Chapter 19: Male or Female?

With one mighty swing of the axe, the blade cut its way through the helmet and table holding it up. Fragments of the metal scattered around the dwarves as Toyohisa gave out a low whistle, he was impressed. The dwarf flexed his boulder like muscles off-handily, he had a huge grin placed on his as he thumped his axe down, supporting his weight on the hilt. The other brute dwarves also did the same, with their armour donned and their helmets their past glory was relived in their magnificent stature.

"We will join the battle! Dwarven warfare is to kill with one blow. Our fighting style is to bet everything on a single axe swing!" The dwarven male said triumphantly with the air of arrogance, they truly had the calibre of war-born warriors. Toyohisa responded with the same amount of enthusiasm as them.

"You destroyed that helmet beautifully! Just like Jigen", Toyohisa remarked with a smirk. Although most people would repulse from fighting as a disgusting act of human violence, but Toyohisa could think nothing less of it. There was a sort unpolished beauty in warfare and fighting, and once in a while there would be a shining jewel waiting to be refined. There was the ugly part of fighting and war, with all the blood and gore covering the brilliance of warfare, but looking past it there could be some sort of art in war. This was the purest part of war, where there was no holding back feelings and emotions, where humans cast aside their masks and let out how they truly feel. It was this that Toyohisa loved seeing, to see the posh and prim cast aside their fake exterior. War and fighting would bring out the worst and best of humans and being able to see that was either horrifying or utterly amazing.

"Jige-what? What is that?" The dwarf said confusedly as he looked up at Toyohisa. The height difference was evident but underestimating the dwarves would be a huge understatement. But Toyohisa was quite a tall person, above average for a Japanese male that is.

"The Jigen fighting style. It used to be popular with my house's younger lads", Toyohisa stated off-handily, "I used to be out fighting all the time. I did not have time to learn this Jigen style", Toyohisa claimed gesturing with his left arm. He looked around the dwarven men and thought about how his younger cousins would have thought of their fighting style, although they did not use huge axes where the blade could barely be held by the handle. But instead a long blade which was much longer than the ordinary katana and at least twice as thick. It was not meant to be used for sparring but rather meant for a huge group of enemies, with its huge blade it could cover a large amount of ground and its range was bigger than normal. Toyohisa hummed as he thought about it, he really should've made some time to learn the style, but now he couldn't.

"Our worlds are vastly different but yet we think the same. How very interesting", the dwarf said with a toothy grin, his voice gruff and aged. They may be young in the dwarven standards but to humans they were older and more experienced, or perhaps they were still ignorant to ways of the world.

"Even though we have different physical forms…soldiers are the same everywhere, huh?" Toyohisa said with a laugh, Toyohisa would feel a small pang of homesickness every now and then but as the Drifters travelled across the lands they began to realise how closely the elves and dwarves resembled them. Although there was no correlation between the two races there was a sort of unspoken understanding, and Toyohisa respected that. Some were withdrawn, some open and loud but they all were same in some sort.

"Oh good. You haven't caused any trouble yet or am just here before it starts…" A female voice called out to the dwarves and Toyohisa. Toyohisa looked up to see Takeko seated by the crumbling stones of the mountains with a bored expression. Her hair billowed behind her in the wind as she threw some rocks down the slope, watching them tumble down against the larger rocks.

"Indeed little girl", a dark figure emerged from the behind Takeko. Another dark figure emerged behind the first, Takeko quickly leapt from the rock she was sitting on and quickly placed herself behind Toyohisa. She had a disgusting feeling which trailed along her spine. Toyohisa gave Takeko and odd look as he peered down at Takeko who hid behind his arm, she would never do that so that either meant that those two people were dangerous or 'strange folk'? The latter didn't seem to fit that well, so he would just have to go with his instincts.

"I see, I see, after picking up the elves, you are now picking up the dwarves as well", the intruder remarked with a smirk. "My, what nimble hands you have there, Drifters", the 'man' continued.

The dwarves held their weapons threateningly, they didn't know whether if the two intruders were allies or enemies but it was better to be safe than sorry. "When did he…?"

"Who are you…No, wait! What are you?!"

Unbeknownst to the Toyohisa and Takeko another strange person had showed up in front of Oda and Yoichi in a similar fashion with strange clothing and queer make-up. However Olmine seemed to know exactly who they were but to know their purposes was a fool's guess.

"Are you the leader? Are you Toyohisa Shimazu?" One of the queer 'men' said, unlike the person behind him he had a much longer fringe which billowed in the wind and he didn't have glasses.

"Yes, that is me", Toyohisa said slowly still unsure whether he should be telling them who he was, "…Still can't figure out if that is a man or a woman", Toyohisa mumbled under his breath. Takeko was still hiding behind him only taking a peak over his shoulder every now and then.

"I think they are men…" Takeko said as she peered at the two unwanted guests. "…Or they could be both…" Takeko didn't care for same sex lovers, she didn't care at all because it was usually none of her business but she had never met one which was utterly strange and weird.

"Who are you people? Are you one of Orte's lackeys?!" The dwarf said angrily as he brandished his axe dangerously.

The queer 'man' gave out a half-hearted laugh, or perhaps more like a snort as his eyes narrowed. "I suppose so", his hand reached for his sword, his back hunching forward. "I guess…I'm still Orte's…" he pulled out the blade from the sheath with one smooth movement and with a one clean swing he tried to decapitate Toyohisa, "…Lackey!" As first sword was pulled out he immediately pulled out his second blade to try to cut Toyohisa's arms and legs since the first blade did not reach his neck. But with one sudden movement he pulled Takeko down with him to the ground to dodge the silver blade.

He read me! The man thought in shock and surprise, this was bad news indeed. He had the lost the element of surprise and it didn't seem Toyohisa would let him off so easily. Toyohisa's eyes had dilated and narrowed at the sight of the two weapons, Takeko who had moments before was in a shock and daze when Toyohisa had pulled her down soon focused her attention on the queer man. With one arm still shielding Takeko, Toyohisa stood up with bored eyes, he wasn't impressed at all.

"Your blade is sharp, yet your killing intent is dull…Tell me who you are!" Toyohisa claimed calmly, he was undeterred by the fact that his head was almost taken off. The queer man quickly jumped back a few good metres away from the red clad warrior once he realised he was in the range of his sword. He straightened himself out and repositioned his swords for another attack.

"Phew, that was close. Add another thirty years and you'd totally be my type", the man said off-handily, his cloak rising and falling with the wind. Takeko coughed a little when she heard that, what strange tastes she thought.

"Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. Sorry if you end up getting killed by me!" Despite saying that he was sweating profusely, he didn't think his chances were actually that high but it was worth a shot at. But as he saw the young woman behind Toyohisa pull out her rifle he suddenly felt his chances become nil. "I'd have gone weak in the knees for a bearded, battle-hardened, grizzled man. So you only have your own youthfulness to blame!" He prepared his sword to be swung but at the very last moment his caught his eyes on the exact description of man he had said earlier.

Hannibal who had stomped his foot on a rock with a grim expression merely gave the queer man a cruel smirk, his wrinkles showing evidently. A menacing atmosphere surrounded Hannibal as he stood there triumphantly, the queer man whose name had been Alester suddenly felt weak in his knees as he saw his ideal man.

"What happened, Alesteeer?!" Alester's companion cried out in shock, what the hell had happened!? He was just about to strike the samurai so what the hell happened?!

"Flamey~ I can't stand. I can't do this anymore", Alester said as he kneeled with his hands splayed out in front of him.

"WHUUUUUT!" The speckled man shouted out, "How dare you do this to Alester?!" He yelled out hotly to Toyohisa who just stood there with a confused expression. Was he to do something or not?

"I have done nothing", Toyohisa stated simply still unsure of what he should do. The mood had totally been destroyed, he didn't feel like fighting anymore or even pulling out his sword. It now looked like comedy show with no real basis. The dwarves just stood there confused as well, did they attack the fool or not. Takeko just blinked her eyes in surprise, she strapped her rifle back to her back again. No point on wasting the bullets she thought, and no point talking to this weirdo.

"Both you and that old man aren't my type, so I can kill you just fine! Here I come! I will not lose to the likes of you! As long as the ponytail boy with hair over his eyes doesn't come out…"

"Toyohisa-dono! Takeko-san! Big trouble!" Yoichi said as he seemingly popped out of nowhere.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaa!" The glasses man cried out in bewilderment, where the hell did he come out from. Blood spurted from his nose, and in the one short moment Toyohisa moved in the punch him hard the face. Takeko soon followed after him with a rather snide remark.

"I don't know whether you are male or female but I do know one thing", with one powerful placed kick she crippled Alester who held onto his crutch tightly. There was this cracking sound which even made Toyohisa and the dwarves cringe. One of the dwarves instinctively placed his hand over his northern regions, they almost felt bad for the guy.

"How could you do that!?" Alester cried out in despair, Takeko merely responded with a shrug. She gave him a small pat on the back before Toyohisa punched Alester in the face as well. Yoichi just laughed at the back as he watched Hannibal and Toyohisa abuse the two men repeatedly. Dwarves didn't even move in to help the two but just watched from the side with deadpanned expressions.

"As we speak, my aides are evaluating your leader. I wonder how he will fare", Germi said with a dark expression but it was soon changed to horror and dismay as he saw the very two aides he was talking about call out to him in despair.

"MY LOOOORD!"

"Help us~!" The two men looked like they had been through hell and back again with bloodied bruises all over their face and blood was splattered all over their clothes. But before they could even reach their lord Toyohisa stomped down on Alester's back like a stepping stool.

"Where do you think you're going?" Toyohisa said evilly, he felt no guilt nor shame. Hannibal behind him mimicked Toyohisa stomping his foot down real hard on the man's back. Takeko and Yoichi stood by their side with disinterested expressions. For Yoichi it had been amusing for some time but now the fun was gone, and for Takeko she had lost her interest a long time ago. While Toyohisa and Hannibal still beating up the two men she had fallen into a daydream.

"Oh, Otoyo. What happened?" Oda remarked in surprise, there was more of them? He looked down at the two poor men, they really had been beaten badly and their sense of fashion was a weird as their lord. He gave Takeko a disapproving look, which seemed to say 'what did I miss?' She indicated to the weird men's crotch and then using her finger as a reference she mimicked slicing it in half. Oda raised a brow in confusion. Was that a double reference; he thought absentmindedly.

"I don't know what the heck is going on…But I punched him hard", Toyohisa stated, putting emphasis on the word 'hard'. That was an understatement, they had repeatedly punched them 'hard'.

"Again I have no idea if this a man or a woman. Just what are you people?!" Toyohisa said as he started at the apparent 'lord'. Count Germi gave him a snort and an off-handed look, he straightened himself out and narrowed his eyes.

"Traitors. I am a traitor. And I am here to sell Orte to you. I'll even offer you a special discount price!" Germi claimed with a sneer, as he crossed his arms behind his back.

"Traitor?" Toyohisa said in doubt, he didn't know who this man was but he didn't like the look he had in eyes. It reminded him of a man who was once beheaded in front of him; the eyes were filled with ridicule and arrogance. A dangerous man who couldn't even admit that he was wrong and couldn't even tell from right to wrong; it was all much distorted.

"That's right. I'm selling them, while the still have some worth. Someone said that it's better for a country that is crumbling to just crumble", Germi said with a smug grin, "Various countries' armies are advancing on us, many lands near the castle are getting ready to surrender. It's intolerable that the distinguished people are splitting up".

"And then you come to us. You want us to do something?" Toyohisa stated, he wasn't amused, he wasn't become someone else's scapegoat for no good reason. He crossed his arms, his stance was tall and proud.

"While Orte still has some power. For efficiency's sake, this country needs to be destroyed. With one blow", Germi said with jeer, his lips twisted into a grim smile as his eyes narrowed.

This was the first step to conquering the country.

This chapter is shorter than the others, I most write in the range of 3000 to 4000 but I managed to find some time to type this chapter. There are only a few chapters thats word count is below 3000 but they are above 2500 except one. I will try to bring you guys another chapter today but I can't guarantee you anything. I will be going away tomorrow actually. The two lackeys of Count Germi names are Alester and Flemi. I read this in the authors note at the end of the chapter. I couldn't add in it because they didn't directly say his name so next chapter I will try to add it if he's in it.

For you guys who don't know the three men are based off real people. Count Germi is possibly Saint Count Germain, Alester is Aleister Crowly (maybe) and Flemi is Nicholas Flemel (maybe as well because there is no evidence from the author himself). Count Germain was a famous alchemist who supposedly made the elixir to immortality which explains a lot of things. Its the same with the other two, they are famous mystics who used 'magic' and 'sorcery' but they were well informed the mystics.

That's all for now then, I'll update later. Review and fave if you can. Makes my day.