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.

-()-

The Eater and the Cook

-()-

"SHUNRAN-SAMA~!"

"Eh, Karon?" Kakouton blinked as she saw her lord's cousin arrive. "Why are you here?"

"Karin-sama told us to charge!"

"REALLY!?" Kakouton blinked. Her standing orders were to defend her territory and take Kishuu's old main city, but not to waste soldiers' lives.

"What's going on?" Jun'iku walked over. It was under her orders that they are going with the slow route. Jun'iku realized that Sousou would want to slow down so that the bulk of the damage isn't on them. They are waiting for the Ryuubi Army to make their move.

"We're racing the Ryuubi Army to Kahoku!" Karon replied.

"The Ryuubi Army is ready to attack too?" Jun'iku blinked. "… I suppose there was military activity east… Very well, I'll relay the order to take the enemy city."

"Oh, and Karin said we should probably tell Enshou's forces that the Ryuubi Army is at the Seishuu Border." Karon replied.

"… So this really is a race." Jun'iku frowned. "Whoever takes Kahoku takes the territory."

"But aren't we really far from Kahoku right now!?" Kakouton demanded. "We're not going to win the race!"

"That's why Karin-sama ordered us to leak the information that the Ryuubi Army is at the Seishuu Border." Jun'iku huffed, "Because they're closer to the border, the Enshou Army would have no choice but to focus their efforts there." Hopefully, they'll bring all three top generals to that front, but foolish dreaming has its limits.

"As expected of Karin-sama!" Kakouton's mood flipped completely and is now savagely grinning. "All troops, prepare for a charge!"

"Oh, and Karin-sama, Shuuran, and Ruurin will be coming after us."

"Then we should take southern Kishuu as soon as possible to give Karin-sama a bed to rest in by the time she arrives!"

"Let's go!"

The two rambunctious older sisters started going around the camp. Jun'iku could only sigh. Even if they wanted to, there's no way they can move their forces that quickly. Sousou would definitely arrive before that. Still…

"… Finally."

"… Hmm?"

"I'll finally be able to take my revenge."

"… Don't step out of line, and you'll be given regency of the area."

"I don't need it. I just want to avenge my lost honor. Sousou-sama can have the territory."

"… Then do your best," Jun'iku nodded indifferently, "Choukou."

Choukou nodded, as she put on her claws.

-()-

"It's not fair."

"Yes, yes."

"I should be there too!"

"We know."

"I want to fight with Shunran-sama… Just Karon-sama is unfair…"

"We get it Kii. Just… calm down. Here… more food."

"Thank you, Ruru!"

"… I am so thankful I did not offer to pay for all this." Kazuto winced, as more plates piled up. "This is even more than usual." And he's seen Rinrin eat a big tub of ramen once. And to be perfectly clear, when he says big, he meant bathtub big. The bottomlessness of these pintsized powerhouses cannot be underestimated.

"… We should cut her off soon, or we'll be eaten out of house and home." Eika grunted. "Ruru, make this the last batch, got it?"

"Understood, Eika-sama."

Kii didn't care and continued gorging herself on the plates.

"So what's your story?" Kazuto turned to Ruru, "How did you, a restauranteur, become a general?"

Ruru decided to skip over the fancy word, and thought a bit hard, "Eh? Uhh… it's nothing particularly special. Sometime after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Karin-sama walked into my restaurant and ordered food… then she asked me to join her staff."

"And?"

"I refused, but then Kii showed up… so…" Ruru shrugged, "I came to the city to find Kii, so since Kii is in Karin-sama's employ…"

"You joined in too. So how did that transition to you being a general?"

"Kii vouched for my combat skills…"

"You mean the big flail-yo-yo thing you have?" Kazuto winced. "… I admit, first time I've seen that as a weapon." He's seen a yo-yo, and a flail, but not both combined.

"Ahahaha…" Ruru laughed weakly, "I was trying to match up with Kii…"

"Who uses a spiked-ball flail… with a metal kendama handle." Kazuto pointed out. How Kii manages to maneuver the thing, he can't tell.

"It works?" Ruru replied as Kii was still too busy eating up a storm.

"So what about Akurai? What's the story behind that nickname?"

"Oh, that?" Ruru blinked, "Sousou-sama claimed that I could serve well as her personal bodyguard…"

"Really?" Kazuto hummed. Of course, he already knew that. Sousou did mention it off-handedly. He just wanted Ruru's side of the story too. "I'd have thought she hired you to be her chef."

"That too!" Kii finished a plate, "Ruru's food tastes great!" Coming from the person who inhaled it like it's oxygen mere seconds ago, that might be the biggest understatement in the world. That or Kii just has a bottomless stomach. On par with Rinrin, honestly. "Ruru, more!"

"… Sorry… Eika-sama said we can't anymore." Ruru apologized.

"We should've done it much earlier, honestly." Kazuto looked at the table, "These stacked dishes look like they could have fed the entire main street, and it all went into your stomach."

"But, but…"

"If you're not hungry, then you should stop. Besides, we don't have an infinite budget… right, Eika?"

"You're getting a lot more brazen, calling me that openly now," Eika grumbled. "But… yes. You've already eaten your food budget for the week, Kii."

"But please?" Kii looked imploringly in Eika's eyes.

"Ergh… M-maybe… I"

Kazuto should nip this in the bud. While it's hilarious, Kii might get some bad habits. "… Lolicon." Kazuto told Eika to snap her out of it. If there's one thing Kazuto figured out as a big difference between Soukou and Sousou, it's that. Well, aside from their temperament. While both have a fondness for beautiful girls, Sousou's strike range is wider than Eika's. Eika likes them small and cute. So Shanfuu, Kii, and Ruru are all in her strike range. Maybe Fuu, but Kazuto hasn't seen enough of Eika fawning over the strategist to confirm that.

"Pervert." Eika retorted, her mind snapping to 'Annoyed at Kazuto' Mode immediately. She recognized the word, as Kazuto had used it before to refer to her, and she vehemently disagreed.

"Baseless accusation."

"You sleep with your vassals every night. You even offer your bed as a reward."

"True, but only if the other party wants it. If they don't care then I won't even bother. Besides, Chiihou has been annoying me constantly for a while."

"Doesn't stop you from being a pervert, you know?"

"… Yeah, I have no rebuttal," Kazuto sighed.

"Hah!"

"You two are actually pretty close, huh?" Ruru noted.

"No!" Eika snapped. "I think so?", Kazuto shrugged.

Eika turned to the boy and glared, "Deny it!"

"Is there a point to?" Kazuto asked. "Unless you plan on leaving me unsupervised when I visit Tenhou later, of course."

"… I hate you."

Kazuto thought of a good response to that. He decided on: "Fun!"

"ALL. OF. MY. HATE."

"Alright, cooldown, girl." Kazuto rolled her eyes, "Or you're going to make yourself less cute."

Eika's face grew slightly redder from the insinuation-slash-flattery, "H-"

"Also, you're scaring Ruru."

"Urgh." Eika snapped back to sanity, and she breathed deeply for a bit. She almost forgot that they weren't alone. She muttered, "Calm down Eika. He's not worth it. He's trying to get into your skin. It's not working. Just… bottle it up."

"Ahahaha…" Ruru laughed a bit. "Sorry."

"Don't… apologize. For him." Eika gritted.

"So can I have more food?"

"""No, Kii.""" All three of her companions denied her.

"Aww…" Kii sighed, lying down to digest the food now that she understood that she won't be getting more. "Hey, niichan!"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like us?"

"By us, you mean?"

"All of us here!"

"I can say you're all likable to a degree."

"Oh? Who's the outliers then?" Eika mocked.

"Kakouton, Kakouen, and Jun'iku, since I haven't really… talked with them that much yet. Plus Kakouton and Jun'iku really don't like me."

"That's how they are to most people who attach themselves to Karin-sama." Eika shrugged.

"Or just perceive as attaching themselves to Sousou." Kazuto corrected.

"Which is why they tend to like the people who don't." Eika shrugged, "Like Kii and Ruru here."

"So Jun'iku and Kakouton are?"

"Like dogs and monkeys, those two." Eika sighed, "All for Karin-sama's affection."

That idiom would make no sense in English, but it's a similar idea to 'like cats and dogs'. To sum it up, "Dog would be Kakouton, and Monkey would be Jun'iku?"

"Why?"

"Because monkey is smarter than dog. While dog is a more physical threat than a monkey."

"I'm going to tell Keifa you called her a monkey."

"She already hates me enough that she's probably already plotted out fifty-seven ways to kill me since I got here." Without even seeing each other once in the entire time.

"You really think she'd only have fifty-seven?" Eika laughed.

"My point is, even if you tell her, that's like dropping a bucket of water in the ocean. So fine. Tell her, it's not going to change much."

"… One of these days I'll find a way to crack your composure."

"Have you tried not threatening me with death or worse? I am pretty numb to it."

"… I remember." How could anyone forget him falling off the tower to learn to play the zither?

"Niichan!" Kii interrupted, "Can you give the answer?" What did he think of Sousou's court?

Kazuto shrugged, "Simply put? Everyone I've met here are all good people, even if they can be a bit grumpy." Kazuto replied with a grin.

"Are you talking about me?" Eika frowned, proving his point.

"So yeah, I think I like your group quite a bit."

"Then, are you going to join us?"

"Depends on how the war ends, really." Kazuto shrugged. "I still have more friends back home." He needs to get back to his Family.

"Then you should make more friends here!" Kii replied.

"Or your group can just join us." Ruru pointed out.

"… Speaking of, has Tou finally come back from Joshuu?" Kazuto turned to Eika. Chinkei Kanyu, Tou, has been absent all this time. For one, the group wanted her to spend some time with Suu. Despite everything, she's still Suu's mother, and Suu won't admit it but she'll definitely have some positive reaction to her presence. For another, the whole backup plan of running from Sousou's territory on his bike would only work if he had only two people to take care of. Chiihou will be fine, but Tou is Joshuu's ambassador; she represents Joshuu itself, and would probably be found dead if they left her behind. Suu will be very cross if that happened, so they're trying to minimize her presence in Kyoshou.

Note: Minimize. They can't completely excise her presence. It would look suspicious. However, now that Sousou is on campaign with the majority of her army, Kazuto is fairly confident that he can handle one more person. Hey, if they wanted, they could, theoretically, bolt now, bringing Chiihou and her sisters along. Unfortunately, Sousou's the vengeful sort, and would probably ally with Enshou to get back at them for that. Best not give her more reasons.

"I'm not her minder."

"But you are the highest-ranked official in right now, and she should've seen you first once she arrived. Or at least a report on her arrival should've reached your desk."

Eika groaned as she can't deny that. "… She said she'll report to you at noon after she awakes."

"That's fine." Kazuto nodded.

"You know, if it was Karin, she would've insisted on her report as soon as possible."

"If she wanted to rest then that means there's nothing time-sensitive in her report." Kazuto shrugged. "I'm fine with a report within a day."

"Too laidback. I thought Chinkei was a potential traitor in your midst?"

"Wrong. Chinkei is not a traitor. All she wants is the best for her family, which is based in Joshuu. So she also wants the best for Joshuu. We also want what's best for Joshuu; therefore she is no traitor."

"But she does want, as Ruru said, for your group to join hands with ours."

"Really?" Ruru blinked.

"She isn't wrong; joining hands with Sousou is the best for Joshuu. You are by far the strongest army in the country right now. While Tou has a lot of other reasons, at its core, she's correct."

"Then why don't you join?"

"Emotionally, Touka and the rest aren't prepared for Sousou. And Sousou will not want to share power." Kazuto nodded.

"True." Eika nodded. "Who would?"

"Me, personally, I guess? We have pragmatic sorts at home, but because they think they're low-ranked, they don't try to assert themselves." Hinari, as an example. Ei, for another.

"That would be interesting." Kii hummed, "Niichan and Karin-sama as our leaders…"

"Not gonna happen." Eika scoffed. "Like you said, Karin-sama does not share."

"Yeah, well, that's that." Kazuto shrugged.

"Can I ask something?" Ruru spoke up, "What about the Emperor. Neither of you spoke up about that…"

"… Ultimately, Paitan is at the top of the Kan Dynasty. And that only is true if there's a Kan Dynasty to rule." Kazuto shook his head, "Sousou can pay all the lip service she wants, we know she doesn't believe Paitan is above her in rank."

"And what about you?"

"Our goal is to maintain peace in the Empire. If we could unite the country under Paitan, then it doesn't matter if she's a figurehead, we've succeeded. Of course, it would be great if she can have proper authority, but as long as people like Sousou and Sonsaku don't respect her authority? That's shallow. We can't base the peace we want by assuming that putting her in charge will solve anything."

"Then why bother? It would be easier to take charge yourself then."

"Paitan is alive. Furthermore, Paitan is our friend. Undermining her… is not something we want." Kazuto replied with a shrug. "Even if this is a difficult path, as long as Paitan is Emperor, our goal will be the maintenance of the Kan Dynasty."

"… You have it rough." Eika scoffed.

"Not really." Kazuto smiled, then turned to the door. "… Let's go. I want to see Tenhou's activities before I have to meet Tou."

"… Fine. Kii, Ruru, go bring the Emperor her meal."

"Understood!" The two nodded.

-()-

"… Is what he said true, Josho?"

"… I personally can't deny it."

"Would things be easier if I truly wasn't trying to be the Emperor?"

"… Correction. It's not your wanting to be the Emperor. It's wanting to be the Emperor of the Kan Dynasty. As in, continuing the legacy of your sister."

"Why?" Why was it more difficult because of that?

"… Kazuto-sama was actually pretty gentle with his wording. But… It's because the country is already fractured, and we're pretending that it isn't. All of us back home know that. But for the sake of the Kan Dynasty, we're acting as if it isn't, and treating invaders as insurrectionists within our borders. If we are allowed to acknowledge that the country is fractured as is, then we can set our borders properly and keep a proper border army for enemies. One of the reasons we were unable to adequately deal with Enshou, after all, is that we cannot send soldiers into Seishuu to intercept Enshou."

"… I made things more difficult for everyone, huh?"

"It's just part of the process of keeping the peace. Kazuto-sama said so, right? Even if it's a difficult path, we don't want to bring problems to you. Our faction's goal has always been to bring peace. With you as emperor, this path is the best way to bring it."

"… Thank you, all of you, for your hard work. I will do my best to live up to your expectations."

"That's all we ask."

-()-

"… I know I said I'll see you when I awaken…. I didn't expect to have to wait to see you, oh Master."

"Hello Tou. If you have a business appointment with your bed, I too have my business appointments that are just as inconvenient to delay."

"I suppose you do. I imagine being put in charge of both the Kazoe Yakuman Sisters and the Imperial Guard would make you quite busy." Tou pleasantly replied.

"Quite. Just another of Sousou's schemes to swamp me with work as she worms her way into Paitan's good graces."

"Sometimes I forget that you are a lot sharper than you look."

"I'm the heir of a family that deals with shady types. You either pick up these sorts of things, or you coast by on all the luck in the world." Kazuto shrugged, and Tou can't really disagree with him, as she laughed a bit. Kazuto smiled, "Still, how was your little vacation?" And there laid the heart of the situation. The main reason why Tou is being a bit difficult is her quarantine in Joshuu. If she's in Joshuu, she can't make valuable business connections in Kyoshou.

"If that was a vacation, I'd hate to see what work is." Tou hummed.

Kazuto laughed, "I suppose I should've expected that. Even if the others don't trust you, idle hands are the tools of the devil and all that."

"I don't exactly understand the idiom, but I suppose so." Tou shrugged. "Is it a new phrase from Touken's poems?"

"Not exactly. Honestly, I pretty much zone out whenever he discusses his little hobbies." Kazuto rolled his eyes before smiling. "Thank you for your work with organizing those corrupt nobles' files."

Tou blinked at Kazuto's strange knowledge of her work, but did not give it more attention than that. "Working with Mifa looking over my shoulder all the time, I couldn't imagine a more nerve-wracking task."

"Don't play it up. Even if I wasn't there, Mifa would've never made that job more troublesome by supervising you like you're a prisoner. That would slow down the work. She'd just do as much of the job so that you can't hoodwink us."

"I'm impressed that you came to that conclusion quickly. Don't tell me you managed to woo her into your bed as well?"

"Even if I had, I wouldn't waste both our times with gossip."

"So you haven't?" Tou then smiled, "Then mind a taste of a woman then? I'd be rather new compared to your other conquests; after all, I'm a young mother."

"Sure, if you actually want it. But you don't, so I don't."

"At this point, I sort of do."

"Sort of isn't actually. Get a grip, woman."

An awkward silence enveloped the two as Kazuto awaited Tou's words as she looked at him, searching for anything. Anything. As if she was trying to piece a puzzle together. She settled on… "… Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why have you never asked about the circumstances of my daughter's birth?"

"Would it change anything?" Kazuto asked. "Suu was born, and she's a lovely girl who works hard every day, working the fields, studying ways to improve agriculture, while you are also working hard to ensure your family would survive the torrent of war. Anyway, you'll tell me if you want to tell me, and not a moment before."

"You speak as if you know me."

"I know that allying with Sousou, the one with the highest chance of coming out on top among the current warlords, is the best option for any family to survive. Especially considering how talented both you and Suu are, there's no doubt that Sousou would never throw you away if you join her court."

"If you know that, then why are you adamantly against it?"

"Let's call it bias."

"You are a ruler. Biases should not prevent you from the truth."

"Just because it's the truth, doesn't make it the right thing to do."

"… How… philosophical."

"Anyway, even if joining her gives us the highest chance of survival, doesn't mean we have to. And it doesn't mean we should make it easy for her." Kazuto shrugged.

"… What do you mean?"

"… What do you think is the likely result of the war against Enshou?"

"… Either Ryuubi or Sousou will take Kishuu and Enshou would lose all the foundation that puts her at your level, making her a non-threat… if she lives, of course."

"That's… more in-depth than I meant. But fine. What about after?"

"… Huh?"

"What do you think the fate of Joshuu will be after?"

"After, you say?" Tou frowned. "… I suppose that depends on the ending of the war. Whoever takes Kahoku will decide that."

"Right. The winner is put in a position of power."

"… And if Ryuubi wins, you'll be able to keep the current division against Sousou."

"… As you do, Tou. We'll speak later then."

"… I was incorrect?" Tou frowned. "In what way was I wrong?"

"You are forgetting the one person that matters most here: Paitan. Where will she live after the end of the war?"

"You mean?"

"I already said, Tou, you can leave now. I am late for a meeting with the Imperial Guard… or as Sousou once candidly called them: the Hongou Squad." Kazuto yawned, "I swear, training up new recruits is so annoying. Especially the hardheads." Kazuto stood up and moved to the door. "There aren't any important documents on the desk, but don't touch them anyway, okay?" Kazuto walked out without even a goodbye.

Tou blinked as she processed that conversation… After a while, things clicked, "… I see. So that's how it is." She involuntarily said, despite there being no one to hear her. "… Then it really is in my best interest… to not speak a word on it." And hope that Kahoku is taken by Ryuubi.

She'll get what she wants either way, but if Ryuubi wins, then Joshuu's prestige becomes better. And Joshuu's prestige becoming better is perfectly in line with making the Chin Family a prominent noble family.

-()-

"Move quickly! Before Ryuubi takes Kahoku! BEFORE KAN'U TAKES KAHOKU!"

"Yes, General Kayuu!"

"Should we really have left the Sousou Front to Bun-chan?" Ganryou asked.

"Which is more important, the Sousou Front or the Ryuubi Front?" Kayuu asked.

"… The Ryuubi front is closer to Kahoku."

"Then we need to reinforce the Ryuubi Front quickly before Kahoku falls!" Kayuu growled.

Originally, Bunshuu wanted to come along but even they know it's kind of foolhardy to just move all three of their generals when they're being attacked on the other side too. So for now, only Ganryou and Kayuu left the Sousou Front to aid the newly-created Ryuubi Front.

"Reiha-sama… should've moved her soldiers, right?" Ganryou asked.

"You know her better than I. You answer your own damn question!" Kayuu barked. With all three of them working on the Sousou Front, they had no one to look out from besides Enshou. Still, they left a not inconsiderable amount of soldiers to defend their capital. If Enshou sent them to deal with the Ryuubi Front, that should buy them enough time to reorganize and prepare a more concrete plan… still, that would rely on Enshou moving rationally.

"… She must have." Ganryou frowned. "… I hear fighting."

"Good! So she isn't a total moron…" Kayuu made no effort to hide her utter lack of respect for her current lord. And honestly, Ganryou couldn't blame her. Still, it's probably fortunate for Kayuu that neither herself nor Bunshuu cared all that much about blatant disrespect. "But… there's no fucking direction!? That's just a mob fighting a coordinated strike!" Which is fast developing into a rout, as the subordinate generals seem to be incapable of dealing with the skill of the Ryuubi Army. "Don't tell me that, for all the money she squanders, you and Bunshuu are the only competent generals on her payroll!?" Even Ryuubi, the newest lord to still remain relevant, has enough generals that they can spread out easier.

"… Ryuubi's army is an outlier." Ganryou replied. It should be impossible for a small army like Ryuubi's to get so many capable hands on their side. They cannot pay as well as Enshou. They don't have a strong legacy behind them like Sonsaku. And they don't have the political background that Sousou was born and raised in. Still, they grew strong. From what Ganryou remembered, when Ryuubi's Army appeared during the Anti-Toutaku Coalition, they really only had the backing of Kousonsan. And yet they, by some miracle, rose from those humble beginnings. And by some miracle, they gained great generals who don't seem in a hurry to betray the Ryuubi Army. And now, they've grown strong enough that they could put this much pressure on the En Family. It's frankly absurd.

"… They do have Kan'u." Kayuu chalked it up to Kan'u. Likely her skill as a general is pushing her soldiers to new heights. Frankly, this just made her thirst for that rematch, for that one chance to regain her honor by defeating the one who brought her down so low.

"… I don't know about that." Ganryou frowned. That seemed like too simplistic a reason. Ganryou personally would chalk it up to Hongou and Ryuubi themselves, and their ability to bring capable people into their fold. Using just what she saw from the Anti-Toutaku Coalition, Hongou had a charisma that made people believe his words as genuine fact without question. Even Enshou found herself tongue-tied when Hongou refuted her. It's how he was able to organize a group of disparate lords with self-centered goals to band under him, even though he has no history as a crutch. However, even that paled in comparison to Ryuubi's, who clearly had Hongou's loyalty as well as everyone else in the her army. Even… or rather, especially the soldiers.

Enshou has charisma. Ganryou will not doubt so. If she didn't then the En Clan would never have been convinced of her position as true heiress. She is the empire's flashiest warlord. However… much like the case with Denhou, Enshou tended to push others away just as much as she attracts them.

"… Enough wasting time!" Kayuu sharply knocked Ganryou out of her thoughts. "I'll attack the Ryuubi Army. You wrangle that sorry excuse for an army for Enshou!"

"I'm not a strategist, you know?" Ganryou replied, her thoughts having dwelt on Denhou a bit reminded her of her shortcomings.

"Like I said, no wasting time!"

"I'm moving in!"

"W-wait! Don't just charge… in…" Ganryou grimaced as her cry fell on deaf ears.

"… Right then." Ganryou turned north to where the army commanders, the ones in charge when neither Ganryou nor Bunshuu are available, would be camped at.

She needed to wrangle up a defense as soon as possible.

-()-

"Kayuu at west!"

"Thank you." Shuri nodded. She turned to the others. "… You heard him."

Hinari frowned, "Got it." She turned to Aisha, "Aisha-san, intercept her. She should still have a grudge against you, after all."

"Got it." Came Aisha's prompt response to Hinari's command.

"Should we really allow Aisha to get all the good fights?' Sei asked, "Even I'd want a crack at her."

"… Very well. Sei, you can join. Rinrin too."

"All three warrior Guardians? Isn't that a bit much, Hinari?"

Hinari frowned, "… I want Kayuu out of the picture. Faster is better. Kill her or catch her. Either works. We don't want the general to make any more problems for us." She turned to Shuri, who was busy overseeing the organization of the frontlines. Shuri looked at her and nodded, approving the strategy. They agreed to let Hinari handle the bulk of the decisions for the battlefront this time around, while Shuri ensures that they won't get blindsided by an enemy from their flanks or, worse, an attack from the back from Seishuu.

Sei nodded, "Got it."

"… Catch her. If you can." Touka told them. "… With all three of you and flames… that should be doable, right?"

"… Why?" Sei asked. Why spare her? She's an enemy general. Unless there's a good reason, there's no reason to try and spare her. And fighting non-lethally in a war is always risky for the one holding back. The fact that they as an army beat Ryofu non-lethally has less to do with their unwillingness to kill the Flying General and more to do with Ren simply being that difficult to beat that they could only beat her with that method.

"… Is it too much?" Touka winced, "It's just that… I know Yue and Ei won't say anything if Kayuu dies, but…"

Kayuu was still once a general under Toutaku. Furthermore, Kayuu was a loyal general under Toutaku. Sure, she never shared her True Name. Sure, she disobeyed orders. But, in the end, she fought for her.

Yue and Ei are not here; they're back in Joshuu, taking care of Kuutan's needs. Pragmatic as Ei is, she'll immediately tell them to not waste resources with this. Yue would also likewise accept anything they do here. However…

Aisha could only nod, "… Got it. We'll have a fishing net ready." Aisha wryly smiled.

"Thank you, Aisha."

"Let's do this!"

-()-

The soldiers at the flank… retreated quickly, Kayuu noted. They didn't bother engaging her and focused on her soldiers. When they fought her, however, they immediately went full defense, rather than attack. And they were well-practiced too. As if they know exactly how to defend against heavy blows from a superhuman…

"Right, these are the soldiers under Kan'u and Ryofu." Kayuu grumbled. Those two also have decently strong strikes, and their soldiers were likely trained to take hits from them. Her own soldiers are the same after all.

"It's mostly Rinrin, honestly."

"!" Kayuu barely blocked the bident that struck down from her side.

"Chouun Shiryuu. Rain Guardian. At your service."

"… So you are Rain to Kan'u's Storm then?" Kayuu frowned. "Hope you aren't just a passing drizzle then, or I'll step over your corpse and reach Kan'u!"

"There's no need to." Kayuu's eyes widened, as a familiar guandao struck at her, forcing her to dodge instead. Kayuu blinked and saw… "After all, I'm already present. Shall we continue our bout, Kayuu?"

"Kan'u! You've evaded me for long enough in Joshuu! This time, I'll take your head!" Kayuu grinned. "… But must you have brought the other?" Kayuu glared at Chouun, who made no show of retreating.

"Unfortunately, a fast win is preferable here, and taking you out quickly is the name of the game." Chouun shrugged, "You want to duel? You're dueling both of us."

"Coward! Face me one on one!"

"We already did." Kan'u replied. "You lost."

"We were interrupted! That sorcerer got in my way!"

"From what I've gathered, you would've lost either way." Chouun provoked the general, "Come on, let's fight!" She smirked, "I haven't had a good fight in months!" Sparring matches don't count.

"KAN'U!"

"Are you forgetting, Kayuu!? First come, first served. Your main opponent is me!" Chouun rushed forward. Blue flames danced on her red bident.

"I'm not afraid of sorcery!"

"Good! Makes this fight much more interesting!" Chouun laughed.

"Men! Come delay Chouun! I'll deal with Kan'u…"

"Sorry, they're a little preoccupied too." Chouun smirked.

"What?"

A new voice entered the fray, "ALL WHO WISH TO PASS, THIS ENHITO CHOUHI WILL BE YOUR OPPONENT!"

"… Are these…"

"Three Guardians of the Ryuubi Army have come to personally greet you." Chouun smirked, "As for that main force of yours… They can be taken care of by the rest."

"… A trap!"

"No point breaking out anymore!" Chouun smirked, "My flames slow you down. Cross them, and you won't even be able to swing that blade before I spear you through."

"Grr! Fine! I'll defeat you and show you a true warrior has no need for such tricks!"

"Oh please. I, too, am a warrior. I've no need for these flames; they're just a nice bonus. Now then, this Chou Shiryuu will be your dance partner, Kayuu! Don't disappoint me!"

"Gladly!"

"… Oh, and a word from my lord." Chou Shiryuu smirked, "If you want, I could hold back my flames. But that means you'll only be fighting a weaker version of me. Can you take pride, knowing that you only beat a person holding back?"

"… Duels are not the place for tricks."

"Unfortunately." Kan'u interrupted, "This is war, and we can't afford a prolonged one against your ilk. If you want a duel, then you are free to surrender here. We'll gladly give you your duel once Enshou is defeated." She proceeded to swing her own polearm at Kayuu. Kayuu gritted her teeth.

She only had one poleaxe. She is fighting two polearm wielders, and their strikes are heavy. She's never been the greatest dodger either. In a sense, she's a duelist to her core, and fighting two on one is strictly difficult… but…

"Will you run, Kayuu?" Kan'u asked. "However, I'll let you know this: Ren dueled myself, Rinrin, and Sei all at once and won."

"!" Kayuu blinked at that admission. "You… you lie!"

"She has grown stronger since the coalition."

"Not to say that we didn't give her a run for her money though." Chouun grunted, "You could have worded that better, Aisha."

"We can only accept that she won, no matter how close the battle was."

"… So… what you're saying is…"

"You once claimed to be the strongest of the Empire; frankly I find that ridiculous." Chouun scoffed, "I'm having no problems fighting you, while Ren was actually a challenge."

"… I… am…" Kayuu growled, "I AM the strongest! I am stronger than Ryofu! Stronger than Son Bundai! I am stronger than you! I'll prove that! Right here, right now! COME AT ME, KAN UNCHOU, CHOU SHIRYUU!"

And so Kayuu roared, rushing towards the two.

She swung and they dodged. She swung again, and they dodged. Her strikes are heavy and rough. She held nothing back, and…

"Now, Aisha!"

"Got it, Sei!" The two's glares sharpened and they struck.

-()-

"Disarming?"

"When people are pushed, they tend to relax other parts of their bodies to compensate. And when it comes to warriors, that can be fatal… as you tend to lose all focus on holding your weapon and just trust you are. For instance, some people's grips would naturally slacken, especially after a heavy strike, to avoid heavy backlash from the hit."

"… I feel skeptical whether it would still be realistic."

"One of these days, once Kazuto learns to channel his Hyper Dying Will Mode actively, or learn to concoct the Dying Will Pills on his own, you should fight him. One of his primary goals in combat is disarming the opponent. Or destroying the enemy weapon. Whichever's easier. If he finds a fault in your grip, he will aim to disarm you."

"… We did fight once before. Although he was running on fumes from a fight with Rinrin. He didn't seem to be aiming for such an outcome." More or less, he was just taking blows.

"… Sounds like the boy has been slacking. I'll see to it as soon as possible. Or perhaps you're just more difficult to disarm than others. The more cool-headed you are in a fight, the less likely you are to make a mistake on your grip, after all. Especially for a two-handed weapon as your own."

"Most soldiers use polearms in combat."

"Which is fair; uses less metal than a sword with at least double the range."

"Spears are also easier to train an army to wield." In formation, spears are much easier to use than swords. You generally don't want to accidentally hit your ally with the sharp end, after all.

"And since spears are usually wielded two-handed, it's easier to keep grip. Still, it's best to be aware of this little detail. Might just save your life. Avoid getting too angry. Or being too focused on your opponent. While warriors do subconsciously consider their weapons part of their body, those types also tend to lose sight that their weapons are separate from their body whether they like it or not. This leads to warriors leaving the manipulation of their weapon to their instincts while putting all their focus on predicting their opponent's movements."

"… And is that bad?"

"No. Of course not. In fact, that is expected of good warriors. They can't be so focused on their grip; they'll lose sight of their opponent. That is dumb. But it's best to always be aware that when you leave the weapon to your subconscious, you might do things that you normally don't want to, such as slackening your grip at certain points of your strikes.."

"… Huh…"

"So stay focused when you fight. Anger is useful, but it's a double-edged sword."

Because if you're too distracted, you might just lose the thing that's keeping you alive.

-()-

Kayuu's eyes widened, as she saw the head of her axe fly off, red flames eating at the base of the axe head, destroying it. The arm that she was using to hold the pole felt heavy, as if slowed down. Blue flames lapped the handle.

How? She could only ask. She didn't realize that all the dodging that the two had been doing only drew her deeper and deeper into the enemy formation. She didn't realize the outsiders who were crowding just out of her melee range, carrying…

"Men, the net!"

In the end, she could only look in shock as a fishing net is thrown over her, as her trusted poleaxe, which has served her for so many years, has given the ghost at the single most inopportune time.

-()-

Naturally, her loyal soldiers saw this happen, and they roared. One yelled, "… The general's captured!"

Another cried, "MOVE! WE NEED TO SAVE HER!"

Amped up, they start moving towards the location.

They quite forgot the very person who was stopping their advance in the first place. Only to be harshly reminded as a long spear, more of a pike really, drove itself in their way.

"Where are you going? Rinrin's not done with you yet!"

"… D-dammit, we need to retreat!"

"Rinrin said, she's not done with you yet!" Rinrin roared, and she swung her pike.

She made her point clear. Fight or retreat, both are rejected by the small tiger. She crushed their hopes without sparing them an ounce of remorse.

"… We surrender." The second-in-command gritted. They dropped their weapons. In the end, Kayuu wasn't killed. There's a chance they can stage a breakout later.

"… Aww… really? I was just getting warmed up." Rinrin sighed, "Men, tie up their arms and grab their weapons." Rinrin turned north. "Rinrin will go and join up with the main army."

-()-

Despite the loss of Kayuu, the Enshou Army still vastly outnumbered the Ryuubi Army. And with Ganryou successfully reorganizing the defensive formations of the Enshou Army, the Ryuubi Army was forced to slow down. However, they couldn't be completely stopped. Try as Ganryou might, she's not a strategist. Her knowledge is half-baked at best. While she's classified as a Vanguard General, she's more of a Logistics General, in charge of ensuring the army is prepared to move at Enshou's whim. Defense of Kishuu, however, is one thing she sorely lacked experience in. And that shows.

However, while Ganryou's efforts had managed to slow down Ryuubi, Bunshuu's could not be said to have done so in the slightest. Sousou marched as far and as fast as she pleased.

Bunshuu was never the strategic type. Her strategies generally boil down to two: charge and retreat. While Ganryou has some basic understanding of how to defend, even if she has never ever needed to put it into practice, Bunshuu is even less equipped to defend the territory. She's a pure Vanguard General, a General of the frontlines. If she had been born in a different era, she would likely be the top of any warrior to live. Unfortunately, she was born in an era where simply being stronger than the average human is not enough to turn tides. She was nothing special compared to the monsters in most other armies. She was born in an era where she was nothing special. Where if she had been in Sousou's army, she wouldn't even be a top general.

Still…

"This is a lot harder than I thought…" Bunshuu grimaced, her cheerful façade slowly chipping away by the lack of tangible progress. Or at least, some measure of proof that Sousou even noticed her attacks.

She tried everything. She hit hard when Sousou looked to be slowing down. Turned out it was a feint, and she lost a lot of her troops then. She tried holding a defensive perimeter. It was too paper-thin and Sousou punched through it without issue. She tried an all-out attack. She encountered Kakouton and she was soundly beaten back. Not enough for her to be captured, but…

Needless to say, morale at the Sousou Front is at an all-time low.

Nonetheless, Bunshuu kept her spirit up, confident that Enshou will see her through.

"Don't let up in the slightest!" Bunshuu cried out.

Her soldiers all nodded. But there was an air of uncertainty there. Is there any point in wasting their lives anymore?

-()-

Sousou smirked. Things were going well.

Even though they technically got off on a slower start than the Ryuubi Army but, frankly, the defenses that were left to deal with her were really pitiful. Bunshuu is definitely not a defensive threat. Hell, Sousou would argue she is barely even a nuisance, offensive or defensive. She encountered more challenging setbacks against the Ryuubi Army. Still, It was the best they can do now that they're being threatened on two sides. Best for Enshou, of course. If it had been Sousou, then being attacked on two sides would be of little worry. Three is also just as doable, depending on the size of the armies bearing on her. She has recruited many fine generals over the years, capable of leading an army without her supervision. Kakouton and Jun'iku proved just so the past month. Still, she prefers to be in the action if at all possible.

If Enshou truly wanted to keep her out, she should've recruited more than just Kayuu and the fool of a former Great General of the country, whose appointment is clearly a point against the Kan Dynasty's administration.

Huh? Should probably ask Hongou if he knows exactly why Reitei appointed the former butcher. Supposedly it's because Kataigou became her empress, but getting all the facts would be nice.

"Sousou-sama, the city garrison has surrendered!"

"Got it." Sousou's musings were cut off as she looked at the army. "Took them long enough." Sousou huffed. They had decided to surround this city and siege them for a bit. It wouldn't do to be struck from the back if she decided to move on ahead. Furthermore, if they control the cities, some of Enshou's troops that lived in said cities might just abandon Enshou.

That doesn't excuse being slower. Sousou needs to win this race. Well, mostly she wanted to, but that might as well be a need as far as the Sousou Army is concerned. As soon as Bunshuu's forces had retreated, she immediately sent a vanguard to pursue and start to occupy any base that Bunshuu had deemed abandonable, in favor of scrounging her soldiers up from setback after setback.

By the time Sousou arrived at the current battlefront of this so-called Sousou Front (which she amusingly learned as from one captured soldier. Sousou Front and Ryuubi Front, really?), she half-expected to see Kakouton on the throes of finishing it off. Still, it would be good for her to be present when the time comes. Adds morale. She can give a roaring speech on her claim to the Mandate of Heaven, and the soldiers will simply see it as fact.

"Let's move on then." Sousou climbed her horse and the Sousou Army moved on their way.

Another Kishuu Commandery under her rule. Even if she fails to take Kahoku itself, she will at least have a fairly sizable territory in Kishuu.

And soon, that sizable territory will be all of the empire.

Sousou smirked, enjoying a private thought. Very soon.

-()-

Enshou gnawed on a handkerchief as she looked at the reports.

"Where is Reichen and Kei!?"

"We have not seen them, milady!"

"Where's Iishe!? Toshi!? Machi!?"

"Bunshuu-sama is fighting Sousou. Ganryou-sama is fighting Ryuubi! While Machi-sama is still captured by Ryuubi!"

Oh right. That thing.

"… Then I guess it's time for me to take the stage."

"Eh?"

"OH-HOHOHOHO! I'll go join one of the two fronts! Surely my presence will make this war move in our favor?"

"Th-that's…"

"Which front will you join, milady?"

"… Let's teach that Ryuubi a lesson she won't forget! Then we'll turn and deal with Karin-san!"

And so, the last vestiges of the Enshou Army moved to reinforce the Ryuubi Front.

-()-

"… Umm, Touka-sama?"

"What is it Shuri?" Touka blinked. "… Should we retreat?"

"No… no… Umm… Enshou's coming here."

"Eh?" Touka blinked, "Didn't you say she'd stay in Kahoku?"

"Even at this last minute, she's a wild card." Hinari frowned. "But… this time, her wildcard nature has come to bite her."

"Right." Touka nodded, "… Pairen should've reached Ren by now." They had ordered her to meet up with Ren by secretly entering Kishuu and crossing to the Yuushuu border.

"Only if she rushed." Shuri shook her head. "But she should be being cautious about her movements. It wouldn't do if Enshou catches wind."

Hinari nodded, "Possibly. To be honest, I hope she arrives sooner. Now that Enshou is here, it is in our interest to push her back to Kahoku, but not fast enough that she'll want to retreat to Kahoku itself."

Touka felt as though the two would start hashing plans out in front of her, with her only being able to give an air that she's somehow listening and understanding. "Right. I'll leave that to you two." She opted to just not deal with it.

""By your will!"" Shuri and Hinari nodded, and they moved out of the tent, likely to dole out a few more orders.

Touka breathed a sigh. Soon this will all be over, and they can be all together again.

-()-

"… I was riding a white horse."

"Un."

"I did not do anything to hide my movements."

"Kinda stupid, if you asked me?"

"Yet I reached here so fast…" Pairen moaned, "Is… Am I starting to become invisible or something?"

"You are pretty plain… if we compare you to every other general on our army." Nenene shrugged.

"I didn't want to hear that!" Pairen retorted. "Anyway… thank you." She turned to Ren and bowed her head a bit.

"… Needed an army." Ren shrugged.

"Still, getting my men out of prison, and rallying them to form a small army should be no easy feat…"

"That's just how Ren-sama works!" Nenene smiled triumphantly. "… Buuut…. If you didn't see any soldiers on your way here…" Nenene looked at the path ahead of them, "… it means the Enshou soldiers are not paying attention to the north. Our attack might just go unchallenged!"

"Be careful. There might be traps against cavalry around here." Pairen warned.

"We were all over Kishuu on horseback. No traps." Nenene shrugged. "Now then… why don't we go to surprise Enshou now?"

Nenene then turned to the soldiers behind them. By no means are they a large army. But they do have one advantage: speed. All on horseback, all trained by Pairen for war. Ren then pointed her halberd towards Kahoku's general direction.

"March."

"You heard her! Let's march!"

"Uhh… wasn't I sent here so that I can lead them…" But as all her soldiers started forming up without her input, she could only sigh, "… okay." Pairen turned her horse south. "March it is." Asserting her authority when Ren is her superior in both power and rank (Guardians are technically higher ranked than a normal General in this army, even if Kazuto would assert otherwise) would just lead to dissent in the army. If everyone here agrees to follow Ren, that's all good. For now, she'll go talk to her men and familiarize herself with what happened to them.

Come the end of this, Touka probably expected her to either take back control of the Yuushuu region or at least take in those loyal to her into her cavalry units, in hopes to give them more capable horsemen for the future. Speed was definitely a key to victory that they needed, and, say what anyone will, Kousonsan Hakukei is one of the premier cavalry generals of this era, with only the Ba Family to rival her skill, and they had generations to perfect their craft.

-()-

And so the state of the war is as follows:

The Ryuubi Army entered from the South East to take Kahoku. There they are fought off by Enshou's elites, organized by Ganryou. This front will soon be reinforced by Enshou and her personal guard.

The Sousou Army too is attacking front the South West, taking any and all territories on the way to Kahoku. Bunshuu's there, but she's not really succeeding in holding anyone back and Sousou's Army moves unimpeded through the territory.

On both fronts, Enshou's army roughly outnumbers each side. However, the Sousou Army slowly but surely is reversing this, as more and more cities are taken over. The Ryuubi Army is having far less luck doing so, however, they did manage to take down Kayuu and her soldiers, taking down the only other capable general under Enshou's command.

Still, Enshou's confidence never shatters. She marches forward with dignity.

"… OH-HOHOHOHOH!" She laughed in the haughtiest tone she could naturally muster. "Ryuubi, you poor worthless commoner, I'll show you the difference between you and the prestigious En Clan!" Enshou grinned, as she arrived at the Ryuubi Front. She proclaimed easily, as she goes to where she believed Bunshuu to be… however…

"ENSHOU-SAMA!"

Enshou frowned, turning her head towards the soldier. Enshou looked at the man. "What do you want?"

"K… Kahoku… KAHOKU HAS FALLEN!"

"… What?" Enshou said, flabbergasted.

"The Ryuubi Army has taken Kahoku and is flying their flag on its battlements! Kahoku has fallen!"

-()-

Chapter End

-()-

Chapter Release Date: June 17, 2022

-()-

Beta Reader: Seraphius