Il Cielo dei Tre Regni
by Lunar Wave
Disclaimer: This story borrows the setting and characters of the Koihime†Musou series and borrows multiple elements from Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I own neither series as they both belong to their respective owners. Also, considering Koihime†Musou could be considered a fanfic of the Three Kingdoms, I'd like to say I don't own anything related to the stories of the Three Kingdoms.
-()-
A March to Nothing
-()-
"Playing poker with you feels unfair, Kazuto."
"You suggested it, Aster." Kazuto Sawada, Vongola Heir, chuckled, as Aster Gesso threw down his hand.
The Millefiore White Heir grumbled, "But your Hyper Intuition just tells you if I have a good hand or not. It feels wrong…"
"Oh, suck it up, or I start sinking you to the ground. Again." Mikoto Kozato grumbled as she threw down her own hand. The Shimon Family Heiress sighed at the loss.
Aster looked dryly at her, "Why do you keep threatening me with bodily harm? I get it; You've started learning to use your flames a bit more than just move a bunch of objects around a room. Big deal."
"No one minds if I sink him, right?" Mikoto glared dirtily at him. "No one will mind, right?"
"If you don't destroy anything," Kazuto replied, concentrating on watching Iris, the Millefiore Black Spell Heiress.
"Hoy, hoy! Why are you siding with her, Kazuto!?"
"Done." Mikoto pointed her ring at the boy and he was flipped out of his chair and into the ground.
"AHHH! HELP ME! I feel like I'm being crushed under the weight of an elephant!"
"You'd be dead then." Mikoto nonchalantly replied.
"Aster, you're a Sky Flame user." Iris sighed. "Just harmonize the flame."
"I can't use White Applause when I'm stuck on the ground, Iris!"
"So, Iris and Kazuto's left. Who wins, who loses?" Damien said, having already folded.
The two continued looking at each other before Iris raised her free hand to gesture at the boy.
"After you." Iris sweetly said. Kazuto chuckled, revealing that his hand also sucked. Iris smiled, showing that she had a relatively decent hand, and took all the betted sweets.
"Yeah, Hyper Intuition might be amazing, but I think Future Sight is more cheating," Damien grumbled as the Cavallone Heir watched enviously as Iris opened one of the sweets and popped it into her mouth.
"Thanks for betting all those expensive sweets, Aster~" Iris smiled.
"You're welcome, but I wish you would share some with the rest of us," Aster said, still on the ground.
"No."
"Stingy."
"And you squander too much."
"Fatty."
"Mikoto, keep him down for a few more minutes."
"Don't beat him up. We can't afford another incident." Mikoto warned. "And I'm getting exhausted anyway."
"Oh no. I'm not that cruel." Iris smiled, walking over to him, "I believe this is the sweet that you were looking forward to having the most, right?" She pulled it out of its container and slowly began eating it in front of him.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Why not? I'm a fatty, after all." She said with malice clear on her face, as she took another bite.
"NoOoOoOoOoOOOO~" Aster's warbled cry echoed in the room.
"If you're a fatty, then Uncle Giannini is the size of a whale." Kazuto off-handedly remarked.
"Why, thank you for the compliment, Kazuto." Iris turned her eyes to the boy, "Would you like your turn on the ground?"
"Be careful what you say, Kazuto." Damien stage whispered to him.
"Do it! Dig your grave, Kazuto! I pre-dug it for you right here!" Aster cheered, quickly changing moods.
"Just apologize already, Aster." Kazuto sighed. "It's not like Mikoto can keep you there forever."
"That's not an answer, Kazuto." Iris scarily said.
"Iris, you're thinner than me. If anything, I want you to eat a bit more." Kazuto sighed, as he gathered the cards. "You are a very pretty girl," Kazuto replied. "Now, excuse me, I'm going to return the cards to Uncle Lambo. I'll get another game from him." He most certainly did not do that just to escape Iris's wrath. Nope. Not at all.
Damien called out to him, "Hoy, Kazuto, you do remember that you can't marry Iris or Mikoto, right, guuk! Someone save m-"
He remembered there being a commotion as he left. But by the time he came back, the only thing left was both Damien and Aster with huge welts instead of faces, and both Mikoto and Iris looking away from him. Seriously, couldn't they just spend at least some time together without being on each other's throats?
Well, it was a fun day, all in all, and he managed to play poker, without any rampant cheating and threat of machinegun fire.
-()-
"KAZUTO-KUN! WAKE UP! EMERGENCY!"
Touka's voice pierced the veil of sleep that Kazuto had been enclosed in.
"Awaah?" Kazuto blearily said, as the door to the room opened, startling Shuri in the process as well.
"Hawa?"
"Ryofu… Ryofu escaped!" Touka appeared.
"… I see." Kazuto dully nodded.
"… You're not surprised at all." Touka frowned.
"Give me a break, Touka; I just woke up," Kazuto grumbled as he pushed himself off the bunk. "Any other surprises?" He sighed, as he grabbed some clothes from his bag.
"Uhh…"
"Did anyone die?" Shuri asked sharply.
"No… I think Ryofu broke down a wall and escaped that way." Touka said, lost. Both Kazuto and Shuri looked at each other with quick small smiles, rapidly returning to serious faces as they turned to look at the panicking leader.
"And her halberd?" Kazuto asked.
"Eh… huh… I'll ask someone to check!" Touka rushed out the door in a hurry.
Kazuto chuckled as he quickly switched clothes, as Shuri covered her eyes… badly, but he's not going to call her out on it.
"I'll go on ahead and see how everyone's doing, okay, Shuri?"
"Y-yes!"
"KAZUTO-KUN!" Touka reappeared in the doorway, "Ryofu's weapon is gone too!"
"Coming, coming," Kazuto said as he ran and grabbed the girl's hand. "Take me to her cell!" And Kazuto and Touka sprinted off.
-()-
Kazuto feels like he's in a detective drama. Except everyone here is an amateur. And he's the detective who turns out to be the criminal as well. Life is weird.
"Please tell me, that none of you moved anything in this room…" Kazuto dryly looked at a soldier.
"We were looking for Ryofu, sir, so we may have…" A soldier winced.
"I'll have to start drilling you people on proper crime scene etiquette." Kazuto sighed, "Where's General Kan'u?"
"Doing a headcount," Touka informed him, as she stared out the broken wall. "How strong is she? How did she destroy a stone wall!?"
"I don't know," Kazuto replied. "But I feel like Rinrin could accomplish the same feat."
"… Probably."
"So none of you heard a loud noise?" Kazuto asked the soldier. "You were the guard last night, right?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"You weren't asleep, right?"
"… I might've…"
"You are a horrible guard," Kazuto concluded, and the soldier shrunk into himself. "Well, what's done is done. Also, if Ryofu had decided to take the path of least resistance, i.e. out this door, you'd be dead."
The soldier gulped, as the thought invaded his mind, and cold sweat poured. "I… I'll be careful next time, sir."
"You'll still get punished, you know?" Kazuto sighed, "I'm telling Kan'u."
"Sir!"
"Well, it's not all your fault." Kazuto sighed. "We should've had a guard inside."
"But didn't we decide not to have one because Ryofu could've grabbed his weapon?" Touka asked.
"That was ridiculous. Ryofu was tied up." Kazuto sighed.
"Ah, you're right."
"But I wonder how she got out…"
"There's a big hole in the wall. I'd like to think that's enough." Kazuto pointed out. "The debris goes outward, so this must be her exit point… Which is frankly ridiculous considering how high up we are, but it's Ryofu; applying convention to her is probably an exercise in futility."
The barrel's gone. Kazuto noted, but if no one realized it then he won't point it out. Why Ryofu took the barrel with her is a mystery. Chinkyuu could've just walked out by herself.
"But what about her weapon?" Touka frowned.
"Chinkyuu was never found among the prisoners, right?" Kazuto asked as he looked at a piece of the wood gate.
"Oh… right…"
"This was cut with a weapon," Kazuto concluded.
"You could tell?"
"Well it's not smashed, but slashed." Kazuto shrugged. "Regardless of how strong Ryofu is, there would be more splinters if she had just bashed her way through. Also, these ropes are clearly cut with a blade before it was torn through force."
"So there was a weapon here?" Touka asked.
"Anything else that feels strange here, soldier?" Kazuto asked, semi-wondering if he'll remember that there's a barrel here.
"No, sir… The wall and the gate being cut is all I can tell."
Kazuto mentally noted to himself to never assign this soldier to a guard position anymore. Or a patrol position either.
"Fine. Then I suppose I can really have only one conclusion." Kazuto sighed. "Chinkyuu managed to steal Houtengeki in the dark of night. The strategist then proceeded to sneak into this room to hand the weapon to Ryofu. They then proceeded to break out, via the wall."
"But sir! I was here the entire time! Right in front of the door! I'd think I would've noticed if someone managed to sneak past me, especially with a big weapon!" The soldier complained.
"That's the simplest conclusion I can think of." Kazuto shrugged. "Besides, you admitted that you were asleep."
"Only half, sir! I would surely have woken up if someone was sneaking past me!"
"That is not convincing in the slightest," Kazuto replied dryly. "People always claim that they would have woken up. Unless you were sitting right in front of the doorway, in the way of it being opened. Were you?"
"I uh… no…"
"Then they could have snuck in." Kazuto sighed. "Expect a pay cut at a minimum, soldier."
"… Yes, sir…"
"I think you should execute him." A new voice added, and both Touka and Kazuto tensed.
"Not happening, Sousou," Kazuto replied, and the soldier breathed in relief before standing up to stand guard.
"Hoh? But he failed in his duties. He was in charge of keeping Ryofu in place. And yet she escaped under his watch. If you don't punish people for their failings, then people will just keep failing." Sousou pointed out.
"If you punish people with death, then they would never learn from failing," Kazuto replied.
"Besides, his life is more important to us than Ryofu being captive." Touka frowned.
"Anyway, it's not our job to decide his punishment anyway. That's Kan'u's." Kazuto finally decided to push the responsibility away. He was starting to see sparks fly between the two.
"I suppose it's not my place to intrude on another's governing policies." Sousou shrugged. "But shouldn't you two be calling for a meeting of lords soon?" Sousou asked.
"We did. You just got here earlier than the call." Kazuto replied. "Besides, I'd rather have all the information at hand first, before diving into that." Kazuto sighed.
"I can see why you would ask for our support for the table now. Screwing up this much. Never discount human stupidity indeed." Sousou sighed. "But a deal is a deal. I'll support your group. No matter how much I would've put your feet to the fire normally."
"Thanks for that, Sousou." Kazuto smiled.
"How did your group not screw up much earlier?" Sousou asked.
"That's…" Touka winced.
"A miracle," Kazuto replied. "Besides, we've never had high profile prisoners before."
"At least you admit how lacking in experience you both are. And not pretending like you didn't screw up… like a certain Reiha." Sousou sighed.
"How's Kakouton-san?" Touka asked.
"She's moving about healthily." Sousou shrugged. "I'm forbidding her from fighting directly for at least a few more days, but I think she's strong enough to do her job."
"That's good." Touka nodded.
"… You don't usually go anywhere without someone trailing you. Where's your escort?" Kazuto asked.
Sousou sighed as she looked down the hall. "Ruru."
A teal-haired girl walked up, carrying what appeared to be a giant yo-yo. "Hello, I'm Ten'i."
"She's usually tailing Shuuran, but Shuuran is currently tending to Shunran. Not wanting to leave her without a job, I decided to have her follow me around."
"I see. I suppose it's only fitting for Sousou to be protected by Ten'i." Kazuto remarked off-handedly. Both Sousou and Ten'i tilted in confusion at that comment, "But for now, let's do more investigation. For now, let's check the other cells."
"… Are you including us in that?" Sousou asked warily.
"Your choice." Kazuto replied. "Do you have anything better to do right now?"
Touka could only sigh as Kazuto roped Sousou in with his strangely hyper state. "Kazuto-kun. Why are you going off like this?"
"One: we need to hurry. People should be gathering in the meeting hall soon. Two: no one's dead. I don't have a reason to be mad at Ryofu. Three: we do need to start marching soon so that we can catch up to Ryofu before she helps barricade the capital… or run away with Toutaku."
Touka and Sousou looked at each other as Kazuto started looking in the other cells.
"… Is he always like this?"
"Usually only around us." Touka helplessly shrugged. "He's usually a bit more aloof when in serious situations."
"And this doesn't count as serious?" Sousou sharply asked.
"I don't think he actually cares about Ryofu's escape, just how she did." Touka shrugged. In reality, it's because he already knows the solution. He just needs to find the clues to said solution. A false solution.
"By the way, are barrels commonly found in prison cells? Especially ones with lots of food?"
"… The answer is no." Sousou replied. "If you want to store food, they're usually with the rest of the food."
"Then I found a conspicuous number of barrels in each of these cells. Was there a barrel in the cell with Ryofu?"
"… Guard?" Touka asked the guard that was still following them.
"I… think so." The guard hesitantly said. "But it wasn't there anymore…"
"To be fair, these barrels look like they'll barely fit Rinrin, let alone an adult." Kazuto shrugged. "So, unless Chinkyuu is the size of Ten'i, then, I guess that path is closed."
"… Chinkyuu is the size of Ruru." Sousou sighed.
"You met Chinkyuu before?" Kazuto asked, surprised.
"Yes. She helped me escape when I visited the capital and got attacked by a bunch of Toutaku's soldiers." Sousou shrugged.
"Soldiers?" Kazuto asked, surprised. "You mentioned having checked out the capital about the tyranny."
"Yes. But when I went to visit, I was attacked by a bunch of skilled soldiers in white clothes. 'For the glory of Toutaku', they cried. I didn't even get to see Toutaku. Chinkyuu was the one who snuck me out. I owe her quite a bit for that incident."
"But… but that makes no sense!" Touka said, "Chinkyuu is Ryofu's strategist! Why would she help you escape if she's on the side of Toutaku?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Sousou grimaced.
"Was Chinkyuu the strategist of Ryofu at the time?" Kazuto asked.
"She was certainly serving the Kan at the time." Sousou shrugged, "Whether she was affiliated with Ryofu at the time or not, I wouldn't know."
"Assuming she wasn't serving Ryofu, then I can come up with a few reasons. Either Ryofu saved Chinkyuu from these Toutaku soldiers, thus Chinkyuu feels indebted to her and thus, swore service to her. Or Chinkyuu was forced by Toutaku to serve her when they caught her, and she chose to be Ryofu's strategist."
"Possibly." Touka nodded. "Does that change anything though?"
"It decides which side Ryofu is on." Kazuto replied.
"Are you suggesting Ryofu is not on Toutaku's side?" Sousou asked.
"Ryofu might be potentially her own side, who just happens to believe Toutaku is the secure option. But now that we've won and on our way to the capital, she could just as easily cut her losses now and walk her own path."
"I suppose that is an option, especially for the strongest general." Sousou nodded. "But this is all speculation. There is no solid evidence. And you did say it was all assuming she wasn't serving Ryofu at the time. What if she was?"
"Then Ryofu is definitely against the tyranny, I suppose." Kazuto shrugged. "Either way, we'll need to start heading to the capital and quick. We'll inform all the leaders of the coalition and mobilize as soon as possible." Kazuto nodded.
"Commander Ryuubi, Commander Hongou!" A soldier called. "The coalition commanders have assembled.
"Where's General Kan'u and Strategist Shokatsuryou?" Kazuto asked.
"They're on their way, sir!"
"Tell them to meet up with us, preferably one of the halls near the meeting room."
"Yes, sir!" The guard quickly left.
"You. What are you doing here with us? Go back to Ryofu's old cell and keep guard there." Kazuto ordered the guard that has still been following them.
"Yes, sir!"
"Ruru, tell Shuuran to have Shunran moved to one of the carts." Sousou quickly ordered.
"But that means I'll leave you!" Ten'i exclaimed.
"Then leave as soon as you escort me to the meeting room." Sousou shrugged.
"Understood!" Ten'i nodded.
Touka and Kazuto looked at each other before nodding to each other.
"Was there anything else you wanted to check before going?" Sousou asked.
"Shuri and Aisha probably already know the details of the place. While I'd consider the guards a bit weak on investigative prowess, I don't think Shuri nor Aisha would miss any clues that could allow us to pinpoint the potential events." It helps that Shuri already does know more than a few details and would already be more than willing to mess up some of the facts to match an ideal solution.
"Wait, shouldn't we be hurrying to the meeting room soon?" Touka asked. "Won't it be bad for us to make people wait for us?"
"Yeah, normally, I would be against making people wait." Kazuto replied.
"Kazuto-kun!" Touka said, rather scandalized by the implications.
"But figuring out how things are going is probably for the better. It'll look bad that we made them wait, but it'll look worse if we reveal Ryofu's disappearance without having all the cards."
"Even so…"
"You can go ahead, Touka." Kazuto pointed out.
"And what would I even do there?"
"If possible, start informing everyone that we'll need to march fast and as soon as possible so that everyone can begin preparations. Don't mention the Ryofu situation unless it comes up. If it does and I'm still not there, tell them that we're investigating." Kazuto replied.
"Got it, I can do that." Touka nodded.
"Also don't mention Sousou being with us." Kazuto added as an afterthought.
"Hoh, why?" Sousou asked.
"Simple. It's better for them to think that you're still a bit sore about the whole, put you in the vanguard and winding up with one of your generals effectively crippled."
"And what makes you think that I'm not sore about that?" Sousou scoffed.
"Whether you are or aren't doesn't matter. What matters is that you made your promise to support us."
"I suppose that's fair." Sousou shrugged, "Then I'll depart a few minutes after Ryuubi does."
"Then I'll be going!" Touka nodded, rushing away and down the keep's halls.
With that, three people were left and Kazuto continued his brisk pace.
"For someone as pragmatic as you, I'm surprised that you would entertain her childish thoughts." Sousou mentioned.
"Pragmatic, me?"
"Making others wait, just so you could have all the cards necessary. Even already making use of my promise of a temporary alliance to your advantage. Then there's the whole situation with your minstrel. I doubt Ryuubi would have even so much as glimpsed at the thought of all that without turning away and outright rejecting it."
"The two of you have barely interacted yet you already act like you know a lot about her."
"I've seen her type before. Idealistic to a fault. Wears her emotions on a sleeve. She's ill-suited to be a leader."
"Maybe not a leader like you, but her path as a leader is not like yours, now is it?" Kazuto chuckled.
"A mediocre one." Sousou scoffed.
Clearly, arguing with her will not lead to anything. Touka has no feats that she could be attributed with right now anyway. "Shouldn't you be going soon?" Kazuto asked, amused.
Sousou smirked haughtily, as if she won the argument, "Very well. Do try to not mess up the meeting itself."
Kazuto had time to make a comeback. But he decided to keep his tongue in check this time. Let her get the last word in. That way she won't hold any grudges during the meeting. But he didn't hold back the amused smile he had as Sousou began walking faster than before, heading right after Touka.
Ten'i quickly followed, with a quick bow to him as she walked after the ruler.
Now then, where would Aisha and Shuri be waiting…?
-()-
"So that's what Touka-chan meant by needing to march quickly." Kousonsan frowned.
After Kazuto met up with Shuri and Aisha, who quickly relayed their findings to him, some lies from Shuri, and they were on their way. Now Kazuto is on the table. It was a testament to Touka's diplomacy that no one even commented on how late he had been. Aisha and Shuri stood behind their leaders.
"It'll still take a while before we are ready to move." Batou pointed out, "So explain quickly. How did Ryofu escape?"
"Hohohohoh, you really have messed up now, Hongou!" Enshou laughed.
"Be quiet Reiha." Sousou frowned, and the girl glared at her. "We are talking about the strongest general in the empire, no, the world. It was already a miracle that allowed us to capture her in the first place. Her escaping is not out of the question, especially for a weak army like Ryuubi's."
Touka gave her the stink-eye for that but kept her mouth shut.
"I suppose I should lay down the foundation of the events. Upon awakening, we came across two separate incidents, which are most likely connected, but we'll get there." Kazuto hummed. "Ryofu has escaped, is the obvious one. The other incident is her missing weapon."
"But no deaths." Sonsaku pointed out. "That is suspicious, don't you think?"
"In our case, we just consider it a blessing." Touka told her. "No one died, despite a prisoner escaping."
"The state of the prison cell is as follows." Kazuto interrupted, hoping to let that be the end of that conversation, "She had been bound by rope and hasn't eaten anything since capture. She was sealed behind a wooden gate. Her weapon is stored elsewhere. She's also been patted down, and there was no discovered weapon on her. When we arrived to see the scene of the escape, the wooden gate was sliced cleanly. Her ropes were partially cut by something sharp before being forced apart. And a big hole was on the stone wall."
"… A hole? In the wall?" Sonken Chuubou exclaimed, "That's ridiculous! There should be no way a person could destroy a stone wall, especially if she was hungry! The guard outside should've heard something!"
"Trust me. That guard will receive his due punishment, right, Aisha?"
Aisha sighed, "He'll definitely not be on guard duty anytime soon…"
"Also patrol. Don't let him go on patrol. He might just end up missing something obvious." Kazuto sighed. "Like a barrel that might or might not have been there."
"A barrel?" Kousonsan asked, confused.
"All the cells in that hall had a barrel of food." Touka reported. "They were already there when we got here. In hindsight, it was really suspicious."
"Upon interrogating the captured soldiers, it turns out that Ryofu's Strategist, Chinkyuu had ordered for those barrels to be placed there, a bit before their surrender."
"And this Chinkyuu is?" Sonsaku asked.
"Missing." Kazuto replied. "Naturally, upon capture of the keep, Enshou's soldiers and our own scoured the keep to search for her but, unfortunately, we didn't find her."
"There was a chance that she had been part of the captured soldiers but is lying about her identity. We have no means of finding that out if that was the case." Touka sighed, "But apparently we missed a crucial detail at the time." She meaningfully looked at Sousou, who shrugged.
"Chinkyuu… is the size of a child," Sousou reported. "I know since I've met her before."
"I see." One of the lords grimaced, "The barrels."
"It seems that Chinkyuu may have hidden in the barrels that she had ordered to be placed in the cells, figuring that she'll be able to hide and wait for an opportunity to free Ryofu." Kazuto concluded.
"I see. She may not have been a warrior, but it seems that Chinkyuu is also a crafty person, fitting for the strategist of Ryofu." Sonsaku praised.
"Which barrel she hid in, we do not know." Kazuto nodded, "But she must have sneaked into Ryofu's cell somehow, or she may have already been in the cell in the barrel there. Most likely she had a dagger of some sort on her person which she passed to Ryofu, which allowed her to leave the place."
"That or… she went and took Ryofu's halberd first." Shuri frowned. "Even with Ryofu's strength, I doubt a dagger would be enough to destroy a stone wall."
"Attributing common sense to a person who destroyed a wall in the first place is an exercise in absurdity." Kazuto pointed out, and everyone there agreed. "But there is a chance, yes. Chinkyuu could possibly have snuck into the storage room and stolen Ryofu's halberd. In which case, it is more likely that she had been hiding in a barrel other than the one in Ryofu's cell."
"Are you sure that Ryofu's halberd was in the storage room? Could not a traitor have simply replaced it before, and placed it out of sight?" Sonsaku asked.
"That's impossible." Shuri shook her head. "After resting, I was in the weapon storage to catalog the weapons that we acquired from defeating the enemy for a good while. Well, I also spent some time maintaining my crossbow, but regardless. It was there when I came and it was there when I left. It was nighttime by the time I left."
"I see." Sousou frowned. "So Chinkyuu must have snuck in the dead of night when your guards were not paying much attention and stole the halberd then."
"I question the ability of someone to sneak away carrying that heavy weapon." Enshou pointed out. "That thing was heavy. If this Chinkyuu had the body of a child, then would it not have been impossible for her to lift it?"
"You held it before, Enshou?" Kousonsan asked.
"I came to visit the weapons storage once." Enshou shrugged, "It would be good to at least see what weapons the enemy had in stock that we can make use of, don't you agree?"
"I suppose that means you'll confirm young Shokatsu Koumei's statement, then?" Touken nodded.
"I suppose I must. I held the weapon in my hand, but it was far too cumbersome for me. So I left it there."
Shuri dryly looked at her but she looked away before anyone except Kazuto noticed. An unspoken argument must have broken out between the two. Or at least a small fight. Somehow Kazuto doubted Enshou actually did decide to leave it because of how cumbersome it is.
"Anyway, back to whether Chinkyuu could even lift the thing." Choukou pointed out. "A small girl shouldn't have been able to carry that heavy halberd, right? And before we derail, yes, I visited the weapon storage myself to see it."
"My counterpoint. Chouhi Yokutoku." Kazuto replied. Touka, Aisha, and Shuri all laughed at that.
Sousou too had a smirk at that thought, "Fair point. It might've been possible for her to possess as much strength as Kii and Ruru. But considering she is a strategist, that might be a bit unlikely."
"But not impossible either." Kazuto pointed out. "Of course, she could've just taken out a regular sword, before we took inventory of said weapons storage, and let Ryofu break out that way."
"That's possible. The wall breaking is still absurd, but not necessarily impossible to imagine with a sword." Batou nodded, "But what about the halberd? It was stolen anyway right?"
"Presumably, since we found no other weapon missing from the storage. After breaking out through the wall, she snuck in and stole the halberd and returned whatever weapon she had… for whatever reason."
"That seems unlikely." Enshou frowned. "Why not just take it anyway? And why sneak?"
"To avoid alerting us," Sousou replied. "If, for whatever reason, the soldier manages to shout about Ryofu's escape, her time would be shortened. She does still need to return to Toutaku's side, after all."
"Or just escape alone," Kazuto added. "She could've just as easily have chosen to ditch Toutaku entirely."
"That is a possibility." Sonsaku nodded. "So the bottom line is this: Chinkyuu had hidden in the barrels. She then proceeded to help out Ryofu, either by stealing the halberd or giving Ryofu a sword of some kind. Ryofu escapes, by destroying a wooden gate, then a stone wall. Your guard heard nothing. Ryofu then possibly snuck back in to retrieve her halberd if she didn't have it already."
"She probably also took the barrel inside the cell she was in, for provisions." Kazuto nodded.
"Then what are we doing wasting our time here?" Sonsaku slammed her hands on the table. "We should begin marching!"
"Are we not going to discuss Hongou's incompetence?" Enshou cried out. Everyone awkwardly looked at each other, knowing that she was right but…
"That is a waste of time." Sousou argued, "Who knows how much time Ryofu had? We do not have any idea of how much time has passed since she disappeared! She might already be in the capital and preparing to escape with Toutaku!"
"The Ryuubi army are neophytes in the world of war." Touken hummed, the old man stroking his beard, "It's more surprising that they haven't done anything that was a black mark on their record. Regardless of the failing, Hongou has led us well so far. I say we follow young Sousou's words and return to our armies and begin marching as soon as possible."
"What would be our formation?" One lord asked, "The same as before?"
"Sousou, you may return your army to where Choubaku is." Kazuto informed her. "Your right hand did lose her eye."
"I'll take your offer then." Sousou shrugged.
"Welcome back, Moutoku ~" Choubaku greeted.
"My sister will remain with your army." Sonsaku shrugged.
"My daughter as well." Batou nodded.
"My army will continue fighting alongside yours." Kanhyoku nodded.
"I'll be returning to the middle of the formation." Enshou frowned. "I've had significant damage done to my army during the previous battle." She couldn't really claim to go to the back; she still has the biggest army.
"Then I'll move up." One lord volunteered. "Is your army going to continue spearheading?"
"Move to the back, Hongou." Sonsaku interrupted. "Your army has gotten more achievements than anyone else right now, even counting this whole Ryofu escape debacle. Let everyone else have a turn."
"Is that fine with everyone?" Touka asked confused.
"Wait!" Choubaku interrupted, "Are we forgetting why Hongou and Ryuubi's army is at the vanguard in the first place?"
"Something about a sorcerer, right?" Enjutsu spoke up.
Enshou nodded, "And we want Hongou to be there to deal with it if it happens."
"As amusing as it might be, I'm not heading out in front of everyone without my army. That's just begging for an assassination." Kazuto dryly pointed out. "So either have us as a vanguard or let us take the rearguard." Safety or honor: make your choice, he told them with his eyes.
"And what would you choose?" Sonsaku prompted.
"Our army was not unharmed by the battle against Ryofu. If anything, the damage Ryofu did to our army was extensive. I don't want my army anymore in the frontlines, even for the rest of the campaign."
"Then pull back. Let everyone earn their keep, even if a sorcerer is there. If there is, then we can always just pull back. We have Kouro Gate under our control now." Sonsaku said. A fierce smile was on her face as if she was looking forward to… something. Shuuyu and Son Chuubou at her side sighed as if knowing what's going on.
"Any objections?" Kazuto asked, and no one raised their voices, "Well that settles that." Kazuto sighed. "Any other suggestions?"
Some were thrown, but they barely meant anything. At this point, they drown out Enshou's calls for his impeachment. Soon enough, everyone started shuffling out, hurrying to their armies for the final preparations, Kazuto nodded gratefully at Sousou, who merely nodded back before leaving.
"… That went better than I expected." Kazuto breathed in relief. "It's honestly good that Sousou was on our side that time. She shut down arguments quickly and efficiently."
"I guess so…" Touka nodded, a bit against giving Sousou any form of credit. "So now what?"
"Sei, you're there, right?" Kazuto asked.
"Someone had to keep the venue secure, yes." Sei's voice cheerfully entered the room from the outside. "Although I really should be escorting everyone out. What did you want that is so important?"
"Touka, let's go and prepare for departure," Kazuto said as he stood up. Touka nodded. He gave a small pat on Shuri's shoulders and she grimaced, knowing what he had left to her.
"Sei-san, please come in." Shuri asked. Aisha looked impatient, having been told that there is something that they needed to be told. Shuri had shown surprise at the time, clearly being in on whatever secret is being said.
"Here I am. Are you sure we should be leaving milord and milady alone?"
"They should be headed to meet up with Rinrin." Shuri smiled. "But there is something that we need to talk about. And it's about an incident yesterday."
"Incident?" Both tilted their heads in confusion.
Shuri nodded, before turning to the door, "Can you both come with me to my room?"
-()-
They were sat in the bedroom that Shuri and Kazuto had stayed in for the night. Shuri had moved so that there won't be a chance for anyone from the other armies to overhear their conversation. There really isn't much to pack away personally, since they only ever took out things when they're needed.
Listening to Shuri was draining to both of them. Not because of how long it was (it was remarkably concise), but the implications of the situation.
Simply put, it was Kazuto and Shuri who conspired to release Ryofu in the first place. Not because either of them believed that Toutaku was innocent, but because they think the situation could be just like Chiihou. Especially since Kazuto had personally met up with Ryofu with her halberd in tow. Which Shuri had actually been complicit in stealing.
"… Why does Master trust people so easily…" Aisha frowned, rubbing her head. "What if Ryofu had been lying? And why did you go through with it?"
"It's not like I had much of a choice towards the end." Shuri shrugged. "If anything, I think, if Ryofu didn't believe that Toutaku was innocent, then I think Master would've just offered her a place in our army instead."
"And Ryofu replied by not killing a single soul on her way out, even though the wall path was probably more difficult to her than necessary." Sei pointed out, "I suppose that means she can be trusted, at least to keep her promises."
"It still feels premature to trust her on those facts alone. Her word and her actions might be the same, but Toutaku could just as easily be a despot that happens to be a good person to her subordinates." Aisha sighed.
"We'll know later." Shuri firmly said.
"They could use this chance to run back to their homeland, instead of towards our lands." Aisha argued.
"Or to Chouan." Sei added. "But what's done is done. All the two of us need to do is keep an eye out for a group bearing a Ryuubi Banner, with a person wearing a purple ring."
"Ryofu actually looks distinctive, though… I doubt any of our soldiers wouldn't remember her, or her weapon." Aisha pointed out. "She did rampage quite a bit through our army."
"Maybe." Shuri grimaced. "But that's a risk we'll have to take."
"Neither of you told Touka or Rinrin, or even planning to." Sei said, astutely.
"No, we planned to, but only after the Coalition." Shuri replied. "Touka-sama will be talking to many of the other lords a lot, and it's a bit risky to include her since she has a tendency to be…"
"An open book." Aisha nodded. "And the same with Rinrin. But why us now? Couldn't you two have kept the secret for longer?"
"I don't know the answer to that." Shuri shook her head. "Kazuto-sama didn't tell me why either. I think it was a spur of the moment decision too."
"I think it's to respect Aisha." Sei hummed.
"Eh?" Aisha balked at that. "What do you mean?"
"Aisha is their right hand. Not only that, but you're the head general." Sei clarified. "Respecting those facts, Aisha should be informed of the direction that you're going with. Hiding things from Aisha might lead to Aisha doing things that are contrary to your plans, after all."
"But why not before, last night?" Aisha asked, although now more mollified. "And why Sei as well?"
"Well, the common link between us is that all of us can keep a secret better than Rinrin and wouldn't be in the public spotlight as much as Touka-sama." Shuri shrugged. "As for why not last night? Like I said, I think Kazuto-sama made a spur of the moment decision, since he didn't tell me he would do this last night."
"Master should stop making spur of the moment decisions." Aisha sighed, getting a headache.
"As Guardians, it's our job to entertain those 'spur-of-the-moment' decisions, though." Sei laughed. "That's why you went along with it, right, Shuri?"
"I'm the Mist Guardian." Shuri nodded. "Although I do plan on sharing the position with Hinari eventually, my job is to work with deception. And it's not like I went along with it without questioning Kazuto-sama either."
"But you didn't try to stop him…" Aisha sighed.
"… I didn't." Shuri admitted. "It was sound when I first heard it from Kazuto-sama. But that could just be because I was rather tired at the time." She did only have a couple of hours of sleep.
"So how did you last that long with the illusion of Ryofu's weapon?" Sei asked. "You were practically dead exhausted with the first one."
"Kazuto-sama never returned the halberd." Shuri winced. "Kazuto-sama took an image of the halberd using his… sumahon and left it with me. All I needed to do is open it and I could see the image I needed. He then put up a regular halberd in the storage. The proportions might've been a bit wrong since I was more focused on putting the colors on the halberd. Most no one really came to see it. But enough came to at least corroborate the story that the halberd was there, including a few generals from the other camps. We did have to deny the entrance of Chouryou Bun'en, but she accepted that easily."
"Chouryou… wait, why would Chouryou Bun'en be here requesting entrance? Shouldn't she be captured like the rest of her army?" Aisha exclaimed.
"She defected to the Sousou Army." Shuri replied. "I used the excuse that she's still too suspicious to be allowed anywhere near Ryofu's weapons or the prisoners."
"So it's true to say that, the halberd never left the room when you were there. It's just that it never came in in the first place." Sei laughed.
"Mmhmm. If Ryofu had refused to serve under Master and Touka-sama and Toutaku appeared to be truly a despot then Kazuto-sama would probably just have snuck the weapon back into the weapon storage."
"Well, thanks for telling us." Sei shrugged. "I'll keep an eye out."
Aisha looked at Shuri once more, "Wait. You said master gave Ryofu the purple ring, correct?"
"It's not part of the set meant for Guardians, which Touka-sama holds, which our rings are part of." Shuri replied. "It's from the spares that Kazuto-sama keeps."
"Regardless of that, does that mean Kazuto-sama is considering Ryofu as our Cloud Guardian?" Aisha asked.
"Possibly." Sei nodded. "He could've used any other identification tool. Even the flag would've been enough. Giving Ryofu the purple ring is certainly a sign that he trusts her enough."
"Neither the ring, nor the flag, was there when Kazuto-sama investigated Ryofu's cell, so Ryofu must've taken it with her."
"Here's a question." Sei hummed. "What would've happened if Ryofu did not take the ring or the flag?"
"Kazuto-sama did check after Ryofu's breakout. He went in, didn't see the flag and ring, and left."
"Without alerting the guards?"
"He can fly." Shuri pointed out.
"… Fair point. And I'm still wrapping my head around that." Sei chuckled. "Is that all that you two were hiding?"
"Yes." Shuri nodded. "Thanks for listening to me to the end."
"You are the strategist." Aisha sighed, "Also thanks for letting us know."
"Then let's take over the preparations. Rinrin might be a great soldier, but I doubt she'll be able to keep everything in order." Sei chuckled.
""Right.""
The three Guardian Candidates stood up with a nod and began their own preparations.
By mid-morning the same day, the entire coalition was on the move.
-()-
The trip was uneventful; no sudden ambushes, no surprise attacks, nothing. As though there was no army left for the Coalition to fight. A lot of people got a bit agitated by this, but they carried on. The trip to Rakuyou is only a couple of days away from the gate. There should be no reason for there to not be a fight, but there isn't one.
This only leads credence to Kazuto's assumption that Toutaku is as Ryofu believes, innocent of whatever nonsense is going on right now. However, the coalition needs to keep pressing forward, and they didn't have time to hold a meeting now, since everyone is in a hurry.
"Kazuto-sama."
"Ah, Aisha? Is something the matter?" Kazuto asked as he set up his tent for the night.
"I want to discuss the situation with… Ryofu."
"Not here. Not where anyone can overhear us."
"I merely want to know why you decided to tell Sei and me about it."
"Hmm?"
"Shuri assumed that it's because of a spur of the moment decision."
"That's fair." Kazuto winced. "And yes, it was spur of the moment, but that doesn't mean I didn't think about it." Kazuto's eyes darted about. "I just wanted to keep to the promise I made back with Chiihou, that I will not keep anyone in the dark about my decisions… although since Touka and Rinrin are still in the dark, I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite now, huh…" Kazuto laughed hollowly.
"I'm sure they'll understand." Aisha told him, "They aren't the type to hold grudges either way."
"Sure, but they'll hold them long enough for them to empty my wallet next time we go out." Kazuto chuckled.
"Kazuto-sama, surely you do not think that what they want is you to treat them, right?" Aisha asked, a bit amused.
"… I know that what they want the most is my company, but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm paying for it."
"Mmhmm…" Aisha nodded. "Kazuto-sama, just do what you feel is right."
"Eh?"
"Even if your actions make you seem like a hypocrite later on, just do what you feel is right. If keeping Touka-sama and Rinrin in the dark is what you believe is the right decision, I'm sure that they'd accept it."
"But it still isn't right," Kazuto replied. "Touka is my equal."
"I don't think you need to worry about the fact that you're the only one between you two that has their own plans. Certainly, this situation is much more serious than Touka-sama's plan, but…"
"Plan?"
"Ah, I spoke too much." Aisha chuckled. "Just know that Touka-sama does have secrets that she's keeping from you too."
"… That's fair, I suppose." Kazuto nodded, wanting to insist on knowing, but he felt like he'll regret asking right now. "It still won't change the fact I'm hiding things from her."
"It won't, but it's better that way."
"And what about you, how do you feel about this?"
"I will follow your decision, but I reserve the right to judge her when the time comes." Aisha promptly replied. "If she turns out to be what we believe her to be, then my judgment will be swift."
"I think if she did turn out to be what we believe her to be, then she wouldn't even appear in front of us." Kazuto replied in amusement.
"I suppose that's true." Aisha nodded; a bit embarrassed by the correction. "Regardless, we should be arriving at the capital tomorrow. Please rest well, Kazuto-sama."
"Got it, thanks, Aisha."
Aisha gave him a smile, to show that she still trusts him. If she, of all people in the group, still trusts him, then his path couldn't be wrong. That is what Kazuto believed.
He just hopes he never pushes them too far.
-()-
"The capital's too quiet," Kazuto muttered.
"It's worrisome, indeed." Aisha nodded.
"Why?" Touka asked, confused.
"Where are the archers at the balconies? Where are the soldiers? The gate is closed, but there's been no sign of the enemy in the slightest." Shuri muttered. "It's all far too suspicious…"
"So, shall we send someone in to open the gates?" Kazuto asked. "We can't really just stick around here, after all. Nothing will change if we stick around here."
"Yeah, I see that." Bachou nodded, sitting upon her horse. "But who would go?"
"Rinrin is the obvious option, I suppose," Aisha replied.
"She is?" Kazuto asked, surprised by Aisha's suggestion. This is mirrored by most everyone there, with even Chouun raising an eyebrow at it.
"What's that supposed to mean, oniichan!?" Rinrin cried out.
"No offense meant, Chouhi," Son Chuubou said apologetically, "but I believe everyone is surprised considering that you've consistently been the loudest person in camp." Rinrin pouted at her but kept her tongue.
"Yep," Bachou nodded, "A bundle of energy. I'm honestly surprised you aren't tired after all this time."
"She is our Sun Guardian after all." Touka laughed.
"That doesn't mean anything to anyone outside your group, Ryuubi-san…" Son Chuubou winced. "If you want someone who could potentially sneak around, I could offer Kannei's services, if you'd like?"
"I have a feeling it's my head that's going to be gone first, if I send your bodyguard away from you, Chuubou-san." Kazuto warily said.
"My job is to protect milady. If we're still with Son Bundai-sama, certainly I'd go, but…" Kannei warily looked at Kazuto in turn. Kazuto raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Hey, I said I agreed with you." Kazuto chuckled, "And anyway, it's better if it's from the commander camp who does things."
"I'm pretty sure we are positioned at the back for the sole purpose of not standing out any more than you already have." Bachou pointed out.
"Well, they can send their own forces if they want. More people entering, the more we can at least mess with any form of security they have." Kazuto shrugged.
"I'll relay those words to everyone then." Shuri nodded, and she left to speak with a messenger.
"So why Rinrin?" Touka asked Aisha.
"Simply put, Rinrin's small and capable of sneaking into most places."
"Aneja is mean!"
"She's also strong enough that most enemies wouldn't be a threat… except maybe Ryofu." Aisha winced.
"If I find her, I'll send a signal, like fwoom!" Rinrin swung her spear up.
"… How's that a signal?" Bachou asked, jokingly.
"Sun Flame huh? I suppose that's good enough… Just don't face her alone." Kazuto told her.
"… Heaven's Flames again, huh? Your group is starting to use that more and more." Son Chuubou frowned. "Would it be possible for me to learn as well?"
"Since people already know we can do stuff like this, we might as well make use of it." Kazuto shrugged, while privately thinking to make sure Shuri doesn't use her flames as much in front of others.
"That's nice… I'd love to learn too…" Bachou thought. "But I suppose you'll only teach people in your group, huh?"
"Close friends," Kazuto confirmed. There's also the fact that they only have 14 rings as well as Chiihou's mic, all designed specifically to work with Dying Will Flames. But he won't reveal that part right now. Then again… "So if Bachou-san ever decides to join up with us, we'll be happy to teach you." After all, Bachou, or Ma Chao, historically did join up with Liu Bei.
"Eh!? Thanks but I'm not leaving Seiryou, no matter how fun you guys are." Bachou tried to recover from the sudden proposition.
"I said 'if' right?" Kazuto replied. "But if Aisha believes Rinrin is the best suited in our camp to go, then… I'll trust her judgment."
"I'm still worried… shouldn't we send someone else with her?" Touka frowned. "In case she does encounter Ryofu?"
"I suppose I can't really argue against that…" Aisha winced.
"… Sei?" Kazuto asked. "Can you do it?"
"I suppose I don't mind." Sei easily replied. "So, what would we do if we encounter Ryofu?" The implied question is clear: 'If Ryofu is still in the capital, what do we do?'
"Shuri already told you, didn't she?" Kazuto replied dryly. "If necessary, overrule Rinrin's judgment, but unless you do encounter Ryofu, Rinrin's leader." Essentially, if you encounter Ryofu, carrying the Ryuu flag and the purple ring, just do negotiations. But if it never happens, just follow Rinrin's orders.
"Oniichan doesn't trust Rinrin enough." Rinrin pouted, "Rinrin won't have a rematch if you don't want it."
"Oh, and feel free to drag Rinrin out of the way to, ah, inform her of why." Kazuto shrugged. Tell her of the deal with Ryofu, he implied.
"Boo!" Rinrin frowned.
"Hey, you're the leader of the infiltration team in the first place." Kazuto pointed out. "Just do as you please."
"I think I'll leave scolding her to you and Shuri if it comes to it." Sei laughed. Don't push your responsibilities off to me, she implied.
"Fine," Kazuto grunted. "Just… begin preparations. Ask Shuri how many soldiers to take with you."
"So we'll just wait out here?" Touka frowned.
"At least until someone opens the gate." Kazuto shrugged. "And as agreed, the other armies can lead the occupation of the capital."
"I'm sure neesama will be happy… although do you believe there will be a battle?" Son Chuubou asked, worried.
"I don't know the answer to that." Kazuto sighed, "If everything makes sense in this world, then yes, there should be. But the entire approach to the capital was strangely empty."
"… Yeah… everything feels wrong." Bachou nodded.
"Well, we got a workable plan. Whoever's army opens the gates first gets first dibs on entering the place. If Rinrin wins, then Kanhyoku's army gets to go in." Kazuto jokingly said.
"Ah, thank you." Kanhyoku nodded. Choukou nodded silently, also grateful for the chance.
"Rinrin won't lose!" Rinrin nodded.
"Did you have to say that after sending the messenger?" Son Chuubou frowned.
"Of course, otherwise the people sneaking in would be too distracted to properly investigate. Best send the message when everyone has their horse in the race."
"…" Touka and Son Chuubou's eyes looked at him accusingly.
"Fine, it was just a whim," Kazuto admitted. "No real meaning to it."
"It's fine, I managed to squeeze in the message while I was talking to the messenger," Shuri said, with a frown. "You really should curb your whims a bit."
"I'm trying." Kazuto sighed, "A-Anyway, Rinrin, don't focus on the gates. Focus on figuring out the situation inside." Kazuto told the girl.
"Do your best, Rinrin!" Touka nodded.
"Mou, you two are giving Rinrin mixed signals here! Which is it!? Do my best, or investigate?"
""Both!"" The leaders of the army cheerfully replied.
"Got it!" Rinrin replied, as if that's all she needed from them, as she began preparations, "Chouhi Squad, with Rinrin!"
"Babysitter Chouun, on standby~" Chouun followed her.
"Nyaaa! Since when did I need a babysitter!?"
Sonken Chuubou, Kanhyoku Bunsetsu, and Bachou Mouki looked at each other and smiled.
"This is a fun group, aren't they?" Bachou smiled.
"A bit too carefree in stressful situations, but I think that's their strength as well," Sonken admitted. "None of their soldiers seem to doubt their decisions."
"Ryuubi-san and Hongou-san are amazing." Kanhyoku nodded. "And everyone around them is amazing… This group won't lose to a normal army, if we only look at their officers…" The army size is still a bit small, and their soldiers are not that strong or impressive either.
"Yeah, Shokatsuryou as Strategist, Kan'u, Chouhi, and Chou'un as Generals, and two leaders who get along really well, which means they pretty much halve each other's workload." Sonken nodded, "They really are an impressive group."
"Well, they still goofed up with Ryofu." Bachou chuckled. "Anyway, I suppose we're waiting for a while."
-()-
An hour or so has gone by. Rinrin had already left with Sei at her side. The other armies were also informed of the race part of the agreement, and they all got annoyed but agreed to it.
"So, how's Hanhou?" Bachou asked.
"She's fine," Kanhyoku admitted. "She's still getting used to being unable to eat on her own, but she's been fine so far."
"That's good. To a warrior, losing her arms is a heavy loss." Bachou grimaced, "I wouldn't know what I'd do if I lost even just one arm."
"Yes. Hongou-san did say that it'll be difficult, but as long as she doesn't force her arms, she'll be fine in a few months or so…"
"Hongou-did give me a lot of information on how to help her arm heal." Choukou nodded. "Hanhou's also been cooperating with us just fine, so I think we're good…"
"Hey, Hongou!"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you know so much about healing broken arms again?" Bachou asked.
"Is this about Hanhou?" After receiving nods, "Broke my arm once." Kazuto shrugged. "Fortunately, I had a Sun Flame user at my side, so it healed up quickly, but that still needed constant attention. I wasn't allowed to swing a sword for a good chunk of time after that, and my arm didn't feel as if it was listening to me a lot of the time. It's fine now, as you can see." Kazuto shrugged, shaking his left arm.
"Wouldn't that work for Hanhou?" Sonken frowned. "Wasn't Chouhi a Sun Flame user?"
Kazuto was surprised that she remembered that little detail, "She could… I'll have to run it by her." Kazuto shrugged. "But remember that Chouhi is an amateur. She literally just learned how to use Sun Flames in that capacity the other day. At most, she could just speed up the recovery process. It won't be some instant quick-fix."
"I suppose that's fair." Choukou nodded.
"I'll be more than grateful if you do so." Kanhyoku bowed to Kazuto.
"Run it by Hanhou first, before promising her to be used for training." Kazuto sighed.
"I'll do so immediately!" Kanhyoku nodded, as she sped off.
"Oh dear…" Choukou sighed, "Please wait, milady!"
"Hoy, Choukou, you still need to stay here to keep your soldiers in line," Aisha called, causing the armored girl to stop, grumbling a bit.
"You alright, Choukou?" Aisha asked.
"… Don't get me wrong, I like how milady is caring, but I wish she would remember that she has more soldiers than just us two." Choukou sighed. She shifted her head a bit and turning to Kazuto. "Never mind." She smiled, "I'll do my job."
Kazuto frowned. "Are you… worried about Kanhyoku?"
A strained smile appears on her face, "It's fine, it's fine. Anyway, shouldn't we be looking out for signals?"
"Yeah, I suppose so…" Kazuto asked, unsure.
Shuri ran over, "Kazuto-sama, the gates are opening! And it's Rinrin waving the flag!"
"Looks like that's my cue!" Choukou rushed off, grabbing her claws on the way to begin securing them on her arms.
"… What was that?" Touka asked.
"I don't know… Hopefully, nothing to worry about." Kazuto grumbled as he dredged all that he knew on Choukou's origins. Zhang He Junyi… eventually becomes an elite general of Gi. And that's it. "Tell the men to prepare. As soon as the other armies are through, we'll enter as well to help occupation."
"What should we focus on?" Aisha asked.
"Any place the others have not taken, I guess" Kazuto sighed, distracted. "Shuri, please tell me I'm not the only one worried."
"What… what do you mean?" Shuri asked, confused.
"Why did the gate open that fast? We just sent Rinrin in. No matter how sneaky or fast Rinrin went, it should still have taken a lot more time."
Son Chuubou and Bachou looked at him in worry.
"Yeah, it is too fast… like this entire campaign, if I have to be honest." Bachou admitted. "But isn't that because of you?"
"I'm not a miracle worker, Bachou. I'm just some guy that people call the 'Heavenly Messenger'…"
"Is it that bothersome?" Son Chuubou asked. "That everything is moving smoothly?"
"… no, you're right. I guess I'm just overthinking things." Kazuto sighed. "But… this could be a trap."
"Even if it was, I can see the other armies clamoring for entry. The city will be occupied quickly soon enough." Son Chuubou sighed. "Hopefully, neesama has had the same insight."
"Nope. I spy Sonsaku's flag making their way in right now." Chouun replied, causing Son Chuubou to place her hand on her face.
"I don't know… I'm not hearing sounds of fighting though." Bachou said, straining her ears. "If it was a trap, they would've sprung it soon, I think."
"This is a rather considerable distance though? Do you really think you'd hear anything?"
Bachou scoffed, "Yeah well, should we go soon?"
"Sure, I suppose." Kazuto nodded, "That should be enough of a head start for everyone."
"I'm back, and I brought Hanhou! Is Chouhi-san back yet?" Kanhyoku asked, excitedly.
"She should be here soon, I guess." Aisha nodded, to a dust cloud formed by a single person running at full speed.
"Oniichan! Rinrin did it! I got to the gates faster than anyone else!"
"Good job, Rinrin, Sei." Kazuto nodded at the blue-haired woman who merely smirked back, as he rubbed the head of the younger girl, "But what happened? That was a bit fast, wasn't it?"
"Eh? I just went in and got to the gate. There weren't any guards or anything, so I had the soldiers open it and we got through. That Choukou was really excited about it. She was inside really fast."
"Really?" Kanhyoku smiled, "She always did want to prove herself."
"Yeah, although I guess in our army, she doesn't have a lot of competition." Hanhou frowned, wincing as she just tried to move her arms.
"Don't move your arms too much." Kazuto sighed. "Also, you did agree to this right? Being a test subject for this?"
"I want to be able to swing my sword as soon as I can, yes. I can't just be lying down all the time; I need to move!" Hanhou exclaimed.
"What's going on, nanoda?" Rinrin asked.
"You're going to try out your flames on Hanhou's arms." Kazuto chuckled.
"Oh right! Rinrin can heal her arms!" Rinrin cheered, as she drew out her spear. "What should I do?"
"Well, first, just in case, Hanhou, you aren't feeling anything too bad in your arms, right?"
"Only when I move them." Hanhou nodded.
"Can you move your fingers?"
"A bit."
"All of them?"
"Yes." As if to demonstrate that, she curled some of the fingers that Kazuto can see from her two slings. They moved fine.
"Well it's been nearly two weeks, so if no problems have surfaced, then that means it should be fine." Kazuto sighed, "But I'm not a doctor, and if this heals wrong, I can't help you make it right…"
"Would I be able to swing my sword?"
The hopeful look on her face made Kazuto wince. He's not a doctor, and he had no plans on it. "We'll see. Just believe that you'll heal, and it should be fine." For now, placate her, make her believe that it will work. Kind of like a placebo effect. If she believes it will work, then there's a good chance that her body will respond to her belief and heal right. "Rinrin, light your spear."
"Okay." Rinrin nodded, and brilliant yellow flame burst from the pike's tip.
"Hold the spear horizontally, a bit below Hanhou's arms," Kazuto instructed. "Focus on thinking of speeding up the healing of her arms, and nothing else."
"Okay! So should I move it?" Rinrin asked.
"Better let Hanhou handle this part." Kazuto smiled. "Now Hanhou. Try to move one of your arms through the flame, slowly. Quickly remove it if you feel like you're being burned."
Hanhou nodded, numbly angling her body to move her right arm, her preferred arm over the spear's flame. Slowly she swung her right arm through.
"Feel any different?" Kazuto asked.
"I guess so…" Hanhou nodded. "I think the pain's a lot less than before." That could just be the placebo effect talking, but it's a good start.
"Slow down. You might ruin your arms more if you move your arms too quickly." Kazuto cautioned her. He doesn't tell her that he's pretty much bullshitting his way through this proceeding. "If anything, stop moving them altogether. Kanhyoku, can you help guide Rinrin's spear?"
"Ah, of course." Kanhyoku nodded, as she walked over and carefully moved the spear to burn the arms evenly.
After a few minutes, "… I think that's enough for now." Kazuto said, feeling a bit tired of just staring at yellow flames the entire time. "Besides we need to catch up with the other armies."
"I feel so close though…" Hanhou frowned, as she moved her arm a bit. "I can actually move it a bit."
"Let's go." Kanhyoku smiled, "It'll be fine, Hanhou. You'll be swinging your sword soon enough!"
Kazuto nodded, and the group started making their way forward… Kazuto's eyes widened.
No one has noticed it. No one has so much as heard it. Everyone was cheerful, happy. They were cheering on Hanhou's potential quick recovery, and it was indeed a happy moment. But Kazuto's intuition blazed through him. He didn't need to look around for the source. Or rather, he does not have the time for it. To Kazuto, the world feels as if it slowed down. What's going on? Is something wrong?
"Doppia Gravità." Double Gravity, in Italian. Kazuto's mind translated immediately.
And that's when a wave of something hit the group, and they all were forced onto the ground.
Above them, a girl floated, pointing a sword with seven gems decorating its blade. White monk-like clothes covered her body. Her hair reached just down to just below her shoulders.
"Hongou Kazuto." She declared. "Die."
On her forehead, a reddish-brown flame blazed, scattering in three directions, her red eyes slanted in deep focus. Hyper Dying Will Mode.
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Chapter End
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Chapter Release Date: January 3, 2020
Last Edited: August 25, 2020
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Beta Reader: Seraphius
Happy New Year, everyone~ Happy New Decade too, I suppose. And the Toutaku Arc is still going! You know, I had no plans on making the Kanhyoku trio even so much as be elevated to side characters. But now that Kazuto and Touka have interacted with them so much, they kind of have to. I don't have a strong image of what Hanhou looks like right now, though… Eh, there's a reason why I didn't take up creative writing as my college degree. Other than the fact that I don't think writing is something I want to pursue as a career.