Chapter 11: First Greetings from the Offscouring

"It's useless to teach my sword skills to the elves. They have no aptitude for it", Toyohisa said blandly. He rubbed the back of his neck, whilst letting out a tired sigh. It was already late into the night and yet the three still stood in the room trying to figure out how to deal with their many problems. Oda hummed in response, scratching his chin as he thought for a moment.

"On the other hand, they are amazing with the bow", Oda said slowly still thinking of what to do with their situation. Elves weren't field fighters, they best worked high above where they could shoot the enemies. If they engaged in hand-to-to hand combat they would most certainly die. So they needed soldiers, battle hardened soldiers who could charge straight into the line of fire without a look back. So far they only had Toyohisa and Takeko who could fight like this but two against a whole army? That was just pleading for Death's embrace.

"Their shooting skills seem to be innate", Yoichi agreed nodding his head. It wouldn't be long until there was nothing left for him to teach, the rate they were learning was much too abnormal but considering the situation they were in it would even be better if they were learn even faster.

"The back smiths of the villages said that…" Oda paused the hairs on his arms were prickling and tingling. His eyes widening, it was recognisable and he didn't like it. "This sensation…this disgusting yet familiar sensation", Oda murmured, he rubbed his arms, the goose bumps had not gone away.

Yoichi stood still for a moment, "…What is this awful feeling?" He said his eyes narrowing a little. It was all too familiar.

"What?" Olmine said as she looked around the room not understanding what the problem was. What's up with them, was something wrong?

"What's coming? This feeling…No, not soldiers from Orte. Something else is coming", Toyohisa said his eyes wide open and his brows furrowed. "This is the same 'smell of Sekigahara", Toyohisa mumbled, he could feel his blood boiling once more. His eyes hardening at the thought of another fight, he was not yet satisfied with this worl, there was something it was lacking.

"The nauseating small of a disgusting war", Oda continued. A bang suddenly resounding the campus made them look up in surprise, the three men immediately turned their attention towards the window slit and raced to see what was happening outside.

Takeko looked up from the campsite and waved them over with huge gestures, "We have a problem!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, ducking as a horse riders spear narrowly nicked her rib. She in return pulled out a dagger and threw it in his general direction, hitting his backside "Hurry! There's fire!" Takeko urged once more, this time she grabbed a rider from his horse and stabbed him with his own spear, the horse rearing up and galloping away with the now dead rider still attached. Oda turned away from the window slit to get down to gather the remaining elves, he turned to realise that Toyohisa and Yoichi had already left.

"Tche, bloody youngsters…" Oda muttered as he went to grab his matchlock.

"There they are! There they are! I can feel their stench! The stench of the Drifters!" A foreign girl said, she was clad in a strange metal armour with several knives tied to her belt as well as a sword. Flames seemed to dance upon her skin as she turned her attention to the just awakened elves who were still disorientated from their sleep. She let out a loud cackle as flames erupted from her hand and ignited the elves and their tents aflame. Their screams went unheard to her as she continued to ignite the Drifters entire campus.

"Come to me, my dear Drifters! Let me burn to ashes! HAHAHAHA!" The flames created long drawn out shadows which even heightened the young girl's demonic presence, she continued to alight more and more elves and tents aflame. She had set her eyes on the stone fortress but before she could even set her flames upon it a knife came flying out from the flames cutting her right cheek, the blade collided with a tree behind her and lodged itself within the wood. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt her blood trickle from the cut, she focused her gaze on a shadow of a figure which pushed the flames apart as it neared the foreign girl.

"Enough with your flames, you already set this entire bloody area on fire", Takeko said smoothly but it was under laced with annoyed tone as she emerged from the fire, her eyes lustre was gone and there was not a trace of warmth to be found within the orbs. But yet there was a lilting smile dancing her lips, she tilted her head to one side and leaned forward, inspecting the foreigner. It was eerie to look at, she smiled but her eyes did to reciprocate the same emotion. The flames licked around her feet and dress but otherwise didn't burn her. Her eyes wandered around the campsite, as well as searching for the foreign girl's companion, she caught sight of him on the other-side on the site. He had a spear drawn out and remained a silent witness. She looked down at the fire-girl's clothing, European, no. Not just European, French armour, she thinned her lips. Was she supposed to fight this young girl who looked even younger than she? Takeko almost mistook the enemy as a boy but her voice was to high-pitched and her figure was too womanly to be of a males.

"And there she is!" The foreign girl said wickedly with and equally sinister grin, the flames seemed to glow and burn even brighter. The night was no longer dark but illuminated not only by the moon but the burning passion of the flames. Toyohisa had a huge grin as he watched the two females stand opposite to one another, the fire continued to burn around them creating a repugnant stench of ash and smoke but both ignored it.

"Who shall win I wonder?" Toyohisa said to himself as he perched himself on one of trees branches which had not yet caught on fire. He let out a small chuckle, a mishap boy pretending to be a warrior versus a female warrior who had proven herself more than one occasion to be an adept fighter, it was obvious who was going to win even if the punk had sorcery.

"Shara, gather the men. Don't forget the bows. Make sure women and children are safe in the woods", Oda ordered as he started to move out from the castle. He observed the elves move around in a jumbled mess, trying to find order within the chaos.

"I will crush them horse riders", Oda said, his brows furrowed with his more prominent wrinkles showing.

"You sure you can handle this?" Yoichi said as he pulled out his bow and checked the strings tension.

"You have no means to know, but were there a contest of cavalry crushing, I would be the best in the whole universe", Oda said with a smug grin, of course Yoichi was born of ahead his time and did not know of his accomplishments but Takeko and Toyohisa fully knew what he was capable of, and showed their respect towards him their own way. Toyohisa would argue with Oda and clash heads with him every now and then but they had a mutual respect. Takeko was more obvious, she would always bow slightly in the presence of an older male and say her greetings. But there were times where she just couldn't care less about his achievements and treated him like any other ordinary person.

"In this case, I leave them to you", Yoichi said with a small smile, he turned his gaze towards the spearman who was covered in long chains. His long spikey hair billowed behind him and he had multiple tattoos across his chest and arms. He had a strange armour which only seemed to cover half of his body, leaving the other half bare. He stood alone and just stared at the archer with vindictive eyes with a grimace. "Looks like I have an appointment with that gentleman", Yoichi said and pulled out an arrow his readied his bow. Riddle the man with arrows and that spearman will be a dead man.

"Gilles de Rais, kill that she-male! I will burn this Drifter to cinders!" The French girl yelled to the spearman, Takeko narrowed her eyes. The flames reflected off her eyes making them seem red and glowing.

"Jeanne. 'Bon voyage'", Gilles responded, immediately his spun his spear around and held it with both hands, his back hunched over and his hands tightly holding the spear. His stance was taken and without another word he lurched the spear into a throttling pivot which missed its target but utterly dismantled the wall behind Yoichi. The rock was flung around and debris seemed to fall from the sky.

Yoichi gritted his teeth as he ducked down to avoid the flying debris, "Didn't expect you to slice the stone wall of this castle. What a strength! You look like Musashibou!" Yoichi said with a wry grin as he thought of the old monk and his abnormal power. Old times indeed but it was long gone.

"DRIFTERS! The puny obstacle for the world annihilation plans laid by the Black Lord! All Drifters will be roasted to death!" The girl said as flames continued to leap from her skin and face, she had a smug grin as if proclaiming that she had already won the fight.

"Ah, I see. You one are those 'Offscouring'. Tell me girl, is your 'Lord' that desperate to annihilate this world that he employs young girls that obviously haven't reached puberty yet to do his dirty work? Or are you even a girl at all?" Takeko said lightly, although there was no malice in her words there was a sort of jeering underlying her sentence. Also her posture and stance seemed to aggravate the Offscouring, Takeko was relaxed and she made no move to attack first.

The Offscouring's eyes seemed to contort in rage and disfigure the skin around her eyes. She gritted her teeth so hard that blood seeped from her lips, and suddenly like a ticking-time bomb her rage turned into waves of fire. A crying bellow came from the girl as her entire body went up in flames, Takeko widened her eyes at the spectacle and in the very last moment jumped out of the way of the fires path. She crouched herself low on the ground to avoid any more flames. She took a quick look around her and realised that a circle of fire was starting to surround her. She narrowed her eyes at her predicament but didn't let any worry show on her face.

"You are nimble, 'fille salope'! But you've got nowhere to run now! What are you going to do?!" The Offscouring laughed aloud, her flames swirled around her palms. "What are you going to do Drifter?! You are trash here!" She waved her right arm to complete the encirclement of fire, fully intent on trapping the Drifter in her flames. And it would've actually have happened if not the two stone walls that burst out from the ground which stopped the flames in its path.

Takeko widened her eyes as she saw Olmine appear from behind her, at the briefest glance she saw the girl throw a small piece of paper onto the ground. The moment the piece of paper contacted the ground a huge stone wall shot out from the ground shielding both the explosive path of fire which collided into the wall. Takeko watched the flames flow around the wall on the two sides, but what amazed her more was that Olmine could even use sorcery as well.

"What…the…!" The Offscouring yelled shocked at the new person appear as well as the surprise of the appearance of the stone walls.

"I'm from the Octobrist Organisation! And our duty is…to protect the Drifters!" Olmine managed to stutter out, despite her best tries to remain strong it was obvious that she was out of her element here. Beads of sweat travelled from her forehead and her entire body was shaking. Her palms was clammy and she really started to regret that she hadn't written a will before jumping in to save Takeko.

The French girl yelled out in shock and in an attempt to fry both girls' alive threw another flash of fire in their direction. Takeko realised this and grabbed Olmine by her collar and pulled her along as they ran out of the way of the fire. Olmine screamed out in terror as she saw a train of fire follow after them, but she kept running.

"Never knew you could use sorcery Olmine!" Takeko shouted over the raging fire, she quickly pulled her down a downward slope to avoid the flames. The both of them slid down the slope and landed down with a soft thud.

Olmine quickly straightened herself but she was still visibly shaken, "Uh…actually…the only thing I can do…is to build that stone wall…" Olmine said trying to explain herself. "A…and…I can only build two more walls…My great master could do way better, but…I…I am still a rookie…so…I'm sorry", Olmine continued. She cast her gaze down in shame, she understood that she wasn't much help in fighting or war. But she really did her best.

"Nonsense, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your stone walls", Takeko said calmly. She stood up and bowed slightly bowing her head as well but keeping her eyes on Olmine, "Your help was much appreciated", Takeko said with ease and a small genuine smile.

Olmine's face became a scarlet red which would've put many roses to shame, "S…stop it, please!" Olmine managed to stutter, "Look around you! Fire is burning and you have an enemy to fight! You shouldn't have time for this!" She yelled at Takeko, her blush deepening even further.

"Indeed! But one should always show his gratitude on the spot. Otherwise, it's most certain that he will forget how to say thanks", Toyohisa said as he appeared from behind Takeko, he wore a huge smirk which soon erupted into a wide grin. Olmine squeaked out in surprise but Takeko had already knew that he was there.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking Toyohisa?" Takeko said coolly, as she pulled back her hair and let out a small and tired sigh.

"The enemy uses a powerful technique. But probably has no experience in the battlefield", Toyohisa began as he hunched over looking at the flames leap around in the wind. He had a knowing smirk on his face.

"A greenhorn", Takeko finished for him, Toyohisa looked at Takeko and grinned at her, he ruffled her hair as if she was dog. She grabbed his hand which he tried to pull away and bit it, not very hard but he understood the warning.

"H-how…How do you know…?" Olmine said in surprise. How could the both of them be so sure, one wrong assumption and all of them could be death.

"Intuition", the both of them said at the same time. They both looked at Olmine as if she was the dumbest person on earth.

"But look. It seemed that the enemy is indulging in a display of power as if wanting to show its might to someone else. 'Behold the power I have earned!' 'Look at me! Awe at me!' typical of a greenhorn. Someone who had never stepped a foot into a battlefield before", Toyohisa said as he observed the fire. He had a malicious grin on face which spoke many things at once.

"And thus…easy to kill", Takeko finished for him, she had her eyes closed but the sound of battle kept her sharp and aware of her surroundings. She slowly opened her eyes to only see the burning bright flames of fire engulf the entire campus in its fiery rage. This was somewhat gratifying, but yet at the same time she didn't want to fight the girl. It wasn't because she was not capable of killing a girl, she just didn't want to kill this one girl. She narrowed her eyes at the thought and decided that perhaps she would remain the observer this time. She didn't need to fight and she was happy to be a scapegoat. She wasn't seeking glory, all she wanted was to live a fulfilling life.

'Damn these 'samurai' from 'Nippon'', Olmine thought while she chewed her bottom lip. 'This is what makes you so fearsome! Death and gratitude shown through the same damn smile!' She thought in fear and awe all at the same time.

"You said you can build two more wallS?" Toyohisa said turning his attention to the distant cried of anger in the distance, the Offscouring was mad. There was a plan forming in his mind, vague and unclear however it was there and it could be put into motion.

"Uh…yeah…right", Olmine said slowly, not understanding the meaning of the question.

"Then, build them when I tell you so. After that…flee to the woods", Toyohisa said narrowing his eyes. "I and Takeko will take care of the rest", he took a glance at Takeko, "Hey, Takeko you alright?" Toyohisa said, staring at the lithe woman next to him. She blinked her eyes a couple times before nodding absentmindedly. He knew that was strange but considering the time pressures they had he didn't look too closely into it.

"Yeah I'm fine, sorry sir", Takeko mumbled, her eyes were no longer clouded, she finally understood what she wanted to do in this world. She slowly got and unruffled her clothes, the bells tied around her waist tinkling as she readjusted her obi. Toyohisa nodded in response and straight ended himself as well, a dancing smile on his lips. He was going to leave everything to her but in the end he couldn't resist and she wasn't complaining so he took it as she didn't mind.

"Alright let's go then", he said coolly and walked towards the sound of angered bellows.

Fille salope – slutty girl

Hey, my holidays are coming up so hopefully I'll be able to update more often.