Chapter 8: The Great Destroyer Part 1
By: DragoonMen
'Human Thinking'
"Human Speaking"
Technique/Jutsu Use
'Bijū/Non-Human Thinking'
"Bijū/Non-Human Talking"
Published: 07/Aug/2020
Pre-Chakra Era Arc
1 Year Before the Chakra Event (BCE)
18 Years After Ōtsutsuki Arrival to Earth
Chapter 8
—Land of the Ancestors—
Ōtsutsuki City State Outskirts
Eighteen Years Later
It is incredible how much change can be inflicted on something in just eighteen years.
Some people may say that is ridiculous, that change needs more time. That it can't happen overnight, preposterous they believe.
However, the people who claimed this have clearly not set foot in the Elemental Nations.
They didn't have the slightest idea of how much change can be shoved down into an entire continent in just eighteen years if not to say the whole world by now.
Still, there were some things that remained untouched, standing their ground against the test of time, refusing to follow the flow of things and clawing at the past as if their life depended on it and in a way it did.
Only the best of them coming out victorious against the cruel nature that is time itself, like a certain man.
Overlooking the former Capital City of the Land of the Ancestors from a high hill, there is one of these rare examples.
The proof that time can be defeated but only if you find yourself in the right place and in the right circumstances.
Said example was wearing black robes with white vertical lines on the sleeves that flowed with the slightest wind breeze, coattails, one tasseled belt tightly fastened at his waist as well as a matching red hair tie, collar, bracers, a waistband on both hands, a black cape with a hood covering his upper features and black pants.
He also wore simple dark sandals on both his feet with the addition of earrings on his ears. He was holding a Bō in a vertical manner next to him. A weapon that once belonged to a certain acquaintance of him. The green grass under his feet slightly moving thanks to the wind.
There —right there— is the living proof that time is no more than a simple form of measurement and that to a few beings like him, it does not apply equally.
To superior beings like him
A forty-year-old human stood there. His youthful features destroying that same belief with no single wrinkle or sagging on his otherwise porcelain face.
There was no time ravages on his features, looking no older than twenty-two, not a single day past that. A time anomaly. A glitch in the matrix of reality.
Jigen watched with some nostalgia in his eyes the former Capital City of the Land of the Ancestors. Bunch of memories flowing through his mind, some more bad than good.
The rising sun casting its warm light all over the land. The people below doing their daily activities unaware that they were being watched from afar. A peaceful aura surrounding them. Not a worry in the world if Jigen said so.
'But it wasn't always like this' Jigen knew that better than anyone but that was in the past now.
'No point in living on just memories of what used to be' Jigen steeled himself to think logically again. 'Or what could be...'
The city was now Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's own City State. Her seat of power in the Elemental Nations that served as the home of the Usagi no Megami and her two sons; Hagoromo and Hamura.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan of the Earth.
The raven-haired still could not help himself to be engulfed by the past once more. He had been close, so close to fulfilling his goal but he failed, royally at that.
'So damm close...' It was all for naught by this point.
He was once close to killing the Kaguya Ōtsutsuki but he wasn't fast enough to do it himself.
OoOoOoO
—Land of the Ancestors—
Ka no Kuni - So no Kuni Border
Eighteen Years Ago
Word has spread like wildfire all around the country, that their Daimyō, Lord Tenji had a celestial maiden as his concubine.
The rumors said that her beauty was unmatched, that her face seemed to be sculpted by Kami himself and more praises such as that. Incoherent gibberish made by incoherent people.
At least, that is what Jigen heard when he had passed into a village some hours ago. It seemed like the people in this land have nothing better to do than gossip about the newest trends these days.
The dark-haired man on the other part was more interested in the other rumor going around, the one that proved beneficial to him and a being known as Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Ka's soldiers are looming around the border
Jigen smirked at the piece of information. He didn't need to be a genius to know what his fellow countrymen were doing there.
He knew that Lord Oda would not give up on his idea to annex these lands and that he would find a way to finally bring the land of the Ancestors to heel, something bound to happen sooner or later.
But this was way too soon, barely four years have gone by since the last war.
'Not my problem though'Jigen shrugged such worries off.
The Kāma Seal user was on his way to meet his former compatriots at the border but not because he sympathized with them or any other reason that the more gullible would believe.
This was for his own gain, his opportunity to kill Kaguya and to do so he would need all the help he could get. It didn't matter to him from who or where it came from.
The former soldier knew that he was powerful, stronger than everyone around him bar Kaguya. He has started training some months ago and he was doing great leaps in progress but he was still too weak. He had begrudgingly come to terms with that fact.
But if you compared him with the Celestial Maiden then he was hopelessly weak and worst of it, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was not alone in this one too.
The alien woman had managed to snake around her finger the sovereign of the nation. She was already powerful and now she was guarded by soldiers loyal to Lord Tenji.
'As if it wasn't hard enough already' The man sighed tiredly.
He needed assistance from his former brothers-in-arms, if what Isshiki told him was right then Kaguya was a threat to everyone.
So, it was in Jigen's best interests to lend a helping hand to the land of That's cause since if That was successful, then Kaguya would be left alone unprotected, an easy prey for him and his fellow citizens with no one standing on his way to eliminate her.
Jigen would capitalize on this and bring a swift ending to the Ōtsutsuki woman thereby he would finally rest in peace, knowing that the only other individual with power similar to him —and able to sniff him out of existence— was gone for good. His future would be secured and he would be the one last remaining.
His running spree stopped dead when a rock cliff stood in his way. Jigen just smiled at the natural barrier.
'This is gonna be easier than I believe' Jigen knew the Ka's war camp was up in the ridge. He could sense them thanks to his Chakra Pulse.
Channeling a small amount of Chakra into his feet and legs, he began performing an amazing feat. Jigen's feet stuck on the rock wall and began climbing all the way to the top in seconds.
Once in the top, he was met with the dumbstruck expressions of two Ka's scouts who saw him emerged from the cliff edge. Jigen just winked at them, laughing internally at their expression on their faces.
"Bring me to your commander." The vessel of Ōtsutsutki Isshiki said raising both his hand in a 'surrender gesture'.
"I have a proposition for him..." A smirk marred his face. The scouts pointed their weapons at him but nevertheless complied.
The scouts escorted him back to their camp. Their spears tips pointing at Jigen's back during the entire trip. Jigen knew he could easily dispatch them, but he would let them think they had the upper hand on him meanwhile.
Entering the war camp brought a sense of Deja Vu to Jigen. The combatants all around him gave him a curious glare but he would not feast into these thoughts right now, not while he is meters away from meeting the field commander.
Maneuvering through the labyrinth of tents, Jigen knew he would have a meeting with the one in charge where he would need to assert his point.
The scouts continued to accompany him until they reached their destination; the commander's tent.
Two guards were posted outside the entrance. A pair of heavily armored guards.
Jigen deduced that these guards were Samurai if the armor, weaponry and way to carry themselves revealed something.
'Seems like Lord Oda is finally going all out on this...'
A Samurai stepped up. "What is his business?" The muffled voice of the Samurai asked, looking at Jigen's direction.
A scout quickly replied. "We found him on the cliffs edge." He pointed at Jigen with his spear. "He had requested an audience with Genbu-sama."
The Samurai did a check over on the hooded man. "Genbu-sama is busy at the moment. Come back tom..." He was in the process of sending them back to where they came from when another voice joined the conversation.
"What is going on here?" The commander in charge of the company opened the curtains that covered the entrance of the tent.
The scouts slightly bowed at him. "Genbu-sama, this stranger requests an audience with you." Both pointed their weapons at the mysterious man.
Genbu raised an eyebrow at him. "Hn. Is this true?" He asked the stranger.
"Yes, it is." It was the sole reply from Jigen.
"Bring him in." Genbu turned and disappeared once again in his tent. Jigen walked behind him with the two scouts following him into the private tent in case something bad could happen.
'Like if these insects could stop me'
OoOoOoO
Genbu Private Tent
Entering the tent with the pair of scouts right behind him, Jigen allowed his posture to relax a little. He had accomplished the hardest part that is making contact. Now, all he had to do was convince the Minister of the land of That of his plight and how it affected both their interests.
Genbu grabbed a teapot, giving Jigen the full view of his back. "So, what was so important that you wanted to meet up with me, stranger?" The Minister started pouring some tea in his cup. The steam dissipating in the air.
Jigen briefly snickered at that question.
Genbu heard the snickers of the stranger "What is so funny?" He said seriously but the snickering continued. "Is this some kind of joke to you?" The spiky-haired man took a sip from his tea, a stony expression on his face.
Jigen stopped his antics and decided to shed some light to the important man before him so to speak.
"I am snickering because of the irony." Genbu gave him a confused look.
"You think I am a stranger when in reality we have already seen each other faces in the past, Genbu-san." By now Genbu was giving him his undivided attention, leaving his teacup forgotten on the table.
"Really?" The Ka's politician asked. "Then be my guest and reveal yourself." He signaled for him to uncover his head.
Jigen complied. "As you wish." He took off his hood, revealing his facial features to everyone in the tent.
Genbu looked awestruck, he vaguely recalled that face. "Wait... I remember you." The company commander scratched his hair. "You served under my command, right?" Jigen just nodded at him.
"Yes, Genbu-san. We fought together since the beginning of the last war until the siege on the Capital." The newcomer's words brought back memories to the nobleman.
Genbu looked around him. "What are you doing here, then?" He inquired. "Why didn't you came back to us?" Genbu wanted to know.
"I was captured but I managed to escape some time ago." The former soldier lied.
The Minister contemplated the answer given to him. It was true that the land of This have manage to capture some of his men during and after the failed siege. It was a believable excuse from Jigen's part.
"I believe you." He nodded at his fellow citizen after some thinking. "But what do you wanted to talk about, then?" He knew there was more to it.
"You just wouldn't ask for an audience just to join our cause, would you?" He hoped his reasoning was on point.
Jigen just smirked again. "Perceptive as ever Genbu." The newcomer conceded to his point.
"I am here to propose you something." Genbu was curious again. "I am willing to offer you my help in capturing the country, in exchange I want you and your men to help me kill the concubine of Lord Tenji, Kaguya." That word struck something in Genbu.
The spiky haired man interrogated him. "Kaguya?" The word sounded foreign to his tongue. "Do you know her?" The Minister needed to know if Jigen held any kind of relationship with the woman on topic.
"I do."
Genbu pressed on. "Why do you want that woman dead, then?" He said with curiosity seeping in his question.
"Let just said that she is a threat to everyone." The Minister blinked. "Behind her beautiful face there is something worse. I wanna get rid of her." Jigen said in disdain.
Genbu keep a straigth face until he started laughing. His laughs echoing all around the tent but he stopped when he saw Jigen's emotionless face.
"Really?" He could not believe a woman could be called a threat by a fellow man like him. In fact, a woman was no threat at all in his mind.
"Yes." Jigen huffed the syllable. "And like I said, I will help you and your troops in taking over the country in return." He offered once again. It was a good deal. Everyone win.
"You say that like if you could siege by yourself the entire nation." Genbu said with a tint of sarcasm.
"Because I can..."
"Seriously? Aren't you a little full of yourself?" The nobleman said in a cocky manner. He however had to rehearse his words when Jigen gave him a challenging look.
"I don't." The twenty-two years old clenched his right hand. "Would you care for me to demonstrate?" He said with a playful tone.
"Help yourself then." Genbu crossed his arms over his chest. An expectant glint on his dark eyes.
Jigen face turned serious. He started directing Chakra to his Kāma Seal, barely enough for the demonstration. He needed to hammer his point home, one way or another.
Genbu's smug face began to vanish when he felt a tingling sensation spread all over his tent, the two scouts were no exception too. Whatever Jigen was doing was affecting the entire area inside.
After that, weird stuff started happening like objects moving, his table with a map of the country spread out began shaking until they unexpectedly launched themselves upward like rockets.
Genbu and the two scouts covered their faces, waiting for all things to crash all over the place but nothing happened.
Opening their eyes again, they were met with a surreal view. All of the objects in the tent were suspended mid-air. Tables, lamps, chests, chairs, and all other kind of furniture were at the eye level of Genbu and his men levitating, even the tea in the cup was spread all over the air.
Jigen just blinked his eyes and sighed in satisfaction. They looked absolutely gobsmacked by his minuscule show of skills.
After a few moments, he slowly let all the things touch the ground as not to startle anyone outside.
Finally, when the last piece of furniture touched the ground, the Ōtsutsuki vessel turned to Genbu. An awestruck face meeting his visage, the two scouts faring no better too.
"Did I prove myself to you?" Jigen asked adopting the same posture that Genbu had done some moments ago.
"..."
No one said a word. Jigen just sat on a chair and waited for them to wake up from the stupor.
"Wh... what a... are you?!" Genbu directed the question at him after quite a while, his stuttering a product of watching something damm near impossible, something not meant to be witnessed.
Jigen stood up from the chair and straightened his back. "My name is Ōtsutsuki Jigen..." A red blood-colored tattoo instantaneously formed on the right arm of Jigen and all the way up into his eyebrow. Geometrical figures dotting his white skin in sunburst patterns.
Genbu and his scouts jaws nearly detached themselves at the show of power and magic. They have never seen anything like this before so no one could chastise them from not fully grasping the situation.
"... and you would do well in remember that name." The red glowing Kāma Seal on Jigen's body encapsulated all the attention inside the tent.
OoOoOoO
Ka no Kuni War Camp
Jigen has been staying on this camp for over a week by now. He was currently sitting on the wall side of the cliff.
He was some meters below the edges where no one would dare to get close to him or pester him.
He was practicing his Chakra control much like tree walking but this was a little more invigorating exercise, and Jigen loved to always challenge himself.
From the outside, it quite looked as if the man was meditating peacefully but in reality, he was having an internal discussion. One involving a human and an outer space being type of discussion.
Jigen Mindscape
Jigen's features were disinterested since he was already familiarized with his surroundings. He was floating in some part of a galaxy, perhaps, he couldn't be sure. Stars and heavenly bodies plaguing him, they were all around him just like every single time he had come to this place.
He was currently in what he had dubbed as "The Ōtsutsuki Dimension", much to the chagrin of a certain horned alien. A place where he and the other single entity residing on his body could talk freely and uninterrupted.
"You are slacking off, you know..." A voice he by now knew all too well began. "How do you expect to defeat my kin in your current state?" The strange being asked. He really wanted to know how this human planned to do that.
"You already know that." Jigen stared at him. "I am allying with my former brother-in-arms to reach said goal. This is manipulation at its finest." He outstretched his hands, explaining his point like if it was some kind of a genius idea.
"It is in our best interests to gain their help, with them at our side, Kaguya will meet her end." Jigen raised his right fist and brought it down on his left palm. He sure was enthusiastic about his plan.
"Ha! ha! ha!" Ōtsutsuki Isshiki briefly laughed at the notion. "As if those apes could hope to do some damage to my murderer. They must be the ones damaged in the head instead." He mocked Jigen's race and he was partly right in doing so. What could they do against a Celestial Being like Kaguya, they sure must be delirious.
Jigen just raised his eyebrow, not bothering to give a response.
"Still, I am curious, Kaguya is more powerful than this... " Isshiki pondered on. "I don't know why she is downplaying her abilities, going into hiding is not something common for her." The horned man shook his head. This wasn't anything like the Kaguya he knew.
"In all my eons with her, this is the first time I am seeing her acting up like this." Jigen wanted him to get to the point of his rant.
"What do you think she is plotting?" He crossed his arms, eager to know his answer and be done with him.
"I think she is biding her time." Isshiki adopted a thinker position still floating. "Probably because the Chakra Fruit is still not ready to be harvested until a few days from now on." He pointed a digit upward as if he just had an idea. That certainly must be the reason for the woman's odd behavior.
"Do you think I can get the Fruit before sh-?" Jigen began his counseling but nor for long though.
"And risk yourself getting killed." The being reprimanded him. Isshiki sounded just like his old man. "You should know better by now." And Jigen did, but he didn't lose anything with trying.
"The Shinju only recognizes a pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki as their equal and even we –meaning the Ōtsutsuki— can find ourselves in the sight of their attacks if they lash out against us for whatever reason." Jigen found no weak points in the alien's argument.
"There is a reason why we always travel to planets in pairs you know..." The Ōtsutsuki entity said that like if he was stupid for not deducing that on his own.
"You on the other hand are like a half-blood and that is stretching the word too thin." He opened his arms as if measuring something.
Jigen remembered when he went off to procure the Chakra Fruit from the Shinju. A fortnight after the Monastery Incident he had decided to get the Chakra Fruit for himself before Kaguya beat him to the cake but once he reached the God Tree site he had to reassess again the situation.
Apparently, the Shinju did not acknowledge him as it would do to a true Ōtsutsuki since it lashed out against him with a small fight ensuring after.
Now, he had a black circle mark adorning the center of his low abdomen where a Shinju root had pierced him. A reminder of that particular incident.
'Stupid Shinju, at least I survived, huh'
"So, then there is no other option." Jigen shrugged. "We will have to ally with the humans." He said that like if he wasn't one of them and Isshiki smiled at the subtle action. It was minuscule but it spoke volumes for him.
"And cross our fingers that they managed to pull this out by themselves." The human finished his evaluation of their predicament.
"Yes, Kaguya will play low with them." The horned man assured him. "If you were to search for her instead, she would reveal her true self. You will have to stay out of her sights in the meantime until you are strong enough to take her." Jigen didn't like the thought of going into hiding or being kept out of the spotlight but he would abide. His life depended on it.
"Caution the humans. Tell them to not pull any hits and take any chances against her." That was the truth. No other thing could damage Kaguya aside from him. "Only if they follow those steps they might have a minuscule opportunity of winning this." The Ōtsutsuki didn't have faith in the humans but they were welcome to try to change his mindset.
"I will do so." Jigen obliged.
"Good. You might make it into a century with your way of thinking." The alien praised his vessel. He was starting to think like him.
"Someone is coming." Isshiki felt another presence closing on them. "Remember what I told you." He said before vanishing.
Jigen nodded and he too was gone.
Outside World
Jigen opened his eyes to see a crouched soldier looking at him from the edges of the cliff. His mouth gaping at him.
Jigen turned his eyes at him. "Can I help you?" He said from his position under the awed soldier's gaze in an irritated tone. The soldier regained his posture some seconds later, shaking his head furiously.
"Genbu-sama requests your presence on how to proceed in some... matters." The soldier said sheepishly. "He says it is urgent." He waited for his response.
Jigen stood up and started walking up to the edge of the cliff. The soldier looking at him as if he was some sort of god when he took place next to him and maybe he was.
Once in front of the soldier Jigen replied with a hand gesturing to the camp. "Lead the way then..." The soldier complied, taking the lead.
The walk back to the camp was very calm, only his footsteps and those of the soldier disturbing every once in a while the serene forest sound.
That changed however when they reached the War Camp. All kinds of sounds could be heard to Jigen's enhanced hearing. Laughs, chatter, and snoring were some of the sounds but what Jigen heard the most were the whispers, about him.
Look, there he is...
Is that him?
They say he is a sorcerer.
Hmm. I thought he would be bulkier...
I heard that he can kill you with his mind.
Those were some of the whispers that Jigen could discern from the people around but he didn't care.
He was here for one reason only and he did not mind what people thought of him. That is just how Jigen works. Many onlookers even had the nerve to point at him with their digits.
'Yes, give yourself away'
The whispers finally stopped once he reached Genbu's private tent. The two Samurais at the sides of the entrance bowed slightly before him. Jigen was perplexed but did not comment. What is with the sudden attitude from these people.
Once in the tent, he was met with some familiar faces. Those ones belonging to Genbu and Suzaku.
"Jigen-san. It's good to see you here." Genbu greeted him from the position in the table. "Would you care to join us?" He signaled a space in the circular table for him, especially placed for him.
"What are you talking about exactly?" Jigen asked as he took a seat next to Suzaku.
"We have received word from one of our spies." Suzaku answered, he signaled to the crumpled piece of paper on Genbu's hand.
"This issue pertains to Kaguya." The spiky-haired man passed the note into Jigen palm.
Jigen reached for the note and began to read it, a skill he had learned in a certain Monastery along with writing. "So, she is being moved from the Capital and being taken into a cabin in the woods." The alleged sorcerer asked for clarification after reading the note.
His former squadron leader exhaled from his mouth. "Yes. We would like to hear your advice on how to take the matter ahead." Both men waited for Ōtsutsuki Jigen to shed some light on the topic in the table.
"Kaguya is powerful, as powerful as me. I don't know why would she let Lord Tenji moved her from the Capital." The sorcerer said as he put the piece of paper on the table again.
"She is obviously plotting something..." Suzaku scratched his chin while Jigen finished his statement.
"So the Celestial Maiden is a sorceress too?" Suzaku asked out of the blue.
"You could say so. She is playing the damsel in distress act. I just know it." Jigen grabbed the teapot in the center of the table. It seems like Genbu always a surplus of tea here.
"She is dangerous, Suzaku. I would caution you to not play with her. You could end up dead." Jigen said while serving some tea in his cup.
"Do you have proof to back up that claim?" Suzaku asked with narrowed eyes.
Jigen's free hand moved to his lower abdomen, removing just a little of the robe to reveal a black circular mark on the center of his belly.
Suzaku and Genbu winced at the sight, that did not look like a hickey. Period.
"She gave me this in our last encounter." Jigen lied and took a sip from his cup. "So I repeat, be cautious and attack to kill. No other thing will stall her, burn the cabin if you most." He looked straight at the brown-haired Minister. "Take no chances. She is evil." He said the last word with venom.
"Then you must lead the Witch Hunt against her." Genbu proposed to the Ōtsutsuki vessel.
"I cannot do that."
"Why not, Jigen-san?" The commander in charge was dumbfounded.
'Is not that what you wanted. To kill the woman?' Genbu wondered.
"Part of the reason Kaguya is feigning weakness is that she knows none of you pose a threat to her." Genbu and Suzaku looked surprised at that.
"Thereby she doesn't see a reason to go all out on you." They continue to hear his explanation.
"If she saw me... well she would blow her cover and reveal her true self." The sorcerer paused and after some seconds he continued.
"Regardless, she doesn't know you are informed about her true nature self." He pointed to both men. "She thinks you will underestimate her by the simple fact that she is a woman. That thinking of her will be her undoing." He offered the suggestion with a smirk.
Genbu looked to be processing the influx of information from Jigen. "Then how do you expect us to kill her?" Genbu voiced his query.
"Simply. We drive her out of here." The two Ministers from Ka blinked at the response.
'Did he just say drive her out?' Both men shared the same thinking line.
Suzaku crossed his arms over his chest. "Meaning?"
"Meaning that if Kaguya retreats, then she is no threat to us." The young man said matter of factly. "Kaguya will never show her true colors or at least all of them in your presence." His argument was valid. "You must drove her out, far away from that tree." He pointed at the direction of the Shinju.
"Are you talking about the Mountain Tree?" Even in Ka no Kuni, the people had heard about the tree that touched the heavens. It was one of a kind indeed.
Jigen just nodded. "Yes, Kaguya somehow had gained control of the tree. She will use this tree as a weapon against your men." It was a white lie. He made a gesture enclosing all of them.
"You must not let her get close to it. If she does, then all of this is over." The men looked petrified at the bluff Jigen had come up with.
'Just how powerful is that woman?' Suzaku could only guess.
"We will move some men to the perimeter around the tree, they will block the way around it." Suzaku suggested. "She will have to pass our arrows if she wants to get close to that tree." He finished with a grin.
Genbu nodded at his fellow Minister then turned into Jigen's direction. "We will heed your advice Jigen-san. Anything else you want to share with us?"
Jigen looked sheepishly at him. "Well, I have been meaning to ask. Would you mind if you could lend me your tailor?" He hoped they would say yes, he needed some new clothes. Clothes that fitted him.
Genbu and Suzaku looked puzzled by the request but seeing nothing bad about it, they complied.
"Sure. Give me a second." Genbu called out his guards outside. They would heed the order to bring the tailor.
"Yes, please."
OoOoOoO
Ka no Kuni - So no Kuni Border
A big crowd of people was standing in the cliff that overlooked the land of the Ancestors.
The night had already fallen on the land, yet this gathering of people was unconcerned about that. Torches were lit, bringing some clarity to the darkness that encircled them.
Levy troops, Samurais, Bowmen and other troops were gathered here for a reason. Tonight they would take over the country.
All of the last week's planning had finally culminated at this moment. They would kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, they would capture Lord Tenji's city and kill the Celestial Maiden hidden in the adjoining forest. It sounded so easy yet so hard to accomplish.
Jigen was wearing blacks robes tailored just for him, a black belt on his waist, and his black hood and cape, there were black sandals on his feet and dark pants. He looked quite mysterious, well more than the usual.
He was currently sorting out the last minute details with Genbu and Suzaku.
"... so me and Jigen will direct the main assault on the Capital City." Genbu pointed with a stick at the Capital location on the dirt made map of So no Kuni on the ground.
"You on the other hand will lead the Witch Hunt on the sorceress. Remember do not let her get near the damm tree." Genbu reminded his friend for the umpteenth time.
Suzaku huffed at being reminded already many times of that fact. "Yes, yes..."
"Do not play with your food, Suzaku-san." Jigen said sternly, he did not want that man to ruin all his hard-work.
Suzaku just grinned at them. "I won't do so, trust me." He promised them.
For Genbu that was enough convincement. "Then it is settled. Let's begin." The three bid farewell to each other, ready to carry out their own tasks ahead.
Suzaku went to the other side with a company of men to hunt Kaguya, slowly disappearing in the forest.
Jigen and Genbu went in the opposite direction, going down the cliff to reach the road leading to the Capital City where Tenji would await them.
The march was pretty uneventful, but that changed when they reached the outskirts of the Ancestors Capital City.
A special company of troops was already tasked with seizing the outside territory of the Capital.
The brigade sprung into action once they stepped into the enemy's territory, taking the houses and towns that were unprotected by the walls.
The town outside the walls and its houses were not here some years ago if Jigen's memory served him well.
A horn sounded in the distance
'They know we are here' Jigen knew they would be spotted sooner or later. His faction doesn't putting any effort into being subtle would do that.
Genbu and Jigen were at the front of the formation. They knew sooner or later the watchmen inside the walled Citadel would spot them since they were using the main road that would lead them right into the Capital City's main gates.
Meanwhile, the company of men tasked with taking over the outside town was nearly finishing, killing the last stragglers and defendants, some civilians here and there too.
Soon after, they reached the gates, keeping a safe distance from it, however.
Jigen and company could see that the wall was manned by an agglomeration of bowmen and soldiers.
Every single one of the defendants inside ready to fight if necessary, some of them even grinning at them. They have not even brought siege stairs.
Jigen knew they did not need them at all.
Genbu stepped up forward when another man inside the walls faced him directly. Genbu stopped pretty soon after, recognizing him.
"Tenji-dono. What a surprise to see you here." The Minister of Ka greeted the Daimyō as if they were friends from all life. "I thought you would be sleeping with your pretty lady." He said with a leering grin.
"That is none of your damm business, Genbu-dono." The Ancestor's Daimyō looked around back and forth. "Is that why you have come here... to slander me and my lady?" Lord Tenji said furiously.
Genbu closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, Lord Tenji. I come to you this night to ask for you to give me your city and your country. So, what do you say?" He offered like if that was the best deal in the world.
Lord Tenji looked at him for some seconds and he broke into a laughing fit, his own soldiers doing the same. Laughter infecting all the defendants on the wall. Genbu seethed at them.
Finally, after some moments the Daimyō calmed himself. "You must be mad in the head if you think I am giving you my city." Lord Tenji wiped a tear from his eye.
"Look at you, you even forgot to bring siege stairs and in case you have forgotten in your old age, I have the higher ground!" He outstretched his arms to emphasize his location.
Genbu snickered making Tenji looked at him suspiciously. "That is where you are wrong Tenji-dono." Genbu began. "I have brought a little siege machine of my own." Tenji called bluff on that.
Tenji raised his eyebrow at him. "Oh, really?" He looked around again. "And pray and tell me where it is because I don't see anything." He asked cheekily.
The Minister gave him a grin of his own. "Oh, you will... I promise. So, I will ask you for the last time. Will you surrender, Tenji-dono?" He said seriously.
Lord Tenji didn't budge. "Like I said Genbu-dono. You must have fallen from your crib when you were a babe if you think I will give my country without some fight." The soldiers on the wall cheered at that answer.
"I was kinda hoping you would say that..." Genbu turned and began to walk back to his men.
When he passed near Jigen, Genbu gave his order to start the action. "Begin the siege, Jigen."
"As you wish..."
Jigen walked forward after that with his black cape flowing in the wind. A Bō on his right hand.
He walked at a leisure pace, slowly but surely getting nearer and nearer to the main gates of the Capital. All of the men behind gasping, some even whispering.
They don't know what is coming...
Is he doing this alone?!
Tell me about confidence.
'A lone man against an army' Tenji thought when he gazed at the suicidal man walking into his death.
All eyes watched him. The men in both sides curious about what he would do. Tenji just looked at him strangely.
The Lord if So signaled for one of his bowmen. The bowman closest to him bowed slightly, waiting for his Lord's orders.
"Shoot him down." The sole order echoed all around the wall.
"It will be done, milord." The bowman brought his weapon forward. A wooden bow.
The bowman loaded an arrow and raised his bow, aligning his shot with the man on the ground and lastly he released.
The arrow getting nearer to his target until it stopped.
Tick!
The arrow halted its movement. It seemed like the projectile embedded itself in thin air, not moving a single inch then harmlessly falling on the floor.
Gasps could be heard on both sides. Tenji's eyes widened at that, some of his men even backing a little. This is not what was supposed to happen.
'Impossible' Tenji could not believe his eyes.
Tenji yanked viciously the shoulder of the stupefied bowman at his side. "Do it again." The bowman composed himself per his liege Lord request.
The archer once again reloaded and aimed at the man, releasing the arrow in rapid succession.
The lone arrow flying in the air when it suffered the same fate as the last arrow before him.
Tick!
Another arrow stopped mid-air. This one suspended for more seconds before finally falling into the ground.
The man continued walking unfazed to them.
Tenji was petrified by this. 'What the hell is he?!'
His men however, voiced their thoughts more loudly.
What the hell?!
Who is he?!
I can't believe what I am seeing...
His old supervisor voiced invaded his ears. "What are your orders, Tenji-sama?!" The man sounded fearful and with a good reason.
Tenji just whispered. "Everyone... kill him..." His right-handed man didn't need to be told twice.
"Everyone kill the man!" All the bowmen heeded the order, some more quickly than others.
All of them were surprised by what was happening. Finally, when all of the bows were aimed at the lone man. The old man gave the signal.
Release!
A rain of arrows closed in the hooded man but the man not even batted an eyelash at the incoming danger.
All the arrows stopped
The man raised his left hand. The arrows still airborne slowly turning in their own direction. The one where they came from originally. Then they resumed their movement against their own shooters
Several of his men were hit with their own arrows. The lucky ones managing to duck down in time, Tenji being one amongst them.
Tenji slowly stood up to look over the rails of the wall again. Most of his men were wounded while others groaned in pain on the ground.
But the worst was just coming on the way. What Tenji would witness once he faced the man again would be forever engraved on his mind and of those of his loyal troops.
The hodded man raised his left palm upward, confusing everyone around him until something impossible happened.
A Wind Sphere formed on the left hand of the stranger, gradually increasing in size. The energy that radiated from the technique could be felt by the men on both sides of the conflict.
The sphere grew until it reached the size of a one-story house.
The man then shot his hand forward. The massive Wind Ball following his lead and closing on the gates. A primitive Wind Style technique ready to tear through them.
THRUSH!
Tenji gripped the rails on the wall, something strong had impacted against the main gates, making the wall foundations rock vigorously like if they were made of jelly.
He turned to the other side to look down at how the gates had fared against whatever the man had done to them.
Tenji's mouth opened unwittingly when he gazed at the gates. They were wide open, blown out of their hinges. One gate on the ground and the other laid on the wall side.
Tenji ran to the rails that faced the man direction. The man just looked at them, standing idly but not for long.
On the other side behind Jigen, Genbu and his company were flabbergasted.
Jigen was slowly leaving the ground. All eyes —friendly and enemy ones— following his movement until he was standing at the defenders level on the wall. The Bō never leaving his rigth hand and a smirk on his obscured face could be seen from those on the wall.
Genbu and his retinue finally woke up from their momentarily paralysis. Genbu grinned at the sigth of the gates blown out. At last they would be victorious.
The Minister of Ka held up his sword and gave an order of his own.
CHARGE!
All the Ka's soldiers roared in delight.
All of them were emboldened by the fact that a God was fighting on their side. They were unstoppable. Nothing could defeat them, not with Jigen on their side.
All sorts of positive thoughts ran on the minds of the invaders who were quickly closing the distance to the main gates. They were ready to spill some blood.
Tenji looked at the roaring horde of soldiers then back to the man—if he could be called that— standing on the air.
The Daimyō closed his eyes. A defeated sigh escaped his lips and one sad thought coursed through his brain.
'We lost...'
The invaders finally reached the gates, Tenji's men on ground level forming a line to meet them head-on.
All of them shared one thing. The fear and uncertainty in their eyes. Their weapons shaking and their holds wavering.
Ahhhh!
Metal against metal clashed. The night had just begun.
End of Chapter
AN: Damm boys, I got really pumped up in this chapter. This is my biggest chapter to date.
So you know what is coming in the next chapter. More action but more regulated. Remember this still a flashback. Jigen will do anything in his power to stop Kaguya. Or use anyone. Wink wink.
Anyway, review if you have something to say. Fav and follow if you like my work.
We will see each other next time in The Great Destroyer Part 2.
Have a nice day.
DragoonMen