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.
-()-
Threat of Revenge, Offer of Protection
-()-
"Revenge. A word that so many of this era tout as beautiful. Then again, most of them are lazy bastards who stare at a screen all day, griping about how unfair the world is." Reborn prefaced the lesson. "But if you intend on being Tsuna's successor, Kazuto, you should be careful not to let vengeance blind you from your goal."
"Eh?"
"Tsuna's intention is to bring the Vongola away from its bloody history. However, a single act of disproportionate revenge will ruin that in an instant."
"I don't… get it?"
"In the end, revenge is a slippery slope. You have to be careful not to go down the spiral of violence. A single moment of you losing sight of yourself to try and get back at another, and you'll lose everything that you've been working towards."
"…"
"Because you're goal is to be the bridge between Tsuna and the future. No matter how much ground Tsuna breaks, no matter how many foundations Tsuna leaves behind, if the one after him simply undoes all his work, then all of it will be for naught."
"… Okay?"
"So don't fall into the cycle of revenge. If your goal truly is to follow Tsuna's legacy, then you have to be above revenge. Above harming someone just because they once harmed you."
Kazuto mutely nodded.
"However, that does not give your enemies the right to hurt you. You must deter them. Certainly, doing things for the sake of revenge would undermine everything you've been doing. But if you just let things slide, then you'll go the complete opposite path. Instead of a tyrannical ruler, you'll be a sandbag that they can just toss around."
"…"
Reborn looked at him sternly, "That." He shot a single bullet. "Is." Another. "Not." And another. "Allowed." He holstered his gun once more, as the shooting target in the distance has a single shot through the head, and two in the chest. "If you wish to bring Vongola to what Tsuna envisions it to become, then you must remain a strong opponent that no one can underestimate. So, you need to learn how to retaliate. Not take revenge, but show the enemy that their actions have clear and precise consequences. Ones that they can't afford to handle."
"And how do I do that?"
"That's your job, Bakazuto. As the future Vongola Head, you have to show the world how you deal with your enemies. Tsuna's usual solution is to send Hibari or Xanxus to deal with the problem. However, that only works because Tsuna has gathered friends whose strength is undeniable. And it's practically an open secret that Tsuna has, ever since his twenties, always consistently beaten the two of them, making him appear to anyone even remotely paying attention that Tsuna is just as perfectly strong enough to deal with them. As for you. You will not have Hibari and Xanxus walking forward. So you have to adapt to a strategy that will work for you."
"I see. So…" Kazuto sighed, "Does this spiel on revenge have anything to do with us being on a shooting range? Are you trying to make sure that I DON'T swear bloody revenge on you for whatever you're planning to do."
"Oh please. There's nothing for me to be worried about." Reborn pulled out a bunch of dynamite. "You'll never be strong enough to get revenge on me in your lifetime."
"DAMN YOU, REBORN!"
Kazuto knew in his heart that he'll never be able to successfully get back at Reborn for all the trauma he has received as a child. But he could at least dream it, as Reborn tossed out history questions, and dynamite for every wrong answer.
-()-
To declare war at the onset of the cold winter months is something rather… hard to make sense of. You're just expending resources you should be spending saved up for winter. How much food does a marching army take away from the citizens? How many soldiers can potentially die at the onset of the cold nights? Not only that, but the Anti-Toutaku Coalition was still relatively recent. Her soldiers should be still in bad shape. No, it's not just that the Anti-Toutaku Coalition that's recent. So is the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
According to the reports, Sousou's father, Sousuu Kyokou (Cao Song - Jugao), was killed in transit through Joshuu territory. Apparently, Yellow Turban Bandits, claiming to be reformed, had become servants for one of Touken's estates. However, when they learned whose father he had been, they killed him, to take vengeance for the deaths of Choukaku and Chouryou.
Touken immediately had the servants executed for their disgrace, but the damage was done. Sousou, in anger, called for Touken's head as payment for the death of her father. Naturally, Touken and his officials rejected it. And so, the declaration of war was made.
"It's a slightly different story than history's." Reborn idly said, "But the truth remains the same. Sousou's father was killed going through Touken's territory, and Sousou holds Touken to blame."
"Are we going to help him?" Touka asked.
"Why?" Ei asked. "There's really no reason for us to go to Touken's aid."
"Hmm?" Kazuto hummed, gesturing towards Ei to try and get her to continue.
"Think about it?" Ei sighed, "Sousou's goal is justified. Her father's death is not one so easily swallowed because of circumstances. If not out of revenge, then out of filial piety, Sousou is certainly justified."
"Touken-dono went about it wrong too." Sei nodded, "He shouldn't have executed the killers so quickly. He should have sent them to Sousou so that she can personally execute them herself."
"I don't know about that…" Kazuto frowned. "Anger is a scary motivator. You can do scary things without thinking about them. Regardless, stepping into this can only be considered a troublesome path."
"… Why was Sousou-san's father traveling through Joshuu in the first place?" Touka asked.
"Retirement." Josho replied.
"… Well, that's a death [flag] if I ever heard of one." Kazuto hollowly said.
"… Fu-ra-gu?" Touka asked.
Reborn smacked Kazuto with a hammer. "Ignore him."
"So do we have a single reason to aid Touken?" Ei asked.
"He helped us during the Anti-Toutaku Coalition." Kazuto replied rubbing his head. "He was one of our supporters from the moment we were put into the commander position. Him, Kousonsan, Kanhyoku, and Batou."
"That's… a difficult problem then." Ei grumbled. "If we owe him for his support, then I suppose we don't have much of a choice." To be perfectly honest, this is a rather weak reason. They were in the commander position; it's sort of expected for people to support them. Not to mention, while Touken's support was there, it wasn't significant enough; they were still rather easily pushed into whatever role the majority of the lords there wanted them to be. They owe very little to Touken.
However, this reason is enough for Touka to latch onto, as she nodded quickly, "His support was very much appreciated." Touka smiled gratefully towards Kazuto. "He and Batou-san basically bridged us with the more seasoned lords."
"Not to mention them lending us their troops whenever we needed them." Kazuto smiled back.
"There's… another reason why we can't let Sousou succeed." Shuri hesitantly brought up a point.
"What is it?" Kazuto asked.
"If we allow Joshuu to fall… we'll be entrapped up here in the north of the empire, cut off from our… only ally, Sonsaku. We'll have no way out except by sea." Needless to say, but none of them are skilled seamen; they can't commandeer a boat. "We can head further north but there are no villages there to set up base."
Kazuto nodded. "So in the end, we can't abandon Touken." Kazuto frowned. "But at the same time, we can't just leave our territory be for a long time. We're at the point of the year where we have to hoard our supplies selfishly if we want to survive the upcoming season. Which means, if we help, we'll need to repel Sousou's forces in as little time as possible."
"Mmhmm…" Shuri nodded.
"So what's the plan?" Aisha asked.
"We split up." Kazuto nodded. "We'll have a group remain here to continue managing the territory, and we'll bring our most loyal soldiers to Touken's aid. We'll leave the security of the territory to our garrisons and Pairen."
"Pairen-chan will definitely be willing to do it, I think…" Touka nodded, "But who will stay behind?" Touka asked.
"Is it possible for one of us to remain behind?" Kazuto frowned, looking at Touka.
"No." Reborn smacked him again. "Your army is not large enough to split off to protect two equally important people. Neither of you is expendable enough to risk sending either of you out underdefended. Neither of you will ever be expendable enough to risk that." The others nodded solemnly at that last sentence.
Touka nodded, "I'm not leaving your side, Kazuto-kun."
"I thought the point of us having two lords is that we can split off like this?" Kazuto complained.
"The point of there being two lords is to have two heads working on the same problem, Bakazuto. It's either both of you or neither of you. Choose one." Reborn scoffed. "Besides, no one would deny that Kousonsan will willingly take this territory under her aegis while you are off to war."
"… Fine." Kazuto acquiesced, although he feels as though they missed an opportunity. "So what's our plan? How much help are we sending to Touken?"
Shuri murmured, "If we're sending both Touka-sama and Kazuto-sama, we'll need to bring as many loyal troops as possible…"
"Since it was Touken who asked for aid…" Kazuto turned to Josho, "Is he going to be willing to give us supplies if we help? Like it or not, we don't have a lot to spare. And I don't want to bring out supplies that our territory might need."
"We'll have to send a messenger. But I recall that Touken did have a substantial harvest." Josho nodded. "And I doubt Touken actually needs soldiers. While not big, he does have a sizable army that won't lose to Sousou's."
"Then what's the matter?" Aisha asked, "If Touken's actually well-off, why does he need aid?"
"Command, most likely." Josho replied. "Our army's single advantage is the number of talented generals in our employ. And well… if he needed soldiers, he wouldn't have asked us for help."
"That's… true." Kazuto could only wince at that.
"This army still has a long way to go before we can have any form of an advantage when it comes to numbers or quality of soldiers." Ei shrugged.
"Ei-chan, you're being too…" Yue winced.
"I'm just glad that she's using 'we'." Kazuto chuckled. It means Ei considers herself truly part of their group now.
"Shut up, stupid master." Ei sighed, "The only thing redeemable about this army is the officers." She said, reiterating Josho's point.
"With Kan'u, Chouhi, Chouun, and Ryofu," Reborn scoffed, "not to mention three students of Suikyou, if anything, this army is blessed with superior officers that are happy with being underpaid for the quality of their service."
"Underpaid, huh…" Kazuto hollowly laughed. Touka also chuckled weakly, while looking at the others, who merely smiled back.
"We swore our lives to serve next to you two." Aisha spoke for both Rinrin and herself.
"I quit being part of Pairen-dono's group to join up with you two, even though I knew about the pay." Sei lazily smiled.
"Don't mind." Ren shrugged. She's getting paid enough to take care of her pets, after all.
Shuri merely shook her head, "We won't leave just because someone else offers us a higher pay. It's the principle of the matter." Hinari and Josho nodded.
"It's called hedging our bets for the future!" Rairai claimed. "With both Imperial Descendant and Heavenly Messenger here, there's no way this army will lose out in prestige when all is said and done."
"We even have a dragon!" Denden cheered. "It's no kirin or phoenix, but a dragon is still a dragon."
"Speaking of Joshuu, aren't you two from there?" Kazuto asked.
"Yup!" Rairai nodded.
"The two of us came from Joshuu." Denden nodded. "We were actually training to become officials in Touken's court, but then we heard about a Heavenly Messenger and Imperial Descendant making waves up here."
"So we actually managed to snipe two amazing officials from Joshuu's ranks as well, huh…" Kazuto winced slightly.
"I suddenly feel bad for Touken-san." Touka nodded. Rairai and Denden, meanwhile, were preening from the praise.
"Back on the topic of Touken." Reborn interrupted, cutting through the derailment.
Kazuto nodded somberly. "I guess, the only thing we can do right now is to write a letter to Touken. We need to explain to him clearly that the only aid we can really give him are officers and their personal troops. Any more than that and we'll risk dealing with bandits who will come pillage for food for the winter."
"Assuming he accepts," Shuri hummed, "this time, Hinari-chan should go with you." Shuri said. "I'll remain here instead."
"I, is that fine?" Hinari hesitated.
"It's your turn." Shuri smiled. Hinari shallowly nodded, gripping her ring.
"But you've already begun learning to use illusions… while I'm…"
"We don't need illusions yet, Hinari." Kazuto rubbed the girl's head. "What we need is a strategist."
"… But Shuri-chan's more amazing with strategies than me. I specialize more in logistics and stuff… I don't see how useful I could be in this situation."
"Tell you what." Josho interrupted, "Both of you should go. I'll handle things here."
"Are you sure, Genchoku-chan?" Shuri asked, confused.
"It's fine, it's fine." Josho smiled, "Hinari needs her time in the spotlight, and Shuri is a Guardian. You're both needed by Master's side."
"… Alright then." Shuri nodded. "Let's go, Hinari-chan."
"I'll do my best, Shuri-chan!" Hinari bowed.
"Then I'll volunteer as the Guardian that stays behind for now." Sei waved her hand. "The rest should go."
"Is that fine, Sei?" Touka asked, seriously looking at her.
"Aisha and Rinrin need to be by your side at all times. After all, they're your sworn siblings. Ren needs to prove that she's someone that can be trusted, as this will be her first major campaign on our side." Sei waved, "Since my job is the security of the territory, I should be staying behind anyway."
"Pulling you out would confuse our security a bit, I guess." Touka hummed before nodding brightly, "Please work well with Kouhei-san."
Sei waved once more with a nod.
"Kouhei?" Yue asked, confused by the new name.
Kazuto chuckled a bit, "Ah, right. We usually just call him Guard Captain, huh…"
"Oh, him…" Yue nodded, slightly embarrassed.
"Since Ren-sama is going, I'll go with you!" Nenene announced.
"Your literal occupation is Ryofu's strategist." Kazuto pointed out. "You're not getting paid if you're not strategizing for Ren." Nenene proudly puffed up her chest, taking pride in it.
"Can we come too?" Rairai asked. "I want to show off a bit too! And it's Joshuu, so the two of us will definitely be of help here!"
"Considering your jobs as this army's economic advisors, I'm kind of against both of you coming. Maybe one of you…" Rairai and Denden pouted, "Fine." Kazuto relented. "Both of you can come."
""Hooray!""
"Kazuto-sama, you spoil them too much."
Kazuto internally complains about pouts and his weakness to girls being sad or angry.
"What about me?" Paitan asked.
"The answer's obvious, Paitan-sama." Ei pointed out, "You're staying here, and substituting for Touka-sama and Kazuto-sama."
"I'll do my best!"
"Is that fine?" Yue asked.
"While I don't want her leaving the estate, she can, at least, do our jobs just fine, as long as she doesn't push herself too much." Kazuto chuckled. "Yue, Ei, I'll leave it to you to make sure she doesn't go overboard."
"Understood!" Yue nodded.
"We don't really get a choice here, do we?" Ei sighed.
Reborn nodded, "So, if it comes down to it, our delegation will be, Ryuubi Gentoku, Sawada Kazuto, Kan'u Unchou, Chouhi Yokutoku, Shokatsuryou Koumei, Houtou Shigen, Bijiku Shichuu, Bihou Shihou, Ryofu Housen, and Chinkyuu Koudai. Two commanders, three generals, two platoon leaders, and three strategists. Naturally, since Kazuto's going, I'm coming along as well." So, one tutor.
"Which means no study books. At least for us who are remaining here." Paitan sadly nodded.
"Ah… That's a bit unfair." Josho pouted.
"Awawawa… B-but we won't be able to read in peace if we're going to war either!" Hinari pointed out.
"The ones remaining behind, are… Ryuukyou, the servant Yue, Kaku Bunwa, and Chouun Shiryuu. The City Garrison Captain Kouhei, the merchant Chouseihei, the merchandiser Sosou, and idol Chiihou are naturally remaining behind as well." Who wasn't in the room because she was out of town with Sosou, performing for one of the towns nearby. She should be home soon-ish.
"Well, we have our jobs. We should prepare." Kazuto stood up, "Aisha, Rinrin, find our personal platoons and tell them of the possible deployment. We won't mobilize our entire army. But we'll definitely bring the Ryuubi, Hongou, Kan'u, Chouhi, Shokatsuryou, Houtou, and Ryofu Platoons… and the Rairai and Denden Cheer Squads." Kazuto added the last one as the Raiden twins smiled at the mention of their personally named platoons. They're technically really called the Bijiku and Bihou Platoons, but the two of them had insisted on calling it Cheer Squads instead.
Regardless, "That's not a lot of soldiers." Aisha mumbled.
"It isn't…" Kazuto agreed, "But if Josho is right, that won't be a problem for us. We'll simply take command of an existing force."
"Would they listen to us?" Touka asked, worried.
"If they won't then we can just leave." Kazuto shrugged. "We want to help them, but we're not risking our lives for those who refuse to be helped. And, as Ei said, this really isn't our fight. As far as we're concerned, we are paying back a debt to Touken."
"Brutal, but fair." Reborn nodded with a smirk.
"… I don't like it." Touka grimaced. "It's like we're turning our backs on others."
"We have to prioritize the lives of our soldiers, Touka." Kazuto replied, "And if they refuse to cooperate with us, then our only option at that point is to leave. We'll just get in the way, after all."
"So we'll have to write a letter to Touken about the conditions for our help." Shuri pondered.
"First condition will be to be given authority to command his forces, even if limited." Hinari nodded. "Second would be to prepare supplies for our forces. We won't be bringing a lot, but we can't afford to make a supply chain from here to wherever Touken decides to station us at. The supply chain must come from Touken's main city. Third is the right to leave if the soldiers assigned to us refuse to cooperate."
Josho hummed, "The first is to ensure our autonomy. The second is to ensure our ability to work. And the third is to ensure that he gives us soldiers that are willing to serve under us. We probably should mention the Rairai and Denden coming along."
"Add an oath of non-allegiance with Sousou." Reborn added as an aside. "That way he'll be more willing to give us our conditions."
"A promise to not become allies with Sousou for the duration of the war or any future conflicts between Sousou and Touken." Kazuto nodded, "If that's everything, then Touka, write the letter to Touken. Josho, I'll leave it to you to find a messenger you can trust to deliver the message. Paitan, please look over the message… under your official capacity."
Official capacity. Basically a codeword for Paitan's true job as the Emperor. It was something Kazuto had devised to keep Paitan's anonymity for as long as possible. Paitan's eyes narrowed before nodding. "Leave it to me." She smiled brilliantly at him, reminding him that she was definitely Touka's cousin, no matter how distant the two are.
"Shuri, Hinari, Rairai, Denden, coordinate with Aisha and Rinrin about the logistics. Calculate how much rations we would need to bring with us for the trip there as well as the trip home… if we ever have to march all the way back home after arrival." Shouldn't be too big compared to the campaign against Toutaku.
"Should we be wasting time here?" Touka asked. "What if Touken falls before he could respond to us?"
"… Touken shouldn't fall too easily to Sousou." Kazuto pointed out. "As strong as Sousou is, it's nearing winter. Marching an army in the cold? And fighting a war? Touken should be able to repel them for at least long enough to send a messenger to and fro… right?"
"Conventionally, yes." Hinari nodded.
"But what if she does beat Touken before we can come help?"
"Then that's it." Kazuto shrugged. "Nothing we can do about that."
"… I don't like it." Touka grimaced.
"We don't really have to." Kazuto nodded.
-()-
"Koumei-chan, can we talk for a bit?"
"Genchoku-chan? And Hinari-chan?" Shuri asked, as she looked over the letter that Touka and Paitan had written to be sent to Touken. The two other members of the Suikyou Student Trio entered the room, with a small smile "What is it?"
"Hmm… Reborn-sensei gave us a few more books to read, and I thought we should talk about them." Josho smiled, as she placed down a book on the table. "Heaven's tactics are fascinating. If only we had such a reliable way to communicate as well. We might be able to one-up every other army on the continent."
"I'm a bit busy right now, though…" Shuri looked at the letter.
"What did you need to look over?"
"Letters like these are rather difficult. They basically are promises. And if the wording is ever so slightly off, then we could be in deep trouble." Shuri nodded, "At the same time, if we're not being respectful enough, we would look like we're demanding far too much. Making sure that the tone of the letter is respectful, and that the wording cannot be misinterpreted for anything else, that's what I'm told to do…"
"As expected of the Mist Guardian Candidate." Genchoku teased.
"I… tried to make Hinari-chan a Mist Guardian Candidate too…" Shuri murmured, "But Reborn-sensei said that there was no reason for there to be two Guardians of each, even though the last Mist Guardian are two people. So…"
"It's fine, Shuri-chan." Hinari smiled. "I still have a ring, after all, and Reborn-sensei is still helping me with illusions. I don't mind that you're the candidate."
"But…"
"Koumei-chan? We're not weak." Josho smiled. "It's disappointing sure, but all this means is that the two of us will do our best to support you as the Mist Guardian. We'll cover up your flaws so that you can be the best Mist Guardian ever."
"But still…"
"Koumei-chan. If Shigen-chan was the Guardian, how would you feel?"
"I'd be disappointed a bit… but, I think I'll…"
"We feel the same way." Hinari smiled. "That's why… you don't need to keep pushing us to more important roles. We don't need it."
"We indulged you this time, but remember that you're the Mist Guardian for a reason. So you should always selfishly try to be by Master's side." Josho grinned.
"That's a bit too much!" Shuri complained.
"Awawa…"
"And how would you two be able to match up with Touka-sama? You both know that Touka-sama is the leader of this particular race for the Master's heart… when did the two of you end up falling in love with that man anyway?" Josho shook her head.
"SO ABOUT THAT BOOK!?" Shuri loudly protested, grabbing the book from Josho's side and flipping to a random page, speed-reading a bit, before pointing. "Look at this."
"Changing the subject, are we? Let's see what you… oh? Interesting. So you could also do something like that huh… Yeah, that could work as well, huh…"
"Shuri-chan… the letter." Hinari cautiously said, but she too was soon dragged into the conversation, as she picked up a few words that caught her interest as well.
It would only be after Shuri wakes up the following morning does she managed to finish double-checking the letter, which Josho quickly sent out.
-()-
Aisha, Rinrin, Sei, and Ren stood in the training grounds that morning, weapons alight in red, yellow, blue, and violet flame respectively.
Aisha swung her weapon and the training dummy in front of her began disintegrating. The red flame was eating at the dummy, but it wasn't as fast as Kazuto said it could. But Aisha simply shrugged. That's about the speed she expected from it anyway. She turned her attention back to the other three.
Ren was swinging her weapon, the Houtengageki, enlarged to about one and a half its normal size, matching Rinrin's own large weapon. Rinrin merely dodged it and took her own swing with her Viper Spear. Ren grimaced as she blocked the strike. Rinrin's sheer strength is probably the most impressive in the country, and it took all her effort to block it. It wouldn't have been a big problem if Sei wasn't also slowing her down with blue wisps of flame all around her. Nonetheless, the handicap of two vs one is still more than enough, as Ren is still the advantaged one, and she swung her weapon once more to throw the two back.
"As expected of the Flying General." Sei remarked. "Even slowed down, you're still a force to be reckoned with."
"Un." Ren replied, as her weapon shrunk once more into its normal size. "Rinrin, Sei, strong."
"Thanks for the compliments, but it's not that good if you're the one winning." Sei replied.
"Hmm?" Ren tilted her head.
"Ehh, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Sei waved it off. "So how you doing, Rinrin?"
"I'm fine…" Rinrin panted. "My flames tire Rinrin out more than I thought it would."
"Odd, the two of us are fine."
"Because you only used it to scatter flames all over the place!" Rinrin pointed out, "And Ren only needed it to make her weapon bigger! Rinrin used it to make Rinrin faster, and swing my weapon faster, and…"
"Basically, Rinrin was constantly using her flames while you two were only using it when necessary." Aisha interrupted her sworn sister's rant.
"That!" Rinrin nodded.
"Oh, that makes sense. Oh, hey, Aisha. Done demolishing as many training dummies as you can? I see that we'll have to ask for at least fifteen more."
"I still can't seem to control it's spread." Aisha grimaced. "It's either all or nothing." That was her training, making sure her flames don't destroy more than needed.
"How could it be nothing?" Rinrin asked.
"Sometimes, when I swing the weapon, thinking I don't want to destroy the dummy, it doesn't even do anything…" Aisha sighed.
"That attack wouldn't have done nothing if at the right target."
"Reborn-sensei!" Rinrin greeted the adult in a baby's body, as he hopped onto her head.
"Oh, Reborn-sensei." Aisha greeted. Sei waved at the newcomer, while Ren merely nodded in acknowledgment.
"Ciaossu, all of you. Storm flames have the property of Destruction. That means your flames are always destructive." Reborn lectured. "But when diluted, Storm Flames simply can't destroy physical objects. However…"
"It can destroy other things?" Sei nodded.
"Like your opponent's flame." Reborn smirked. "In a sense, Storm Flames are just as effective as Sky Flames when it comes to getting rid of enemy flames."
"I see… I'll keep it in mind." Aisha nodded, remembering the sorcerer. If she can destroy enemy flames, then it should be possible for her to destroy that gravity field as well.
"Good, you're starting to see what I'm trying to get at. However, it's still a bother if you can't direct your flames better." Reborn looked at the field.
"I'm trying." Aisha nodded, looking at the makeshift dice that Reborn had asked her to make days prior. It's meant to randomize which she is trying to destroy. 1 is the head of the dummy, 2 is the chest. 3 is left arm, 4 is right arm. 5 is the lower half of the body, and 6 is the pole holding up the dummy. It's to make her not practice destroying just one part of the body, which is just as bad for her.
"You probably shouldn't use your flames in the upcoming battle, yet. In any case, you're strong enough without it." Reborn shrugged.
"Fair enough." Aisha sighed, a bit disappointed. "Although, are you so certain that we'll be involved in the war between Touken and Sousou?"
"Just a guess." Reborn shrugged. "As for you, Chouhi. You should pace yourself with your flames. It's theoretically a good thing to always be boosted by your flame, but, in practice, you need to last longer against your opponents. You have impressive stamina in the first place. Instead of treating your Sun Flames as a constant boost of your power, in war, you should treat it as a trump card that you can pull off whenever. Besides, there could be side effects of constantly pushing your body to the limits like that."
"Understood." Rinrin murmured, slightly chastised.
"Chouun. You should experiment a bit more with what your flame can do, other than just messing with your opponent's speed." Reborn pointed out. Sei shrugged in response. "Ryofu. I've nothing for you. However, don't be complacent in your strength. You might be the strongest in the continent right now, but others could rise up to meet your strength."
"Who?" Ryofu asked curiously.
"Well, that's something you'll have to find out yourself." Reborn smirked. "Now then, Ciaossu, Shokatsuryou."
"Hawawa!?"
"Good job with the illusion to hide yourself, but there are some issues with the image." Reborn smirked, as Shuri came out of hiding.
"Oh, was this a Guardian meeting of some kind? Didn't think all five of us were here." Sei chuckled.
"… I only just came." Shuri confessed. "I saw you four here so I thought to practice as well…"
"It's not a bad illusion." Reborn shrugged. "You're doing well."
"Th-thank you…" Shuri nodded. "Umm… what was the problem with my illusion, Reborn-sensei?"
"Hmm? Your shadow's still there." Reborn shrugged.
"Ah. Right…" Shuri laughed.
"Also, since the sun still changes positions in the sky, so some of the shadows behind you become inconsistent. Kazuto would've seen through it in a heartbeat." An exaggeration. It would take a full minute for Kazuto to notice something like that, but it gets the point across.
"That's a bit hard…"
"You don't need perfect illusions. Just illusions good enough to fool the enemy. In that regard, you did well."
"Mmhmm…"
"Is Houtou not coming here?"
"She's busy with the logistics, but she has learned to light the ring at least." Shuri honestly replied. "Illusions, however…"
"Is still a bit beyond her. Understandable. If anything, you two are progressing faster than one expects." Reborn nodded before turning to the other four, "Same with all of you. It's almost a shame that I wasn't involved in the selection process like I was for Tsuna."
All five Guardian Candidates nodded to the praise, each with varying levels of pride on their faces.
"It's a shame we still lack a Lightning Guardian, but that's neither here nor there."
"The one who is the best at defense, correct?"
"Indeed, To draw damage to himself and away from the rest of the Famiglia, serving as a lightning rod. The flame with the ability to make things harder, stronger. The only one of the Seven Flames of the Sky that appears not as a flame but as a crackling thunderbolt." Reborn smirked. "Of course, it's not as if our candidates are empty. The Bi Twins are suited enough, even having their names. But the two work best with each other. If anything, I'd prefer the two to work as a duo of Lightning Flame users, but not as the Lightning Guardian."
"Then who do you think would be suited to it?" Aisha asked.
"… Disregarding their current allegiance, Bachou Mouki." Reborn smirked.
"Wh-what!?"
"I said disregarding their current allegiance." Reborn scoffed. "She's a cavalry unit, so she's consistently taking the frontlines in battle. She can draw damage away from Kazuto because of how imposing she appears. And, it's easy to imagine what a horse, empowered with Lightning Flames, could accomplish. She'll be an unstoppable juggernaut. I may have only seen one battle with her in the field but she's certainly a good choice." Reborn laughed. "Although, don't bring it up with Kazuto and Ryuubi. Best let them decide on their own."
"And of the people currently among us?" Aisha asked.
"As I said, the Bi Twins, but they're better suited as economic officials rather than frontline warriors." Reborn shrugged, "And anyway there is no rush when it comes to Guardians. You five are among the best of the era. I don't see anything wrong with leaving the work to you five for the time being." Reborn shrugged.
"Then can you instruct us for a bit longer?" Aisha asked, "There's still some things we'd like to understand about these flames."
"Very well. I am a teacher, after all." Reborn smirked. "And Bakazuto is currently dealing with his own training, so I'm more than available."
"… What's going on with Master?" Aisha dreaded asking, but ask she did.
Reborn nodded to the sky, just outside the training ground, and all five of them turned and saw orange flames burning above, as a pack of birds attack said flames. "Air maneuverability training." The flames suddenly sputter out from view, and the white-uniformed boy started hurtling to the ground, "Huh, he got hit. Again." Reborn sighed. "What am I to do with such a student?" He said, although his tone carried more amusement than disappointment. Regardless…
""Master!"" Aisha and Shuri immediately bolted.
"Niichan!" Rinrin was just ahead of them.
"I guess it's just us two that you're instructing, Reborn-sensei." Sei laughed, before turning to Ren, who has already moved away, either to follow after the other three or a place to sleep. In all honesty, probably the latter. "Guess just me."
"Very well. I've some experience training Rain Flame Users, after all." Reborn smirked, before jumping to the ground, Leon turning into a police baton.
-()-
"I'm fine, Yue. You don't need to take what Aisha told you so seriously. I didn't land on my neck or anything." Kazuto sighed, as the girl wrapped his slight injuries up. "And please stop glaring at me like that, Ei."
"No. Not after you tell me what Yue meant 'again'. Last I checked, Yue has not spent time here wiping you down."
"Try and get it out of Yue. I'm not involved in this."
"You are!"
"Ei-chan, please."
"Yue, don't act uninvolved!"
"Just admit that you refuse to get angry at Yue, and just want to vent at me, which is why you're trying to get the answer out of me specifically." Kazuto laughed.
"I can get angry at Yue just fine!"
"At any rate, it's not good for you to be angry at this point. It's not as if any lines were crossed."
"I'm not dignifying that with a response." Ei sighed. "Yue, are you done? Let's get out of this room already…"
"Ei-chan…"
"I'll be fine to do a bit of paperwork before heading out." Kazuto smiled, "I mean it, this amount of injury really isn't a big deal. It'll heal quickly enough. I doubt I'll even have any by the time Touken's reply comes back."
"Umm… Master?"
"You two really don't need to call me Master in private…"
"Master?" Yue repeated, "Is it really fine for you to plan to leave the work here to us? What if something happens when you're gone? I was still…"
"The Tyrant Toutaku is not here. There's only a Yue that has great knowledge with the management of territory and has assisted Paitan in imperial matters. She has Toutaku's former advisor, Kaku, at her side, yes, but Ei's more loyal to Yue than to Toutaku, anyway. Loyal enough to willingly step down from a position of military advisor to a servant. Although the normal servant uniforms don't really suit you two…" Kazuto hummed. Ah, he'll think of something.
"… As long as it's not revealing." Ei glared at him.
"You two are more 'cute' than 'alluring'." Kazuto waved away her concerns. "Putting you two in skimpy clothing would detract from your charms."
"C-cute!?"
"You didn't deny it!" Ei complained. "And does that mean you're willing to do it for the others?"
"Well, not for the others. Unlike you two, they aren't hiding away from noble society so they can just wear whatever they want. If they ask for my opinion on costume changes, then I'll think of it." Then Kazuto shook his head. "A-anyway! Before we get off track further, Yue, I'm not worried. Besides, if it makes you feel better, Kousonsan will take care of most matters here. We are planning on leaving this territory in her hands for the duration of this… war with Sousou."
"… Would we have to interact with her?"
"No, but I think Paitan will feel better if one of you two are there." Kazuto smiled.
"Kousonsan might remember Yue." Ei cautiously noted.
"If it happens, Paitan can use her authority."
"Would that be alright?" Yue asked, worried.
"As Touka's cousin, I mean." Kazuto laughed. "Touka will tell Pairen that she trusts Paitan and since Paitan trusts you, then Kousonsan will accept that."
"Don't lead us on, dammit!" Ei complained but nodded. "Yes, Paitan-sama's authority should get us through, in that situation. But still, I'll take precautions to not be seen by her."
"Don't make it too obvious unless you want the servant rumor mill to start churning again. It's not that hard for a servant to notice when another servant is trying to get out of duties."
"I know what I'm doing, Stupid Master!" Ei complained.
"Ei-chan."
"Leave it be, Yue. Ei needs to vent, and her venting on me is better than venting in public or on other servants." Kazuto cheerfully smiled, "Besides, it's refreshing to have someone willing to be this cross at me without going into hostile territory like Nenene. Aisha only ever gets mad when I screw up, so it's not really the same. Touka too, now that I think about it, but her 'mad' is more on the 'disappointed' side." Which hurts a lot more in his opinion. Angry Aisha he can handle. Touka giving him that look he can't.
"Are you forgetting the one that made you like this in the first place?" Ei pointed at his injuries, and Kazuto only laughed, as he put a shirt back on.
"Oh no, I consider Reborn hostile territory. No. Reborn's the hostile territory itself. Any time spent with him is a chance for injury. On some level, I think he's a sadist who enjoys causing me misery." Kazuto stood up, "Anyway, back on the topic of Yue. Yes, Yue, I trust both of you to help Paitan out here. The two of you are no longer being blackmailed by Choujou. There's nothing for you to worry about."
"And if Choujou comes back? Last I checked, Choujou was never captured nor killed." Ei asked. Most other warlords wouldn't even know that Choujou is a danger, so they're not going to stop her in their borders.
"Run." Kazuto replied. "Abandon this place and run away. Bring as many people with you and run."
"Where to?" Ei scoffed.
"I'll trust your judgment when it comes to that." Kazuto replied. If they can't go to them, or if going to them is more dangerous, abandon them and head out on their own.
"What about the people?"
"Don't tell Touka, but… if it's too dangerous, leave them. We're dealing with an enemy who can spirit an entire capital's worth of people in a few hours." Kazuto grimaced, "I'm not a hero. The only things I can protect are what's right in front of me. I've no illusion that I can protect an entire city from a dangerous foe like that… That's why…"
"… You need to prioritize." Ei solemnly nodded. "Very well. Even if Yue and Paitan-sama disagree with me, I'll drag them with me out of the city if I have to."
"Master…"
"I'm just one person, Yue. I can't protect everyone. That's why I want you to protect yourself when it comes down to it. If I had the resources, I'd have asked for rings for everyone here, not just the Guardians." But he doesn't. He doesn't know if this world even had the gems and metals needed to create equipment that can channel Dying Will Flames and he certainly doesn't have the money to buy up a bunch of gems from anyone. "A-anyway, can I count on you two? Please support Paitan as much as you can."
"Yes." Yue nodded.
"I'll stay by Yue's side." Ei replied. "Now get going already, don't you have other things to do?"
"Hmm… uhh… there isn't really much paperwork left, none that hasn't already been dealt with or left in more capable hands… I'll stop by Chiihou's place for a while then." Managing Chiihou might be more of a hobby, but it's still a job he needs to take seriously after all.
"Are you bringing Paitan-sama?"
Kazuto pondered, before shaking his head, "… Not today. I think I want to talk to Chiihou myself."
"I see, then take care, Master."
-()-
"Are you mad at me?"
"Hmm?" Chiihou blinked at Kazuto's question. "Why do you ask, Kazuto-niisan?"
"You haven't even met your sisters again and yet we agreed to help in the war against Sousou." Kazuto had after all, explicitly asked Sousou for a single meeting with Chiihou, but forestalled said meeting out of fear. Kazuto still doesn't know if Paitan would willingly go through with the imperial pardon plan, after all… And in the end, would Sousou even acknowledge the pardon? If it causes her to lose valuable people, probably not. And Choukaku and Chouryou are valuable, although Kazuto can't tell why. Sousou has explicitly mentioned execution as an option for someone who underperforms, meaning she has no problem with execution. And the execution of Choukaku and Chouryou is certainly justifiable. Simply put? Since Choukaku and Chouryou are still alive, Sousou must have found a use for them. And she wouldn't let go. She implied as much.
"It's not that big a problem." Chiihou smiled, although it falters slightly. "I… I can wait…"
"But you miss them."
"I do." Chiihou nodded, "… It feels like something's missing whenever I'm not with them…"
"Hmm?"
"… I… I think I'm still scared. Scared of letting myself go. Renhou has always been there to hold me back from doing something reckless, so…"
"Without her, you feel as if you're trapping yourself…"
"… It's stupid, isn't it? I want to do as I used to. Just have fun, and not worry. But every day I'm worrying that someone will slip up and call me the 'General of the Land' again…"
"… I'm sorry. I can't help you." Kazuto shrugged helplessly. There is little he can do to alleviate Chiihou's concerns. His job as her manager really is a little by name alone. He spends quite a bit more time here dealing with local issues than with Chiihou on tour. However… wait… is that… possible? Kazuto thought of a haphazard thought, voicing it out slowly, still unsure. "D… do you want to come with us? To Joshuu?"
"E… eh?" Chiihou balked at the offer, uncertain where it came from, "F-for what? Sousou won't really bring Tenhou-neechan and Renhou with her… And… I'll just get in the way…" Chiihou hummed, "I can't fight after all… I'll probably be more useful here than there."
"I don't think so." Kazuto shook his head, "It's risky, but if you use your magic tool to help us, Sousou might remember the deal and want to approach us for it. We'll have the upper hand in the negotiations if she approaches first."
"…" Chiihou pensively thought of it. "What would I be able to do there?"
"Morale boosting, allowing commands to be heard across the battlefield, the things you've already been good at in the first place."
"The things I did during the… rebellion."
"Well?" Kazuto asked, "It's your call, Chiihou."
Chiihou silently looked out the open-air stage, slowly walking towards the center.
"Sei-san is the only strong fighter you're leaving behind."
"She is."
"… Sei-san won't be able to protect me and Paitan-san at the same time." Even if Chiihou doesn't know Paitan's true job, even she understands that Paitan is someone that they valued and wanted to protect at all costs. While nepotism is certainly something that most would look badly at, it's still such a common thing in this era that no one raised a big stink about Paitan's position in the group. Especially since she does her job well.
"She won't." Kazuto nodded.
"… I'll do it." Chiihou turned back. "I won't stay behind. I can't just wait for Sousou. I need to do something myself!" Chiihou smiled cheekily at Kazuto, "You'll help me, right?"
"Of course." Kazuto laughed, and he can't help but feel as if Chiihou's smile right now, is the most natural smile he's ever seen on her face. A cheeky, confident smile, with a hint of reckless abandon. "I'm your manager, after all."
-()-
A few days later, rather than the reply from Touken, another person arrives, although this one was rather familiar to them.
"So you guys really are planning on helping out there?"
"We're leaving our territory in your hands!" Touka smiled, as she talked from behind the desk. In that office, Kazuto, Paitan, and Shuri are all present, with the rest taking care of business. Hinari is working logistics with the Rai-Den Twins, Josho is gathering as much intel as she can get last minute, and the generals were busily making their own checks with the soldiers. Well, that or sleeping, as is the case for Ren, but Nenene is picking up the slack for her so it's not a big deal. On some level, Ren and Nenene are considered a single unit anyway.
"You're not afraid that I'll take the territory from you?" Pairen asked, sitting in the guest seat.
"No, we trust you." Touka shook her head.
"In my opinion? You probably should." Kazuto pointed out. "If neither of us grows within the next year or so, Enshou will march up and take our lands without resistance."
"And what about your group?" Pairen asked.
"We'll probably just subordinate ourselves to your group." Kazuto shrugged. "It's not that big a deal."
"If it comes to that, I'll accept, I suppose, but you shouldn't so easily say those words. People would get the wrong impression."
"Speaking of deals, you do business with Sousou on occasion, correct?"
"I sold a few platoons worth of horses to her, yes." Pairen nodded.
"How much do you know of Sousou's forces? Or the Sou Clan in general?" Kazuto asked. "If we're going to be fighting them, I'd like to know a bit more about who they are." Reborn has decided not to bring a copy of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, or any reference material about the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms Era for him to cross-reference. This is so that he can avoid getting preconceived notions about the future and other people. That and as training to deal with situations. Kazuto, however, had a feeling that Reborn has actually read as much as possible about the era, but it's likely not going to be completely accurate, all told. In the end, no information is better than misinformation. Regardless, information is still a vital resource, and the Suikyou Trio's network is still a bit on the weak side, having only started relatively recently. So any information would be appreciated.
"The Sou Clan, huh… If we're talking about notoriety, the four most notable members would probably be Sousou herself, Soukou the treasurer, and then there's Soujin and Soujun, who both serve as generals. Admittedly I've only met Soukou, for our transactions. She's really nitpicky when it comes to money. She's fair, but it's a bit difficult to deal with her." There's a story there that Kazuto doesn't really want to unpack.
"And the others?"
"I don't know." Pairen shrugged. "But I know that all four Sou Clan members would be involved here. After all, this is to avenge Sousou's father's death. As for her other staff members, you probably know more about that than I do, seeing as your groups worked together closely for the Kouro Gate battle."
"Kakouton, Kakouen, Kyocho, Ten'i, and Jun'iku." Kazuto rattled off the list of names.
"I won't be surprised if she expanded a bit since then." Pairen nodded, "After all, you… managed to recruit Ryofu after all." Pairen laughed a bit hollowly. "I don't think I got the full story behind that."
"I offered Ryofu a place in my army. She accepted. She then punched a hole in the wall to get her friends from the capital. One of them is Paitan." Kazuto gestured to Paitan.
"Most people wouldn't have let Ryofu roam free."
"You know what happened in the capital by the time we got there." Kazuto pointed out, "We'd have arrived even slower if it wasn't for Ryofu's escape. Who knows what would've happened to Ren's friends."
"I get it, I get it." Pairen shook her head, "You don't need to justify it to me. I trust that you two know what you're doing. Anyway, so you're going to be leaving security detail for this territory to me?"
"Well, we are leaving Sei-chan to handle the security for the most part." Touka nodded, "And Paitan can handle most of the clerical work." With Yue and Ei helping out with other things, but that's not something they should talk about right now.
"Hoy, then why do you need me for?" Pairen asked in a humorous tone, "Seems you two have this covered."
"Well… we're still a bit worried about leaving Paitan-chan alone with just Sei as her protection and…"
Kazuto interrupted, "It's not just that. But Paitan is still relatively new to everything in the area. It would be… reassuring if she has someone she can point her finger to when she requires someone's authority." Without invoking her title as Emperor. "If people know that she's backed up by both Touka and Pairen, I think they would accept that."
"I don't see the problem with just leaving things to Paitan-san. She's Touka's cousin after all."
"Paitan has been sheltered for quite a while and she's also still relatively weak from her illness."
"So you're asking me to take over there, then?"
"Sounds about right." Kazuto nodded.
"How about you?" Pairen turned to Paitan who nodded.
Paitan smiled. "Yes, I'll be grateful for any help you can give me. But don't feel forced to provide aid."
"A pleasure working with you, then." Pairen laughed. "But then again, Touken hasn't accepted your conditions yet, right?" Pairen hummed, "So let's not commit to anything just yet. I'll stick around for a few days, for the reply." Pairen yawned. "It is about time that Touken's reply comes, yes?"
"We expect the messenger in two to three days, maybe as soon as tomorrow, but that's only if he sent out the reply immediately." Kazuto nodded.
"Then, I'll wait it out." Pairen smiled.
"The usual bedroom." Touka nodded.
"I'll accompany her." Shuri nodded.
"I don't really need you to walk me there." Pairen chuckled.
"Ah, there are some things I want to ask you about your transactions with Sousou as well…"
"Hmm, all right, I guess." And soon the two were walking down the corridor. Yue came in as soon as Kousonsan left. Ei followed shortly, closing the door behind them.
"You two don't really need to hide from her, you know?" Kazuto chuckled.
"Idiot Master!" Ei hissed, "I won't risk anything! She's still a former member of the Anti-Yue Alliance!"
"Ei-chan, Pairen is not a bad person, I swear." Touka promised.
"I'm not risking anything." Ei repeated stubbornly, but less hostilely.
"That's enough, Ei." Yue calmed her down. "Paitan-sama, it's time to sleep as well."
"Ah, right." Paitan stood up, in her too-big clothes, and walked on over. "What about you two?" Paitan asked, turning back to Kazuto and Touka.
"We still have a bit of work we need to get out of the way." Kazuto smiled.
"Don't worry about us. We'll sleep soon, we promise." Touka nodded.
"… Don't stay up too late." Paitan nodded. And the three soon left.
"Well, let's finish up here." Kazuto stretched and the two returned to their desks to clear up as much as they can.
-()-
It took longer than either of them expected to finish up. Shuri and Hinari even passed by before going off to bed. Only the light of the fireplace, the candles, and the stars shone in that room. Kazuto breathed a sigh of relief, as he finishes another set of scrolls. That should be the last of them for the rest of the week, aside from some surprises. He set them aside before turning to Touka, who was already nodding off on her desk.
Kazuto chuckled, as he stood up. As he walked over, he pondered how he would wake the poor girl up. Briefly, he looked at a small hole and decided against doing that again. Instead, he tapped the girl on the forehead.
"Good work today."
"Fuee?" Touka blearily said, as she looked up at Kazuto. "Oh, Master… Morning?"
"The sun hasn't even come up yet, sleepyhead. And not for a good few hours at least." Kazuto laughed. "Also, Master? Is that what you call me in your dreams?"
"Ah, sorry…" Touka belatedly said as she looked at the table. "Oh… I fell asleep… even though I was supposed to…"
"It's fine." Kazuto chuckled. "We finished what we needed to. Let's close up shop and head to bed."
"Mmhmm…" Touka nodded, as she moved to seal the ink bottle and store away the brush. "Whose turn was it tonight?"
"Wouldn't you know that better?"
"Ahaha, at this point, the turns thing has been rather loose. I sort of want to say me, but, well…" Touka smiled awkwardly.
"You can go sleep with Pairen if you want to."
"No, no! I just… If it was my turn, I wouldn't want to leave you be, so…"
"I don't really need you to do this anymore." Kazuto sighed, "Well, yesterday it was Shuri and Hinari, so… Chiihou?"
"Ah, I suppose so." Touka nodded, slightly disappointed. "Hmm… Kazuto-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for being by my side."
"What brought that on?"
"You always agree with me and give good reasons to do what we have to. If it was just me, I'll have to convince everyone on just my feelings. But because you're here, you always add logical reasons to do things. Like when we wanted to join the Anti-Toutaku Coalition… If it was just me, I would've tried to convince everyone to just do it. But since you were there, you helped us see the benefits of doing so as well…"
"That would be mostly Shuri and Hinari though?"
"You also try to keep me grounded, to not go off on my ideals. You tell me if something is impossible, and then you try to give me a way to make it possible." Aisha and Rinrin wouldn't have done that. They are both just as idealistic as she is in the first place. If they believe that Touka's path is just, then it matters little the height of the obstacle.
"Well, we can't be there for everyone…"
"Kazuto-kun… here." Touka approached him and gave him a small kiss on the lips, surprising him. "Thank you. For everything. For supporting me all this time. Good night."
"I… uh… what?"
"Just so you know, if you ever want to love the others as well, you have my permission." Touka smiled. "That's why… don't consider my feelings when they come to you. Just yours and theirs." And with that, Touka hurriedly left the room, leaving the stunned Kazuto behind.
"I just… what just happened?" Kazuto said, confused.
-()-
Chapter End
-()-
Chapter Release Date: August 28, 2020
-()-
Beta Reader: Seraphius
Hello everyone! I'm… back? Sheesh, has it been over half a year. And in that half a year, the world seems to have gone crazy… or maybe that's just YouTube being a prick and sending me all these videos of bad things happening. As for me, I spent my time writing this arc! Granted, I encountered a lot of writer's blocks on the way here, but I made it!
For those who don't know, I have a new self-imposed policy of writing entire arcs, rather than chapters before posting it. And when I'm done, I post the chapters once a week, on Friday evening where I live, even if I do have the entire arc written. This way I can take feedback from the reviews of the previous chapter to fix any issues I find with the direction that the arc went to. Also, it's easier to proofread one chapter at a time before posting it.
So what did I accomplish from my checklist from last chapter?
1.) Obviously this Arc is all done. I won't mention how many chapters I've done, but it's not comparable to the colossal doorstopper that is the Anti-Toutaku Alliance Arc. We will not even reach Halloween unless I miss a few Fridays.
2.) If you're seeing this chapter, I likely also have updated things from the previous chapters, if only for consistency's sake. Batou Juusei is now a woman. I'm also removing various ending notes that felt a bit pointless to me.
3.) I did it, I translated EVERY Kakumei Profile. It was a long harrowing trip, but I now have a collection of Text Documents that have summaries for each and every Kakumei Character sitting in Google Drive.
4.) I did it, I translated every profile of the new characters added in Eiyuutan. They're now sitting nice and neat in my hard drive! Now Shin Koihime Eiyuutan Profiles, Shin Koihime Musou Profiles, and Koihime Musou Profiles, which are more than half-way done at this point. I'd even hazard an estimate to say that I'm three-fourths done! Well, if I was diligent, I could've been done by now.
5.) I finished Ryuuki no Taibou, but… admittedly I wound up skipping through most of it that I only have vague ideas about the plotline. Some of the characters in this story are now admittedly inconsistent with that, but as long as their general temperament is the same, I'm fine with it. The battle system was… interesting to say the least. I've not started Son Go no Kechimyaku.
6.) I'm alive and posting! So success!
And so, here we are! The Joshuu War Arc. This will be my first original arc, something not part of the original Koihime canon. Sousou didn't have a dad to avenge in canon. I'm honestly nervous about this as I write this arc. Well, by the time you see this chapter, I'll have finished the entire arc, but… Eh, come what may.
Also the beginning of the characters having romantic relationships with Kazuto. If anything, this is rather late. I actually originally put Kazuto and Touka's first kiss in the Anti-Toutaku Coalition Arc, but the setting just didn't sit right with me. Kazuto would become hyper-focused on Touka in that state. If anything, that's a road for a monogamous relationship with Touka, which is not the goal for this story. Admittedly, I'm not really aiming for realism when it comes to Kazuto's harem. Don't expect much from me on the romantic side of the story. I'm rather bad at it.
I'm considering just… I dunno, make an entirely separate story where I'll have a bunch of SoL snippets that don't fit into the main story. But that, of course, would require me to write scenes. Well, I'll consider it if I write an SoL scene that doesn't gel well with the chapter, or if it serves little to no point in the story. Which is unlikely.
As for the Past Scene at the top? That's the last time you're seeing it~ I began working on this chapter around the time I was still deliberating whether I remove it or not. Since I already wrote it, I decided it gets to stay, but I won't bother writing more for future chapters.
Anyway, see ya next week for the next chapter! Take care of yourselves!