sorry I dozed off what did you say?'

'Are you ok? You're not normally the type to have your mind wander when a battle is looming nearby.'

'I'm fine do not worry I was just thinking of the battle ahead too much, sorry about that. Well anyway we should get to the troops and get moving then shall we?' Mitsuko starts to walk in the same direction as Zang Ba once did. LingQi stood there for a moment looking at Mitsuko.

'Mitsuko...what exactly are you concealing from me?'

'Hey c'mon we got to get a move on.' Mitsuko shouts towards her prompting LingQi to sprint to catch up with her. They both join the contingent of troops with other officers and began to march towards the castle. After a couple hours of marching save for a few hushed whispers from the soldiers near the back who thought they couldn't been heard not a single word was ushered. It was almost too quiet for them to march without any kind of resistance even if they were a small strike force.

'Pang Tong what do you think? You think this is a trap?' Mitsuko whispers to her advisor next to her who ponders this for a moment.

'Hmm most likely there will be an ambush up ahead. Even though Yuan shu doesn't have an official strategist he has a few advisors of his own that can come up with a simple tactic like that. I would advise to proceed with caution as we press on nearer to the castle.' He suggested and Mitsuko took note of it. Another hour later they reach a large building housing nothing but enemy troops and behind them a drawbridge to get to the other side. The leader of this group of soldiers arrived to the frontlines as Mitsuko's forces stopped their progress.

'Greetings I am Yuan Yao heir to the throne why do you fight my father, the new emperor of the land? The heavens have chosen our family to lead the land. If you surrender now I'm sure you will all be pardoned.' Yuan Yao smirked arrogantly and his tone pretentious.

'Ha as if we'll submit to someone like you.' Zang Ba responded as he raises his weapon towards him.

'Hmph so you wish to defy the heavens themselves? Very well...ambush forces reveal yourselves!' He orders as ambush troops suddenly appeared behind them encircling the entire contingent. With various soldiers stating the obvious and wonder how they are going to get out of this predicament. Yuan Yao was about to give the order for everyone to charge before she spots a fair maiden that he could never mistake.

'Ahh you must be LingQi...the woman who has rejected my proposal of marriage.' Mitsuko glances at her as she didn't know she received any kind of proposals. She looks stern ready to kill him.

'I will give you another chance, if you marry me I will...'

'She'll stay right where she is thanks.' Mitsuko interrupted him. Surprising LingQi before she had a chance to respond.

'Such insolence! Who do you think you are?' He demanded to know as Mitsuko looks down at the floor and starts to laugh.

'I know people like you. Those who think they're superior to others simply because of their wealth or title. Those that think they can get away with everything without consequence. Those that think they can treat women like objects for their pleasure instead of human beings. People like that...Really do not deserve to live in this world!' Mitsuko shoots her head up with a sinister smile and her eyes transformed to snake like pupils with both iris' being coloured in blood red. Mitsuko charges straight to Yuan Yao with LingQi and Zang Ba following closely behind her, a couple of seconds later the rest of their forces also charged forward all around inspired by their officers charge into the fray fearlessly. Pang tong in the meantime stands in the middle, grabs a flask from underneath his robes, takes a drink and laughs.

'Now's your chance to show them what you can really do, my lady.'

Mitsuko jumps and performs a forward roll as a guard attempts to stab her with a spear and slashes him as her body passes him, landing on the back of her right shoulder as a result. As she stands up she swings her scythe cutting down several soldiers in front of her. She blocks an incoming sword strike from the side with the bottom of her polearm making him stumble in front of her. She struck him down with a single blow in the back. Mitsuko twists her polearm and swings it to her right side impaling another soldier in the side. She pulls the crescent blade out and he fell like others. Mitsuko strikes upwards at another soldier only to turn it and slash another one coming towards her at the neck from the other side. She sidesteps to the side as an enemy charges towards her with a spear and plunges her scythe down slicing his neck. Mitsuko looks around and spots the young Yuan Yao slinking further into the ranks of his soldiers which are scarce as most are engaging with the enemy forces.

Mitsuko locks eyes with him and smirks as she starts walking towards him as she spots the fear in his eyes. Several of his guards attempt to stop her but to no avail. Mitsuko sweeps the first guard up and strikes down at his skull. She pull up the weapon high up and in one fell swoop struck down another guard as he attempts to block with his sword which couldn't stop the tip of the crescent blade from piercing his head. He fell to the ground and Mitsuko slashed a couple of more guards with a single blow as they ran to their demise. One attempted to assassinate her from behind however Mitsuko attacks from behind with the bottom of the polearm, she turns around and strikes upwards making the crescent blade stuck in his soon to be corpse. He looks up and finds Mitsuko terrifying as she smiles like she's having a great time. She kicks the newly formed corpse away from her scythe which has now been drenched in the enemies blood.

There was now a clear way towards Yuan Yao who was trying to lower the drawbridge as fast as he can to try and save himself. Several other soldiers attempted to stop Mitsuko to no avail as she struck them down with ease. She finally reaches him and stumbles as he tries to cross the drawbridge. He attempts to crawl away however Mitsuko plants her foot on his back. He whimpers and internally prays to the heavens for his life. Coincidentally enough the prayer was answered as he heard a clash. He turns his head to the best he can and he sees what he thinks is one of his guards dressed in teal clothes and armour armed with a scimitar that blocked her scythe and manages to push her off him momentarily.

'My lord you must escape at once.' He feigns care and loyalty in his voice as Yuan Yao stands up.

'Yes of course, thank you very much your loyalty will be rewarded I assure you.' Yuan Yao successfully flees across bridge, much to the disappointment of Mitsuko. The newly discovered mystic confidently smirks at this.

'Ha now that fool is gone we can go all out and you won't be distracted.' He readies his spear as Mitsuko has a lopsided smile and raises her scythe at him.

'Is that so? Well I hope you're ready to meet your end.' Halfway across the battlefield another mystic donning teal armour spotted them and immediately tries to stop him however LingQi stands before him armed and ready for action with a determined look on her face.

'I have no quarrel with you woman, please stand aside.'

'An enemy of Mitsuko is an enemy of mine.'

'Listen you have no idea who you are siding with. If she has her way your land will be in constant chaos for the rest of time and your people will suffer for it. Help us slay her so she won't bring ruin to your world!' He pleads with her, LingQi shakes her head defiantly.

'I will not let you lay a single finger on her!' LingQi stated not believing his lies about her.

'Then it is with sadness that I must eliminate you.' He lunges forward with his spear attempting to stab her in numerous places however LingQi skilfully blocked all incoming attacked and countered with her own strikes which were also blocked.

Even though Yuan Yao's forces had more men, Lu Bu's forces fought harder and as a result were winning the engagement however both side suffered losses. Bodies littered the battlefield and blood soaked the ground. Yuan Yao's men began to lose morale due to their situation.

Mitsuko was stuck in a deadlock with her opponent while being on the offensive. She smirks as she withdrew her blade temporarily and strikes his opponents left knee in surprise making him fall onto it and using his sword to keep himself from falling.

'How wa-' He was interrupted as Mitsuko slashed the front of his throat making the body slump to the ground in the direction of her swing. His mystic partner saw this and was enraged by his defeat and yells loudly. His once skilful attacks grew more into wild swings. He attacked overhead which LingQi blocks with her blades crossed. She pushes the spear overhead giving her an opening and she uses her blade to cut her opponent in half at the torso.

'Beaten by a human? Impossible' her opponent gurgled as his torso separated from her legs and fell backwards. She looks around the battlefield and saw that the enemy has lost their morale and began fleeing over drawbridge.

'Sh-she's a monster!'

'We can't stop her forces.'

'Lets get out of here!'

Mitsuko kneels down next to the mystic as the enemy started to flee past her. She grabs him by the throat, her eyes changed to her normal eye colours once more.

'this isn't the first time I met someone like you, do you want to tell me what's going on and why you people want to kill me?'

'What would be the point? You're going to die soon and finally we can live in peace.' He begins to cough blood. Mitsuko's right eye began to glitch to the blood red colour once again.

'Don't give me this shit just give me a straight answer!'

'Heh...lets just say we don't...let the people we care about fight their own battles.' He arrogantly smirks despite being on deaths door and this infuriated Mitsuko as she squeezed her hand on his neck. His blood continually pours out of his wound soaking Mitsuko's gauntlet before Mitsuko lets go as she realises he's now just a corpse. She stands up and just sees the last few soldiers flee across the bridge, with blood dripping from her gauntlet.

'We have them on the run, forward! Lets finish them off for good!' Mitsuko raises her scythe across the drawbridge and several soldiers cheered as they sprinted across. Her momentary rage faded away as the skirmish ended.

'Oh that felt good.' Mitsuko smirks once again and turns around as she hears familiar voices.

'Well that was an impressive showing there, that means I have to try even harder then eh?' Zang Ba pats her on the back.

'Well I mean you'd have to try real hard to get to my level.' Mitsuko confidently smirks.

'I too admit that was a great performance...however please don't do something reckless like that again.' LingQi asked.

'Reckless? I just showed them who was boss is all. Besides you didn't tell me you had marriage proposals.'

'It was none of your concern. In the future please do not act so freely to lose your life next time.' She responds in a harsher tone that she planned which took back Mitsuko somewhat. She immediately regrets it and bows apologetically.

'My apologies I did not mean sound so stern...I merely wish you do not charge on your own and get hurt.' LingQi looks down...almost ashamedly before hearing a familiar laugh behind her.

'Haha is that all then you got nothing to worry about.' Pang Tong appears behind them.

'Because I'm sure you'll all be fighting alongside her right? Then she'll never be fighting alone and with you at her side I doubt neither of you will sustain an injury.' Pang Tong chuckles.

'I suppose you are right about that.' LingQi admits as she forms a small smile on her lips.

'Haha indeed, now since that it settled let us proceed forward to join with your troops shall we?' Pang Tong suggests as Zang Ba perks up.

'Yeah we have to make sure the troops fight their hardest and get in on the action!' He stated as he started to run in the same direction.

'Man I never saw him run so fast, must be the glory hunter heh. So...ready to go?' Mitsuko looks to LingQi who nods and genuinely smiles.

'Yes lets go!' She replies with determination as they including Pang Tong made their way towards the rest of the battle. Little did they know they were being observed.

'Oooh did you see that. These mystics stood no chance against them. Ha ha that'll show them not to face our lady!' Gyuki states like a child.

'I must say I didn't expect them to dispatch them so easily. Especially the human. I continue to be impressed.' Dodomeki admitted as he hunched over the cliff watching Mitsuko and the battle closely.

'Yeah I'm glad they're becoming strong. After this battle I'm sure our lady will get more recognition.'

'Indeed, we did all we can to do that the rest is up to her...so far she's excelling her development.'

'Of course, she'd our lady we will be serving soon after all...but wait wasn't our lord Orochi supposed to wake up by now?' Gyuki asks.

'He should have definitely by now...but there's something different about this one. I know you felt it to at the beginning of the battle.' Dodomeki ponders on what this means when all of a sudden he is struck by a realisation.

'Hmm I may have an idea of what it is but its still a little early to tell but I think we may need to consider the lord Orochi we know could no longer exist.'

'Wait what!? Are you serious?' Gyuki stood up and questioned in shock.

'As I said it's a little too early to make assumptions but it's the only theory I have. What an interesting incarnation you are Mitsuko.' Dodomeki secretly smiles proudly behind that mask.

'Come Gyuki lets get to a better vantage point for the next part of the battle.' Dodomeki ordered as he runs up and sprints towards their next destination with Gyuki lumbering behind him.