Heya Everybody

Sorry for the delay, but we are back once again with another long chapter.

Personally, I thought Sayo and Ieyasu could've been interesting characters should they have not died, so I decided to give them a role and see what happens!

Thank you all for your continued support. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 11 - Sayo and Ieyasu

A little over a week passed since Tatsumi's mission in the tomb of the first emperor. His journey back to the snowy village hidden in the mountains was a relaxing one, treading paths he had walked countless times before. A year after obtaining Shinatsuhiko, Tatsumi left the village to wander the country to obtain experience. He could only go so far in the spars he had with his friends, who he could defeat even without the use of his Teigu.

With that being said, Tatsumi was running out of things to teach them. He's already taught them the basics and techniques. All that is left is experience and refinement. If there's anything left… it would be about the Empire. After that, I can leave this village in their hands and focus on the mission to end the Empire. Tatsumi pondered.

The village has become an important place for Tatsumi. Every month or two he would head back to the village to check up on his friends. It was what he considered his new home, a place that would always welcome him back.

"Ah, Tatsumi! Welcome back!" Tatsumi smiled and waved to the passing villagers. He was well-known in the village at this point, only a few villagers haven't been able to speak to him personally. He continued towards the center of the village, stopping every once in a while to talk to housewives, play with little kids and help hunters drag their game back to the slaughterhouse.

He arrived in the village around noon, but it wasn't until well into the afternoon that he finally reached his intended destination: the elder's house. The elder of this village is the highest authoritative figure and highly respected, but he treats himself no different from any other villager. The house was made out of logs, a large wooden house that heavily resembled a cabin with no difference from the abode of average villagers. Heavy snow decorated the roof all year round and the lights hung up by the door flickered faintly under the setting sun.

Tatsumi knocked on the door and waited patiently. Soon, light footsteps could be heard from the other side of the door and a middle-aged woman opened the door. She was the elder's daughter, a married woman and a mother to three kids. She quickly recognized Tatsumi and invited him inside with a warm, welcoming smile. She rushed up the stairs after Tatsumi settled into the living room, an elderly figure followed her down the stairs moments later.

"Tatsumi! You're back!" The elder exclaimed happily. He walked at a speed befitting of his old age, though his happy and energetic appearance made him seem years younger. Tatsumi bowed in respect and the Elder quickly dismissed his formal action.

"Yeah, it's been nearly half a year now, I thought I'd come to check up on my friends." Tatsumi said with a smile, which quickly turned around when the elder frowned. What's wrong? Did something happen to them? He anxiously waited for the elder to explain.

"That's right, you haven't heard." The elder mumbled. Tatsumi sat up in alarm. Haven't heard about what?! What happened to his friends!?

"About what?" Tatsumi inquired impatiently, his heart rate speeding up.

"Sayo and Ieyasu have left for the Capital." The pressure in Tatsumi's chest disappeared, replaced completely with shock.

"... What?!"

The Capital of the Empire - Military Training Field

Hell on earth. A phrase that described a location where atrocious, inhumane, despair-inducing acts of torture and punishment took place.

The sky was crystal clear, not a single speck you could mistake for a cloud. That meant there wasn't the slightest chance in hell they'd find shade under the blazing hot sun. This truly felt like a noose around the necks of the trainees as they stood in attention under the inferno that was roasting them alive. The dusty ground of the field they stood in, combined with the humid, warm wind that blew across their faces only cemented their opinions of the place.

This was hell on earth. That is, if hell came with a large, bulky man with a missing left eye.

"Alright listen up you maggots! I am Captain Ogre and I have been assigned to this shitty job of training you fresh recruits. But I'mma explain to you the system before we begin. The system is simple. I tell you to jump, you ask how high! I tell you to scream, you keep screaming until I tell you to stop! You guys are my slaves from now until your ready to hurt some people, so if I hear anyone talk back to me your gonna get a whipping worse than you could ever imagine! You hear me?!"

There were one hundred young adults standing in a ten by ten square formation. Everyone was standing with their legs spread and arms behind their backs. Many were fighting the urge to wipe their sweat after standing under the blazing sun for half an hour and the big, scary, angry man yelling from the front was not making them any more comfortable.

"Yes, sir!" Everyone said in unison, a common desire to get this over with brought them together as a unit. But the General was obviously not pleased with their response, his furrowed eyebrows communicated that message clearly.

"What the hell was that?! A mute hamster could yell louder than you people! YOU HEAR ME?!" He bellowed.

"YES SIR!" Everyone screamed at the top of their lungs. The vibration from their own voice threatened to rip their dry throats to pieces, several recruits desperately held back the urge to fall into a coughing fit. Ogre scanned the crowd and shook his head.

"Still not up to par but what else can I expect from a bunch of lowlifes. You will be doing drills until sunset. I expect every task to be completed to a T. Any questions?" Ogre looked around the crowd and saw one young teenage boy with his arm raised. The boy was in his mid-teens. His messy black hair was held back with a headband and there were no other character-defining features that made him stand out. What surprised Ogre was the raw aura that pulsed from the youth.

"You there!" Ogre yelled. Ieyasu stepped out of line and saluted in accordance to the rules. "Identify yourself, soldier." Ogre commanded.

"Recruit number fifty-eight, Ieyasu, sir!" Ieyasu announced. Ogre nodded, silently burning the name and number into his memory.

"What's your question?"

"Sir! How do I become a commanding officer?!" He asked. Ogre did a double take and grinned. Asking such a provoking question on his first day in service? The kids got guts!

To the side, Sayo grimaced and desperately held herself back from face-palming. Why did she have to come to the capital of the Empire with a guy whose IQ is probably lower than the number of clouds in the sky right now? They should've waited for Tatsumi. They definitely should've waited for Tatsumi. Why didn't they wait for Tatsumi? Oh yeah, because said idiot suggested they don't! And she listened!

"Kid I don't know what your momma's been feeding you but you're either very ambitious or hilariously retarded. I have a right to promote anybody I want, so if I judge you to be accomplished and fit for the job, I will naturally promote you to a commanding officer. But I have to say your chances are just like your brain, not too bright." Ieyasu growled before returning to the line and standing in attention. He'll show the cyclops who's boss one day. When the sparring session comes around, he'll kick this one-eyed bastard six ways to Sunday and take his place as General.

Kids got spunk I'll give him that much. He has potential, I'll have to keep an eye on him. Ogre thought to himself, not knowing what Ieyasu had been plotting inside his head.

"Any other questions?!" He looked around and seeing that no one has their hand raised, he nodded.

"Alright, drop down and give me fifty push ups! For every push up you can't perform, you get one extra mile to run!"

The training was rough for the new recruits. Ogre made sure to push them as hard as they can possibly go. Several collapsed with heat strokes an hour into the training, and instead of getting them help, Ogre splashed them with water and told them to keep going. By the time dinner rolled around, only half the group was awake to eat.

There were a lot more than one hundred people in the cafeteria. That's because the thousands of new recruits were split up into companies of one hundred men. The only times all the recruits were able to join and interact were during meals and the occasional joint-training, should a commander be busy.

Amongst the recruits that lasted through Ogre's torturous training regime were the young teenage pair from the snowy village.

"Sayo-chan? Why aren't you talking to me?" Ieyasu asked as he followed Sayo, carrying a tray full of food in his hands. They sat down at the large wooden table, big enough to seat at least six men with room to spare. Ieyasu tried to face Sayo but she just looked away. He had been following her around trying to talk to her for the entire day now, but Sayo refused to say a word.

"I don't know you, please don't associate with me." She said bluntly. Ieyasu knew exactly what caused her to be angry, but he couldn't understand why no matter how hard he pondered.

"It was a genuine question! I don't want to be stuck as a random foot soldier! Being a distinguished commanding officer is cool, it's a young boy's wet dream! You can't blame me for that!" She looked at Ieyasu with eyes filled with pity and disappointment. She took her freshly baked bread and dipped it into the chicken soup. Taking a large bite out of it, she was surprised by how good it tasted. The soup was thick and rich with flavor, the bread itself had a crunchy crust and soft interiors.

Too bad half the men are in their beds. I feel bad so maybe I should bring some for them? Sayo turned her attention back to Ieyasu who was still looking at her, expecting a positive response.

She sighed." Getting a higher payroll is not a bad idea, but can you please try and follow basic social etiquette? For example, not asking an egotistical question in front ninety-nine other comrades?" She suggested, trying to be nice. Ieyasu was about to protest when another voice cut in.

"Good evening fellow recruits! May I join you at your table?" A bright and cheery female voice asked.

Sayo and Ieyasu turned to look at the owner of the voice. It was a female new recruit. The girl had Russet colored hair tied in a ponytail that reached down to the base of her neck. Her eyes matched her hair color and she had a bright smile.

Sayo looked around the room. They were in a large cafeteria with enough room to fit five hundred men with no real problems. The tables were arranged very simply and efficiently as one would expect from a military setting. Even so, the huge number of new recruits have filled the cafeteria to the brim. The only reason why their table was not full was that people were avoiding Ieyasu.

"Go ahead." Sayo replied. The girl thanked them and sat down.

"My name is Sayo. This is Ieyasu." Sayo introduced. The girl saluted with her free hand and replied energetically.

"Recruit number twenty-four, Seryu!" She announced. Sayo giggled at the way Seryu acted professional, but gave off an air that made Sayo unable to take her seriously. It's like when a pouting child says 'I'm angry!' in a high pitched voice. Seryu, being the subject, didn't understand what was to laugh at.

"Is something the matter?" Seryu asked with a confused look. Ieyasu looked just as confused, unsure what there was to laugh at. Both stared at the giggling Sayo, who blushed slightly and coughed.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing. So Seryu, why did you decide to join the army?" Sayo asked in an attempt to change the topic. A passionate and brights smile appeared on Seryu's lips and she shot up.

"Ever since I was a child, I've always dreamed of following my father's footsteps and join the Imperial Police! When I was six years old, I got lost in a bad neighborhood and a group of bad guys tried to attack me, but then a group of policemen came and saved me! They are the allies of justice and I will definitely become one of them!" She told them loudly and passionately. Sayo could clearly see the stars shining in her eyes as she kept telling them about how awesome the police force was. Ieyasu, however, reacted to a different portion of the speech.

"Allies of justice?! That sounds awesome. I want to be an ally of justice too!" Ieyasu half-yelled with excitement. That sparked a whole new conversation between the two as Seryu and Ieyasu started getting hyped at the prospect. Sayo rested her chin on one hand as she slowly tuned out their exhausting conversation.

A dream huh? Sayo never thought much about her future. She was the type that went with the flow. She believed that destiny already had her future planned out and all she had to do was wait for the time to arrive. But if I were to say a dream I have… B-be a bride… maybe? As she thought that, her eyes unintentionally drifted towards the messy-haired boy sitting to her side. A small blush heated up her cheeks and she snapped her head the other way. Ieyasu jerked in surprise at the sudden movement and looked fearfully at Sayo.

"U-ummm... Sayo?" He asked fearing he did something that angered her again.

"It's nothing. Shut up." She replied coldly. Ieyasu shivered and snapped his mouth shut. He knew better than to disobey when his childhood friend becomes like that. The last time he tried, he ended up with a few bruises and a twisted ankle. Sayo is pretty and refined, but damn is she scary when angry. Ieyasu thought. Seryu watched their interaction with innocent ignorance.

"What's your relationship?" She asked with a question mark over her head. They clearly knew each other, but Sayo seemed to dislike Ieyasu. At least, that's what her oblivious mind saw. Her question was innocent without any implications, but Sayo didn't interpret it that way. Her head snapped towards the ponytailed brunette, her face burning up.

"W-w-what do you mean?! We are just friends!" Her outburst surprised Seryu slightly. Sayo realized she was overreacting and took a few breaths before clarifying in a calmer voice. "We're childhood friends. We came from a small village and our parents were close friends. As far back as I can remember, Ieyasu has been there." Seryu nodded with an amazed face. Seyru never actually had any good friends. She had always been extremely passionate about her dream, to the point where it annoyed anyone she came into contact with. Her father tried his best to ease her loneliness, but she couldn't help but feel empty inside whenever her father was gone. But these two are different! Seryu thought to herself hopefully.

Seryu suddenly bowed, nearly dunking her forehead into her soup. Ieyasu and Sayo looked at her with shock. "Um! Can you two be my friends?!" She yelled. Sayo and Ieyasu shared an odd look.

"What do you mean?" Seryu forced a small smile and laughed nervously.

"I've never had any… friends because of certain reasons." She explained cryptically. It was an odd request, but Sayo didn't sense a malicious intent. She must have her reasons. Sayo peaked at Ieyasu, who had a confused look and nudged him slightly with her elbow. Their eyes met and Sayo smiled. The same smile was reflected on Ieyasu's face, who understood the message. They turned, in unison, to their new friend and said one word.

"Gladly!"

From that day on, a small group formed within the ranks of the Empire's new recruits. Seryu and Ieyasu became good friends in a short period of time while Sayo developed an easy-going camaraderie with the girl. Within weeks, they distinguished themselves from the other recruits, showing physical abilities on par with trained soldiers. Sayo and Ieyasu quickly found out that Seryu had received simple training from her father, a captain in the ranks of the Imperial Police, from a young age.

Their excellence did not escape the attention of their trainer.

"Those kids are too far ahead of the others to effectively train together." The training supervisor reported to Ogre, who tapped his desk with his right pointer finger.

"Seryu received training from her father, a fellow Captain of the Imperial Police and good friend of mine. Her father knows she is beyond the recruit standards and requested me to personally train her. As for the other two... " Ogre trailed off while closing his eyes. The cocky boy, Ieyasu, had caught his interest from day one. Ogre could tell that the boy had potential. As for the girl, Sayo, she had performed way beyond the expectations her well-mannered looks had set for her. Ogre smirked.

"Bring recruit numbers fifty-eight and fifty-nine to me. If I like what I hear, I will personally train them along with Seryu and Riku." The training supervisor nodded and saluted, before stepping out of Ogre's office in search of the two teenagers. Ten minutes later, he came back with Sayo and Ieyasu in tow. The pair entered the room and saluted by the room.

"Recruit number fifty-eight, Ieyasu, and number fifty-nine, Sayo, reporting for duty, sir!" They announced. Ogre nodded.

"At ease." He commanded. In response to his words, Sayo and Ieyasu both changed into a stance with their legs spread open slightly and their arms behind their backs. They quickly glanced around Ogre's office. The room was not large. A fourth of the room's floor space was occupied by Ogre's desk, which was positioned towards the back of the room. Two large bookshelves stood side by side to their left, filled to the brim with books and manuals. Behind Ogre's back, the Empire's flag hung proudly. The wall to their right was decorated with trophies, awards, badges, and other decorations.

While they were examining the room, Ogre was examining them. He purposefully called them right after their morning training was over, yet they weren't even panting. The only indication that they had exercised at all were the thin layers of sweat that covered their faces. He was slightly suspicious that they might have been slacking off during training, but he never once received reports about such actions.

"The reason I called for you two today is simple. I have a few questions for you two and I want answers. Lying won't work on me, so don't even try. Am I clear?" Ogre said with an air of intimidation. Sayo looked worried, not sure if they had done anything wrong while Ieyasu stayed oblivious to the odd situation. Either way, they replied as usual.

"Sir, yes sir!" Ogre nodded.

"First question, what is your purpose for joining the army?" Sayo sighed in relief, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Our village is having monetary issues. We joined the army in order to support our village. We both have decent combat abilities, so this was the quickest and easiest way of earning money." Sayo responded calmly and truthfully. There was no particular reason to hide it. Ogre raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Oh? Where is your village located and where did you obtain your combat abilities?" He inquired.

"Our village is around two weeks journey northwest of the Capital. It is a village built in the mountains, as well as the representative of all the villages in the area. As for our combat abilities…" Sayo trailed off, not sure if the captain would believe that someone as young as Tatsumi trained them. Ogre narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the pause while Ieyasu raised an eyebrow before deciding to finish her sentence.

"We were trained by a friend of ours. His name is Tatsumi and he is super strong!" Ieyasu finished. Ogre wanted to inquire further about that friend of theirs, but decided that it was pointless. He suspected that they might be spies, but if that was the case, they wouldn't be able to hide it from him if he were to train them. With that in mind, he nodded to himself.

"Alright, I'll trust that you are telling me the truth. I'll get to the point. I personally knew Seryu's father and I will be training her personally. You two are well beyond the level of the other recruits, therefore I have an offer for you. Train under me. I will make you two true soldiers." Ogre offered stoically. Ieyasu and Sayo shared a wide-eyed look of surprise. If they were, to be honest, the training offered by the Empire up until now was sorely disappointing for the duo.

Although their main goal for joining the army was to help the village, they had a second motive. Become stronger and surprise Tatsumi. Therefore, they had no reason to refuse. Nodding to each other for confirmation, they turned back to Ogre and saluted.

"Sir, yes sir!" Ogre nodded.

"Meet me in training tent number six tonight after dinner." He ordered and waved his hand, sending them away. They saluted one last time before they turned one-eighty and marched out the door in the same manner in which they came. After they left, a dark silence settled in Ogre's office. A sadistic smile found its way on his scarred face and he narrowed his eyes at the door.

If they turn out to be spies… that would make things a lot more fun for me.

The distant sun cast a light orange shade on the edge of the violet sky as Sayo, Ieyasu, and Seryu stepped out of the mess tent. It was early autumn, but the air was chilly, sending shivers down Seryu's spine. On the other hand, Ieyasu and Sayo, who grew up in a place where the warmest temperature was under fifteen degrees Celsius, didn't feel anything. They giggled at Seryu's shivering form before suggesting they head to training tent number six as ordered.

There were over a dozen training tents in the area. Their purpose was to provide space for combat training, something that new recruits wouldn't experience for at least another nine months. The tents were of different sizes, the largest being over five-thousand square yards. Each tent consisted of large spaces with special flooring that simulated the cushioning effect of dirt. Larger tents had their own small armory with different types of weaponry, resources, and special training equipment.

Tent number six was the smallest amongst the training tents, being the size of a dojo. There was enough maneuvering room for, at most, three fights to go on at once. As the trio entered the tent, they saw captain Ogre sitting cross-legged at the opposite side of the room. His eye was closed and his arms were crossed. As they approached him, unsure if he was asleep, his eye opened and he pushed himself up.

"Today, each of you will be fighting me individually. If you manage to last for five minutes, I will train you. However, if you fail, I will send you back to train with the recruits." He said stoically. Sayo and Seryu looked at each other nervously, but Ieyasu stepped up.

"What if I defeat you within five minutes?" He challenged with a grin. The girls' jaws dropped at the provocative comment, expecting Ogre to blow up in anger, but to their surprise, Ogre exploded in laughter.

"You've got a mouth on you, brat. If you manage to defeat me within five minutes, I will promote you directly to a captain. Of course, now that you've said that, don't expect me to go easy on you." Ogre replied. He proceeded to bring out an arsenal of different weapons. After picking out a simple two-handed steel broadsword, he motioned for Ieyasu to pick out his own weapon. Without hesitation, Ieyasu grabbed a spear around six feet in length with a wooden shaft and a steel tip. Both weapons were dull, a safety measure to ensure damage doesn't extend further than bruises.

Ieyasu spun the spear experimentally in his hands, feeling its weight and balance before nodding. It wasn't perfect, but he could make do with it. The two proceeded to opposite sides of the room, settling into their own stances while Sayo and Seryu stood off to the side. Ieyasu bent his knees and dropped his center of gravity, positioning his weapons so that the spearhead pointed towards the ground. On the opposite side, Ogre held onto the handle of his sword with both hands, the sword directly in front of him. Neither of them moved for several moments until Ieyasu decided staring wouldn't win him the fight and charged.

Ieyasu straightened his legs, launching his body towards Ogre, who merely tensed his muscles. As Ieyasu neared the bulky captain, his spear flicked upwards and surged forward. Ogre easily parried the jab by shifting his sword. Ieyasu repeatedly stabbed at Ogre's chest, but each attack was deflected to the side with little to no effort.

Finally, Ogre decided to stop playing around and swung his arm while deflecting an attack. The unexpected force threw Ieyasu off balance, his body spun without his permission, leaving his side open. Ogre's hand left his weapon and met Ieyasu's exposed side, the impact throwing the boy back. His offense isn't bad. He has good control over his spear and he has the basics down. But he lacks speed, strength, and most of all, a plan of attack. Ogre analyzed using the short confrontation.

With three minutes on the clock, Ogre went on the offense. Before Ieyasu could shake off the pain in his side, Ogre lunged forward and brought his broadsword down onto the boy. Ieyasu reacted by jumping out of the way, the sword impacting the ground sent a small tremor through the tent. A bead of sweat rolled down the teenagers forehead as he leaned back, the tip of the sword grazing across his chest.

Ogre's continued his onslaught of high-powered swings and slashes. Ieyasu attempted to block the first few, but the impact caused his arms to go numb and he promptly gave up on the idea. He settled with intercepting the attack and guiding the attack down the shaft of his spear away from his body.

But after two minutes, Ieyasu couldn't hold on any longer and a single slip allowed Ogre's sword to hit his right arm. Ieyasu wanted to scream, but choked it down and grunted in pain. The power behind the sword wasn't enough to crack his humerus, but it would definitely leave a nasty bruise. Ieyasu attempted to disengage by jumping backward, but Ogre chased without giving him breathing room.

Ieyasu's breathing was labored thanks to the pain and combat and he knew he wouldn't be able to last for another minute under his trainer's pressure. He had to do something. Ogre bent down low and jumped at Ieyasu, raising his sword high above his head in a deadly downward swing. Following his gut instinct, Ieyasu leaped forward, slipping under Ogre's towering form. The captain's eyes widened at the reckless action and couldn't stop his motion. As his sword impacted the solid ground, Ieyasu spun around and swung his spear at Ogre's neck.

An evil smirk appeared on the captains face. Using the rebound force of the impact, he spun on his heels and deflected Ieyasu's spear, knocking it out of his hands. Ieyasu was shocked the counter and clenched his eyes as Ogre raised his weapon to finish him off. But the strike never came and Ieyasu peeked at the captain who had a grin on his face.

"Congratulations, you survived five minutes." He said while pointing at a clock suspended on a nearby wall. Ieyasu released a huge sigh of relief before collapsing on his butt. He rubbed his stinging right arm and winced at the bruise that was forming.

"You really went all out Captain." Ieyasu grumbled. Ogre scoffed at the comment.

"If I went all out, your arm would be broken." He replied haughtily. Even though he said that, the boy really pushed him to go all out. That last attack was reckless but it took him by surprise. It was only thanks to his years of combat experience that he managed to deflect that strike that would have cost him the match. He then turned his attention to the girls that were waiting for their turns.

He was going to train Seryu even if she lost and if he were to assume Sayo was equal to Ieyasu in combat, then there was no real need to test her. With that in mind, he changed his plan.

"Seryu and Sayo. You two will spar each other. I will observe and decide if you are worthy to train." The two girls looked at each other before nodding with confidence. Ogre dragged Ieyasu off to the side and crossed his arms as the two girls settled into their own respective combat stances.

Seryu's arms were positioned close to her chest, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Her legs were spread slightly, one slightly in front of her body and one behind. Sayo's stance was looser, her arms relaxed by her sides and her legs slightly bent with one in front of the other.

As soon as Ogre signaled for the match to begin, they both sprinted towards each other, meeting at the center of the room. A flurry of punches, spins, and kicks flew between the two young female warriors, their techniques going way beyond what one would ever expect from teens. Yet Ogre's attention wasn't on them. His eyes were aimed towards Ieyasu who was leaning against the wall, his eyes tracing every movement of the battle.

The boy's performance went way beyond what Ogre originally thought. In fact, he never planned on going as hard as he had. Yet the boy had put up enough of a resistance that Ogre actually started enjoying the battle, not thinking too much about what it meant. But now that the battle was over, Ogre frowned at the oddness. Having served in the army and the police force for over twenty years, Ogre's fought countless battles and faced countless enemies, yet the number of men that gave him an enjoyable fight could be counted with both hands.

But today, a teenage boy just increased that number.

This boy had a lot of potential, Ogre didn't doubt that. He could sense it through his years of experience training youngsters. But the fact that Ieyasu could fight as he did meant that he had training, and from his level of skill, very good training.

In other words, whoever his teacher was, that man is definitely not some random soldier.

Ogre narrowed his eyes at Ieyasu. "Boy, who did you say your teacher was again?" He inquired with power behind his voice. Ieyasu snapped his head towards him, beads of cold sweat rolling down the back of his neck.

"U-um, his name is Tatsumi." Ieyasu said with a bit of a stutter. Ogre's frown deepened. He couldn't recall any notable soldiers, warrior or general by that name. Is he lying to me? The very thought made Ogre suspicious and angry, but he quickly controlled his emotions.

"Your fighting style reminds me of an acquaintance, so your teacher might be related to him. What does your teacher look like?" Ogre lied through his teeth. The chances that Ieyasu was a spy was low. From his battle with the boy, he could tell that Ieyasu wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Using this lie, he aimed to casually trick any amount of information out of the boy. And from the bright, surprised look on Ieyasu's face, he definitely succeeded.

"Really!? That's so cool! Tatsumi is a boy my age with light brown hair and light green eyes. He's slightly taller than me and not as bulky." Ieyasu described excitedly. He had no idea where Tatsumi went after he left the village. Since the Capital was such a large and important place, he just assumed Tatsumi's been here. With such wild and naive preconceptions, he answered without hesitation.

At the news, Ogre had to hold in a growl. This brat is saying he's been taught by a brat his age?! He was about to blow up on Ieyasu when he noticed the innocent glint in the boy's eyes. This brat… he isn't lying. A cold chill shot through Ogre's spine when he came to that realization.

"I don't remember anyone like that." Ogre said bluntly and Ieyasu slumped in disappointment. It was at this point that they remembered a fight was still going on and they turned their attention back to the girls. Both of the combatants were out of breath, panting and covered in a layer of sweat. Sayo's legs looked ready to buckle while Seryu's arm was obviously limp. Neither had a clear advantage over the other and both looked like they were at their limits.

Ogre clapped his hands together and they slowly turned their eyes towards him.

"That's enough, I'll pass you both. Meet me here tomorrow at the break of dawn, if you're late I'm kicking you right out. You three are dismissed." The trio looked at each other with confusion, feeling as if Ogre was acting very rushed but didn't dare ask any question. They quickly bowed and left the tent, leaving Ogre alone.

Ogre didn't linger around and headed back to his office. As he walked, the soldiers that he passed by could sense something off about him and saluted with all their might, gestures that he couldn't give fewer shits about at the moment.

The moment he reached his room, he began searching through every book he had detailing previous generals and notable warriors. But nothing, not a single one matched the description of this Tatsumi character. An annoyed growl escaped his throat and he smashed his fist onto his tabletop.

If there was one thing Ogre hated more than anything else in the world, it was enigmas. He had no fear of his enemies, since he would make sure his enemies were definitely weaker than him. But enigmas that posed a potential threat to him gave him chills, and he hated that with all his being.

His eyes glinted with silent anger and he wrote into his memo pad the name.

Tatsumi

Over half a year passed since and Ogre was relentless in his training of the trio. Everyday he worked them into the ground, drilling the art of combat beyond their bodies and into their souls. The regime he put them through was enough to kill adult men, as it had in the past. But the trio pushed through it and came out on top. Through their shared hardships, Sayo and Ieyasu both developed a strong bond with their new partner, Seryu, holding huge respect for her not only because of her strength, but also her passion.

Barely a week into their relationship, Sayo and Ieyasu quickly learned of Seryu's burning passion for justice. There were moments when Sayo thought that maybe her obsession was unhealthy, but never said anything because Ieyasu vehemently agreed with Seryu.

"Passion for justice can't be unhealthy. You can never have too much justice!" Ieyasu said when Sayo consulted him about Seryu. From then on, Sayo never mentioned her feelings and supported her friend's passion. Ieyasu, under the heavy influence of the girl, declared himself as a future hero of justice and began working even harder to achieve that title.

Their schedule was jam-packed with training and only training, which is why today immediately stood out to the trio simply because…

"I'm sending you runts on a simple mission to-" Ogre said as soon as the three gathered in their usual training tent. Ieyasu jumped and cheered, rudely interrupting Ogre mid-sentence. The captain did not take kindly to that and brought his fist down right onto Ieyasu's skull, knocking him down instantly. While Ieyasu was drifting on the border of consciousness, Ogre continued his briefing.

"Your mission is to aid the imperial soldiers stationed at Asahi village located 50 miles west of the empire. An illegal insurgency group has been terrorizing the village. They call themselves the revolutionary army and they are trying to overthrow the empire. Drive them out of the village." Sayo and Seryu clicked their heels together, straightened their posture and saluted. Ieyasu tried to do the same but was too dizzy and ended up tripping over his feet.

"Head over to barrack number 8, you will receive your equipment there. Afterward, head to field number 3. You'll join the soldiers there and will be dispatched by noon. At the pace you'll be marching, you'll arrive at the village around sunset five days from now. Any questions?" The girls responded with negative and Ogre nodded. "You are dismissed."

The two girls quickly dragged their male friend out of the tent and towards the barracks. If Ieyasu still hadn't recovered by then, they were fully ready to dump a bucket of water on him. After they left, a fellow captain of the imperial army entered the room. He was a sturdy man half a head shorter than Ogre and with less muscle mass. He held the same aura of authority as Ogre, but lacking the intimidating appearance. He saluted to Ogre, who returned the gesture, and they settled into a relaxed stance.

"How's the situation in Asahi?" Ogre asked with a noticeable lack of interest. The fellow captain shrugged with a similar lack of interest.

"Same as before. The rebels are attempting to gain control of the village and we're trying to stop them. They are terrorizing the villagers to lower morale and we're gathering reinforcements to hopefully put a stop to them by the end of week." He responded concisely. Ogre scoffed at the information.

"I know that, that's the official status of the village." He replied in an annoyed tone. The other captain smirked

"Of course. The villagers are fully convinced that the rebels are the evil ones. Those who held any doubt have been taken care of. Most of them were murdered when they stepped out of the village and our soldiers brought their bodies back and blamed it on the rebels. There is no need to worry about 'bad' influence on your students." The captain replied, performing air quotations with his hands at the word bad. Ogre grinned.

"Good. Seryu and Ieyasu are especially naive. The goal of this mission is to ensure they believe the Empire is just and the rebels are vile bastards. I don't care how you do it, but make sure they come back alive and well." Ogre replied. The situation in the Asahi village was partially orchestrated. It wasn't a lie that rebels are attempting to occupy the area, but the claim that they were terrorizing the villagers was 100% saturated bullshit. The empire decided to use the situation in that village to indoctrinate new recruits.

"Sure thing. It's not often you take interest to some new recruit. We could go as far as sacrificing the village altogether if you'd like." The captain responded nonchalantly. Ogre smirked.

"I'll leave what to do up to your discretion, captain." Ogre replied before saluting and left the tent. The captain sighed exasperatedly before heading in the direction of field 3.

Completely oblivious to their situation. Sayo, Seryu and the now soaking wet Ieyasu gathered their equipment with a small amount of nervousness and a shit-load of excitement. They reported to field three around 2 o'clock in the afternoon and received the same briefing as before, but this time together with three dozen other soldiers. It was around 3 o'clock when they were loaded into carriages.

The group of three dozen soldiers consisted of mostly new recruits who have yet to experience the battlefield and a few veterans littered throughout. Among those new recruits, only three people weren't feeling some sort of anxiety.

Sayo held a calm indifference. There was no reason for her to be scared, she held confidence that she was strong enough to face most opponents and the chances that her enemies would be on par or stronger than Tatsumi was essentially zero. She wasn't particularly looking forward to the battlefield, but she had been prepared to do so since signing up for the army.

On the other hand, Seryu and Ieyasu were barely able to contain their excitement. They were being sent to save a suffering village from the clutches of evil! This was what they were training for! What they've been dreaming of!

That disgustingly naive and childish attitude of theirs was completely and mercilessly shattered the moment they stepped into that village.

The village was by no means large, with a population of barely 800 residents. The population was once larger, around 1000. The western half of the village was in shambles. The fields of the village were covered in ashes left behind by raging fires. The villagers looked like walking corpses, with dark bags under their eyes and eyes filled with stress and anxiety. The houses that remained untouched did not provide nearly enough living space to fill the surviving villagers, leaving hundreds to suffer in the roads and alleyways.

Ieyasu looked around the village with disbelief, Sayo with sadness, Seryu with anger. They were not welcomed. The villagers looked at them with fear and hints of anger.

Their presence wasn't a symbol of peace, but a sign of conflict.

"This…" Ieyasu couldn't help but picture his village, his beloved home, in the same situation as this village. That excitement inside his chest warped into a burning rage. His fists unconsciously clenched. Sayo, who saw this, understood exactly what Ieyasu was feeling and wrapped an arm to hug him. He took a deep breaths and gave Sayo a thankful look before following the rest of the troops towards their encampment.

As they walked toward the camp, they saw more and more of what could only be described as despair. Mothers hugging the bodies of their children, children mourning over the hastily dug graves of their fathers. Hundreds of villagers trembling at the clattering of steel as the reinforcements marched by. To the roadside, a teenage girl slightly younger than the trio was huddled against a cobblestone wall. Sayo frowned and separated from the march, approaching the girl. Ieyasu and Seryu followed as well. When Sayo stopped in front of the girl, she flinched but didn't make a move to leave. Sayo crouched down and asked a simple question in a light tone.

"What happened?" The girl, whose long and messy bangs had covered her face, slowly lifted her face and the trio couldn't help but wince. Brutal scars left behind by a serious burn marked nearly half her face, completely destroying her otherwise beautiful appearance. Her eyes were blank, soulless. At a single glance, Sayo could tell this girl had long lost her will to live.

"It's gone… everything…" That was all she said. That was all she could say and all the trio needed to hear. The tone of her voice told her entire story. The story of a normal, happy village girl, caught in an inhumane uprising, one that destroyed her home, her family, her life. In the eyes of Ieyasu, an image of Sayo overlapped with the girl. The illusion made him tremble.

Sayo stood up and turned away from the girl. She faced her companions with fire burning inside her eyes. The same fire was shared by Ieyasu and Seryu.

"We're going to put an end to this rebellion." Ieyasu said. It was not a suggestion. It was a declaration.

"Yes."

They turned their backs towards the girl and walked towards the camp. There was nothing they could do to save the girl. They couldn't bring back her family, couldn't heal her wounds, couldn't save her life. But they would enact justice for the girl. That, they promised.

Ieyasu, Seryu, and Sayo stepped onto the battlefield for the first time the following morning. A light shroud of mist covered the devastated remains of the village and the sun occasionally peeked out from behind a thick layer of light gray clouds. The troops were divided into squads of a dozen men each, placed throughout the debris-filled battlefield in tactical positions. The trio stuck together, moving together as a unit and sweeping through areas with the vengeance. They were headed in the same direction as all the other troops; the west of the village where the rebels were camped.

The previous night, they were debriefed on the situation. The troops from the empire were in a deadlock with the rebels, who numbered slightly over 100 men. The only reason why the nearly 150 imperial soldiers haven't been able to overrun the camp was simply that the rebels had incredible defenses and geographical advantage. Every day, the imperial army sends troops into the forest in order to find the enemy camps. In retrospect, Ieyasu should've found whoever came up with that stupid plan and beat the shit out of him, but at the moment, he couldn't care less.

The trio flew into high alert the moment they entered what they considered unknown territory. They walked slowly through the remains of the village, their weapons prepared and ready to go, although in this case, only Ieyasu had an actual weapon. Sayo and Seryu were more adept at hand-to-hand combat. After 15 minutes, the sound of battle began engulfing the seemingly deserted village. With a quick nod, the trio ran towards the sound of confrontation.

They lept over a large broken wall in a swift motion and Seryu was immediately forced to duck under a swing that would've taken off her head. Sayo responded to the attacker just as quickly and sent the rebel flying into a nearby wall with a kick to the stomachs. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw a group of fellow new recruits being cut down. Ieyasu gnashed the back of his teeth together and bent down low. He shot off with his spear in hand and ran it right through one of the rebels that had turned his way with a sword drenched in the blood of Ieyasu's comrades.

Swiftly pulling his weapon out of the rebel, he wasn't given any time to think about his first kill. The other rebels shouted the name of the man who just fell and glared at Ieyasu with burning hate, a look at Ieyasu returned. More than 5 men charged at Ieyasu, a number that he couldn't deal with by himself. But he wasn't by himself.

He sensed his companions coming up from behind and crouched down low. Using his shoulders as a launchpad, Seryu jumped high up into the air and drop-kicked the first rebel. He brought his hands up to block the kick, but forced of gravity broke right through his guard and the foot planted itself right in the center of his chest. His chest caved under the force and he released his final cry of pain. As soon as Seryu landed, Sayo and Ieyasu moved in to assist. Sayo lifted her right leg up and brought it down, intercepting the sword that was aimed at the recovering Seryu's neck. Her heel crashed into the wrist of the rebel and a loud snap could be heard before the sword that was once in his hands clattered onto the ground. Seryu immediately swung her fist at the man's jaw, his head snapped to the left and fell onto the ground, dead.

In a systematic and scarily efficient manner, they disposed of the enemies one after another. The tension of battle and constant lingering threat didn't give Seryu and Ieyasu enough breathing room to think about the fact that they just took their lives. Fueled by their anger of the situation the rebels had forced the poor village into, they fought their way towards the forest. Sayo shared the same sentiment, but she was able to control herself. She was a pacifist at heart, having never even taken the life of an animal. She studied combat under Tatsumi for the pure purpose of self-defense.

A sentiment that was long forgotten by her childhood friend.

By the time the imperial troops reached the edge of the forest, over 20 rebels were either dead or captured, a huge step for the imperial army. Yet this small victory was completely overshadowed by the casualties on the empire's side.

Most of the reinforcements sent by the Empire consisted of new recruits fresh out of training. Unlike Ieyasu, Sayo and Seryu, who received brutal special training under Ogre and developed skills that allowed them to stay calm and collected on the battlefield, the new recruits were completely unable to perform under the stress and pressure of a real battlefield. And as a result, more than a quarter of new recruits sent on this mission were being carried back in body bags.

As the trio approached the rendezvous point, they heard the offhanded comments made by the higher ranking officers.

"This is odd… they sent a lot less of their forces here than usual." One of the lieutenants said. The other nodded with narrowed eyes turned towards the forest.

"Yeah… they also abandoned their usual guerrilla tactics with stealth attacks, ambushes, and traps, opting for direct confrontation." The other one pointed out.

Sayo stopped when she overheard their observations, a foreboding shiver rolled down her spine. Something is wrong. She looked towards the forest with critical eyes, taking in every detail she could possibly find, searching for the source of her anxiousness. Her eyes then turned from the forest to the remains for the village they had just crossed. It was approaching noon and the shroud of mist had gradually lifted off of the village. A ray of sunlight broke through the layer of gray clouds and lit up a section of the sky.

A cloud of smoke rose from the horizon, previously camouflaged by the fog and dusty air above the village. The moment Sayo realized, her heart rate shot up and she rushed towards her commanding officers.

"Sir! The village is being attacked! Smoke is rising from that direction." The lieutenant widened his eyes and turned toward the village, bringing up a pair of binoculars. He didn't immediately doubt the words of Sayo because he also already had his suspicions. After a few seconds, he clicked his tongue in anger and turned to his fellow lieutenant.

"Order all troops to head back to base immediately! This was a diversion!" He ordered. He then turned to Sayo. Ieyasu and Seryu had noticed their friend rushing off and quickly followed. They were ready to dash the moment they heard what Sayo had said, only Ogre's brutal lessons preventing them from leaving before receiving orders.

"You three, head back towards the village immediately. Regroup if the enemies are too much for you to handle. Prioritize your own lives." He ordered. The trio saluted and shot towards the direction of the village.

The group rushed through the debris, hopping over fallen wooden planks, broken down walls and bloodied remains of both enemies and allies. In less than 15 minutes, they returned to the eastern half of the village, or what remained of it.

Screams of fear and the sounds of crying overlapped with the crackling flames that engulfed several houses. The villagers were running amok in panic, not knowing where to go nor where the enemy was. A large group of men was clashing with the imperial soldiers that had stayed behind in order to defend the village. But they were not the ones causing the problems, it was the small detachment groups spread throughout the village that were causing the panic.

The trio pushed their way through the chaotic streets, searching for the enemy. It was Seryu who first spotted one of the small detachments, consisting of half a dozen men. The instant she realized they weren't wearing the imperial armies uniform, she rushed at them with her fists clenched. Sayo and Ieyasu immediately noticed her running and quickly chased after.

Just as they were about to engage the enemy, Seryu skid to a stop. Her entire body stiffened and her eyes widened in shock. Sayo held her hands up to her mouth in shock at the sight and Ieyasu had to stab his spear into the ground for support.

The body of the girl they spoke to when they first entered the village laid motionless on the dusty and bloodied ground of the village. Her hair covered her eyes, hiding the look of fear that lingered after death. Her innards were spilled out onto the floor, multiple stabs through the stomach indicated that her death was painful. Her left arm and legs were twisted and crushed, trampled by her fellow villagers.

They did not know the girl well. Not even enough to say they were acquainted. After all, they only spoke to her once. But unconsciously, she became a symbol to them. She was a victim of the injustice Ieyasu and Seryu swore to fight. They couldn't save her from her despair, but they swore to bring those who wronged her to justice. Here she laid, broken and dead before them.

Their eyes slowly trailed up a line of blood from the body of the girl to the dripping swords of her assailants a few yards ahead. Those bastard rebels were completely oblivious to the presence of Ieyasu, Sayo, and Seryu. Right in front of the eyes of the three, they reenacted exactly what they did to the girl on the body of another villager.

Blood flew through the air as they stabbed the body over and over again. They stomped on the unmoving body, laughing.

They were enjoying it.

Ieyasu lost it. He screamed in pure rage and rushed at the group. The first one received a hole through his stomach before he could even turn around. The other responded quickly and attempted to bring Ieyasu down, but with Sayo and Seryu there, it wasn't going to happen.

Standing with his back against the wall in a nearby alleyway, Captain Ares pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a large breath, breathing in the smoke and released it back into the air. His eyes turned towards the area where Ogre's students were angrily killing his subordinates. A sneer appeared on his face. That big bastard owes me one. It wasn't easy driving those soldiers to insanity. He thought.

In order to fulfill Ogre's request, he spent painstaking effort in observing the action so the kids. Acting as quickly as possible was essential in creating a lasting impact. He quickly realized, based on their reactions, that they were truly passionate about saving the village. Once you know the motivations of a person, manipulation is as simple as one, two, three. One, create an enemy. Two, order his underlings to attack the source of their aspirations under the guise of the enemy. Three, give them the sweet taste of failure.

Ares easily manipulated the rebels into attacking the village by leaking information about the mission this morning to them. He then ordered his underlings to attack the village from multiple areas, making sure the girl the trio spoke to was brutally killed to fuel the trio's anger. Everything had gone according to plan so far and he could see the rage brewing within at least two of the three targets. All that is left is to give them a taste of failure.

Captain Ares spat his cigarette onto the ground and crushed it beneath his heel. He would burn that bitter taste of failure into their souls. This village would be their staircase down into the darkness of the empire.

Over the course of a week, the village suffered multiple attacks. The population of the village rapidly decreased over the week, dropping from roughly 800 villagers to no more than 300 men and woman. In the midst of it all, Sayo, Ieyasu, and Seryu fought. They fought with all their might in order to stop the 'rebels' from destroying what was left of the poor village, but it was all in vain.

They fought to the best of their abilities, they themselves knew that. Yet knowing that and still being unable to stop the atrocities that were happening only served to further drive in the despair.

On the fifth day after they arrived, the order for retreat was issued by captain Ares. The reasoning was that there was no longer any point in holding the village. All remaining villagers would be reallocated to a different village and the village would be abandoned.

Ieyasu and Seryu wanted to protest against the order, they did in fact try, but Sayo stopped them both. There was no point. Even if they eradicated the rebels at that point, the village had been reduced to a pile of rubble and the villagers no longer had any means to survive there. The only thing that they would change by fighting would be increasing the amount of bodies on the floor.

They had failed to save the village. That was already a fact that they could no longer change.

Ieyasu collapsed onto his knees when Sayo drove that point into him. The pain in his chest combined with the exhaustion that had piled up from sleepless nights and stressful battles sent him into a short coma. By the time he woke up three days later, their carriage was already on the outskirts of the capital.

Ieyasu, along with Seryu, lost their spirit after that mission. They fell into a cycle of self-depreciation and depression. The smile that was always present on their faces completely disappeared, replaced by a constant grimace and eyes filled with anger.

Sayo watched this transformation in silence. It would be a lie of the highest order if one were say that she was unaffected. She felt the impact just as hard as her companions, but her personality differed from the two. She felt deep sadness for the village, yet she did not blame herself for being unable to stop them.

Ever since they were young, Sayo understood her role when it comes to her surroundings. She was the support, mainly for Ieyasu. She was there to stop him if he were to get out of hand. She was there to give him advice when he was troubled. She was there to yell at him when he made mistakes.

Ieyasu was her sole responsibility. Her combat abilities were there not to take the lives of her enemies, but to save the lives of her friends. And so, the destruction of the village frankly didn't impact her.

They weren't her responsibility.

But Ieyasu was different. He believed he was the hero. He took on the responsibility, that heavy weight of saving the lives of others, onto his own shoulders. He expected to succeed, just like the heroes of the legends. But reality was not that simple. Reality was not that kind.

Sayo stayed silent to teach him a lesson. She knew his personality. The higher he climbs, the bigger the fall. It was better for him to trip at the starting line while she was still there to pick him up. Deciding it was about time, Sayo approached Ieyasu.

He was doing what he had been doing for the past week. Training. He swung his steel spear over and over again without rest. His eyes would light with anger every once in a while, presumably remembering the mission.

Sayo walked up behind him, grabbed his shoulders and slapped him on the right cheek with a swift motion, giving him a shove in the process. Completely taken by surprise, his entire facial expression froze with a look of pure confusion as he landed on his butt, a look very familiar to Sayo. Ignoring the equally confused look on Seryu's face, she dropped down and straddled her childhood friend without a hint of shame. Both her companions faces burned red at her bold actions, Seryu immediately turning away, finding the nearby wall very interesting.

"W-what are you-" Sayo squished Ieyasu's cheeks, stopping his confused protest.

"Look me in the eye." She ordered. Ieyasu was a sputtering mess, but he still obeyed. "How long are you going to wallow in depression? You failed. We failed. Accept that and move on." Sayo said bluntly. She was so blunt that Ieyasu didn't know how to respond except look away. Sayo forcefully pulled his face back and stared him deep in the eyes.

"If this is all it takes to break you, then I'm sorely disappointed. Was your continuous spouting of upholding justice and being a hero all just bullcrap?" She asked.

"I-"

"That was a yes or no question. Was what you said all bullcrap. Yes or no."

"N-no?"

"I'm the one asking questions here. Yes. Or. No."

"No."

"Then stop brooding all day. Everybody trips more than once or twice in their lifetime. What separates the heroes from the commoners is that they pick themselves up after falling and they smile even if they are in pain." Sayo said. Everything happened so quickly that Ieyasu's tired brain needed time to catch up. But when he did, he couldn't help but chuckle. That wasn't the first time Sayo hit him, nor the first time he's been lectured. But it was the first time she's tried to cheer him up and she does it like a lecture.

"Hahahahaha!" Ieyasu laughed happily for the first time in a week. Sayo saw this and smiled.

"There you go, now keep that on your face from now on. If you ever become depressed I will kick the shit out of you until you return to normal." She threatened lightly before standing up from her straddling position and extending a hand to Ieyasu. With a smile on his face, he stared at the hand that was in front of his face.

"Come on, if you aren't going to take it I won't wait." Ieyasu took her hand and pulled himself up. She tried to retract her hand, but he held onto it, causing her to look at him oddly. He tightened his grip on her hand.

"Next time, I will be the one pulling you up. That's a promise." He said before flashing her his signature grin. Sayo smiled and nodded.

"I'll be waiting." Ieyasu released her hand and she turned towards Seryu who had turned her attention from the wall to them once she realized Sayo wasn't about to do anything indecent.

"What about you Seryu? Do you need a slap across the face too?" Sayo asked with a laughing tone. Seryu lightly shook her head and smiled.

"Nope! Your inspiring words were enough to pull me out of the clutches of depression. I can't believe I let myself fall to despair… but no more!" Seryu said energetically. She ran over and joined the two.

"From now on. Let's train even harder! We'll obtain power and bring down the hammer of justice onto the evil and judge the criminals of this world! We'll be the strongest Trio of Justice!" She exclaimed with renewed passion. Ieyasu cheered in agreement and Sayo smiled exasperatedly. She looked down onto the hand that Ieyasu held a few moments ago and clenched it slightly. I'll be waiting… my hero.

Tatsumi's mother always told him that whenever he sighed, a small piece of his soul left him. But if that were true, then Tatsumi would've died a dozen times over since he learnt about Sayo and Ieyasu's mission from the elder 6 months ago.

After finding out that his friends had left the village towards the capital of the Empire, Tatsumi rushed towards the Capital in hopes that he'd be able to find and stop them. They didn't know the evil that lurked under the guise of prosperity in that place. Sadly, he was too late.

He searched every corner of the capital over the course of a month, yet he couldn't find any trace of his friends. During this time, Sayo and Ieyasu were living in the barracks located to the west of the Capital outside the Capital walls, but Tatsumi had no way of knowing that.

After a month, Tatsumi gave up. The capital of the Empire was much too large and densely populated for Tatsumi to search efficiently. The chances he'll coincidentally meet them on a random street was astronomically small. But that doesn't mean Tatsumi forgot about his friends. Once in a while, when Tatsumi who was wandering around the country neared the capital, he made sure to go take a stroll in hopes of hitting that coincidence.

In the meantime, Tatsumi continued his mission. Actually, even though he called it a mission, it had no specific details or objectives. Over the past few years, there's been a large increase in insurgencies and rebellions rising throughout the country, just like Arthur had predicted several years ago. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before an organized army is raised in order to oppose the empire.

Arthur's plan all along was to wait for the organized resistance to strengthen before acting. Once they confirm the rebels have the potential to overthrow the empire, then with Yoshiro's intel, Hayami's strategies and Tatsumi's prowess, they would rocket the war to its conclusion.

But right now, the insurgencies have been conducted by various groups with no unity nor cooperation between each other. The only notable insurgency group recently was the 'rebel army'. But they were still a long ways away from posing a serious threat to the thousand year empire.

Until the time comes, Tatsumi didn't have much to do. His job was to refine his skills and build up experience, but with no affiliations, he ended up just wandering the country looking for fights. Helping out villages in trouble, giving a secret hand to insurgency groups, clearing up bandit camps. That's the gist of what Tatsumi has been doing for the past few years.

So he wasn't too surprised when he noticed the insurgency brewing outside his home.

But looking back, that day was a bit different from the rest.