Apologies for the wait! A bit behind schedule this time, even though I have this chapter mostly done, because of a mix of IRL things and mounting beta work (check out the previous chapter for those). This time it's Chiyome's chapter!

...also, I may have been delayed because I was enjoying re-reading G.R.R.M.'s famous franchise. I don't need to tell you what that is, do I? Specifically, I'm impressed how much of a fertile fanfiction ground that world is, having always assumed its popularity will indirectly kill off any creative outlet by fans. I achieved that hypothesis because of the sheer number of disappointing fanworks I was recommended to by strangers who share neither my standard nor passion, hence ruining the beautiful world the original author created. In essence, I think it's the opposite of flawed-but-popular franchises like TYPE-MOON, where that exact imperfection jogs creative and quality works for our enjoyment.

No mailbag this time (which doesn't mean I don't appreciate your patronage), but don't be shy this chapter! Thank you for reading, as always.

"I am glad of this life… Aaahhh…" Shuten-dōji exhaled lengthily, ejaculating a long trail of steam from her mouth, a mix of various delectable scents emanating from it so strongly it became intoxicating. "Makes me feel young again…"

Chiyome's eyelids twitched in annoyance. "Are those statementsome kind of test, Great Ancestor?"

The small oni – now considerably more so when compared to the somewhat grown-up kunoichi – smirked. "Oh? Pray tell, what on earth do you mean by that accusation?"

"You speak as if you can die in the first place," Chiyome muttered quickly but bitterly, having her immediate plan scuppered for the need to entertain this lackadaisical oni. "Additionally, what comment do you expect me to make regarding your age? None of the viable answer will satisfy you, correct?"

Shuten-dōji clicked her tongue, her slovenly mask instantly and figuratively shattering. "Tsk. You've been spending too much time with Shirō-kun. How uncute."

"Well, we are husband-and-wife, after all. Have you forgotten?" Chiyome sarcastically asked. "Still, I'm glad to have your sponsorship behind all these products we're going to launch, Great Ancestor. Hence, it's not a total loss of time snacking with you like this."

"Ugh! You've hurt me!" Shuten-dōji placed a palm over her flat chest, feigning pain. "Y-Youngsters these days… Y-You've all left me so lonely!"

"Your acting suck."

"Your standards are too high!" The oni complained. "Watching and playing around with courtesans every day, it's only natural I lose to them in this aspect! You playgirl!"

Chiyome's eyelid twitched again. "Don't demean my employees. They are far better than courtesans. For one, they don't need sex to earn me money."

"Boohoohoo! How this girl has grown up; all she talks about nowadays is business, business, business!" Clearly partially intoxicated, her desire to play around before this era's decisive battle was such that she tackled Chiyome to the ground while hugging the younger girl as tight as she could, much the same when the oni held the kunoichi when she was still a baby. "Drink! Drink more!"

Shuten-dōji could feel it in her old bones: Otakemaru's about to break free. As one of his seals' keyholders, it's as apparent as sensing a chick about to hatch from its thin shell. Certain information had floated around and pointed out he was now in cahoots with the foreign forces, perhaps intrigued when he felt and heard Yasakani-no-Magatama was being contested through his various avatars. It's not that she's not confident or felt there's a chance she could lose – she was here, after all; not to mention the current generation of Minamoto Clan members – so she's essentially just making up an excuse to drum up the dramatic tension existing among the footsoldiers and generals.

It was curious how he managed to figure out his escape route without involving assassination attempts at the current keyholders, which was the typical method. Shuten-dōji was one; Abe-no-Seimei's current successor, Takenaka Hanbei, was unknowingly the other; the other two was split among the Minamoto Clan: Himiko, as Tamamo-no-Mae's channeler, was one, while Muramasa was naturally the other to represent Yorimitsu's will and martial prowess. These four objects of various forms and structures were what continuously maintained Otakemaru's dimensional seal.

And all of them were firmly in Oda's faction, coincidentally or not. Hanbei was particularly problematic not because of her tendency of disloyalty – of which there was absolutely none – but because her body couldn't withstand inheriting both Abe-no-Seimei's Sorcery Trait and being the keyholder at the same time. Shuten-dōji had been neglecting this point because Muramasa's been doing such a good job in managing her, up to and including ridding her parasitic connection and supply to Nihon's leylines to ensure she could grow healthily to the future instead of becoming a cripple a few years down the line.

That onmyōji's line was… curious. The progenitor's power completely relied on the level of Mystery existing in the world – hence, he was practically invincible in the Heian Period when Nihon's accumulated Mystery was at its highest – and far easier affected by its cyclical nature. His school's strength would multiply and skyrocket when the conditions were right, but neared decimation each time Nihon's Mystery level dipped close to its nadir.

Hanbei was fully prepared to give her life for 'Tenka Fubu', knowing her condition and sacrifice necessary to attain her level of power at such a young age… but with Nobunaga holding back on the details of her newest version of 'Tenka Fubu', which in contrast to its origins would not eradicate Mystery if fulfilled, the young white-haired girl was unnecessarily resolute in what should've been a non-life-threatening situation.

What Shuten-dōji regretted was her absence when Muramasa explained this fact to the little onmyōji and missed Hanbei's reaction to it. Must be funny!

Still, it's not like there's absolutely no danger. The residents in Nihon's Reverse Side Texture had been slowly growing, indicating the empire's current state couldn't maintain enough strength and density for everyone to benefit. That's why Himiko was so enthusiastic in her support of the one warlord she saw as being not only capable to unite Nihon's divided lands, but also assist her in future expansions. They're all still very young with decades in front of them, so why not set their eyes further across the horizon? Their ancestor, Yoshitsune, did!

With the increase of magic stone usage in daily life as well as industrialization as a whole, it's difficult to supply everyone with adequate amount of Mystery. Nobunaga's 'Tenka Fubu' was crucial so Nihon could take the next step in its natural evolution, one which the seas and skies had long limited it from: expansion. Unlike its mainland neighbours, there was a technological roadblock preventing it from enlarging its territory, because it's a must to have sufficiently powerful and advanced navy in order to not just cross the small ocean between it, Ming, and Goryeo, but also maintain a logistical chain to supply both its army and eventual colonies.

A destructive and tyrannical invasion purely to snatch resources might work in the short term, but to prepare for the world's upcoming dip in Mystery, Nihon had to be greedy aim for everything: short-, medium-, and long-term. It's best if the conquered lands – and that's a big 'if' – would willingly adopt a new national identity and remove any kind of rebellious intent, much like great empires' colonies which still existed up to today.

For that, Nihon must have something to give, and not simply came to take.

This was both the information Muramasa submitted from his foresight, along with Himiko's calculations after consulting with the wisdoms of the past. Back then, her namesake – the first Himiko – might rule uncontested and unconditionally beloved by her people, but that was only because of Nihon's small scale and low individual self-expression and -identity among the civilians. With the increase in national power came the typical ego, and the task of ruling became ever more difficult, much less governing a new plot of land with its own cultures, mythology, and Thaumaturgical Foundation.

That was the intent when in the centuries leading up to now, the Minamoto Clan adopted and inducted several foreigners into their innermost circles, plucking them out of the depths of despair to ensure their eventual loyalty, and chosen for their potential immortality to guarantee the ideas the family had ingrained upon them would live on unsullied – unlike several attempts of reincarnation which diluted one's essence with every subsequent 'jump'. The most high-profile was perhaps Tamamo-no-Mae herself, being Amaterasu's own interpretation of Daji… though given said consort's age was incredibly ancient, having died and begun her spiritual transformation in the Jōmon Period when Amaterasu herself was still uncrystallized by Nihon's people – then calling themselves citizens of Yamatai – it's doubtful if this was the truth. Perhaps Amaterasu herself also derived part of her Conceptual Weight from Daji, or the other way around, or Tamamo-no-Mae was a separate being entirely…

Not even Shuten-dōji, her fellow Three Great Disasters, didn't know the truth to. Given Tamamo-no-Mae had now resigned herself to lazing around as a Divine Spirit instead of taking an active role in shaping the current world, like the oni and Otakemaru, it's also unlikely the fox would care either.

But, in regards to using foreigners' experience to increase Nihon's national power, that was still a few steps ahead in the future. Crucially, it's not long at all – for Shuten-dōji, who's lived for close to a millennium now – a couple decades were akin to a blink of an eye. One little alcohol-induced sleep, and she'd awaken in an era of Nihon supremacy. For her, it's only a matter of lending her strength, swinging her sword, casting her Magecraft, and executing her killing techniques for the people she liked. There's no need to think too hard about it, since the children she'd groomed were born for that purpose: so she could spend the rest of her days lazing around like Tamamo-no-Mae.

For example, one of the fruits of her labour was right here in front of her!

…no, not Chiyome. Even if Shuten-dōji's experienced in some incestuous engagements, her own father was not her type. At all. He might mope around for being hated by his own daughter, but that's his fault for being not-handsome. She loved handsome and beautiful people! That's why she put in so much effort into designing her humanoid form, away from her real appearance!

'Hmm… Even Kintoki can't resist this appearance…' she proudly praised herself internally, completely missing the clue that perhaps that young man had certain… proclivities if her miniaturized version was what made him smitten with her. Or perhaps it's due to his adoptive mother's overbearing demeanour, which made him uneasy around voluptuous and statuesque woman?

What she's talking about was how much worldly pleasures improved since she was young, constantly battling with the Minamoto Clan's Yorimitsu, and living humbly in Mt. Ōe with only wine and Ibaraki-dōji for company. What about now? There was delicious food everywhere, far outstripping the usual fresh fruits she was offered back then, and the breadth of alcoholic drinks had expanded so widely it wouldn't be an exaggeration if she claimed she could drink a different brand and type each day for a full year, and wouldn't taste the same thing twice. Strolling down the streets of Osaka, luscious scent of various fats and starches filled the air amidst sharp spikes of liquor stink – its hustle and bustle a far outcry from the first few times she frequented the place, since it's near Mt. Ōe's foot.

Yes, nowadays she could order delivery oh-so-easily, gorging herself on innumerable delicacies without taking a single step away from the lavish temple she now called home, but she was old-fashioned at heart, taking pleasure from the simple act of strolling and browsing around, interacting with the integrated human-yōkai society now filling the place out. Because it's been so long since she first publicly appeared, not many recognized her on first sight – which was a plus – and she could experience what her father described the first Himiko was unable to.

And, naturally, what Chiyome demanded as 'acceptable' to host someone of Shuten-dōji's prestige was far above that already-high bar.

The oni was accustomed to eating raw flesh, but she had to admit, this aged seafood-and-meat thing over seasoned rice was quite a novel idea. With the addition of a hidden spicy paste and floral dipping sauce, it made her rethink why on earth would she find fresh, still-beating heart and dirty bones delicious anymore. The flavour was infinitely concentrated, yet never overwhelming, dissipating once the full bit was complete and leaving her wanting for more.

Compared to its ancestor, which threw away the rice and overly-fermenting the fish in the name of preservation, the level of complexity and subtlety required to consistently achieve this sensation bite-by-bite was astounding. Paired with smoked sweet-and-sour plum – which could be a meal onto itself – and no wonder Shuten-dōji had let go of her usual restrained self and began imbibing like when she was young.

Chiyome, meanwhile, hid her embarrassment at her ancestor's behaviour behind an irritated façade – which wasn't completely untrue, since she had a bigger mission at hand. Whether it's delayable or not… the oni wouldn't care. The only time she did show some concern towards another's schedule was when she was bickering and wrestling with Yorimitsu almost every other week, seemingly more eager to match arms and wits against that buxom swordswoman than choosing an advantageous date for her oni army to win.

In the end, the pact ended everything before it could have a proper finale. While the result was incomparably worthwhile, Shuten-dōji couldn't help but hold a sense of regret in her heart, as Yorimitsu and her Shitennō didn't manage to live to see the beautiful era they initiated. Not to mention finish their fated duels, in an era when such chivalry was unfairly rewarded.

"Are you going to the front lines, Great Ancestor?" Chiyome, unable to stomach the oni's coddling any longer – especially awkward because of her recent growth spurt – finally asked. "I'm worried for both sides…"

"Nufufufu… You know, I'm no longer my younger self…" she slurred, her breath stinking of alcohol, fat, and converted poison. "Don't you worry about the fodders. I'll ensure they're as far away as possible… because I'm dragging the party to you!"

"Don't you dare…!"

Chiyome's current battlefield was supposed to be Kai.

Obviously, because of Shingen's presence, it became supremely inconvenient if Shuten-dōji stuck her neck in for fun and giggles. While it's true the oni was a great martial and military backer, the trend in this version of Sengoku Period was striking only whenever necessary, and always at the most critical juncture. In this way, Chiyome's day-to-day activities – managing Yamata-no-Orochi's various shrines, her kunoichis-cum-prostitutes-cum-priestesses, fulfilling her marital duties as a wife, and shamefully enjoying her drinks a tad too much – had points directly applicable to her current task.

Alright, maybe not that last two, but everyone got the point. Danzō was never much of a negotiator, so for subterfuge activities in which it's required, Chiyome was clearly the go-to person, despite lacking in this area compared to specialists like, say, Mitsuhide or Himiko. Add her familiarity with the 'target' this time, and she was, quite literally, the perfect match.

Not that she wanted to entertain that thought any longer, since she's married now.

It's not as if she's averse to polygamy – heck, just look at her current relationship with her 'sisters' now – but purely because she didn't see Shingen in that way any longer. Still, despite clear warnings, the Takeda Princess General chased her to no end, lately even resorting to political means to undermine her husband and raise her own prestige so Chiyome would be available in the slightest.

Any other individual would be honoured to be the recipient of such a powerful Princess General's attention, but Chiyome instantly knew it was no longer love and affection, since it now bordered on obsession. What drove Shingen more was the intense denial she couldn't have Chiyome in the first place, and less of outright jealousy of Muramasa for taking her heart first. Perhaps the lust was still there, but it's heading into the direction of possessiveness instead of physical arousal.

Who was she? Takeda Shingen, the Tiger of Kai. Of course she should have everything she wanted, and have the best of everything: weapons, castles, treasures, lands, horses, and women. In her eyes, that last category was missing only Chiyome, having amassed four others she considered worthy.

And for those who knew Shingen, that number was analogous to the concept which defined her existence as a Princess General: Fūrinkazan. However, not many knew – or rather, paid enough attention – the actual Thaumaturgical Foundation of this school of thought contained six elements. The [Wind], [Forest], [Fire], and [Mountain] was a given, popular enough due to Nihon's particular biogeography and Sunzi's Art of War's general acceptance among most warlords, but there were two others.

- …and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

The last one, rei, was Shingen herself, representing [Lightning]. It was heralded by the [Wind], feared by the [Forest] and flashed [Fire] across it, before finally making its home in the [Mountain] peak, where it constantly perched on the highest point, striking without fail and dominating any other elemental forces that high up, away from the grace of [Earth]. It was also one of the primordial Elements from the depths of the universe as a derivative of the Four Fundamentals, far before any of the classical Elements used in Thaumaturgy today. Its age, unbeknownst to the general populace at the time, made its inherent strength incredibly popular due to how visually impressive its effects were, before its first masters instinctively realized this was one of the most powerful and difficult things to control.

Hence, the enviable positions of top deities in most pantheons were inevitably filled with gods of this ilk. Shingen, who was educated in classical mythologies from all over the world, benefitting from the Minamoto Clan's general effort for Nihon to study from foreign sources, modelled herself as this: the head of a pantheon of powerful warriors.

And if they were all cute girls, then all the better.

She loathed to find her tastes in women to be compared to that bastard Yoshikage, but after several months of anonymity, Shingen assumed he was killed by any one of Nobunaga's trusted retainers, given the bad blood existing between them for even attempting to corrupt Nagamasa into betraying Nobunaga. Still, she was impressed how that Fool of Owari pre-empted a lot of this by various strengthening strategies, especially her unusual filial intimacy with what could be described as nothing but a common political marriage. Investing a lot of personal energy into making sure Nagamasa was truly her brother-in-law, instead of just some random partner above the board game which was Nihon.

Chiyome knew of Shingen's conclusion from this non-event, because she herself orchestrated it.

Nobunaga repeatedly stressed the need to 'keep the water surface level', so to speak. That clearly wasn't burying things haphazardly, because there were a lot of individuals who made their professional living from digging up these literal and figurative graves. Sniffing a potential dig spot was easy enough if one was trained for it.

No, what was necessary to deal with Asakura Yoshikage, and men of his ilk, was to pulverize them into fertilizer and have a forest naturally grow over their remains. Or dilute them into a liquid solvable by the great oceans.

- Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night…

That was the sixth element to the four Fūrinkazan… or, technically, the fifth: in.

So it went like this: fū-rin-ka-zan-in-rei. Shingen, the rei of [Lightning], was both the end and the beginning, taking some philosophical clues from the Nanban missionaries.

In of [Shadow]. That role was supposedly Chiyome's, created without her knowledge or permission on the simple account Shingen simply assumed she'd say yes.

Well, the Princess General assumed a lot of things, and she generally got things right. Thus, it's not surprising she's completely blindsided by the one thing she wanted the most going horribly wrong.

Now, the Fūrinkazaninrei – as it's supposed to be – was hobbled and imperfect.

Shingen didn't want her persona to be plastered upon something imperfect, so with in gone, rei had retreated with it. When there was no shadow cast by a lightning strike, it mean that point had nothing but a barren, dead, perfectly-flat wasteland, leaving nothing but shattered glass in its wake.

Chiyome wasn't sure if Shingen was this much of a romantic, but that was her understanding of it. Still, it's not like her absence completely crippled Kai. Yes, Shingen should've prevented someone with an enormous Conceptual Weight like her husband to roam around her own territory unsupervised, but it only pointed to her governance's weakness in Thaumaturgical understanding.

Nobunaga used to have this as well – at least in her previous life – so she was putting forth as much effort as necessary to prevent this obstacle from halting her progress this time. Mitsuhide and Hanbei were top-class in their respective fields – the former with practical Shinto Magecraft, the latter a more traditional onmyōji skills. Danzō represented the darker side of the Moonlit World, while Chiyome straddled the lands between mortality and divinity.

Holding them all together was Muramasa, who possessed the countermeasures for every situation… literally. To this day, Chiyome hadn't been able to quantify exactly how vast or how many were contained inside Unlimited Blade Works… which she eventually decided to be precisely what at it said on the label.

Now, on the eve of Nobunaga's conquest of southern Nihon, specifically Chūgoku, Chiyome found herself… home.

Form what she could gather from her Dream Cycles, she was destined never to leave this local area, married off to a mid-level samurai before joining Shingen's side after his death. She was unsure of her relationship with the Princess General in that life – were they romantically involved in any way, similar to now, or were simply best friends after the fact? – but what stayed the same was her eventual role as the Kage of her own clan, though it was an official branch of Kōga instead of an independent house like she'd built now.

But that's not important.

What was would be the answer to this question: When would Shingen die?

In that reality – one she assumed to be the same as where Nobunaga came from – the Kai Princess General suddenly passed away near the climax of her feud with the Owari contingent; especially tragic, considering she was on the eve of victory that time. Yes, Nobunaga was heralded by her innovative use of military arquebus tactics, but many overlooked the fact only its novelty was praised, since it barely changed the results of the several battle Shingen handily won. Such was her cavalry's overwhelming power it took until her death for her armies to become even remotely vulnerable, since by this time Kenshin had also passed away, leaving Nobunaga as the sole major warlord.

Chiyome was sure the two Princess Generals' deaths were by assassination, since her husband didn't exist in that reality. No other warrior she knew could barely contend with the two, much less in that reality when Mystery was declining rapidly. Even now, she doubted she could cleanly kill that childhood friend of hers without resorting to an all-out assault right at Shingen's weakest, much less in open combat when the redhead would never allow Chiyome time to Apotheosis and further extract Yamata-no-Orochi's power. So while yes, the kunoichi could triumph over the Takeda army, that was with the caveat Shingen herself wasn't present. The Fūrinkazan shitennō, she could deal with, even when they're together… but not their master. Not the [Lightning].

This was due to the increase in Mystery. While yes, Nobunaga's faction held an absolute advantage over the rest – bar the Minamoto Clan, of course – it's not enough for one individual, bar perhaps Muramasa, to stroll into a camp with the strength of the Takeda Clan and commit public murder. Personally, Chiyome's one-hit kill techniques were also somewhat weaker and less decisive than Danzō, whose artillery-based ninjutsu was far more suited to instant damage than covert, long-term torturous deaths… which was precisely Chiyome's speciality.

Shingen wasn't such an untalented and unlucky fool who missed the opportunity to harness the increase in Mystery, unlike the Chūgoku Princess Generals she's sure Nobunaga would flatten quickly, and had modified her army accordingly. Only because the former didn't have comparable information about the other world that she didn't become more troublesome than she was now.

Also, as an interesting sidenote, given Nobunaga was now the one who held Minamoto heritage, Shingen's Thaumaturgical advantage from this area was nullified – not that the latter was particularly powerful magically in any reality. So, ironically, the two warlords who were among the most spiritually-inclined in that boring other life of Chiyome's were now very far away from the spectrum Nobunaga was operating in – the very person who advocated modernization and pragmatism while eschewing reliance on nonsensical ancient traditions.

Funny how things turned out.

Similarly, that phrase also applied to her, since she found herself back here again, in front of Shingen.

…though now the rest of Fūrinkazan were also here with them, poised to kill her at a moment's notice.

Which was a futile thought, really. Yes, Chiyome's absolute one-hit killing prowess might be lower than both her husband and Danzō, but did they think her supposed place among them – in – was nothing but a placeholder? Besides, her movement and escape techniques far surpassed anyone here, even if somehow, Shingen managed to sneak in an entire army to surround her position right now.

As always, the redhead levied a complicated gaze at her, though more controlled this time. 'I wonder if that old trick will work again?' Chiyome assessed, thinking of the aphrodisiac she released during her kidnapping attempt last time by yours truly.

Instead of taking the chance, however, she shifted her gaze towards Shingen's four trusted generals. "Why are you all here, anyway? It won't make much of a difference to the danger towards Haruna regardless," she remarked arrogantly. "I'm simply here to talk… willingly, unlike last time you brought me here."

"Then speak!" Shingen boomed, both hands spreading out quickly to both sides to stop the four from acting without permission. "And don't think your little stunt will work again!"

"Ah, have you finally decided to embrace your hatred of me?" Chiyome fleetingly asked, feigning the innocent face she'd cast aside when she married Muramasa, but one burnt into Shingen's mind after knowing her for so long. "I keep wondering why you haven't attempted to kill me yet… I'm sure your retainers are also asking the same thing behind your back."

Shingen went silent for a minute, and Chiyome let her – there's no need to continue on this new, arrogant, teasing personality of hers. Either her previous words were enough – then she could continue with dropping the next verbal bombshell – or not, upon which they'd engage in combat. Gone was the timid, indecisive girl Muramasa pined for all those years ago, when she hesitated even when the choices were clear.

…and it seemed Shingen shared the same opinion.

"It was my fault all these times. Even when I know you're playing me, I couldn't help myself but be led along by the nose… That's how much I treasure you, Chiyome." The redhead used a tone eerily similar to her husband when they're together, and Shingen's looks would've broken down the younger Chiyome's resistance if she hadn't met her current husband and stayed with her destined one. "Now… I think we're both become splendid adults, haven't we? Therefore, I should start prioritizing other things in my life."

The kunoichi nodded, the serpentine smirk she sported earlier which made her look hatefully arrogant melting into her usual understanding one. The one Shingen was familiar with from their youths. "Actually, that's the main point I came here for."

To her credit, the Kai Princess General didn't shift her expression one bit. "Oh? Something related to our… current occupations?"

"Yes. I came here to demand your surrender, Takeda Shingen-dono, on behalf of Oda Nobunaga-sama."

Chiyome twitched her head to one side so abruptly it appeared she'd voluntarily broken her own neck, all to avoid the spear thrust from Ka of [Fire], hurled with a ferocity befitting her position. Because she'd trained with the best warriors of Nihon, bar none, the spear tip travelled in slow motion towards her, enabling her a grace period to compare its craftsmanship with her husband's, since it was even more lethargic than Nobunaga's casual attack, who was the least martially-talented among Muramasa's wives and lovers. One eye gazed towards one of her former would-be colleagues – as hard to digest as it sounded – whose face was predictably furious, typical of what a Sengoku Period retainer should be. Her other one – the slitted, serpentine golden orb – decided this spear had been a rip-off, full of martially-unnecessary embellishments and were there solely to mark up the price and look impressive during marches and showcases.

It still was a functioning weapon, which was why she made the effort to dodge, but that's about it. Spears had such a deep and rich history because of their simplicity, enabling humans and yōkai ample time to develop countless techniques for it to the point it's now the 'King of Weapons' in East Asian cultures, unlike more complex and 'high-class' weapons which wasted the users' time simply to figure out how to use the damned things. Cheap and quick to manufacture – the first iteration essentially a sharp rock tied to a stick – it's difficult now for blacksmiths to impress a potential buyer with it, because homemade versions were readily available. Thus, a general like Ka of [Fire] would be tempted to showcase her lord's power by going with whatever was the flashiest at the time… and it still wasn't broken, so Chiyome figured this woman at least had some sense remaining during the purchase.

'Maybe Fū of [Wind] is faster? That jian is new…' the petite girl – not as small as a few years ago, since she'd grown up slightly now – remarked, taking stock of the people in the room. 'The rest… are magi-types? Well, they should've sent Haruna out first…'

The last time she was here, she was privately received by the Princess General, who was obviously breaking protocols for the sake of her feelings. Now, though, Shingen's face was impassive, not showing even the slightest hint of concern at her childhood crush being attacked by her own retainer. Still, the kunoichi was grateful there wasn't outright antagonism emanating from the buxom redhead – something she personally would've done, for instance, if someone else stole Muramasa away from her. Instead, only some sort of sorrowful regret flashed across her otherwise-impassive eyes… interrupted only by a flash of steel, as a spear's flat attempted to slap her directly from the previous thrusting motion, twisting the heft 90° and whipping her waist around, Ka of [Fire].

In an enclosed room like this, it's already difficult enough to wield long weapons, much less when one had their own lord sitting behind and surely wouldn't be pleased if either the butt or tip so much threatened the space around them. Unlike Nobunaga's Gifu Castle, which was refurbished intentionally as a second seat of power for Himiko and constructed with the Minamoto Clan's finest materials, designs, Thaumaturgical Foundation, and physical siege weaponries – which made it unrealistically spacious inside while maintaining an efficient, sleek outer form – the Takeda Clan's main meeting hall was as traditional as it came. Built to cater lavish dinners and parties for a select few individuals, it's an area where a war spear could easily traverse with three fully-extended rotations when empty.

It's only been two short offensive bursts, yet Chiyome was disappointed.

A part of her was happy to confirm she could freely kill every member of Fūrinkazan quite easily even if they banded together – Shingen was another matter, since Nobunaga specifically requested to avoid harming her in this surrender demand if possible – but another was one influenced by living alongside those warriors for so long, specifically Mitsuhide's intense lust for combat. Now, it whispered she should be relishing in the chance to fight someone stronger than her, when the outcome was less than 50:50, revelling in the possibility of her death and dancing the thin line her kunoichi training had indoctrinated her to stay as far away from as possible.

The purpose of a shinobi wasn't to seek glory and honourable death in direct combat, but to complete their missions as efficiently and effectively as possible. That was how their reputations during life and after death was made, not by senselessly announcing their names loudly in front of a battalion of enemies and charging towards a messy, but poetic death.

Before her mind could keep up, Chiyome had already struck with one hand, palm and fingers tightly wound together like a striking snake, stabbing right at the elaborately-decorated spear socket and boring through it easily. There was a sensation of crunching through layers of different hardness, chiefly the unhardened tang which was mated to the soft socket, making it rather tough and chewy to get through, but in the end, the spear simply shattered by the neck.

Chiyome spread and twisted her hand to catch the blade, which shot towards her following the momentum of both her and Ka of [Fire]'s strikes, but allowed the now-headless shaft to pass closely in front of her dainty nose, flavoured by the gratifying shocked expression of the spearwoman.

"Ugh!"

- Thunk!

The essence of a martial art's counterattack wasn't to strike alternating with the opponent, but concurrently. Use the minimum amount of force and limbs to safely receive an attack – dodge, block, parry, etc. – and use the rest of the body to strike where the opponent was wide open. Naturally, this demanded the receiver to position themselves appropriately, which usually required a good stance and footwork.

If that person was at the level of Chiyome, though, it became completely unnecessary.

Her other arm shot forth, the sleeves of her miko uniform – she's wearing the white-and-red traditional version, instead of the blue-and-black abbreviated one which was a mix with her kunoichi uniform – extending and striking Ka pf [Fire] right on her stomach. Her more recent clothes were all very fashionable, and thus made from the lightest and airiest possible material in pursuit of aesthetics, and not martial application, but the blow was as heavy as an all-steel flail of the same size, bludgeoning itself into the taller woman's body.

Ka of [Fire] shot backwards right past her previous standing spot, crashing into the wall heavily.

- BANG!

Obviously, this drew the attention of the guards outside – 'Heh, so she did manage to sneak an army past my senses,' Chiyome observed, hearing the countless surprised exclamations, rattling of fish-scale body armours, and hurried stomps of metal-leather boots breaking formation to charge inside.

Shingen was still silent, and the rest of Fūrinkazan merely gazed and urged each other silently with eye contact alone, but unsure which one should step forth without Shingen's explicit permission. This hesitation would be criticized by most traditionalists, who were always quick to lose their temper whenever one of their own was struck, but Chiyome was impressed at their discipline. Even Ka of [Fire] held back many times when she sensed Shingen's disapproval, and only attack out of righteous fury after one too many of Chiyome's taunts.

In the end, a few seconds later, the three generals didn't have to make a decision, as a large shard of aged wood – likely belonging to the main window frame or pillar due to its thickness – shot through the gap in their line-up, the same one Chiyome knocked her back through, right towards the kunoichi. She flicked her sleeve casually and knocked the projectile aside, still sitting on her knees without moving, observing what kind of person would emerge out of the expensive rubble. Would it be a raving lunatic consumed by anger? Or, far more dangerously, a focused warrior who channelled this anger and hatred into her limbs with a cool head?

Unfortunately, it was the latter. Which meant Chiyome couldn't continue showing off by deflecting and counterattacking from a sitting position, like the ancient sages and masters of Ming's ancestors.

'And I'm bad with heat…' the kunoichi internally complained, thinking of her serpentine nature which was sensitive to great changes in temperature. "Oh, well…"

Her mutter didn't go unnoticed by the Princess General, but yet again, she refrained from either verbally chiding her subordinate for attacking without permission or outright assisting the assault by pulling out her gunbai. With one last trailing gaze towards this childhood friend of hers, Chiyome closed her eyes and rose from her seat.

…no, not in a figurative sense – she literally rose, using the leverage from the tips of her toes, making her appear to levitate for a moment. In fact, it was more similar to how a snake could raise most of its upper body with only its tail muscles, because its skeletal and muscular structure permitted it.

And not too soon, since Ka of [Fire] had shot forth, using the rubble as a launching pad and pulverizing them into even finer pieces. Straight away, it was the peak spear thrusting technique from Ming, popularized by General Yue Fei's Xingyi-Liuhequan, in which a thrust was performed with such power and speed the tip rotated like a drill. Yes, it required a considerable preparation, but because it was invented on the battlefield, when the starts of wars were predetermined, this wasn't an issue. Naturally, Ka of [Fire]'s weapon was broken, but there's still enough length to generate the centripetal force necessary to twist the entire shaft – more difficult without the spearhead's counterbalance, yes – and the broken junction was plenty sharp enough Reinforcement should be able to take care the lethality aspect of it.

Considering Shingen's attachment and studies of Ming culture in general, it's unsurprising to see one of her best generals using techniques from that land. And not just derived ones, since Chiyome could see this was the authentic, real-deal technique her husband used to perform for her training. Spears were so popular most schools – direct or stealth combat – trained in ways to counter it, a by-product of the weapons' aforementioned advantages. This drove spear users to improve their techniques and vice versa, setting off a vicious but positive cycle of self-betterment.

Neither of the two combatants particularly cared about that point, though.

Compared to Ka of [Fire], Chiyome's clothes were far more unsuitable to combat. Long, flowing traditional miko dress was designed to evoke spiritualism and divinity from the wearer, who mainly wore them during ceremonial dances and formal service. In contrast, the spearwoman's outfit was practical, though somewhat over-armoured for the need to display the Takeda Clan's prestige by wearing this expensive piece of extra clothing. One was custom-made to the wearer's body, to provide protection without hindering movement in the slightest, while the other completely hid the wearer's figure and minute movements, billowing slowly and enchantingly with every gesture.

This spear thrust technique was technically easy to defeat, despite it being one of the last achievements to practice in Xingyi-Liuhequan. Any attack involving rotation naturally had its weakest point in its centre axis, and one only needed to destroy this area to outright cancel the movement, regardless of its eventual vector. However, there were several drawbacks to that: First, because it's the de facto final technique, it's usually performed by a powerful practitioner with great strength, speed, and martial insight. Second, plunging one's hand into a point circled by a rapidly-rotating tunnel of sharp objects was not a fun thing to do.

Still, Chiyome did it, only because in her eyes, this Ka of [Fire]'s attempt was a sad attempt at displaying the true technique's power, heralded as Song Dynasty's greatest weapon art. The de jure 'highest realm' was to actually produce the simplest straight line thrust possible, so fast and powerful it ripped apart [Space] and [Time] to arrive at the opponent's body regardless of the defence. Coincidentally, many equated this technique to a lightning strike, which nearly brought a smile to Chiyome's face when noticing Shingen was still in the room. 'Oops…'

She simply plunged her right arm into the spiralling broken shaft, her sleeves naturally wrapped tight around her limb from her speed and a touch of Alteration, bunching her fingers tight into a snake's snout just like earlier.

Ka of [Fire]'s eyes widened, shocked at the audacity of her opponent, but they quickly showed a satisfied arrogance at the perceived stupidity. Apparently, she didn't know the 'master key' to this glorified technique of hers, and instead pushed on faster, knowing there's no way Chiyome's shorter arm could affect her motion in any way, given the length of the remaining spear haft.

Granted, she miscalculated two things, apart from her ignorance of the fact her thrust wasn't invincible. One, the shorter stick now had two centre axes: one near her hands, the other near the tip, since a long shaft would naturally warp around these two points given sufficient length. Two… she nearly gasped when she saw Chiyome's arm extending to the same length of her original spear, cleanly shattering the rest of the shaft and striking her foremost fingers, shattering all the bones inside.

"ARGH!"

Before Ka of [Fire]'s scream ended, a tanto suddenly materialized in Chiyome's hand once her fingers spread open like a flower petal, spewing out golden powder at the same time. It's clear she's aiming straight to decapitate her opponent, yet Fū of [Wind]'s jian instantly intercepted her, the thin sword tip flickering in and out of her perception from the burst of speed.

"Now it's more like it…!" Chiyome couldn't help but praise when she pivoted to one side, not counterattacking instantly like before, simply to gain a better angle to study the remaining threats in the room. "It's fortunate I left Haruna in the hands of someone capable…!"

"You can shut your mouth," Fū of [Wind] coldly snapped, before rocketing forwards in another classic Ming-style martial arts move – this time a sword thrust. "You won't get out of here alive."

Chiyome giggled at the threat, both the verbal and physical one. "Do you have any idea how many times I've heard that line?" Waiting for the sword to reach her throat, she added, "And how many lived after saying that?"

"What the-"

Fū of [Wind] uttered in disbelief when her sword simply bent when the thrust arrived at Chiyome's skin, refusing to go further. Yes, while unlike Ka of [Fire]'s weapon, this warp wasn't permanent since the jian was very flexible, it should still have enough mass along its tall centre ridge to ensure a solid structure when stabbing, similar to a Nanban rapier. She'd understand if it was the result of a sideways parry, but certainly not…!

The kunoichi lowered her arms and relaxed her body, returning to her pre-fight state even with a metal sword's tip pressed tightly against her throat, and started walking towards Fū of [Wind], bending the sword even more. "Do you know why legends always spoke of a demand for a special weapon or technique when fighting dragons? Hmm?" Receiving no reply, instead of explaining, she continued, "Unfortunately, you have neither."

Chiyome deliberately dodged the spear attacks earlier to feign vulnerability, letting them think all she had was that dangerous counterattacking prowess and speed. 'They should've caught on from the start,' she mocked in her heart, 'when not even a single strand of my hair was cut from my dodge!'

With her serpentine long hair, the first evasion from her neck should've allowed Ka of [Fire]'s spear to blast a hole clean through the supposedly-fragile black strands. Yet, all it did was blow it away… slightly, almost like it's a blunt projectile spreading the hair instead of a souped-up, all-out sudden thrust.

As she continued with her movement, Fū of [Wind] chose to pull back her sword and sheathed it back, thinking of switching to an iaidō strike, when Shingen suddenly ordered, "All of you… step back. None of you is her match."

As she said this, her eyes were locked onto the faintly-glowing scales on Chiyome's throat, protecting the area targeted from the thrust earlier. Standing up and leaving her seat – thus the defensive formation established by the Fūrinkazan from the start – she spoke again, "Goodbye, my first love."

"Indeed." Chiyome nodded solemnly, though still with a smile on her face. "That should be my line, though I'd like to change it to more of a sisterly love? Is that alright?"

"Suit yourself. Simply accept all of my feelings today, and let us be no more."

The gunbai came out, before enlarging to Shingen's height instantly. The Princess General was nearly as tall as her husband, meaning the war fan now stood at nearly six feet, the pressure of Conceptual Weight and magic energy emanating from it creating a small atmospheric typhoon in the room.

"I will. I am magnanimous like that… though don't say that in front of my husband. He'll get jealous!" Chiyome maintained her playful tone, disregarding the now-ready Takeda troops, as well as the three still-standing Fūrinkazan, who'd circled around them. "Besides, there's one technique I'd like to try."

Bone Collector
~ Riot of Flowers ~

"Farewell, my friend."