Mitsuko returned to the hut she previously entered where she very recently saved a mother and child from her own soldier disobeying her direct orders. She glanced to the ground to see the freshly torn corpse lying there where she left it. Blood had dripped all the way down the wall where both halves crashed to and started to dry up. She walked in and had a quick glance around the hut. She couldn't find anyone in sight. They must have heeded her advice she thought, it seemed they made their choice. She started to walk away. However as she started to walk away she heard footsteps that weren't hers distantly. She thought it was one of her soldiers at first however as it rushed towards her as the footsteps increased in pace she quickly turned around. She found the middle-aged woman trying to attack with a slab of wood. Mitsuko easily blocked the attack as her left serpent head caught it in his jaws and clenched tightly to it, preventing the woman from withdrawing it. Mitsuko used her other serpent head to grab her throat and hold her high. She doesn't crush it though. The woman flails her legs wildly, occasionally kicking the serpent's body to no avail.

'So you've chosen death I see. That's fine, I'll make sure its painless.' She stated as she looked around. She was trying to find the child. She searched around frantically as she kept a firm hold of the woman's neck still high in the air. When she couldn't find her she tightened her grasp on her neck and stared at her with her reptilian eyes.

'Where is she?'

'Gugh-gone.' She managed to sputter out. Mitsuko didn't quite understand that.

'Gone? What do you mean gone?' She tightened her grasp yet again as she raised her voice and slammed against one of the huts walls. She started to cough and tried to gasp for air.

' I was not about to let her die your villainess hands.' Mitsuko was furious by this as she started to shout at her as her left snake let go of the slab of wood it was holding and regurgitated out her sword.

'You let her go off…ON HER OWN!?' She yelled out.

'Yes. I wanted to see her grow up. Though I couldn't let you take her life away. So I told her to run, run and survive.' She replied. Mitsuko was enraged by those words and slammed her to the ground. The woman coughed up blood as soon as she made impact with the ground.

'I was going to let you go! I was going to let you live if you wanted. I gave you both a choice to go out together or live together for survival!' She yelled. Why did this woman just abandon her daughter just for a cheap shot at her? Yeah she knows what she did and understands that. But that doesn't justify letting a child, a young child be all alone in this world willingly just for a petty chance at vengeance!

'Do you expect me to take the word of a villain like you? You didn't hesitate to slaughter us, pillage and take what we worked hard to harvest for your own nefarious deeds.' She stated.

'I don't need to justify myself to someone who would let a child suffer through this world alone!' She snarled as her both her serpents hiss aggressively at the woman.

'She'll become strong. Strong enough to take your head.' Mitsuko full of hatred lifted her up to eye level and pierced her soul with a hateful glare.

'She doesn't need to be strong at that age! She needed to be cared for! And yet you put her for a life of suffering and loneliness for a small chance to try to harm me and if you fail she can pick up where YOU left off! You could harbour your hatred for me all you want but I gave you both a chance to live or die together. Yet you chose for her a path of loneliness. Do you understand what you've done to her!?' Mitsuko shouted at her with venom in her voice as she thrusted her sword in her abdomen. She vomited blood immediately. It drips down her chin and eventually starts to drip down both sides of the serpents jaw that kept a hold of her neck. Mitsuko didn't avert her gaze and forced her to look at her reptilian eyes as the sword horizontally carved its way through her stomach. When she completed it, the legs immediately fell to the ground, her intestines quickly dropped to the ground along with a couple of her internal organs. She felt her strength quickly fade away as its replaced by sheer agony. She wanted to scream, though the serpents jaw prevented air from escaping her lungs. The demonic hateful eyes of Mitsuko was the last thing she witnessed as she felt her arms go numb and darkness consumed her. As she closed her eyes Mitsuko threw the torso to the other side of the hut. She snarled before she calmed down. She didn't expect herself to lose herself to rage as much as she did. She didn't expect a parent to decide such a fate to her child…a fate…like hers. She contemplated what she would have to do in the future if raids like these would need to happen more commonly. If there were people that were be willing to make a choice like that, she wondered if it was almost better for her forces to kill them just to make sure they didn't have to suffer. She knew if she just killed them before and not gave them a choice she wouldn't be mulling over this now. She could've prevented her future suffering if she had a stronger resolve…she sighed.

Dodomeki perched over the cliff side as he saw the village started to burn while also spotting various people running away. He didn't feel anything for them as they weren't with Mitsuko so he didn't bother. Mitsuko ordered them to be spared and that's what he will do. However once he spotted soldiers fleeing, two on a horse while the rest sprint away as fast they could he followed till they were quite far away from the village. Then he made his move. He ran down the cliffside at great speed, looking to annihilate them as quick as possible. Meanwhile the two soldiers on the horse ride as fast as they could, while the bandit on the back of the horse held on to his comrade in arms in the front as they rode off away from the village.

'Master Zhang Yan is not going to be happy about this.' The rear bandit stated as he looked back to see the village in the distance they were tasked with guarding was embracing vicious flames.

'Indeed, just hope the others will make it to the city.' The front bandit replied.

'Most likely not, it may be too far but on horseback we should be ok.' Suddenly they both got knocked off the horse from its left side. The horse gallops without them as the bandits stand back up in unison. They both shake their heads to see Dodomeki crouched on one knee as if he finished a combat roll after he knocked them both off.

'Tch, don't think you can flee. Die like true warriors.

'Why you! I don't know who or what you are, but I know I'm going to put you in a grave!' One of the bandits threatened. Dodomeki

'Hmph, I'd like to see you try.' Dodomeki retorted as he stood up. The first bandit tried to hack at Dodomeki with his handaxe. Dodomeki dodged and weaved out of the attacks. Once he attempted to strike down his axe as Dodomeki dodged left. He counter-attacked by punching the bandit in the gut with his right hand and punched him in the face. The sharp metallic gauntlet knocked him down to the ground as he tore chunks of his flesh in between his check and his lips. The second bandit immediately lunged in forward with his sword, going for a thrusting action aiming for Dodomeki's chest as he rushed him from his left. Dodomeki quickly turned and deflected the strike with his right gauntlet, forcing his body to continue to move with his momentum. He immediately punched him in the face, forcing him to stagger back before he fell down to the ground. Dodomeki rushed towards him and punched him in the face as he crouched down beside in one swift motion. The punch went through the face, killing the bandit instantly. Dodomeki removed his gauntlet bloodied gauntlet as pieces of flesh and bone dripped off before he heard footsteps behind him. He stood up and turned around before leaping back to dodge a swing of the hand axe from his opponent. He leapt in and struck down the bandit as he raised his hand axe high.

His arm went through the bandits stomach. Dodomeki's entire forearm was covered in blood as the bandit coughed and spluttered more blood before hunching over his shoulder and releasing a death sigh shortly after before Dodomeki felt his body become heavier as it slumps over his arm. He pushed him off from his face with his left and retracted his right forearm. The body fell backwards as Dodomeki investigated something that feels off with his right shoulder. He holds it with his right gauntlet for just a moment and then stares at it. Despite the gauntlet being drenched in human blood he spotted a clear line of his demonic black blood. He quickly tightened his fist in anger. He thought he was faster than that. He knew he was, yet a human managed to get lucky to get a hit on him. He growled in frustration as he started to sprint towards the village however, he stopped as he heard several rocks fall down the cliffside. He quickly stopped and looked up to find two warriors clad in teal cloth and armour. One armed with a spear and the other armed with a sword with a bright silver chain hanging from the hilt of the blade. Dodomeki growled as he got ready.

'Look at what we have here Aquilla a demon who's far away from his master.' The female mystic who's skin shone the same as the reflective moon wearing mainly teal clothes rather than armour as she pointed to Dodomeki with her sword, engraved with strange markings that glowed a teal colour, the same shade as her clothing. One has 4 gold rings embroided on their clothing near the right side of the chest next to a moon. While the other has the 4 gold rings and what seems to be a majestic bird painted on their metallic shoulder pads.

'Well that's a shame, we can't have that lonely demons like him running around, I guess we have to put him down.' The other laughed menacingly, clad in teal heavy armour as he rests his gold encrusted spear with a few precious gems of various colours are decorated around the handle.

'That'll be the last mistake you both will make.' Dodomeki threatened as he got into a ready stance, anticipating their first strike.

'Pitiful demon, get ready to be purged. You'll pay for whatever you did to Cygnus?'

'Cygnus? Who's that?'

'Don't play dumb you demonic cur!' Acquilla cursed as he leapt off the cliff side while the other mystic sighed in response. Acquilla struck Dodomeki with an overhead strike. Dodomeki blocked the attack easily and pushed back the mystic who flipped backwards in the air and landed on his feet as his comrade crouched as she landed. On closer inspection her chain was longer than Dodomeki originally thought as it wrapped around her neck as it hangs freely. However she left enough room for her to manoeuvre the sword its chained to freely.

'Don't leap in on your own you buffoon.' She stated.

'C'mon Luna, I'm sure I can handle one of them. Just sit back and watch.' He called out as he pointed his spear at Dodomeki. Dodomeki thought of something, maybe he could get more information on the other creatures that fought with he mystic, maybe that's who this Cygnus is. Depending on their reactions he could maybe try and see just how fractured

'Cygnus? Would that be one of yours that got devoured by that frog?' The two look at him with utter shock.

'Frog…that damn Change'e how did she escape her prison!?' Change'e? Dodomeki heard of that name before.

'It doesn't matter, we'll deal with them later, just focus on the demon in front of you if you want to go solo.' Luna stated. Acquilla smirked arrogantly at Dodomeki.

'Yeah you're right. Die with the rest of your people, scum!' He yelled as he lunged towards Dodomeki with a flurry of thrusting attacks. He leant back and dodged the relentless onslaught before deflecting the attack and punching him in the right cheek. Knocking him down. As Dodomeki was about to go for a finishing blow, the mystic rolled backwards as he extended his spear forcing Dodomeki to stay back as he stood up. He lunged back in immediately after standing up. Dodomeki deflected the attack with his left forearm as he went for a hook punch. Acquilla ducked and attempted to sweep Dodomeki as he sidestepped to his left. Dodomeki jumped and twisted his body mid-air to do a roundhouse kick which Acquilla blocked with the polearm of the spear. Acquilla immediately unleashed a powerful front kick to Dodomeki's stomach forcing him to fall back. He sprinted towards him and gone for another thrust attack, this time aiming for his eye as Dodomeki jumped up as soon as he made impact with the ground. Dodomeki ran back to him and moved his head to the right side as the tip of the spear grazes the side of his helmet and used his left hand to go for the throat of Acquilla. He couldn't respond as Dodomeki ran past him and grabbed him by the throat and quickly slammed him to the ground. He kept a hold of Acquilla's throat and was about to go for a finishing blow with his free hand as he straightened it however he suddenly feels something metallic wrap around the flesh of the forearm which immediately burns him on impact. He didn't allow himself to scream as he can't show any weakness to these mystics. However he never experienced such physical pain. He glanced behind him to see Luna's chain wrap around it as she held on to both the hilt of her blade and the chain itself.

'I thought you were going to stay out of it.' He stated trying to keep himself composed when speaking though his eye twitched in agony.

'I was however I can't allow my comrade in arms to die just yet.' She retorted as Acquilla pushed him away as he was distracted. As he got pushed in the air Luna pulls him towards herself. Dodomeki growled as he righted himself in the air as he was being pulled. Luna didn't expect Dodomeki to grab the chain as she pulled him closer. As she was about to strike him with an overhead slash Dodomeki kicked her in the chest, knocking her off her feet as he rolled on the ground. He jumped back grasped his forearm as the burn marks from the chain begin to show on his skin. He opened and closed his hand to see how its reacting. He internally cringes in pain as he clenched his fist. He looked to side to see Luna chuckling at his display.

'Hurts doesn't it?' Luna stood up as did Acquilla as he wiped off blood from his mouth that was trickling down.

'Don't worry we'll make sure it hurts a lot more.' He stated as Dodomeki slowly walked back, trying to keep both of them in his sights. He felt his body start to become exhausted. He mentally curses himself because he knew he should have better stamina than this. He growled at himself before both mystics charge him.

Meanwhile Mitsuko oversaw the last of the food being collected as the village buildings aswell as the fields embraced their fiery demise.

'Alright that's the last of the food collected my lady. The inhabitants are either scattered or slain.' Diamondback stated as he bowed respectfully at her.

'Excellent, took longer than we thought but that should help put a little more of a squeeze on Zhang Yan. We leave first thing in the morning. The sooner we get out of here the better. Though Dodomeki should have eliminated the rest of the bandits by now. Where is he?' Mitsuko questioned.

'I have no idea my lady. I am sure he's just finishing them off now though.' Diamondback replied though Mitsuko still wasn't sure.

'Maybe…but he's normally good about that kind of thing.' Mitsuko spotted Gyuki walking back to camp.

'Hey Gyuki do you know where Dodomeki is?' Mitsuko calls out to him. He approaches both of them as he rubbed his head with his free arm.

'No I haven't my lady. Are we moving out now?' He asked.

'No, not yet. But do you think he should be back by now?' Mitsuko questioned. She started to become concerned, normally Dodomeki was efficient at these sorts of things. Maybe it was her making something out of nothing but she feels something slightly off.

'Well…I believe so. It is unusual for him to take so long.' He admitted.

'Right, well then me and you are going to look for him.' Mitsuko replied as she walked up to him.

'My lady are you sure that's wise? He could return any moment.' Diamondback stated. Even though he agrees that Dodomeki should have arrived, he figured it was more him being slower rather than him being in any trouble.

'Maybe, maybe not. We'll return before daybreak in any event though I need to see if he's ok. As you said he's not acting like himself and he could've just collapsed or something out of exhaustion.' Gyuki cocked his head at Diamondback as she said this before Mitsuko stopped before him.

'Travelling with Dodomeki must mean you're fast right? I hate to ask this but do you think I could ride on your shoulders? I think you're faster than me and it'd be a faster way of finding him rather than waiting for me.' Mitsuko explained.

'Oh I wouldn't think that at all however I am more than happy for you to do so.' Gyuki responded as he crouched on one knee and grabbed Mitsuko and placed her on his right shoulder. She used her left serpent arm to keep steady as Gyuki ran.