December 3 2022


The Foreigner from a Distant World

CHAPTER 7

Battle for the Byakko Plains


Two months into Hachiman's mandatory training.

First mission in five months.

Hachiman is on a break and enjoying a warm cup of tea in his usual teahouse in Tenryou. He is a frequent customer and is known by most of the locals nearby as the Commissioner's Aide and owner of the orphanage and school in Hanamizaka. But today he has a companion - a small bundle of white that he is holding on his left arm.

He brought the two-month-old with him on a stroll. While the orphanage was being renovated by his orders, the infant had lived with him and today he will bring her to Hanamizuka. Commissioner Horimoto, as well as many others, initially thought that the child's parents were Hachiman and a certain shrine maiden of the Hakushin Clan. Hachiman was quick to clear any misunderstandings but that did little to quell the rumours.

He looks down at the child's face. Wide yellow eyes stare back at him and she holds his pinky finger with her tiny hand.

"If I wasn't so busy, I'd take you in myself." Hachiman pauses and muses on what his parents might think, "Hm, I think they'd let me. I already have stable work, the only problem is that I can't see to your needs during the day."

The child had arrived in Inazuma City with refugees from the north. Her parents are nowhere to be found and the ones who brought her were her neighbours. Hachiman had named her Fuyumi and registered her in the Inazuma Statistics Bureau, writing himself as her legal guardian.

"What about it? Should I ask Yae to be your mother too? Hehehe." He chuckles and tickles the infant's tummy. Since starting his training with the other recruits, he has rarely seen her. "You're both Kitsune and Yokai, though I think she'll have to retire from being a shrine maiden in the meantime. On a second thought, she's not mother material… I hope your parents come and take you back."

The toothless baby conveys her reply by biting and chewing on his finger, whatever that may mean. Hachiman decides that it is time for him to go and travels down to Hanamizaka. Fuyumi cries loudly when handed over to Eirin but the experienced woman was quick to calm her down. He feels sad to be separated from the infant but has no choice since he is still training at the academy. Though he does promise that after his military training and service are completed and he finally returns to civilian life, he may consider adopting the baby if her parents do not appear.

After turning over the child, he spends a few hours in the orphanage and school inspecting the facilities and being with the children. Hachiman decides to eat outside at a new ramen stall that opened in Tenryou. To his surprise, he meets a familiar face eating alone in the corner and reading a small book. He ignores her for now and sits at the counter and gives his orders. A person sits beside him shortly after, presumably looking up from her book after hearing his voice.

"Fancy seeing you here. And you even had the gall to ignore me." A teasing female voice says.

He shrugs, "You looked rather busy."

"Oh, this small thing?" Yae Miko says and holds the book for him to see, "Just doing a little reading to pass the time. I was just about to go but since you're already here, why not chat with me."

Hachiman had wanted some time in his solace but now finds it difficult to shoo away his companion. She, on the other hand, is eager to catch up as she had not seen him in two months. After finishing his food, he quickly excuses himself and goes on ahead saying that he needs some work done.

In truth, he was being teased and goaded by the Kitsune on a rumour about them which she overheard in Inazuma City and even reached the Grand Narukami Shrine in Mt Yogou. She was amused by it since someone else seeing them frequently together can conclude. This is also fueled by the fact that Hachiman can be seen walking around with a Kitsune infant in the Tenshukaku and Tenryou in his spare time.

"What a funny rumour. I can see how and why they thought of it. Say, why not make it a reality instead~? I don't mind. Hehehehehehe~."

Her words continue to echo in his mind even as he reached the Tenryou Commission grounds. He huffs angrily at the provocative words which caused him to get flustered in the first place.

"Tch! That damned Kitsune! She better stop saying stuff like that or else I'll seriously consider her offer!" He whispers hotly to himself as a nerve twitches and throbs on his forehead. Hachiman immerses himself in work at the desk for some time as night arrived and gets up when he hears knocking from the outside. To his surprise, he finds himself face-to-face with the Yashiro Commissioner and a few others. He welcomes them inside the special tatami room and they all sit together on the floor.

The reason for their unannounced visit is their interest in Hachiman joining the Shuumatsuban. They have been watching his progress in the academy and are greatly impressed. They seek to recruit him to a special corps that they have only recently formed upon discovering an abyssal domain in an undisclosed location somewhere beneath Narukami Island. After securing a preferable deal, Hachiman had no choice but to agree against their thinly-veil threats. And for the next few months, he would be trained by the shogunate by day and the Shuumatsuban by night. The domain was unique as time flowed very slowly inside compared to the outside world.

The great Oni Iwakara Doukei, the Kujo Clan instructor, would pass down his sword arts to Hachiman and Kujo Ren and the two would have a brotherly rivalry to see who can outmatch the other. Hachiman later met Kamuna Harunosuke of the Yogou Three and trained inside the Mystic Onmyou Chamber together with a select few from the Shogunate army.


Present day

A Tengu scout bows to his superior and relays the things he saw in the field. The young man in the tent analyzing a map spread out on the table listens carefully.

"I see. Ask a scout to replace you for the night. You earned it." With a bow, the Tengu excuses himself and leaves the tent. Hachiman sighs and changes into his semi-armoured attire and goes outside. Soldiers are walking around attending to their tasks under a full moon. The camp is located on a hill that has a clear view of the eastern side of the Byakko Plains near the seashore.

Hachiman was elected and chosen as the leader of this company. He had impressed many in his time in the academy and gained the trust of his brothers in arms. They have been tasked with a supporting role with the vanguard to clear this area of the remaining abyss monsters. Today is their seventh day since the start of the operation.

"Sir, let us accompany you." He is approached by several men already in their armour.

"No. I'll do it myself."

Taking two Tengu bodyguards, he makes his way out of the camp to where a lone rift hound was spotted. He makes quick work of it, firing an arrow straight to its eyes before finishing it off and sending it screaming back to the dark dimension. The corruption in the land runs deep, infecting men, Yokai and beasts alike and transforming them into monstrosities that wreak havoc. Even something as simple as drinking contaminated water or breathing the wrong air can lead to horrific mutations.

The trio track down the remaining others being led by a riftwolf. They manage to eliminate its underlings but it manages to get away.

"It's injured! Hunt it down before it warns the rest of them!"

With a flash, his elite Tengu guards disappear while he catches up and jumps from the treetops. The hellish beast is within sight when the Tengu fire bolts of lightning and streaks of fire at it. Hachiman delivers the killing blow by reciting a short chant and impaling the beast with his Katana at the centre of its head and banishes it. They scan the area before heading back to camp and resting for the night.

They advance with the vanguard the next day and provide reconnaissance and elemental artillery fire support as well as first aid and treatment to the injured. Hachiman can be seen at the front of their line issuing commands to the forward artillery base. He studied formation theories in the academy and personally makes heavy use of artillery and reconnaissance with the use of his Tengu scouts. Out of all the support groups, Hachiman and his company use the most ammunition much to the disdain of the logistics personnel. They recapture more ground with each passing day until Mt Yogou is close enough to mount an encirclement together with allied forces from Konda Village and Mt Yogou itself .

The first tragedy struck in the form of a disease in the camp. Ten men started convulsing and vomiting blood and Hachiman gave the order to quarantine them away. He watched one of them writhe uncontrollably before their bodies turned black and melted into goo and slimy biomass. After consulting a Kitsune sorcerer, Hachiman painfully gives the order to put them out of their misery and burn their bodies as well as all their belongings to ash. The act was a major blow to his conscience and morals and greatly affected him.

"After a thorough investigation, we have found out that our fallen comrades have brought with them shards and leftover material from the abyss monsters which may have caused their unfortunate end. I am now banning all possession of such things and anyone caught with it will lose his hand and be sent home."

His command causes a stir in the group which hardened their hearts and made them take his words more seriously. Hachiman passes on the information to his fellow commanders lest they face the same fate. He knows his order is the right one yet the thought did little to stop him from having many sleepless nights. His shakuhachi which he read to play lively tunes and songs in the evening became full of sorrow and grim foreboding.

The next few weeks become tense as they face a shortage of food, water and ammunition. Fights break out and Hachiman is forced to send his Oni to keep the peace. No man of reason would dare go up against the three-meter-tall ageless Yokai who possess unimaginable strength. Their hearts get lifted when they see two supply ships from the southeast before being overcome with terror and despair as they watch them get sunk by an abyssal monster that hid beneath the waves.

Hachiman writes an angry letter to the Vice-Admiral in charge of supplying and supporting shogunate troops on this side of Narukami Island. His Tengu bodyguards swore that despite him not having a pyro vision, Hachiman's eyes blazed furiously as he wrote:

"You idiot! Why did you send unarmed supply ships with no escort!? Where in the Shogun's name are the escorts?! We lost a hundred sailors to sea beasts because of your stupidity!"

He finds out four days later that the Vice-Admiral has been relieved of his position.

His mood does not subside which makes him more irritable and tense. To calm his nerves he goes to where the fighting is the heaviest with a select few, despite the protests of his subordinate officers. Seeing the commander of a support company personally join the fray with the vanguard caused mixed reactions but they turned into words of praise when they see first-hand Hachiman's combat effectiveness. Though he is not as fast as a Tengu nor stronger than an Oni, he makes the best out of the sword techniques from his master Iwakara Doukei. The great Oni taught him how to imbue his weapons and armour with elemental energy without the use of Visions just like the elite Samurai.

Hachiman's choice of arms was the naginata and bow, but after training with his master, he learned the katana as well. His polearm can be split in two which he can dual-wield with pyro on his right and electro on his left. When night comes, he makes use of the skills he learned from the Shuumatsuban. Through meditation and concentration on his life and spiritual energies, he can go long periods without nourishment or sleep which unnerved his fellow soldiers who noticed it.

In the future, he plans to gain the favour of the Yogou Tengu and learn from them the "Art of Transcension", just like his master Nagamasa Harunosoke who is part of the famous Yogou Three. He had befriended Bake-dunuki and Kitsune during his time in the Shuumatsuban and also seeks to learn everything he can from them. One of the tricks he learned from the former is transforming into inanimate objects after a brief puff of smoke. And the Kitsune taught him how to tap into the minds of lesser creatures and have them do his bidding.

Only a few people know of Hachiman's special training under the Shuumatsuban: The Yashiro and Tenryou Commissioners as well as the leaders of the secretive organization.

The decisive battle for full control of Narukami Island had finally come after three months of Hachiman joining the Shogunate army. If they succeed, they will prevent the abyssal hordes from summoning more of their dark brethren and scatter them into smaller groups.

Hachiman moves his company to the east side of the battle to assist the main force in funnelling their enemies into a more manageable position. The vanguard had pulled back to support his company situated on a hill and protect the artillerymen from being overwhelmed. The first defence line is almost reached by the monsters. He is at the front slashing and stabbing with his two swords as he is covered in dirt, mud and gore. He has been fighting for an hour and will soon reach the limits of his stamina. The battle is intense and most of the time he is face-to-face with the foul creatures. A deafening roar comes from his left and he is sent flying fifteen meters away. Hachiman gets up slowly, infuriated that he failed to fully avoid the attack.

A trail of blood drips down his chin, his helmet had partially shattered, three fingers on his left hand are bleeding profusely and his left shoulder guard was slashed to bits. Hachiman steps forward but nearly falls when he realizes that his left foot has been dislocated at a disturbing angle. He stares down a huge lawachurl covered in cryo armour. The monster roars at Hachiman who was knocked down when he barely avoided its huge fist crashing into the ground. His Tengu bodyguards swiftly come to his aid and blast elemental energy to distract the beast. The lawachurl shrugs them off but staggers back when canon fire scored a direct hit to its chest.

Hachiman briefly turns to the line of artillery fifty meters behind him and signals concentrated fire on his foe. He dashes forward and disappears in a flash, reappearing again and baiting the enemy into charging at him. The lawachurl chases him furiously but Hachiman was faster as he is forced to run on the ground because of his injured left foot. He connects his swords and turns it into a burning polearm throwing it towards its head and causing an explosive reaction. Hachiman quickly draws his bow with a short chant which temporarily immobilizes his foe upon impact. The artillery comes shortly after and shatters the monster's armour off its body and exposes its flesh beneath.

"Enri! Ritsu! Finish it now!"

The two Tengu appear over the beast with their black wings in display and plunge their naginata deep into the back of the lawachurl's neck. The lawachurl twitches for a moment before going limp as its life has ended. Enri and Ritsu fly and carries Hachiman back to camp for him to rest but he protests and commands them to put him down.

"My Lord, you have a nasty gash on your right shoulder and the side of your head is bleeding."

"Forgive us but we will not allow you to die here. There is also a jagged piece of ice lodged on your left thigh which you probably can't feel right now."

"I'm not dying, I'm perfectly fi- AH! Fuck me my fucking arm!" Hachiman winces and grits his teeth in pain when he tried moving his right arm. The pain-numbing adrenaline in his blood is wearing off and he feels excruciating pain all over his body. Warm blood continues to pour out from his wounds and he clicks his tongue in frustration.

"I am sorry my Lord but you are too young for me. Perhaps try again in ten years."

"Sorry I don't date human men. You guys die way too early."

He looks at them incredulously and at their less-than-humorous joke while they grin and smirk at his expense. "I got rejected by two women at the same time?!"

"You Tengu are strong but your jokes are ill-placed." He adds and then tries to convince them to bring him back to the front but they could not be moved.

Hachiman sighs and gives up, "Fine. Where is my naginata?" Ritsu with a pyro vision on her left ear holds his weapon for him to see. "And my bow?"

Her sister Enri does the same as her electro vision shines brightly as a bracelet on her right hand.

Hachiman is immediately delivered to the large emergency first aid area and is treated by Kitsune and Tengu healers. He swears loudly and even curses Celestia under his breath from the intense pain as the shard of ice is being removed from his body. They could not heal him as fast as he wanted and was bedridden for ten days as Enri and Ritsu watched over him and relayed his orders to the frontline officers.

He failed to join the last remaining hours, but the shogunate army emerged triumphant and claimed victory in the battle of the Byakko Plains.

Hachiman wrote the following in his journal which marked the end of major operations in the said theatre:

"After three months and fifteen days, we finally achieved victory here in Byakko. A lawachurl messed me up badly and I couldn't join in the last fight. Holy shit I'm so mad! I couldn't join my boys in our victory at the front and they had to swarm my tent and celebrate with me! At least I'm alive and will fully recover in a few more weeks. Yokai healing magic is amazing, I want to learn more about it.

Also, Ritsu may act too serious all the time and try to cheer me up with her terrible jokes but I'm still glad to call her my friend along with Enri. They're taking very good care of me while I'm still bedridden. Later I'm moving back to my personal tent to make room for those who are in critical condition.

Ritsu and Enri are coming by tonight and bringing a special juice with them that can make me recover faster. Well that's what they say anyway. I want to go back to the front - we still have to secure Konda village and the surrounding settlements, Ritou Island and the lands north of Mt Yogou."