Welcome to the continuation of the previous chapter... and an action-packed one this time! Hope you guys enjoy the battle below. If you're confused about the techniques used, refer to the Glossary Update below.

In any case, hello again. I've been busy with beta stuff, which led to this chapter being postponed for a few more days than I wanted, but I felt satisfied with both work I've done. No, wait – there's actually four works: this one, Kingsdaughter613's Assassin Creed III series, kokosoko's Asgardians in a New World, and The Axe Guy's To Fasten and Suture. Check them all out, and tell me about the job I've done! Have I compoletely butchered their style, or improved it the way you all wanted? Give me some feedback.

Been watching Monster Musume no Oisha-san (Monster Girls Doctor)... and I was quite disappointed with the low-quality ecchi scenes compared to the LN or manga. Seriously, where's all the bravery go from the 90s (public) hentai anime series? They could do censorship right while still being stimulating, so how come we've regressed in the past 30 years? I have no idea... and I'm not letting TYPE-MOON off the hook, either, for their original FSN sex scenes. That was a proper ol' blunder.

Pay attention to this Mailbag, because there's some juicy info in it!
Royal Freshness12345: Why don't you check Just Light Novel's website? I think they have an English translation up to the second-last publication or something. Yeah, this is still the introductory arc, as you can see from the chapter titles (you HAVE been paying attention to them, right?). Action will resume soon by the next chapter. And yes, Juubei was the type to passionately respect and idolize those she perceived as more competent or above her in life. Naturally, as was with her male counterpart, this strong emotion could easily flip-flop between positive and negative.
98kazer: They're from a completely different era of Japanese history, so no - not in this story. The 4th HV installment will include them as main characters. Ibaraki-douji has the best chance of making it into HV-S03: SI, owing to her pure inhuman bloodline and Conceptual Weight, but I've settled in having her passed away some time before the story starts because I can't deal with too many characters among my already-burgeoning crossover characters, too. I keep Shuten-douji because she's stronger (and logically would have survived old age better than Ibaraki-douji) and I prefer her as a character. Ryoma and the Shinsengumi are also from another completely different era. I have plans for them, don't worry... but they're quite far away in the future. I want to focus on this and HV-S01's rewrite in the meantime.
Stratos263: Er... Nope. They won't be peaceful at all. You do know how the Sengoku Period played out, right?
uboNiniM: Juubei's wedding dress artwork in Oda Nobuna no Yabou's LN was my absolute favourite from that novel's artist. So of course she'll be cute. I don't particularly like their version of Nobunaga, so I have her in this story as the Oda Nobuna no Yabou's main representative instead. Thanks for the praise! A bit of a spoiler: Saving Saitou Dousan wasn't the main mission.
Issei ODR: Not in this story. Raikou's passed away, and the only remaining individual from her generation was Shuten-douji. Not sure whether I'll feature her alive in the next story though, which should be a prequel to this one set in the Heian Period (the 4th HV story). Because that story will focus on her descendants, namely Yoritomo and Yoshitsune, it's doubtful whether Raikou's inhuman blood would've been enough to give her a long enough life to interact meaningfuly with these two siblings.
Roop Vishal Bathala: Can you believe you're the first one who realized that? What an underrated LN series, and also one of my favourites. Thank goodness for Krytyk's efforts of translating all the main volumes - hope they're well and still actively translating.

N.B.(s): Check out my take on Kashima Shinto-ryū and Yoshitatsu's abilities in the Glossay Update at the end! Can you guess from which series they're inspired by?

- Gasp!

Hanbei awoke from a sudden choke, cold sweat pouring down her entire body.

…before she passed out again from exhaustion, truly sleeping this time instead of just passing out – which the body didn't consider 'natural' rest, oddly.

Ever since she was small, her body had always been sickly, mostly due to oversensitivity to the ambient Mystery and its changes. Unfortunately, one of Thaumaturgy's constant weakness compared to science's advancements was hygiene – that very simple thing causing the development of medicine to slow down, as magi kept trying to find 'cure-all's and not targeting specific illnesses or even symptoms.

Seduced by the dream of eternal youth and long-life immortality, they pushed their craft further and further into a realm where none could return, ignoring simple things all the while.

To be honest, Hanbei herself had only limited understanding of those things, not because she was uninterested, but because of the lack of proper resources she could study from. Her familiars, some of whom were ancestral souls of her school of onmyō, were also unskilled in this area. Having opposed the then-rising Minamoto Clan, they were excluded from the medical knowledge Yoshimoto possessed and taught to his descendants, which he used to acquire his first wife from the sickly emperor at the time.

From a glance, her symptoms were merely a high, constant fever, as well as muscle pains and occasional dizziness. Yes, it appeared most like the common cold which took the lives of so many children prior to the Minamoto Shogunate's rule… and still did today with lessened fatality rates. However, those who knew Hanbei would notice this illness would strike again and again, regardless of her physical and mental state.

Which meant it was, after all, a magical disease.

She theorized it was more akin to an incredibly heavy allergic reaction. While she could bear with it all these years, the toll on her physical body was increased by the growth of her Magic Circuits, threatening to blow her into pieces if she couldn't balance her body's inherent sensitivity to ambient mana with its outbursts.

Therefore, with every slap, hit, and kick Yoshitatsu landed on her small body, Zenki was prepared to hold a funeral… then go on a suicidal rampage to avenge his master until his soul disappeared from the face of the earth.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's fond of her, far more than the relationship between a loyal familiar and a caring master. They were separated by centuries – yet, he thought of her as his own daughter. He couldn't feel her pain, couldn't share it… but by the gods, he wished he could. He could only imagine the difficulty of maintaining such a positive attitude and ever-present kind smile with the pain caused both from within and without.

…and while the 'hero' who appeared to answer his prayers wasn't one he'd imagined; he'd gratefully accept the help.

"Long time no see, young Seimei…" Shuten-dōji slurred, drinking from a small gourd and speaking at the same time. Smiling while flushed, she bared her tiny fangs, wiping both the dripping alcohol and blood from the corners of her lips. "You sure look awfully devoted, for someone who abandoned everything he believed for due to racism…"

Zenki, known as Abe no Seimei when he was alive, could only bear her sarcasm in silence. His concentration was all focused on his master's current weakened state – far more severe than her usual sick breakdowns or Yoshitatsu's abusive beatings – as her breathing was incredibly weak while her body was unresponsive to every external stimulation.

Hanbei was in a coma.

As a familiar, he could feel his connection to her weakening, though thankfully it had stabilized to just a low level instead of dangerously dropping off continuously. Right now, he couldn't even smack his head in frustration as his form had turned partially-ethereal… as his negligence was what allowed Kashin Koji to invade Hanbei's mind through hidden gaps in her mental defences.

How could he overlook that possibility? They already had a clear hypothesis that wretched sorcerer was the one behind Yoshitatsu's recent increased aggression, even when compared to her usual violent self, but Zenki put it at the back of his mind since the man himself hadn't showed up personally, leading them to think he's conserving his strength and couldn't afford to materialize himself in front of others.

But what about behind, or inside? Clearly, he'd had more experience in worming his way into people's hearts.

If Shuten-dōji wasn't there, he was certain the two of them would've become Kashin Koji's puppet by now, just like their half-yōkai lord. Even she, an oni of the highest calibre, took damage dealing with Kashin Koji's mental and physical form – the latter forced out of Hanbei's body after the oni's heroic entry.

Of course, having seen her full capabilities when he was alive, Zenki knew this form of hers had its power severely limited in order to ease her movements in this new mixed world. While ordinary yōkai could live normally, someone of her Conceptual Weight would have penalties enacted upon her by the universe if she stayed in her full-powered form all the time. It was fortunate Kashin Koji instinctively created a Yōkai Realm when he was kicked out of controlling Hanbei, and Shuten-dōji had the flexibility to channel more of her original power then.

"Stop staring at boiling water. It won't finish if you gaze into it for too long," she joked, lightly prodding his shoulder with her bare feet. "I swear on my name she'll be fine… although it may hurt your pride! Fufufu…!"

Her giggling felt as monstrous as her true nature, checkmating Zenki to the point of silence once again.

Her kimono, worn as loosely as always ever since he remembered knowing her, was tattered from the skirmish with Kashin Koji. While her wounds had long closed off, the strong stench of foul blood – a mix of her own and the sorcerer's – remained from the dried patches staining her unblemished skin and the scandalous fabric draped around her small form… as well as the katana he never knew she could wield with such dexterity.

No, it could be said it's to be expected of Minamoto no Yorimitsu's rival… Knowing that woman's strength and true heritage, no single being could withstand her attacks for prolonged period of time – and this was when the general had the assistance of Sakata Kintoki. Given the current official leader of Mt. Ōe, Ibaraki-dōji, lost fair and square to one of her retainers, it spoke volumes of Shuten-dōji's martial ability, aside from her obvious talents in Magecraft and shinobi techniques.

Finally, after a period of some silence, loud gulps and feminine burps, Zenki spoke, "Are we safe here? Apologies for my questioning attitude, Shuten-sama, but I fear Yoshitatsu's forces are no longer controllable… and I don't know when my master will wake up."

"Fufufu… so short-sighted as always, even after you died." Stretching her stiff body amidst the sound of joint popping, she explained, "I… well, whipped that boorish guy good. Do you think in this form I shan't be able to slaughter Mino down to the last woman and child if they come? Fufufu…"

"…you still haven't answered my last question," Zenki urged, slightly worried she'd go through with her threat even without provocation from the remaining Mino forces. "Even if I have to sacrifice myself, please, take care of her-"

"Fool!"

- Bam!

While he couldn't touch his own body in this ghost-like state, someone like Shuten-dōji certainly could – proven when her soft soles, clad only in a strip of dark-coloured clothing, planted themselves right on his nose and bashed it in.

In a rare occasion, her face contorted from her usual calm, mocking smile into a genuine anger born from worry.

"Do you think your master shall be alright with that?! What if she committed suicide out of grief, you idiot?!" She bellowed, raising her voice against him for the first time he remembered knowing her. "I'd rather kill you myself and apologize remorselessly to her than have you do that!"

Her outburst struck him dumb, leaving his mouth agape in silence for a few moments. After he managed to compose himself and check that yes, that had actually just happened, he mumbled, "…thank you, Shuten-sama."

"Hmph! Thank me by changing your point of view about us yōkai when you're alive!" She took an angry swig from her gourd, her eyes clearly telling him she'd spit the alcohol and demonic flames from her mouth if he said another stupid sentence.

When he was still called Abe no Seimei, his descendant nearly accused a nine-tailed fox yōkai of causing the then-emperor's deadly illness, completely disregarding the possibility the old man's body and habits were the problem, since it's considered an insult if one assumed and suggested the emperor was actually something unhealthy. People's heads had flown off for less, and Abe no Seimei quickly turned to the sole inhuman occupant in the room.

Said descendant was called Abe no Yasuchika… who in reality was Seimei himself under a different guise, having found a temporary solution to immortality. His youth, spent battling yōkai during a time the two forces were at odds with each other, meant his perception of them was very antagonistic. And with each successive 'generation', his new identities diluted his soul's good points and enhanced the bad ones – as was the norm when one tried to reincarnate one's soul through multiple vessels without sufficient Thaumaturgical Foundation.

Then, in Yasuchika's exile from the royal court, he then learned that yōkai was actually the divine avatar of Amaterasu herself – meaning said goddess could smite him dead if his negative, accusatory opinions to the emperor about her actually took right then and there.

…no, as a matter of fact, the primary reason why his reincarnating gig was over, and he took his current form as a familiar-slash-shikigami, was because Amaterasu meddled in his carefully-crafted Magic Crest and Sorcery Trait through her connections with the underworld. Quite a light punishment, he thought, given he was trying to get that rose-haired cheerful courtesan beheaded or pelted with arrows from an entire army.

It was a more-than-hard-enough slap across his figurative face to change his opinion of yōkais in general.

As silence reigned again, interrupted by Hanbei's occasional snores – a worrying sign, as it could mean she still had unhealed internal damage – a presence suddenly made itself known, approaching their location at high speed.

While Zenki was understandably nervous, as his detection capabilities were similarly reduced in potency, he eyed Shuten-dōji's reassuring calm.

…which didn't actually calm him down at all, because the level of opponent she wouldn't care about was still enough to finish off his master even when fully healthy.

Fortunately, an incredibly familiar face showed up instead.

With a light sheen of sweat covering her wide and smooth forehead, Mitsuhide popped her head into one of the various caverns littering the magic stone mine. It's one of the natural expanses smooth and comfortable enough to use as a hiding and resting spot, so she assigned a high priority to check these places because there's a high chance Yoshitatsu had actually made her way to this place and set camp in them.

Of course, seeing the occupants she didn't expect to initially froze her in place, since her katana was fully drawn and ready if she had to immediately counter an attack from Yoshitatsu, making her look like she's about to attack Hanbei and Shuten-dōji instead.

"Oh… thank goodness you're safe!" After a momentary pause, she exclaimed while sheathing her blade and sprinting forward at the same time in such a fluid manner it showcased her skill as a master swordswoman. "Hanbei-san… I-Is she going to be alright?" She nervously prodded at the translucent familiar and half-drunk oni, watching the onmyōji's death-like sleeping condition.

"Mn. Are you here for that child Yoshitatsu, young Jūbei?" Shuten-dōji casually asked, getting her position even more comfortable lazily. "If so, then she's just right above us… in the room I'm sure you know."

"I see…" Mitsuhide muttered, the passionate flame of combat reigniting in her eyes despite her Element. "Then, I shall take my leave. There is an exfil team ready by the river at the side of the castle – you can securely escort Hanbei there since they'll take you straight to Owari."

Zenki bowed. "Thank you… and godspeed, Akechi-sama."

"Oh, before you leave… take this," Shuten-dōji called out at the leaving Mitsuhide… and promptly threw the spare katana she carried around and used against Kashin Koji. "It should help you."

The Princess General of the Akechi Clan nodded, determinedly launching off again with her personal movement technique.

Inabayama Castle was famed for its strategic location. Classically located on a mountaintop following the philosophy 'easy to defend, hard to attack', it's surrounded with steep cliffs on most sides with the rest covered by a river… which had no suitable banks for a large naval force to land. At all.

Additionally, the presence of a nearby magic stone mine meant the castle was heavily occupied and guarded at all times. The simple presence of the miners – consisted of criminals of various degrees of villainy – meant it also had a ready supply of meat shields if it came down to it. While under Dōsan's rule they had a relative sense of stability – in that all they had to do was work diligently without breaking the rules, and hope their punishment got reduced – they feared for their lives when Yoshitatsu announced her takeover.

They had heard of her violent nature to her soldiers, and some of them had tasted it first-hand when she was young and was Mino's chief 'public security officer'… meaning she had the right to be judge, jury, and executioner when a person was confirmed to have committed a crime.

Combined with her sensitivity towards her yōkai heritage, she consistently overreacted when she felt any sort of challenge to her newfound authority. Not even Dōsan could control her after realizing this mistake – that authority left alongside her mother when she left this world.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

When Yoshitatsu was born, many auspicious signs appeared around her – unique meteorological phenomena, spike in local Mystery, blooming flora and bellowing fauna, etc. – leading every information specialist lurking around in Mino to report back to their superiors that Nihon's next ruler was born. Unfortunately, or fortunately for the Saitō Clan, most major powers who were a direct threat to Mino were occupied at the time to truly send a powerful assassin or entire armies to try and cut of fate before it could bloom.

Ironically, it twisted around itself without any outside interference during Mino's peace time.

Miyoshino was certainly the flower of her generation. Disregarding Dōsan's current appearance – all old, weathered, and rough – he was quite the strapping young warrior when he was young, and their marriage was considered to be as close to a perfect match as people could reasonably accept. Centuries of peace treaty meant cross-race marriages weren't frowned upon anymore, but it was still unique due to the two's standings.

Just like those fairy tales, Miyoshino came directly from Mt. Ōe's royal line as a descendant of Ibaraki-dōji, while Dōsan was mostly a self-made man coming from the Saitō Clan's lower rungs.

However, happy endings don't come to those untested in their lives before and after their union. Right as Dōsan's name and status was rising in the clan, on the right path to become its leader, Miyoshino mysteriously fell ill and passed away soon after. It all happened so fast none present had the time to consult the best healers from both worlds – and left Yoshitatsu without her mother all of a sudden.

Born mute, she spent her childhood in recluse as the other clan children her age always made fun of her. When they did, she would retaliate violently, at times killing them outright in her rage. Only Miyoshino's and Dōsan's respective positions in their families prevented her from being exiled or punished more severely. Therefore, after one too many incidents, it's decided she shouldn't spent time around 'potential victims' – instead, she's practically locked in with lessons on attitude and mannerism from various priests and scholars force-fed into her.

After a while, no notable incidents occurred, and Dōsan assumed she had changed for the better.

But looking back, it was precisely those formative years he failed to monitor every step of her growth, resulting in her current self being easily manipulated after the shock of her mother's death.

He had an inkling someone was controlling the then-teenager Yoshitatsu, but couldn't be sure who or even had a circumstantial evidence to substantiate his suspicions. Back then, he, too, was still somewhat of a hothead – a remnant from his time as a wandering samurai – and hadn't tempered his ego with the wisdom which enabled others to identify him now as 'the Viper of Mino'. Confused and angry, he spent his time instead focusing on Mino's growth and its potential future enemies, such as the Owari Province, instead of properly having a heart-to-heart talk with Yoshitatsu… just as family members were supposed to do, not two indifferent and formal strangers.

The fact he could still understand her wishes even now, despite her inability to speak, showed how much he could've done, and how big his nurturing mistake was.

Alas, it was now too late.

- Slurp.

The elderly Dōsan – still well-built and in-shape for his age – sat while bobbing up and down according to Sakai River's flow, his emotions still in turmoil as he observed this scarred kunoichi-cum-miko enjoying her sake from a large drinking platter.

He had never met this woman before in his life. And without any emblem to give him a clue, he had no idea who his rescuer was or belonged to. It's incredibly unlikely a rōnin would have the resources to pull off this daring rescue attempt under the noses of great powers, as the situation around Owari was under intense scrutiny lately prior to their eventual clash with the Imagawa Clan.

Therefore…

"Did Nobunaga-chan sent you?" He asked, his voice cracked and guttural from years of leading his men on the battlefield. "…are you sure we are safe?"

However, instead of directly answering him, the young girl – very lithe and thin, much smaller than the big-boned Yoshitatsu – simply eyed him with her uncovered left eye while continuing to taste the alcohol slowly.

'Is she testing me? A girl her age?' He quenched his irritation at the silent treatment after he remembered many yōkais – and humans, to be fair – were able to stay young after several centuries had passed, and his thought would've gotten him into trouble at the very least if she knew of it. Instead, he chose the option most powerful individuals preferred: feigned submission.

Bowing down while holding down a groan at his elderly, painful back, he stated, "I haven't had the chance to thank you for coming to my rescue. May I… know who you represent?"

He was certain on one thing, though: The one who commissioned this rescue attempt definitely wasn't the one sitting in front of him. The picture just didn't mesh – that's also how he's able to sense Yoshitatsu's rebellion before it could reach him and allowed him to escape relatively unscathed. Even if this rescue party didn't come – and calling it a 'party' was generous, given only this girl showed up – he had several safe places he could hide and bide his time in unknown to Yoshitatsu… or even Miyoshino when she was still alive.

Finally, after several additional long sips, she placed her platter down and faced him properly. However, her reply was a question rather than the definitive answer he was looking for. "Your first questions… weren't about the safety of your loved ones?"

'Ah, so she's that type,' he concluded in his mind. Shrugging, he plainly said, "I have no more people in that category… yet. My wife has long departed, and that foolish daughter of mine has whatever will happen to her coming. Does that satisfy your hypothesis of my personality?"

"Not particularly," she was quick to reply, instead of the small stunned pause he was expecting her to do after he accurately pinpointed what's in her head. "It merely shows I shouldn't answer your question honestly… So, I'll stay silent. You'll figure it out eventually."

"Grrhhh…" He grumbled, but could only fold his arms in silent annoyance since all it took for her to prove her point was flip this entire raft and left him to swim to safety. There's no sense in arguing, so… should he continue his earlier train of thought?

Who knew… If he just spoke his thoughts out loud like a madman, saying crazy theories left and right, this girl might get irritated enough to yell back at him with appropriate facts.

Fortunately, before he could say anything truly stupid, some additional data points just made themselves known by the riverbank. Silently, several teams clad in dark grey scurried alongside the river and jumped towards them when the flow slowed down, landing and bowing respectfully once towards the miko before settling down, their eyes glued to him to make sure he's not doing anything significant.

Only then did he realize this wasn't a rescue operation, but a hostage situation.

"You guys certainly knew the Sakai River well… So Mitsuhide was the one who guided you here? Was she behind all of this?" He started his deduction, beginning with the one he thought most likely.

The miko – and the shinobi around him – silently stared at him as if that could give him the answer he wanted. Squirming under their gazes, Danzō's nervousness was quelled… and replaced by something else when the girl replied, "She's in Inabayama Castle right now, if my calculation is correct."

That left him really stunned. "She's… going to face off against Yoshitatsu?!"

- Plip. Plip. Plip.

Instead of splashes, Mitsuhide's footsteps across liquid surfaces were incredibly silent. Barely any noise rippled out, just like an aquatic insect, as she sprinted straight, upside-down, across the caverns beneath Inabayama Castle.

The closer she was to the surface, the better-maintained the openings were… though of course it meant heavier security and patrols.

No, scratch that – it should mean increased resistance.

Since the moment she saw Hanbei's condition, everything had occurred in slow motion.

The other teams' clearing out of the remnant yōkai and new bandits patrolling the area sounded dull and far away, as the blood pumping in her ears was almost deafening. Heck, her own body's natural noise was overwhelming, helped by her [Water] Element transmitting more sensation through liquid – and her body was at least 70% water. She knew she had to get it under control… but that's simply the in-built reflexes she inherited from her previous imperfect masters.

No, this new Mitsuhide should tread the thin line between passionate and insane, utilizing this outpour of emotions to her advantage while maintaining the highest level of intelligence.

Was it difficult? Definitely yes… but she had her pride as a genius.

As Mitsuhide broke through the main underground entrance directly connected to the castle's ground floor, her eyes caught her beloved senpai's figure surrounded by multiple opponents of various shapes, sizes, and races, but he was as calm as ever. Their eyes met, a flash of nostalgia as the two recognized the expressions they're making – Shirō's thin smile during a forging process Mitsuhide always liked to see from the side, and her fiery determination which drew him to mentor her in the first place.

Additionally, as her body flew smoothly through the air in a gentle arc towards him, only then she realized he wasn't surrounded by opponents – he's cornering them in this room instead. Anything which stepped into his range had their bodies blown apart with a strike even her eyes couldn't catch – the very same one which sparred with him often – and those who tried to run away and turn their backs towards him received a projectile strike just as swift and powerful.

Understanding her intentions, a long glaive appeared in one of his arms – the other still holding a katana she didn't recognize – right on the spot where she should land.

- Step.

Her dainty black boots clacked against the wide blade… before the glaive was swung upwards like a catapult's arm and launched her straight through the central opening of the castle towards where Yoshitatsu should be: the main court of Inabayama Caslte several stories up.

"Give 'er hell."

"Yes, Senpai!"

The sound of slaughter commenced further behind her. She flew upwards, Genbu materializing by her side, trusting fully no attack would land anywhere near her with Shirō right there.

Near the top of her parabolic flight, a pair of familiar thick wooden doors came into view. They're made by the best woodworkers in Mino – as was the custom anywhere else; why wouldn't a ruler have the best work? – and specifically designed and built with withstanding a siege in mind. This main court room should house important nobles and non-combatants in the event of war, and thick enough to resist battering rams long enough for reinforcements to arrive… or give the occupants time to decide whether seppuku was the best choice of action or not.

- Schwing!

Breath. Draw. Step in.

One slice, and the double doors were sliced neatly in half.

Mitsuhide used the momentum from the airborne iai to roll forwards and escape any possible ambushes from the sides, at the walls near the doors.

- Fwup!

Sure enough, the sound of air being crushed behind her let her know everything she needed.

Without looking properly, she rotated her body – still in low crouch due to the roll – and executed a full roundhouse slice.

- Clang! Clang! Clang!

The cut was powerful and accurate, judging from the feedback reverberating through her fingers, but Mitsuhide knew her opponent wouldn't fall just from that. A diagonal cut with her left hand, followed by a switch to a right-handed thrust, were blocked and parried. She bent her neck sideways to avoid a straight kick, countering with a hidden slash from her scabbard, but her foe was well-armoured and it bounced off harmlessly – a product of equal Reinforcement technique.

"Yoshitatsu…" she breathed out, glaring at the half-yōkai straight into the latter's flaming crimson eyes. "You've truly fallen, huh?"

"█████!"

As far as she remembered, her interactions with this mute woman had always been this way. She have neither Miyoshino's patience and love to face her difficult daughter, nor Dōsan's wisdom and familial connection to understand Yoshitatsu's needs.

All she knew was how to communicate heart-to-heart with another warrior… through clashing steel and crossing fists.

"███▄▄▄▄_..."

Yoshitatsu growled low, drawing the wakizashi by her side to dual-wield.

A crack formed right underneath Mitsuhide's legs as she forcibly dodged to one side, avoiding the three piercing lightning bolts screaming at her earlier position. An electricity-clad divine eagle perched itself on top of Yoshitatsu's shoulder, blessing her blades with its endowment, before the half-yōkai shot forth herself to press her advantage.

- Shidensen!

Like the technique's literal translation, purple lightning accompanied her limbs, empowering her charge.

Mitsuhide frowned… before choosing to meet the other girl's charge head-on.

She could see Yoshitatsu's eyes opening in surprise, expecting the black-haired girl to kite and counterattack with her in this form.

- Shiratsuyu.

Both of them knew perfectly well about each other's strengths, weaknesses, and skills. Being Yoshitatsu's junior by a few years, Mitsuhide grew up with her around – but saying they're 'childhood friends' was a stretch. That phrase indicated they actually got along at some level… which they didn't, at all. The Akechi Clan heir viewed the half-yōkai as a boorish, spoiled girl who never tried hard to fulfil her potential, while vice versa Yoshitatsu thought Mitsuhide was no different than the other arrogant pricks bullying and looking down on her in her life.

They could only communicate properly when they sparred… and it was enough.

The reason Yoshitatsu was surprised at Mitsuhide's choice of counter was simple: she assumed water conducted electricity. Therefore, she deliberately didn't use her [Fire] Element Guardian Spirit… yet, focusing more on the [Lightning] for speed and damage along with [Water] to neutralize whatever the black-haired girl would do.

Clearly, she didn't know only electrolyte-containing water conducted electricity. Pure water, like the one forming the ultra-clear ice glaciers in the North Pole, was a great insulator instead.

- Bang!

Their clash caused the thin water coating covering Mitsuhide's chosen weapons – a katana and its sheathe, to balance out Yoshitatsu's dual-wielding – to erupt into steam from the heat coming from the electrified blades of her opponent. She puffed her cheeks and blew the created white fog at the Saitō Clan's current leader to blind her, aiming to reset the distance into something more favourable for her, but one yell from Yoshitatsu dispelled everything.

"██████!"

"Already resorting to Living Weapon?! You brute!" Mitsuhide complained, dashing to one side to avoid the lightning strikes suddenly materializing from the ceiling and ground. Knowing these blows required opposite charges set at either end, she slashed horizontally and casted a thin blanket of water to disrupt the arc jump through the middle of the room. "Take this!"

The thin layer also formed a slicing counterattack towards Yoshitatsu's midsection, forcing the older woman to jump. However, it didn't present the opportunity Mitsuhide was looking for, as Yoshitatsu had yōkai-transformed with her [Lightning] Element Guardian Spirit, Ame-no-Mikori, enabling her to fly.

From the corners of her eyes, she observed red spider lilies and wisteria blooming all over the place, indicating Yoshitatsu was trying to establish her Yōkai Realm. However, her human side caused it to be rather inefficient in the middle of heated combat, and Mitsuhide was able to spend her Od to resist its formation.

'But I can't hold off for too long…!' She exhaled roughly, suppressing the panting to avoid giving away her state to her opponent.

Unfortunately, just as much as she was familiar with Yoshitatsu's abilities, so too the opposite applied. Knowing she had the advantage in stamina and physical strength over the shorter girl, the half-yōkai swooped down and charged at Mitsuhide.

If she attempted to cover her entire body with pure water like before, then the strength of the charge would just blow through Mitsuhide's parries and blocks through brute force alone. Realizing this, she clicked her tongue and slid minimally from side-to-side, using the remaining knockback from the parries to add to her speed instead of trying to dodge the attacks fully.

Downwards diagonal attacks, almost faster than her lightning itself, rained down on Mitsuhide from above. She thrusted her katana in retaliation to each and every one, aiming not to hit but make contact with the dual blades and shift her balance accordingly. However, Yoshitatsu was quick to recoil and strike with her legs at Mitsuhide's midsection, trying to disrupt her bobbing and weaving, but that simple sheathe was always there to cut those kicks and knees off before they could land.

Yoshitatsu suddenly deactivated her flight, dropping down to a prowling low crouch, before initiating another Shidensen at near-point-blank range.

'No, this isn't Shidensen!' Mitsuhide realized the feint, whirling around to slash and kick at the same time to create a circular defensive blow to her sides.

As expected, the linear forward movement disappeared from her forward view, as the purple lightning which was Yoshitatsu zigzagged to one side and then another, but she was forced to cancel the attack at the trail of frost left behind by Mitsuhide's counter.

Dozens of strikes were exchanged in those few seconds, Yoshitatsu pressing and Mitsuhide flowing around her, before the equilibrium broke.

- Swing.

That was the sound of Mitsuhide's blade cutting through air, missing its mark and overextending herself.

Her eyes still hadn't fully widened in shock yet before a flaming club struck her chest hard with a twisting thrust.

- Kosen!

- Crack!

"Argh!"

Spitting out blood, she was sent flying back with a near-shattered sternum. Only her instinctive use of Reinforcement prevented her ribcage from caving in from that one blow.

However, she had not time to digest the pain, as she had to bite her tongue to prevent her screaming from the agony when she had to dodge the follow-up strikes.

In that exchange, Yoshitatsu suddenly stopped mid-air, breaking Mitsuhide's rhythm… because she switched to her much slower [Fire] Element Guardian Spirit, Makami. The disruption presented an opportunity she fully took advantage of: The flaming club had its elemental effects nullified by Mitsuhide's [Water], yes, but the sheer power behind it made it through that thin film without trouble.

Right now, having switched back to [Lightning], her already-overwhelming speed became even more insurmountable to the now-injured Mitsuhide.

- Clang!

"G-Guh!" Mitsuhide groaned as she desperately blocked one of Yoshitatsu's downward strikes. The blow pushed the back of her katana straight onto her shoulder, and slowly, the half-yōkai's blade's edge began to dig into her smooth skin. "Y-Yoshitatsu… Hyah!"

She forcibly pushed the main blade off by half-squatting to the floor, dodging the wakizashi's follow-up blow-

- Crunch.

"O-Ogeh…"

A dull crunching sound emanated from her chest… which finally fully caved in by Yoshitatsu's fist.

The reason why she was able to push off the earlier strike with an injured body was because the half-yōkai had let go of it. Mid-roll, MItsuhide was unable to see the incoming fist, having grown used to blade slashes coming at her – not close-quarters combat.

Yoshitatsu grinned madly at the sensation of crumbling bones in front of her fist. She slapped an incoming weak counterattack from this 'childhood friend' of hers, knocking Mitsuhide's katana away with the butt of the wakizashi. Kicking the petite girl in the face onto the floor, Yoshitatsu mounted her on the stomach.

Mitsuhide's desperate expression merely caused her blood to boil even more.

- Slide…

The wakizashi's tip caressed her neck playfully, enforced by Yoshitatsu's smug smile.

"…what are you waiting for? This is your bad habit," Mitsuhide spat out, choking on her own blood a few times. "Finish it- AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

- Stab.

The wakizashi stabbed and twisted and grinded and sliced against Mitsuhide's collarbone, producing ear-splitting sound as the edge cut through her bone. She screamed… and screamed some more with successive cuts.

- Stab! Stab! Stab!

"OOOOWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

The other collarbone. Both upper arms. Her false ribs.

…and eventually, her beautiful hair and face were sliced into, not as deep as the previous torturous attempts, but enough to ensure disfiguring scars would remain.

And through it all, Yoshitatsu silently laughed, her lips and teeth contorting as wide as a demon's smile. Her muteness had no impact on her heinous expression, as spurts of crimson blood erupted from the holes she made on Mitsuhide's body.

"AAAAaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhh… Argh…"

Eventually, her delightful screams toned down, both from blood loss and irritation in her larynx from the exertion.

Noticing this, Yoshitatsu frowned at her supposed toy dying too quickly, and shuffled down Mitsuhide's body to search for a new place to play with.

That area around the navel, on top of the womb and ovaries, looked to be a good place to start the second round.

- Schwing!

The wakizashi swung down mercilessly… and stopped.

- Thump! Thump! Thump!

Only the deafening sound of her blood rushing through her head made its way from her senses through her brain.

"…just kidding."

Yoshitatsu widened her eyes wide in surprise… as she looked at Mitsuhide casually rising up from her defeated position, the blood drenching her body rapidly retreating back into the open orifices. The half-yōkai witnessed the exposed flesh and bones quickly repairing themselves… before a hard punch flattened her on her back.

She tried to summon her Guardian Spirits, but none responded – not Makami, not Ame-no-Mitori, not Kagewani. Not only that, she couldn't even make the tips of her fingers twitch, leaving her sprawled out like a lifeless doll.

"Hah… That was hard!" Mitsuhide stretched while letting out a cute sound, eyeing the motionless Yoshitatsu proudly. "For you who only know how to inflict pain on others… you never consider a strategy which sacrifices yourself, don't you?"

[Haemokinesis]. The advanced stage of [Water] Element, where the user didn't only control external water, but their own internal one as well. When a large amount of said blood entered an opponent's orifice, the user could mix it into the latter's body and simply wait for natural rejection from a different blood type and rhesus to cause a violent internal injury.

Of course, Mitsuhide's technique was much faster and vicious, forming sharp crystals by freezing her and Yoshitatsu's coagulated blood cells together, letting them grow in volume as temperature dropped.

The half-yōkai couldn't even cough out blood just like the black-haired girl did earlier.

Of course, Mitsuhide had no intention on explaining her trick to the befuddled and frustrated Yoshitatsu – enjoying the fear dawning on the latter's face for the first time.

The fear of [Death]. That, too, was something the half-yōkai never experienced.

Trudging to where her katana was thrown, she returned to step over Yoshitatsu's body and slashed upwards, splitting her ornate helmet to reveal a supernaturally beautiful and enchanting pale face – a striking mirror image of her mother, Miyoshino.

- Yuudachi.

A thin red line appeared from the sharpness of the air caused by the casual swing, bleeding from the tip of her jaw to her forehead. In contrast, Mitsuhide's horribly disfigured face was mending itself like a souped-up living being.

Her katana swung smoothly – not particularly fast, but so beautiful Yoshitatsu thought she was seeing a sword dance. They weren't slashes, but more about delicate movements without any visible pauses.

"What a shame."

Those words were genuine.

Just the fact she was granted with three Guardian Spirits, where most people didn't even have the chance to get one, spoke volumes how much she was blessed by the heavens. While the current Mitsuhide, after a period of association and familiarity with Nobunaga's 'Tenka Fubu', had minimal belief in those things like 'fate' and 'destiny', she still remembered feeling jealous of the older white-haired girl's myriad of abilities.

Why was she only granted Genbu? Didn't her genius merit more?

…but only after learning under Shirō, did she start to appreciate what she had. It wasn't a mark of a genius to have wealth beyond what others had, but to maximize and go beyond what one had. That… was something she was proud of.

The trick of using pure water to coat her entire body to negate her inherent weakness against [Lightning] came from enduring Shirō's constant barrage of [Lightning]-based weapons. Her smooth footwork while enduring powerful strikes came from being shot at by Nobunaga's hellfire-clad bullets. Her control over her own blood, while far from perfect, was inspired by the women she's truly jealous of – Chiyome and Danzō – whose bodies utilized their own brand of immortality creatively.

With just [Water]… she conquered all. And that's why she dared parade around calling herself a genius.

- Shirafune.

Without further gloating – she didn't share Yoshitatsu's wicked hobby – an ultra-thin layer of clear frost formed on top of her Shirō-forged blade. With a wave of her hand, she summoned her tossed-aside scabbard back and married the two together, freezing them together.

A blacksmith influenced how a weapon performed so much not only from their material selection, but their processes and shaping went beyond that in importance. It's harder to make a soft iron cut as well as hardened steel than chopping a blade shape out of an industrial-cut metal. Clearly, Shirō had no shortcoming in this area – his Workshop's forged muskets were as beautiful to hold as they were deadly.

Then, to change the topic, another advantage of pure water was it froze completely devoid of the white bubbles indicating impurities and minerals in the liquid. In one direction, the water molecules interlock with each other stronger than well-forged steel… and a simple manipulation of Thaumaturgy meant this structure could be replicated in three-dimension, creating an indestructible ice sword.

- Murasame.

The two combined meant her final swing met no resistance cutting across Yoshitatsu's neck.

- Clack.

Only the fleeting flash of steel and sound of clicking scabbard could be observed – that was, if the observer was skilled enough to perceive Mitsuhide's quick-draw, anyway.

She didn't know how long she stood there, frozen, watching the older girl's mutilated… no, nearly minced corpse's mortified expression, before the sound of footsteps caught up behind her.

Knowing who it was, she weakly said, "Don't come here, Senpai…"

"Why not? Your Od feels weak, so I…"

"No. Don't… Don't look at this me."

"That's nonsense."

His tone was final, and the instant she felt his strong arms wrap around her thin frame, she collapsed.

After all, she did lose a large amount of blood earlier, and no matter how quickly she put them back in, the fact she stood up was solely due to willpower alone.

From her position, she tilted her head upwards, softly whispering, "Senpai… was I cool?"

"Yeah. The coolest."

With a peck on her prided forehead, her consciousness immediately dissipated.

Glossary Update!

K

Kosen

Tiger Drill. Deliberately disconnecting one's arm bones and joint, the user created an extreme rotation which propagated up to a blade's tip. A thinner end was preferable to produce as sharp a drilling motion as possible, as well as reduce the strain on the body when the arm structure returned in place either naturally or healed by Magecraft.

M

Murasame

Passing Rain. An iaidō technique emphasizing on stealth and sudden strikes. Unlike traditional draw-cut, where the user ideally must execute from a wide, low stance while hiding the length of their blade from the opponent, the user of Murasame initiated their first, fully-extended, and final movements from a relaxed, biologically-ideal unguarded posture. The most important aspect was 'confidence'; if the user was tense, the slightest hesitation would compound and slow down the flow to a stop. It's suitable for assassination – for example, killing a person who had just walked by the would-be killer casually. Like a sudden shower which disappeared before anyone's prepared for any of its forms, so too must the user stay out of their opponents' guarded state.

N

Narukami

Rumbling God. Ideally initiated from a Shidensen, the user deliberately took a cross-step with their hind leg in front of their lead one, slightly slowing down their forward acceleration. Keeping their posture low, the 'misstep' would instantly change the user's direction to the side of the opponent's field of vision, enabling them to land safely in the blind spot either side of the latter. In essence, it's simply shifting one's centre of balance extremely from side-to-side during mid-movement, enabling it to be chained with a variety of techniques.

S

Shidensen

Purple Lightning Flash. A combination technique between Magecraft and physical dexterity. The user lowered their centre of gravity to the extreme by initiating a 'falling flat' movement, and when their body was nearly parallel to the ground, the kinetic energy was interrupted in its vector by forcibly doing a 'step forward' movement. The two energies compounded each other, creating an otherworldly sudden burst of acceleration from a standstill. Reinforcement was required to withstand the torque generated at the ankle joints, back and leg muscles, or this technique could rip the user apart by itself.

Shirafune

White Sword. A spell to gather moisture from the air along a surface, before drawing out every available heat energy to freeze it to absolute zero. The shape created was flexible, depending solely upon the user's power and skill and imagination. Upon touch, the spell would continue 'freezing' the surrounding area, propagating from the point of contact, until the duration or magic energy ran out. The accumulated heat must be dealt with separately, however, necessitating the user prepare a suitable Equivalent Exchange after use.

Shiratsuyu

White Dew. A defensive technique emulating a slipping and falling dew in a frosty morning. Concentrating on rolling with the opponent's blows, assuming them to be the leaf the dew was always moving with, but never destroying its form in the way. A more advanced application of this philosophy was the latter part of the text above: 'frosty morning'. Would the dew fall to the ground? Would it freeze on the leaf? Would it transform into icicles, or snow? A master practitioner would be able to apply this Schrödinger-like philosophy into every defensive movement, flowing into counteroffensive in an instant.

Y

Yuudachi

Evening Squall. Powerful series of full-powered strikes without pause. Able to be executed either one- or two-handed, with a sword or a halberd, its core philosophy was a non-stop, seamless flurry of movements strong and fast enough to prevent the opponent aiming for any openings which might crop up. Incredible body control and strong physique was necessary to execute the most basic sets, with Magecraft acting as support to prevent the torque from overwhelming the user's body. Its precise movements were free-flowing, depending on the user's creativity. A master should be able to attack without pause and holes in their defences.