Sangokuden no Gaim

by Vanishing Raptor

After stopping a thief in the museum with his two friends, Yamato Kusanagi found himself in a new world, where the major figures of the Three Kingdoms era are all beautiful girls. With his companions on his side and as the new Gaim, he seeks to unite the land bringing peace to ancient China and stopping Helheim Forest to Devour this world. Just Live More! Rated M just in case.

5. Of Confessions and Tyrant

Disclaimer: I do not own Koihime Musou or Kamen Rider Gaim and I only borrow them for fun. I only own the plot of this story and my OC.

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Chapter 5: Of Confessions and Alliance

Silence greeted Choukaku's shocking confession with only Chouhou's sobs being heard in the Xizang Palace's Main Chamber. Aisha looked furious at her confession, while Shuri, Hinari, and Rinrin looked utterly shocked. Touka looked like she had suffered the worst betrayal ever while Yamato kept his neutral and cool expression.

"N-No way…T-That's…Impossible…" uttered Touka in denial. "Y-You are…the leaders of the Yellow Turbans…?"

"Yes…" answered Choukaku, not meeting her gaze.

Aisha was about to say something, probably about to blow up on them, when Yamato raised a hand to stop her. He then focused his attention to the Chou Sisters as he spoke.

"You said you were the leaders of the Yellow Turbans. I take it you are no longer their leaders or the Yellow Turbans have been disbanded."

"That is correct. The Yellow Turbans have been disbanded. You will not have to worry about them anymore," the middle sister, Chouryou, answered. Although she looked unflappable, there was a hint of resignation and regret in her tone.

"But that's not the point!" shouted Aisha, her expression set into righteous fury. "Do you know how much damage your men have caused!? Do you know how many men they have killed!? Do you know how many people you left homeless, how many wives you left widowed, and how many children you left orphaned!?"

Chouhou fell to her knees and cried her eyes out at the accusations Aisha was mercilessly hurling at her. "I'm sorry…! I'm sorry….! I'm so sorry…!"

Choukaku went to her side as she and Chouryou tried to comfort their inconsolable little sister.

"Apologizing now won't cleanse you of your sins," said Aisha coldly. "You're the reason why so many people have suffered."

"Aisha-chan! Don't say that!" Touka gasped as Chouhou cried harder. Even if she was felt betrayed by the revelation that her idols were the leader of the Yellow Turbans, but seeing Chouhou crying, looking so weak and vulnerable had really touched her gentle heart.

"But it's the truth!" retorted the Black Haired War Goddess.

"Aisha," Yamato gave her a reprimanding look, causing Aisha to look ashamed and regretting her words.

"My apologies. It was uncalled of me to say those hurtful things to you," she said, feeling properly chastised. It was only one word and one look, but she could feel that Yamato was disappointed in her actions. She was an honorable warrior, but her earlier conduct was far from honorable.

"That is alright. We deserve it after what we did," replied Choukaku with bitter smile.

"It's not your fault, Tenhou-nee! Or Renhou-nee's!" retorted Chouhou, tears were still streaming from her eyes. "It's all my fault! I'm the one who pushed them to rebel! I'm the one who caused our fans to become bandits and murderers!"

"Chiihou-chan…" whispered the eldest of the Chou Sisters.

"A-Ano…What happened actually?" asked Shuri. "What made you become the leaders of the Yellow Turbans in the first place?"

Choukaku then told Shoku officers her and her sisters' story. "Before all of this happened, we were simple orphans and we've only had each other for as long as we could remember. We always struggled to live everyday and we do anything we can to get food. Doing street performances like magic tricks, and singing…We did those kinds of thing to live. It wasn't much, but it was enough for us and we were thankful." The pink haired girl paused as a nostalgic smile appeared on her face before she continued. "And then we dreamed to become famous one day, so famous that everyone in the land would know our name, the Chou Sisters, as a group of famous singers."

"So we left our home and moved to the Capital, hoping that we would gain more fortune there," Chouryou continued for her sister. "However, we found out that unlike in our home people in the capital barely paid any attention to us. We tried everything to attract their attention, from flashy magic tricks to singing loudly…but no one paid any attention to us. The money we brought home simply wasn't enough for us and we were forced to not eat anything for days when we ran out of money. We thought everything was over until we met that man."

"That man?" inquired Hinari curiously.

"…That man…He said he liked our performance…" answered Chouhou who had stopped crying, but still trying to control her sobs. "…He said…he was a magician like us and showed us a magic trick…by creating a magic crystal. It was beautiful, and when we asked how he did it, he showed us a magic book. It was called the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace."

"Crucial Keys…to the Way of Peace?" questioned Yamato, arching one of his eyebrows.

"I don't think I have ever heard of that book," commented Shuri, her brows furrowed. She was an avid reader and a lover of literature, so she knew plenty of books.

"Using the magic in that book, we managed to garner everyone's attention and we became famous. We gained so many fans and supporters in a short time. We also didn't have to worry about food anymore because we had so much money. Using that money, we bought everything we needed to support our performance and we used the magic in the book to enhance our performance. We created something called 'microphones' and even our own stage. We were really happy," said Choukaku.

"But…One day, things were not going as we wanted," continued Chouryou as Chouhou breath's hitched. "One of the Government Officials came and harassed us during one of our performances, even though we have already received permission. He even threatening to shut down and ban our performance in his territory because he said we were causing a disturbance."

"…I was so angry…that man…he tried to take our music away! He tried to deny us what we loved to do the most! And that's…" Chouhou's outburst stopped as she looked down in guilt and shame. "…That's when I used the magic from the book. I used our fans to attack that official and his guards. I was thrilled! With our influence and fans as well as that magic book, we could change the world! We could overthrow the weak and corrupt Han Dynasty! We would make a better place for everyone! That's why…I-I used the magic in the book to charm everyone who listened to our song to become our devoted followers…and our army as well."

"…So that's how the Yellow Turbans Rebellion started," concluded Yamato as the youngest Chou sister deflated.

"Y-Yes…" she said before she pleaded to Yamato. "B-But please don't punish my sisters! I was the one who used our fans to start the rebellion, Kusanagi-sama! So I'm begging you, please spare them!"

"Chiihou-chan!" gasped Choukaku and she turned to Yamato. "Please punish me instead, Kusanagi-sama! It is my fault as her eldest sister to not able to convince her not to start the rebellion!"

"Tenhou-nee…" sobbed Chouhou.

"No…please me punish me instead," said Chouryou, surprising her sisters. "I too was unable to help Tenhou-neesan to convince Chiihou to not using our fan to start the rebellion. The blame is mine to share as well, Kusanagi-sama."

Chouhou cried again as she heard her sisters trying to defend her. She, the selfish girl who started a rebellion just because a greedy official had harassed them and tried forbidding them from doing the thing they loved the most, singing. She loved it because she could make other people happy. She felt didn't deserve amazing sisters like them.

"…I'm sorry…Tenhou-nee…Renhou-nee…I'm so sorry!"

"Sshh…It's alright, Chiihou-chan," said Choukaku as she and Chouryou hugged their sister. "We're in this together. We will be always together, from the beginning to the end."

Chouhou cried her heart out. She really didn't deserve to be their sister. And now her sisters would be punished for her foolishness, with whatever Yamato had in mind for them. She had given up. Now their life was completely at Yamato's mercy because of her stupidity.

Seeing the sisters, the Shoku officers couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Their hearts were touched by the older sisters' willingness to share whatever fate awaited them. They only had each other from the beginning…and they would be always together until death separated them. No, not even death could separate them. They would always be together, even in death.

"Gaim-sama…Please show mercy to them," pleaded Touka. "…If anything, they too are the victims here." Listening to their story, it seemed that the Chou Sisters had no choice.

"…They suffered because of the government officials and when they were really happy, those greedy monsters tried to take their happiness away," added Aisha. What she hated the most were people who tried to abuse their power and position for their own gain. It was unforgivable in her eyes. She then turned to Yamato and continued. "While I'm not saying to forgive them outright, but please give them a lighter punishment for their crime, Gaim-sama."

Yamato sighed as he leaned back on his throne and questioned the sisters. "Another question, what made you seek me out even if you knew I would most likely to punish you if I ever learned your identity?"

"Like Renhou-chan has told you Kusanagi-sama, we would ask you for protection," answered Choukaku. "When I said we were attacked, we told you the truth."

Everyone focused their attention on the Chou Sisters as their eldest told their tale.

"The 35,000 men you defeated at your last battle two weeks ago were almost the last of the soldiers we had. They gathered under Gouryou and Jiang's command to have another go at your territory as Shoku was practically the weakest faction at the time. I tried to reason with them, but they wouldn't listen to me or my sisters because they believed they could do this. Then the news of your victory came and we had to evacuate to our secret hideout near your northeastern border. We hid there, knowing that our rebellion has ended, but not Chiihou-chan."

Everyone turned to the youngest of the Chou Sisters who physically flinched at the attention they put on her. She recovered and continued for her eldest sister.

"I…I was thinking of recruiting more people to our cause, but Tenhou-nee and Renhou-nee convinced me to stop it already. S-She said we had already caused so much death and suffering instead making the world better. I-I don't know what came over me, b-but…" her breath hitched before she continued on, her tone was definitely shaky. "I-I yelled at them! I yelled at my own sisters! We've argued before, but I would never ever yell at them like that! They are the only family I have! I-I don't know what came over me!"

Yamato looked like he was deep in thought. It looked like what happened to Chouhou was because of that book, the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace. It was not unheard of for a magical item to warp their user's mind or amplify a certain emotion, usually negative emotions, like the ones told in the stories back home. He guessed that book was the reason why the youngest sister had acted so different.

"T-Then…that man, the one who gave us the book, appeared before us and…and…" Chouhou looked as if she was going to cry again and Choukaku immediately comforted her. The middle sister, Chouryou then continued for her.

"He said he was taking the book back and told us that our role has over. He then had his men attack us and whatever was left of the Yellow Turbans."

Her statement was met with sharp gasps from the Shoku Generals and Yamato's eyes narrowed in anger.

"I-It was a slaughter," sobbed Chouhou, shivering. "H-He only brought three people with him…A-And yet, they slaughtered the remaining Yellow Turbans with ease! It was horrible!"

"Do you recognize those people, Chouhou-san?" inquired Hinari.

The blue haired girl shook her head and her pink-haired sister added for her, "We couldn't see their face because they were wearing armors and masked helmets."

"Armors and masked helmets?" echoed Rinrin.

Chouryou nodded as she answered. "That's right and their armor seemed to have fruit and nut motifs."

"Fruit and nut motifs…?" questioned Hinari as her eyes widened in realization before she turned to Yamato. "Gaim-sama! Those who attacked the Yellow Turbans are…!"

"I know," he replied as he showed the Chou Sisters his Sengoku Driver. "Tell me, did they wear this belt like mine?"

The sisters' eyes widened when they saw the familiar object in his hand. "Ah! That's right! They did wear that belt too!" exclaimed Choukaku as she pointed at the Driver.

"Then the ones who attacked Chou Sisters are Kamen Riders too," assumed Shuri before she turned to the sisters. "Do you remember how they looked?"

Chouryou nodded as she answered. "One was all black and carrying a spear, another was brown with small hammer as his weapon, and the last one was green with spiked armors all over."

"Kurokage, Gridon, and Bravo…" Yamato frowned. While Gridon and Kurokage weren't much of a threat as they used lower ranked Lockseeds, their power could still be devastating against normal humans. It was Bravo who was the most dangerous among the three because of the power he possessed.

"Do you recognize them, Gaim-sama?" asked Aisha.

"Only the name of their armors, not the people wearing them," he answered as he tried to recall what happened back in the museum on that fateful day. He didn't remember anyone else in the museum, so who were they? Were the new Kurokage, Gridon, and Bravo also people from his world? Or were they someone from this world who somehow managed to gain access to Sengoku Drivers and Lockseeds?

Yamato shook his head to dispel that thought. He could wonder about it later since he had more pressing issues at hand.

"Although I can understand the reason why you started the rebellion and why you sought me out in the first place, I still can't forgive what you have done as the leaders of the Yellow Turbans," said Yamato as the sisters looked down in shame and guilt. "Songs and music in my home world are the language of peace and happiness while singers and musicians are their emissaries. I have seen them do many wonderful and miraculous things like saving the world, ending a war, turning war mongers into pacifists, and uniting people with many different backgrounds and beliefs. You three, however, have betrayed everything song and music stands for by causing misery and sadness to others. That's what I can't forgive."

The sisters looked down and hugged each other tightly. This was it. Their fate was about to be decided. They could be executed for their crimes or imprisoned for God knows how long. Or even worse…They could be turned into slaves. They all shuddered at the thought. If they were ever made Kusanagi's slaves, they would have to do anything he ordered to them. And when they said anything, it truly meant anything. Even…that one thing. They did consider themselves as beautiful in their own way and Kusanagi was a healthy male. Put the two and two together and they had the very right reason to be scared.

"And that's why…" Yamato paused as the sisters stiffened and held their breath, waiting for their sentence. "Until I deem you worthy to be singers and musician again, you will stay here in my palace and become the entertainers of my court. You will have to hold a concert in public once in a while so I can evaluate how much you have progressed."

Once more silence reigned in the main chamber before Choukaku broke it as she sputtered out. "E-Eh? W-What? What did you say?"

"You will stay here in my palace and become the entertainers in my court," repeated Yamato as he smiled slightly. "It is in name only, though. You are free to stay here as long as you want and think it as protection I granted for you from those who tried to attack you before. And the so called evaluation is another way for me to give you permission to hold your concerts here in Xizang, though nowhere else for now."

The sisters were stunned. Of all things they expected to get as their punishment, this wasn't amongst them. If anything, it seemed Kusanagi had given them a pardon instead of punishment!

"B-But why? We were the leaders of Yellow Turbans! Your enemy!" pointed out a bewildered Chouhou. "A-Aren't you going to execute us? Imprison us? Or m-make us your s-slaves?"

"You were the leader of the Yellow Turbans and you have regretted your decision in the past, and that's enough for me," replied Yamato. "What would I gain for making you prisoners? And why in the world I would make you my slaves? I'm not that kind of person, you know. As for not executing you, what I told you earlier is already a fitting punishment."

"…I don't get it. Which part is our punishment?" questioned Chouryou.

"You have betrayed everything that song and music stands for. That is your sin. If I killed you now, then it means I have let you escape from your sin. You will have to atone your sin by living and try to make up for every bad decision in the past by becoming even better singers and make people happy with your songs. This time, you will do it without the help of that magic book and if you truly love to sing then it shouldn't be a hard task for you," explained Yamato to the sisters, smiling as he leaned his elbow on the armrests of his throne.

The Chou Sisters, for their part were silent before sobs broke from them as they fell to their knees, relief and happiness washing over them as what Yamato said had finally sunk in. They were happy that they managed to get a lighter punishment and were alive. But what made them the happiest the most that they could sing again. They could do what they loved the most again without any burden and they were really happy for that.

"Thank you, Kusanagi-sama! Thank you! Thank you so much!" cried Choukaku, her tone was brimming with gratitude.

"Thank you…!" Chouryou sobbed quietly.

"T-Thank you, Kusanagi-sama! I-I promise I will do my best to redeem myself a-and become a better singer!" vowed Chouhou, trying to smile despite crying in relief.

"You're welcome. Please call me by my name, Yamato or my alter ego, Gaim," replied Yamato as he smiled slightly.

"T-Then please call us by our true name, Gaim-sama," said Chouhou as she wiped away her tears. "My true name is Chiihou."

"…Mine is Renhou," added Chouryou.

"And I'm Tenhou! We will do our best to meet your expectation, Gaim-sama!" finished Choukaku with a big smile and puffy eyes.

"I'm sure you will," replied Yamato. "I'm sure you all know my generals, right?"

"Yes, we know of them," replied Tenhou as she looked at Aisha. "I already know about Ryuubi-san and the others. You must be Kan'u Unchou-san."

"That is right, I am Kan'u Unchou," replied Aisha as she looked at Tenhou and her sisters. "Gaim-sama has placed his trust upon the three of you, so please don't betray his trust."

"We won't," it was Chiihou who replied to her. Her cyan shone with determination and resolve. "Gaim-sama…he gave us the second chance to redeem ourselves and that's why…We won't waste it."

Aisha stared at her for a moment before a smile graced her beautiful face. "I know you will do your best. Gaim-sama knows what he is doing and I will abide by his decision. And please call me by my true name, Aisha."

"I'm so happy that you will be staying here!" Touka gushed. "Even if your revelation is very surprising, I'm still your fan! I'm sure you can become better singers!"

"Thank you, Ryuubi-san," replied Tenhou, feeling genuinely touched by Touka's admission and encouragement. It was a very good sentiment for them and it gave them the moral support from their fan who knew of their secret, but still remained their fan. "We promise we will do our best."

"Please call me by my real name, Touka! I'm sure Gaim-sama can teach you some of the songs from his world too!" said the rose haired girl happily.

Chiihou looked at Yamato in surprise and asked, "You can sing, Gaim-sama?"

"I won't say I'm a good singer, but I sing a little to relax," he answered, a little embarrassed that his little secret was out. How Touka knew about that? He did sing when he worked through his paperwork to relieve his stress or when he took baths to help him relax. "In fact, Yuki is the better singer. She did win an annual singing contest three times straight."

That was true. Yuki won the annual singing contest their school held during its anniversary and she was the undefeated reigning champion for three years. Some record labels had even approached her and offered her contracts, although she had said she wanted to focus on her education first before she made her decision.

The Chou Sisters looked confused by whom he was referring to and Shuri immediately came to their help.

"Gaim-sama means Ryugen of Go, the Unrivaled Green Marksman. She is one of Gaim-sama's friends too," she said and smiled as the sisters nodded, recognizing the name as one of the three Messengers of Heaven and the nightmare of the Yellow Turbans. "And you too can call me by my true name, Shuri."

"My real name is Hinari. Please call me by that name if you wished to," added Hinari as she too smiled at them.

"You can call Rinrin Rinrin. We will have a lot of fun! Rinrin's so sure of it!" Rinrin finished as she flashed a friendly grin.

Tenhou, Renhou, Chiihou were happy that they were accepted easily by everyone here. They had realized that Yamato's acceptance and trust in them was the biggest reason why. They promised they will pay back his trust by becoming a worthy singers and musicians.

"Now that introductions are done with, I will have a maid to show you your room. I'm sure that you want to share a room between the three of you, right?" Yamato's inquiry was met with nods from the Chou Sisters. "Alright then. Rinrin, please take the Chou Sisters to a maid and tell her to have a room ready for them. Can you take their belongings to their room also?"

"Sure thing! Just leave it to Rinrin!" replied the petite redhead as she hit her chest proudly,

"Um…we don't have much with us so we can carry them ourselves," said Tenhou, not wanting to trouble the younger girl.

"Don't worry, Tenhou-oneechan! Rinrin is really strong!" Rinrin grinned confidently as she hauled the sisters' bags with one hand. "Come on!"

"Oh, and Rinrin?" Yamato called out. The youngest General of Shoku turned to Yamato questioningly making 'nya' noise as she did so. "Come back soon. We still have some things to discuss after my visit to that forest."

Rinrin tilted her head to the left with confused look before the realization hit her as she smiled at him. "Okay! Come on, Onee-chan! Let's go!"

With that, the Little Tiger of Shoku left the Palace's main chamber and the new court entertainers followed her, trying to catch up with the energetic younger girl. Yamato sighed and visibly deflated on his throne as soon as they left. His right hand went to massage his temples as he felt today's strain finally caught up with him. First the Zawame City ruins in Helheim Forest and the Chou Sisters who happened to be the leaders of the Yellow Turbans…Today was supposed to be his day off and yet the condition didn't allow him to truly relax and have some rest.

"Gaim-sama, are you alright?" asked Touka when she how tired he looked.

"I'm alright. Today is surely eventful, huh?" Yamato replied with a weak chuckle. "And it is supposed to be our day off."

"Perhaps you can wait for tomorrow to explain your experience in the Helheim Forest," Hinari suggested, but Yamato shook his head in negative.

"No, what I have to say is really important. It doesn't only concern Shoku, but also the entire world as we know it."

His somewhat grim reply made Touka, Shuri, and Hinari looked at each other in confusion while Aisha looked at Yamato in worry. She knew her lord was also shaken up from seeing the ruins in Helheim Forest because he apparently knew of that place, but he put up a strong front because he didn't want to worry her. She hoped that there would be no more surprises today. Her lord had more than enough in his plate already.

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Once Rinrin returned from escorting the Chou Sisters, Yamato immediately held an emergency meeting about what he and Aisha found in Helheim Forest. He had ordered the soldiers and the cleaning staffs to not disturb the meeting unless it was an important or urgent matter that needed his attention immediately.

He and his generals gathered in the war council room which was placed not too far from the throne room. The room was quite spacious with sparse decoration aside of necessities such as the entrance door and windows; it only had a big round table in the middle of the room with several chairs around it and a black board on the far side of the room. Yamato and his generals took their seat and began the meeting.

"Before we start, it is imperative that some of the things we discuss here can not and will not be known to anyone else because it is a sensitive matter," started Yamato. His generals aside from Aisha looked at each other in confusion before turning to Yamato and nodded.

He nodded back at them before returning Aisha's concerned look with an assuring glance and placed the Lockseeds he harvested from Helheim Forest on the table and presented them to his Generals.

"These are the Lockseeds I managed to harvest from my first trip into Helheim Forest with Aisha. These ones…" Yamato gestured to the three Himawari Lockseeds. "…are Himawari Lockseeds, D-Rank. They are the most common Lockseeds and like what I have told you about D-Rank Lockseeds, they don't produce Arms Armor but they still retain the standard Lockseeds capabilities like summoning Inves when unlocked and providing alternate mean of nutrition to a Sengoku Driver wearer."

Yamato then gestured to the pair of Matsubokkuri Lockseeds. "These are Matsubokkuri Lockseeds, C-Rank and the base Lockseed for Kurokage. The Matsubokkuri Lockseed arms the user with a pinecone-based spear called Kagematsu. Statistically speaking, Matsubokkuri Arms gives all-rounded enhancements, but less than what Orange Arms could offer.

"Then these two," the King of Shoku motioned to the Kurumi and Donguri Lockseeds. "…are Kurumi and Donguri Lockseeds. Both are C+-Rank and B-Rank respectively. The Kurumi Lockseed grants the user with a pair of giant, metallic gloves called Kurumi Bombers and increased strength and agility. The Donguri Lockseed on the other hand also grants enhanced strength like Kurumi Lockseed, but it exchanges the speed for better protection. It arms the user with a small hammer called Donkachi and despite its size still packs quite a punch. It is the base Lockseed for Gridon."

Yamato then introduced the A-Rank Lockseeds. "And over here are the A-Rank Lockseeds. I already told you what Suika and Banana Lockseed can do, so let's move on to the others. This one is Melon Lockseed. It arms the user with a shield called Melon Defender and it provides much better all around enhancements compared to other Arms, like Orange or Banana. Not counting the Suika Arms, Melon Arms is able to match the Durian Arms that Bravo has. I should probably keep it with me in case I have to fight against Bravo in the future."

"That is a sound decision," agreed Shuri with a nod. If the Rogue Rider was as strong as Yamato proclaimed to be, then it would be best to keep the Melon Lockseed around just in case. She then looked at the three new Lockseeds. "What about these Lockseeds, Gaim-sama?"

"These three are Lockseeds I have never seen before. From what I can see from the fruits they are associated with, they are cherry, dragon fruit, and pumpkin Lockseeds. I only tested the Cherry Lockseed when we were ambushed by Inves back in Helheim Forest. Cherry Arms is as strong as Orange Arms and as fast as Ichigo Arms. The tradeoff is the armor is as light Ichigo Arms, so it is better for hit and run tactics or for crowd control."

"What about the other two? The pumpkin and…the dragon fruit Lockseeds?" questioned Hinari, still trying to make sense for the name of the new fruit. Which part of it resembled a dragon anyway? Was it because of its somewhat scaly skin?

"Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to test them in Helheim as I didn't want to fight the Inves there. Inves becomes stronger in Helheim Forest and I don't want to risk our safety just because I wanted to try out the new Lockseeds," answered Yamato.

Shuri and Hinari nodded, satisfied with the answer. Maybe they could test the Lockseeds on a later date with Inves they summoned from the Lockseeds.

"Ano…What about that one, Gaim-sama?" asked Touka, pointing at the Lockseed with a transparent casing.

"This one is a special Lockseed. Normally, it is not a naturally occurring Lockseed since it is an artificial Lockseed called an Energy Lockseed. This one is Lemon Energy Lockseed," said Yamato as he picked up the Lemon Energy Lockseed and examined it. "But we found it like the rest of the other Lockseeds, harvested as a Helheim Fruit although it looked somewhat different."

Hinari and Shuri looked surprised at his statement before the petite blonde decided to ask. "Artificial? You mean…that Lockseed is manmade?"

"Yeah. With the right technology and enough data, the Yggdrassil Group managed to create Energy Lockseeds which are more powerful than natural Lockseeds. They are S-Rank and generate more powerful Energy Arms which are based on the fruit they are associated with but they don't have the Arms Weapons. Instead, they summon a bladed bow which fires energy arrows called Sonic Arrow. It also doubles as a melee and ranged weapon and is very versatile for any situation," he explained.

Aisha perked up hearing the name 'Yggdrassil'. Yamato called the tower in the heart of the ruins by the same name. So the people of the destroyed world were the ones who were responsible for the creation of Energy Lockseeds? Just how advanced their world was to replicate Lockseeds and made them even stronger?

"You must be really lucky to find them in the Helheim Forest, Gaim-sama," commented Touka.

"I'm still wondering how it ended up as a natural Lockseed, but considering what we saw back then I think I have a theory about that," replied the King of Shoku, thinking about Zawame City ruins inside Helheim Forest. "Anyway, because of the higher energy output it produces, it is not compatible with a Sengoku Driver and needs to use another type of Driver called a Genesis Driver. However, it can be used with a Sengoku Driver if it is attached with the core of a Genesis Driver and it will be able to draw power from both Lockseeds for extra enhancements."

"Really? Then do you have this attachment with you, Gaim-sama?" asked Hinari.

"Unfortunately, I lost the Genesis Core as well as my own Lemon Energy Lockseed. So until I find it or a replacement, I can't use this Lockseed," Yamato sighed as he put the Lemon Energy Lockseed back on the table.

"Mu~, that's too bad. Rinrin really wants to see it in action," Rinri pouted.

"Then what about the Lockseed you got from me?" asked Aisha.

"The last one is a Lock Vehicle Lockseed like the Sakura Hurricane called a Dandeliner Lockseed. It is somewhat different because it can fly and armed with a ranged weapon. Think of it as a bow that can fire continuously without needing to rearm or has any ammunition limit."

"Hawawa…It can fly?" gasped Shuri as her Hinari did the same.

"And armed with such weapon? Awawa…"

The strategist duo was looking at the Lock Vehicle Lockseed in awe. Just how powerful were the Lockseeds really?

"Now that I have showed you what Lockseeds I got from Helheim Forest, now I'll explain what else Aisha and I found in that forest," Yamato said with all serious tone. "Again, I need to remind you that what I said after this is not to be revealed to anyone without my permission. It is a very sensitive matter that will not only affect Shoku, but also the whole world in general."

The other officers gulped and looked at each other nervously and confusedly as Rinrin decided to ask. "Ne, Onii-chan. What's with all the secrecy?"

"Because it will better if less people know the truth of Helheim Forest, Rinrin," it was Aisha who answered solemnly, causing everyone to look at her.

She realized that secrecy was needed to keep their world and the people safe from power hungry warlords out there. Knowing that the warring states era has badly weakened and torn the land, what Helheim Forest could offer to those people will only cause more innocent people to suffer and potentially destroy the world. She couldn't stomach the image of China turning into dystopian world like the destroyed world inside Helheim Forest. She would do everything it took to prevent that from happening.

Yamato glanced at Aisha for a second before he spoke up, "What Aisha said is right. The less people know about Helheim Forest is better. Helheim Fruits and Inves are only a small part of the horrors it contained."

The seriousness of Yamato's words made his officers shift slightly as he continued.

"Shortly after we found the Lemon Energy Lockseed, we found something that really surprised us. I expected to see it sooner or later, but not this soon anyway," he paused and closed his eyes as he recalled the image of the ruined Zawame City in his mind. He remembered the smallest detail he could see from the distance. No matter how horrible it was, it was a reminder of what he was fighting for. Of what he, Aisha, and everyone else was fighting for. Yamato opened his steel grey eyes and continued. "We saw ruins of a destroyed city inside Helheim Forest. Not just any city, but the city which I thought only existed in a story back home. That city was called Zawame City and it came from around the era my world is currently in, or at least a little more advanced by several years ahead."

His revelation brought gasps from the rest of his generals while Aisha bit her lip as she remembered about ruins of Zawame City. It was a horrible reminder of what this world could end up like if the truth of Helheim Forest came out.

"N-No way…!" gasped Touka, horrified.

"A-Are you sure it is the same city, Gaim-sama? I-I mean not a lookalike, or something like that?" inquired Hinari shakily.

"There is no mistaking it. The structures of the buildings are the same as the ones in my home world and the Yggdrassil Tower in the heart of the ruins is a dead giveaway. Even if it was somewhat ruined and covered with a lot of Helheim plants, I will still recognize that tower and it is located in Zawame City which I thought to be fictional."

There was terse silence filled the war council room for a whole minute before Shuri asked. "D-Do you have any idea why the city turned to be like that, Gaim-sama?"

"Only theories and not definite facts, but it all boiled down to one truth about Helheim Forest," Yamato answered as he sighed and leaned to the chair. "Helheim Forest is alive and possesses sentience like any living being. That is the most important fact. That is why it will look for a new world and take it over slowly as time goes on by opening Cracks where its vegetation will grow slowly as it spreads its kind more and more. Once it succeeded invading a world, it will go dormant for years or even centuries before it makes another attempt to invade another world. However, Helheim Forest is not invading without a purpose. Some people believed that Helheim Forest invades in order to promote evolution to the residents of that world. Sometimes, Helheim Forest even appeared in stories and myths which told about a man or people who gained immortality or incredible powers when consuming otherworldly fruits.

"Some higher ups of that world knew of Helheim's coming invasion and wanted to obtain that power for themselves, the power which is said to allow them to transcend their boundaries. They made several plans and plots to obtain that power like manipulating the people they were supposed to protect and even blamed the innocents who didn't know a thing for any mishaps that went outside of their scenario. And once Helheim Forest invaded, most of the people of that world were either killed during the invasion or turned into Inves while those higher ups gained power that they wished for. Soon, however, they became drunk with their power and committed massacre and genocide against the survivors who they thought to be beneath them. Their prosperous and advanced civilization turned into one where only the strong will survive and the weak shall perish. Some of the survivors eventually got the same power as their oppressors and fought back. They then warred with each other where one side believed that might makes right and the other believed that power is to be used responsibly. It wasn't clear which side won or how the war ended, but whoever won had left that world dead and nothing but a hollow shell of its former self."

At the end of Yamato's explanation, tense silence filled the war council room. Aside of Aisha who looked uncomfortable hearing the same, horrifying story of the end of a world twice in a day, the other Generals looked pale, horrified, disbelieving after listening to his story.

"…T-That's…horrible," Touka whispered in horror as Rinrin slacked on her chair, looking as if she was drained of her usual boundless energy.

"H-Hawawa…i-is o-our world going to be like t-that too, Gaim-sama?" asked Shuri, her tone was shaken and she looked even paler than usual.

"I cannot say for sure, but we should be thankful that there aren't any Cracks opening naturally in our territory or around the land. It means that we still have time to prepare ourselves if Helheim Forest starts its invasion," answered Yamato as he leaned forward and interlaced his fingers in front of his lips. "However, there is one more reason why we should keep Helheim Forest's existence as a secret."

"Awawa…T-T-There's more?" questioned Hinari. She looked as if she was about to faint any moment now, but managed to stay awake by her sheer willpower.

"Somewhere deep inside the Helheim Forest, there is a golden fruit known as the Fruit of Knowledge or the Forbidden Fruit. A scholar theorized whoever managed to obtain that fruit will gain even greater power than what Helheim Forest can give them," answered Yamato as his officers looked at him in shock. "It is said that whoever gains that Forbidden Fruit will obtain the power of God and can change the world as they see fit."

"…The power of God…?" whispered Touka, her eyes slowly widening as she did so.

"…Change the world as they see fit…?" questioned Aisha, her amber eyes widened as she echoed Yamato's words.

Rinrin for her part could only gape in surprise and wonder. She only understood small parts of her Onii-chan's words, but she knew that fruit is a bad news for everyone.

"A-Awawa…does that fruit really exist, Gaim-sama?" asked Hinari with frightened tone.

Something clicked on Shuri's mind as she managed put the two and two together. "Could it be…this Forbidden Fruit you speak of is the reason why that world inside Helheim Forest was destroyed?"

Yamato nodded at her hypothesis. "I believe it is. The power of God promised by the Forbidden Fruit is tempting to so many people, especially to those who wanted to gain power in the first place—like the people of the destroyed world. Allies turned into enemies, friends backstabbing each other, comrades betraying one another, and the line between enemies and friends became blurred. All that happened over a single fruit…" he sighed as he leaned on his chair. "The Forbidden Fruit…its power is terrifying, but the things people do to obtain it are even more terrifying."

Another tense silence descended on the room as Yamato finished explaining his theories of what happened during the Helheim-invaded Zawame City's last days. It played horrible images in their head as they tried to picture how the survivors of that world ended up like that. The dystopian world of what was left in the wake of Helheim Forest invasion was already bad enough and the conflict to obtain the Forbidden Fruit was simply terrifying them.

"T-Then, what will you do with the Forbidden Fruit, Gaim-sama?" asked Touka hesitantly.

"I'm not going to seek it out anytime soon or in the future," declared Yamato, much to his Generals' surprise.

"Eh? You're not going to seek that fruit out, Onii-chan?" Rinrin voiced her curiosity, as well as everyone else's.

Yamato nodded. "I'm not going to obtain the Forbidden Fruit because I have no need for it. Why I would want to gain the power of God in the first place? That kind of power is something that no human should ever trifle with. I am happy with the way I am now and if I want to become stronger, then I will do it by my own terms and not because of a fancy fruit. Besides, I have seen that power can corrupt even the purest people. To quote one of my books, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"."

He looked at each of his generals in the eye. "Our battle will not stop until we unite the land under our banner. We will have to maintain the peace and prepare for Helheim's invasion. I don't know when it will happen, but we all must be ready for it while keeping its existence and the Forbidden Fruit's whereabouts a secret. There are many power-hungry warlords out there and god knows what they will do to obtain that power. I ask you once more, will you still follow me after knowing this truth?"

"I already gave you my answer back in the Helheim Forest, Gaim-sama," said Aisha. A smile graced her face as she continued on, "I will follow you wherever you go anywhere and will face any enemy you fight against, be it the Rule of Reality or the entire Helheim Forest."

"More people will suffer if some bad people learned about Helheim Forest and the Forbidden Fruit, right?" Touka inquired rhetorically as her blue eyes gained steel-like gleam. "Then we will have to keep them a secret! There's no way I will let our world to be a place where the strong preys on the weak! That isn't right!"

"Yeah! Strength should be used to protect! Sensei told Rinrin years ago!" Rinrin agreed vehemently. "Anyone who abuses their power will be punished!"

"You really shouldn't ask this question again, Gaim-sama. It's getting old," Shuri huffed before she smiled a little. "That aside, I agree with your decision to keep the existence of Helheim Forest and the Forbidden Fruit secret. There are too many ambitious men out there who would do anything to gain that kind of power at any cost."

"And when Shuri said they would do anything to gain that kind of power, they really will do anything to do that even at the cost of so many people," Hinari continued for her best friend as she too smiled at her lord. "Thank you for sharing this secret with us, Gaim-sama."

"Well, I guess everyone agrees in one thing right?" said Touka as she looked at her fellow generals, returning their smiles with her own. She then turned to Yamato, the bright smile still present on her face. "There you have our answer, Gaim-sama."

Yamato for his part was relieved and happy that the girls still followed him despite knowing the truth about Helheim Forest. He sighed and visibly sagged in his chair, looking as if some weight had lifted off from his shoulders.

"Ano…Are you alright?" questioned Hinari.

"I'm alright. I'm just relieved that you will still follow me despite knowing the truth," Yamato answered as he smiled. "So thank you, all of you."

"You're welcome," replied Aisha before frowning a little bit. "Do you really expect that we will leave you once we know the truth, Gaim-sama? Doing that will be going against our vow to you."

"It's nothing like that, Aisha," Yamato countered as he shifted a little. "…It's my insecurities rearing its head again."

"Your insecurities?" questioned Touka.

Yamato closed his eyes as he made his confession. "Do you know that back home, I don't have many people I can call a friend aside from Shun and Yuki?" His generals' eyes widened in surprise as they never expected that kind of confession from their leader. "Acquaintances and a fair share of admirers yes, but not really friends. When my schoolmates looked at me, they didn't see Yamato Kusanagi as a boy, but they saw Yamato Kusanagi as perfection, the prodigious heir of the Kusanagi-ryuu dojo, the invincible captain of the Kendo Club, the most talented Kendoka of the generation. They didn't dare to approach me they feared to damage that perfection. Some even saw me with undisguised jealousy because of the titles they placed on me, not who I really am."

Here the young Shoku King smiled sadly. "Even when I was younger, other kids were apparently intimidated by me for reasons I didn't understand. I ended up in trouble sometimes because some bullies tried to pick a fight with me. Although I tried to make some friends so many times that I lost count, I never managed to do so even once. If it wasn't because of my parents being old friends with Shun's and Yuki's, I don't think I could ever have any friends. I still tried to make new friends after I befriended them, but…" Yamato trailed off at the end of his sentence, already leaving enough hints for the girls.

The girls were surprised and saddened by his revelation. To think that their lord was so lonely when he was a child and could have grown up friendless if it wasn't for his parents introducing him to his childhood friends…it was unthinkable when looking at him now. It was just that different. They didn't know what the young man they admired so much could have been if he had remained friendless and the possibility made them shudder. They got the feeling that he wouldn't be the same as he was now.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Gaim-sama," said Aisha sympathetically.

"It's okay. I guess having Shun and Yuki as friends made sure I never felt that lonely. I guess even now, I'm still scared that you will abandon me," Yamato chuckled bitterly as he continued. "I guess even after everything I have done and achieved, inside I'm just that lonely little boy who sits alone on that bench."

It was unbearable for Aisha and the others to see their King who usually looked like unyielding, forged steel looked so fragile and brittle like this. They realized despite all the titles he was still very much a human who was afraid to be left alone.

Touka suddenly stood up from her chair and went over to his chair. Yamato looked at her in confusion and was surprised when she pulled him into a tender hug.

"Touka…?"

"It's okay, Yamato-sama," said Touka, calling him by his real name instead of his alter ego. "We won't leave you. We will stay by your side until the end."

"You said it yourself that we are more than just lord and vassals, we are all equals and comrades here," added Aisha as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here and so is everyone. You are not alone anymore, Yamato-sama."

Yamato looked at the smiling faces of his generals one by one and felt yet another weight was lifted from his shoulders. He closed his eyes and relished in the warmth and the companionship his generals gave him. He was really grateful for them, for these wonderful girls who had vowed and decided to follow him despite knowing what they will face and his own secret. It had really touched him.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me," said Yamato.

"Ehehehe…You're welcome, Yamato-sama," replied Touka as she released the hug. "Please get some rest. Today has been a really long day for you when it should be a day off for all of us."

Yamato chuckled as he stood up. "I guess you're right. A nap sounds like a good idea since I don't think I can handle anymore surprises today. That's it for today's emergency meeting."

The generals bowed at him and left to their own devices. They all left the war council room, save for Aisha and Touka who followed Yamato for some reason.

"Is something wrong, Aisha, Touka?" he asked to them.

"It's nothing, Yamato-sama…" Aisha responded flusteredly as she tried to come up with a better reply. "S-Should I have a maid serve some tea for you?"

"If it isn't a problem, yes please," said Yamato as Touka waved her hand excitedly.

"Oh! Let me prepare it and have it taken to your room, Gaim-sama! Your usual, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, a smile formed on his face. Nothing sounded better than a cup of milk tea after a stressful day and Touka managed to get his favorite blend right somehow. He didn't ask how she did it, but he wasn't complaining.

Touka beamed as she hurried to the kitchen while Aisha frowned slightly before letting out a sigh. Yamato noticed this and asked her, "Are you alright, Aisha?"

"I'm alright, Yamato-sama. Perhaps I need to retire soon too."

The two then parted to their respective rooms, intending to take a good long, rest after a hectic and stressful day.

---

Yamato's wish for an ordinary day was completely dashed away the following morning when a messenger from the En Family arrived and brought an important message just after the breakfast.

As Emperor Ling, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty had passed away, a power vacuum took place as he had never named a successor before his death. This power vacuum was used by the Imperial Court to compete for the rightful successor of the throne. On one side were Empress He, the mother of one of the successor, Prince Bian, and He Jin, her brother and commander-in-chief. Opposing him was Prince Bian's half-brother, Prince Liu Xie, Empress Dong, the mother of the Emperor Ling, along with several eunuchs who served the late Emperor.

The two sides clashed, attempting to gain the Imperial Throne for themselves.

After a while, it seemed that He Jin's faction rose into dominance and Prince Bian became the dethroned Han Dynasty Emperor. The eunuchs that sided with Liu Xie feared that He Jin would seek retribution upon them, so they had him assassinated. It was for that purpose that the eunuchs had called for Toutaku Chuuei, the hero of the west. She had been originally summoned by He Jin from her home in Bingzhou to bolster their army and protect them. While it looked like Toutaku had followed the eunuchs' wish and managed to overthrow Bian and defeat He Jin's army with a large military force, she suddenly pulled a coup d'état and stole the throne from Liu Xie. She declared herself as Chancellor of the State and monopolized the Imperial Court.

As the Imperial Court fell into a state of chaos where violence and fear reigned, it split again into two factions: those who catered to Toutaku's rule and those who opposed her. Just before things settled down after the end of the Yellow Turbans Rebellion, conflict spread once more and rebellions erupted from all over the land.

Yamato had read the reports first hand and had prepared for this. With the arrival of a messenger from the En Family asking for Shoku's participation in the Anti-Toutaku Alliance, Yamato quickly called in for an emergency meeting with his Generals, including the Chou Sisters much to their surprise, in the war council room.

"What do you think of this?" asked Yamato as he propped his elbows on the table and his fingers interlaced in front of him. "Should we join the alliance?"

"Obviously, we should join them," answered Aisha almost immediately, her expression set into serious frown. Yamato could understand her outrage. Toutaku's rule wasn't just and Aisha believed that she had to be stopped.

"Yeah, we will punish Toutaku for being a tyrant!" Rinrin agreed vehemently.

"Um…I don't think we should join this alliance," Shuri spoke up, causing Aisha to look at her in shock and betrayal

"What are you saying, Shuri? Are you going to just let Toutaku to do as she pleases and hurt more innocent people?" asked Aisha angrily.

"Calm down, Aisha. I'm sure Shuri has a good reason for saying that," responded Yamato evenly as Touka tried to calm down Shuri who looked upset at Aisha's outburst.

"Ne, Shuri. Can you tell us why we shouldn't join the alliance?" asked the pink-haired girl.

Shuri took a deep breath as she explained her reasoning, "The Anti-Toutaku Alliance of Lords…Let's call it Anti-Toutaku Alliance, while it sounds good on the surface, we need to think about how this will effect things in the long run and the aftermath of this alliance."

Almost everyone looked at the blonde strategist in confusion as Renhou spoke. "The open Warring-States Era."

Hinari nodded at the purple-haired Chou Sister. "Renhou-san is right. Once the alliance has dethroned Toutaku, and I believe they will succeed, then Han Dynasty will collapse and we will enter into an open warring-states era. Ambitious warlords will fight each other to prove their supremacy and becoming the next ruler of the land."

"I have no illusion that they will set their sights on Shoku sooner or later, so we have to focus more on the aftermath of this alliance. Our resources are not enough to be split to join the alliance and surviving the aftermath of the Han Dynasty's collapse," continued Shuri for her best friend.

"But…those people…" Aisha tried to argue, but she couldn't find any faults in Shuri or Hinari's reasoning.

What the strategist said was true. Once the Han Dynasty fell, many warlords would rise and take arms to become the next ruler of the land. They would, without a doubt, set their sights upon Shoku to conquer it.

"This alliance also yields benefits for us if we decide to join," said Yamato as he pointed his index finger and counted. "One, we will have our reputation and influence rise for being part of the alliance that takes down Toutaku the Tyrant. This way, we can expand our territories and gain more allies as they will come to us and seek protection and give us resources we needed in return. Two, other warlords will be more hesitant to attack us after the fall of the Han Dynasty thanks to our reputation."

Everyone mulled over the benefits that Yamato pointed out to them and he was right. The benefits they gained from joining the alliance certainly counterbalanced the risks in the long term. They could gain more resources from their allies and they would have to worry less about attacks from rival warlords.

"Are you going to join the alliance, Gaim-sama?" asked Tenhou.

"Maybe, but before that I need to ask Shuri and Hinari," answered Yamato as he turned to his strategists. "I want you two to be honest and answer my question truthfully: do you think we should join the Anti-Toutaku Alliance?"

The blonde and blue-haired strategists looked at each other before Shuri spoke up, "To be honest, we want our faction to join the alliance but we also thought about our smaller numbers and far more finite resources."

"So we thought to not join the alliance and focus more on the people under our protection first. We're sorry for lying to you, Gaim-sama," said Hinari as she and Shuri looked down in shame.

Yamato chuckled at his strategist duo. "Really you two. Did you really think I would be angry at you? You're just doing your job as my advisors and strategists. The two of you did nothing wrong because you were only suggesting what you thought was the best for our faction. ."

Shuri and Hinari blushed and they stammered out their apologies in sync, "T-Thank you, Gaim-sama."

"You're welcome," Yamato replied with a smile before he asked. "Do any of you know about Enshou's personality?"

Tenhou then spoke up, "We have met her once during our show in her capital, Nanpi, and she was…uh…" She trailed off, not exactly sure on how to describe Enshou without being rude.

"An arrogant, stuck up, selfish, immature, spoiled princess without an ounce of common sense," Chiihou huffed and Tenhou immediately scolded her.

"Chiihou-chan!"

"But it's the truth!" the youngest Chou Sisters shot back.

"Enshou-dono is exactly what Chiihou described, Gaim-sama," Renhou chimed in and her eldest sister looked at her disapprovingly. "She is also a person known to put her foot in her mouth so she might sound insulting towards you. She is also very proud of her lineage. You can say that she is an egocentric person."

Yamato nodded at her input. "Alright, thanks for your answer." Yamato then looked at his generals who had their expression set into determined looks. "Do we have an accord? Then hereby the Shoku faction will be joining the Anti-Toutaku Alliance to stop the Tyrant Toutaku. We will move out in three days after we complete our own preparations. ny questions?"

Touka raised her hand and asked. "Ano…who will handle the government in our absence, Gaim-sama?"

"Good question," Yamato hummed thoughtfully as he asked to his advisors. "Who will you recommend, Shuri, Hinari?"

"Well…there are the Bi Sisters from Rinrin's unit. I heard they are quite capable for paperwork," suggested Shuri as Hinari nodded at her assessment.

"Bijiku Shichuu and Bihou Shihou. They are also fast learners and I'm sure they can handle government affairs once we show them how."

Yamato had read about them from his reports and their name didn't trigger any recognition from his part, so he thought they were either minor background characters from the original Romance of the Three Kingdom epic or someone entirely new from this world. Either way, they were quite capable on handling reports or maintaining the government affairs since their father was once a magistrate before he was stripped from his position thanks to a political rival slandering his name. They joined as aide de camp for Rinrin and handled the paperwork and reports for her since she was pretty much illiterate.

"Alright, then I'll leave the matters of affairs to the Bi Sisters and the Chou Sisters," decided Yamato, causing the former idols to look at him in surprise.

"Eee~h!? Us!?" Tenhou pointed to herself and her sisters. "But we don't know anything about governing a city, much less a kingdom!"

"But you have led the Yellow Turbans before, right? It won't be much different, especially with Gaim-sama and the rest of us guiding you," argued Aisha with a smile.

Chiihou looked really nervous before her eyes caught Yamato's gaze who nodded assuringly at her, giving her the confidence she needed.

"If Gaim-sama believes we can do it, then we will do our best to meet his expectation," said the youngest of the Chou Sisters.

"Good to hear that," Yamato replied before addressing to his Generals once more. "If that's all, then this meeting is adjourned."

---

Three days later, Yamato and his generals departed from Xizang to meet up with Enshou in the alliance's camp. She had also recruited Sousou Motoku of Gi and Sonken Chuubou of Go. He left the matters of government in the hands of the Biand Chou Sisters during his absence.

When the Shoku Faction arrived at the Anti-Toutaku Alliance encampment in Henan Province after a one week march, the sheer size of the camp nearly caught everyone off quickly ordered his men to build their own camp before sending a messenger to Enshou to report that the Shoku faction had arrived. The message he got in return was the war council will be taking place on the next day inEnshou's tent.

The next day, Yamato headed to the En Family's camp accompanied by Touka and Shuri while Aisha, Rinrin, and Hinari would be staying in their camp to watch things over while waiting for them.

"Uuuh…I'm so nervous…" said Touka nervously.

"Hawawa…this is my first time seeing the other Lords too…I-I hope I don't mess up…" Shuri added with equal nervousness.

Yamato placed a comforting hand on their shoulders. "Try to relax. Just be yourself when facing those three and you will do just alright. Trying to be someone else will be only tiring and make you sounds insincere."

Touka and Shuri looked at him for a moment before smiles bloomed on their faces.

"Ehehe…Thank you for calming us down, Yamato-sama," said Touka brightly.

"I will do my best, Yamato-sama. You can count on me," added Shuri with a firm nod.

Yamato smiled back at them as he looked toward the largest tent in the camp. "Alright, time to face the music."

The King of Shoku and his entourage entered the tent after he identified himself to the guards. Inside the tent were five people, three of them were people Yamato didn't recognize—he did have an idea of who they were, it was only the matter of who was who—, but he would recognize his friends anywhere.

"It's good to see you again, Shun, Yuki," greeted Yamato with a smile.

"Seems you've been very busy lately, eh buddy?" replied Shun with cheeky grin. He then noticed the long coat Yamato wore and whistled appreciatively. "Nice long coat, by the way."

"Thanks. You know what they say about long coats," said Yamato as he smirked and Shun returned with his own.

"Only badasses can wear long coats," they said as one, before laughing slightly.

Yuki shook her head and smiled ruefully as she muttered. "Boys will always be boys…."

"And how are you doing, Yuki?" asked Yamato to his bespectacled friend.

"I'm doing fine. Though, I can't help but worry about an idiot who always does reckless things just because he wants to," answered Yuki, but not before shooting a glare to Shun.

"Aww, you DO care about me, Yuki-chan! I feel so special already!" commented Shun with an overly dramatic swoon.

"Baka…" Yuki huffed and looked away, but not without pink flush tinting her cheeks. "…I'm worried because I can't watch your back if something happens to you."

Shun just grinned at her while Yamato shook his head at his friends' antics.

'I wonder when they will stop dancing around and kiss each other already?' the Shoku King mused internally.

Yamato, however, was aware that the other occupants of the room were looking at him as if they were analyzing him ever since he entered the tent alongside his entourage. If they were going to just watch and scrutinize him, Yamato was fine by that and he wouldn't say anything about it. Unless someone spoke to him first, he wouldn't speak a word. He was also studying them too, after all.

"…So, you're the person Baron told me about. Yamato Kusanagi," Sousou started and Yamato turned to face her, returning her cool gaze with his own.

"I am, and you must be Sousou Motoku because you've brought Shun with you," replied Yamato as Sousou smirked at him.

"Correct and you don't look too bad for a man."

Her words caused the blonde woman in gaudy armor to look at her in surprise. She knew Sousou personally and Sousou Motoku was a known man-hater. It was really out-of-character of her to say that and it was almost like Sousou was interested in Kusanagi.

If only she knew how true that was.

Yamato nodded at her before turning to the tanned, pink-haired girl who stood in front of Yuki. "And you must be Sonken Chuubou."

"I am," Sonken acknowledged. "My name is Sonken Chuubou, the current Queen of Son Go. I have heard a lot of positive things from Ryugen about you, Kusanagi-dono."

"Is that so? Then, I will do my best to meet up with any expectation you have in me, Sonken-dono," replied Yamato evenly as Sonken nodded at him, her blue eyes glinted with a hint of an unspoken approval.

The last occupant of the room cleared her throat to shift the attention toward herself. To be honest, Yamato wasn't too impressed with the woman he taught to be Enshou Honshou. Sure she was beautiful to a degree, but she wasn't as beautiful as Aisha or Touka, or even Sonken with her exotic skin tone. Her long, golden hair was styled into big ringlets and her eyes were jade green. She was wearing a set of rather gaudy yellow armor with black highlights over a red tunic with black sleeves and a white skirt. She was also wearing some kind of jewelry on her forehead and black leggings underneath white thigh-high boots with yellow armored shoes. A sword hung on her waist by a black belt and a red cape on her back completed her appearance.

If Enshou tried to look like a heroic warlord, then Yamato would give her a 3 from 1 to 10-scale, and he was being generous. While her ensemble did look like it, she simply didn't exude the presence of a respectable lord like Sonken and Sousou, or even Kousonsan who was pretty average. In fact, the aura she had around her pretty much screamed about her being a self-centered, arrogant, and spoiled princess—which was somehow magnified by the gaudy armor set she wore.

'Huh, so Chiihou was right about her,' thought Yamato.

"So, we finally meet, Yamato Kusanagi of Shoku," Enshou greeted with a smile, though it wasn't as sincere as it looked. "It is a pleasure to meet you, the First Messenger of Heaven and the Peerless Blue Swordsman, in the flesh. My name is Enshou Honshou, the head of En Family and the initiator of this alliance."

"The pleasure is mine," Yamato replied before placing a hand on Touka and Shuri's shoulders, causing the slightest tremors on their bodies to vanish. "These two are my second-in-command and strategist, Ryuubi Gentoku and Shoukatsuryou Koumei."

"Pleased to meet you, everyone," replied Touka and Shuri as they inclined their head. Yamato had coached them to not bow to the other warlords as it would be seen as a form of submission and inclining their head was enough to show their respect to them.

The other occupants of the tent returned their greeting by also inclining their heads.

"Well, it looks like all we have to wait for is that commoner Kousonsan to join us and we can start the war council already," said Enshou as she sighed in overly dramatic way. "Honestly that girl, didn't she know we're wasting enough time already?"

Touka almost said something in the defense of her friend, but Yamato shook his head causing her to bite back the retort she had. However, the Shoku King narrowed his eyes at Enshou who flinched upon seeing the intensity and sharpness of his steel-like gray eyes.

"Perhaps you should learn to be a little more patient, Enshou-dono. Maybe Kousonsan-dono has some urgent business to do before she heads on over here."

"Thank you for defending me, Gaim, but I can take care of myself," said a new voice as its owner entered the tent. It was Pairen and she had a slight smile on her face as she greeted Yamato and Touka. "Good to see you in good health, you two."

"Ah, hello, Pairen-chan!" Touka greeted, smiling widely.

"Good to see you in good health too, Pairen," said Yamato. His smile was smaller than Touka's but no less genuine.

"I already sent a messenger before saying that I will be coming a little late since I have to settle a dispute among my men," said Pairen as she took her place next to Yamato and Touka. "What did I miss?"

"Oh nothing, just a cold verbal lashing plus the Kusanagi Glare Number 1 for Princess Obnoxious over there from my best buddy," answered Shun with lopsided grin.

Enshou glared at Shun as she retorted hotly, "Oh look who's talking! Aren't you also the obnoxious one?"

"At least I don't act like Ms. All-too-important," Shun quipped back, enjoying the irritated glare Enshou threw at him.

Sousou didn't bother to repress the chuckle that escaped her lips. It felt good to see someone got the end of Shun's annoying quips, especially Enshou.

Unfortunately, Enshou noticed it ashe turned and glared at Sousou. "What is so funny, you midget!?"

"Oh nothing, just seeing an old hag getting what is coming to her," Sousou commented nonchalantly.

A vein popped on Enshou's forehead. "O-Old hag!? At least I don't look like a child!"

"Why thank you. That way I will still be beautiful while you're all wrinkled like a dried prune." At least Sousou learned something from oh so many witty comeback from that annoying man Shun Murayama. Now she could send out her own witty retorts and she really enjoyed it.

'It is fun. Now I can see why Baron likes doing this,' thought Sousou.

The blood vessel on Enshou's forehead threatened to burst as she grounded her teeth. "W-Why you…!"

"Enough," Yamato called out and stopped Enshou from saying anything else. "We have a more pressing issue here, so please settle down now or get out and settle your differences elsewhere."

There was a subtle shift in the air around Yamato and the occupants of the tent could feel it. Sousou took this as a sign to step down from her argument with Enshou.

Enshou forced herself to calm down before she addressed to the occupants of the tent. "Ahem, first of all, thank you for coming here and answering my call for this alliance. All of us here agree that the impudent brat Toutaku must be stopped and punished for all of her misdeeds. This land does not need a tyrant like her. I am sure with the soldiers as well as the powerful warriors we have at our disposal, even with Shoku's small and insignificant numbers, we will be more than able to defeat Toutaku and end her regime of tyranny."

While her speech was good, almost everyone else could see that Enshou had practiced this speech over and over in order to impress them. Sad thing was, almost everyone here could see through that and no one was impressed enough.

"We, however, possess one glaring weakness that may spell failure to our objectives. Does anyone know?" asked Enshou as she continued on. With a self-satisfied smirk— almost all occupants of the room looked at Enshou in annoyance or suspicion after seeing that smirk—she answered her own question. "What I am talking is here is a true leader, a supreme commander to lead this alliance to victory!" Here her smile seemed to widen. "Of course, the person who has to lead this alliance must be someone who is certainly brave and heroic, someone who comes from a distinguished bloodline, someone who—"

"If you're talking about yourself, then I am afraid I will not recognize you as the supreme commander of this alliance," Yamato spoke out, cutting Enshou off from her speech as she looked at him in bewildered surprise.

Her expression then immediately changed into outrage as she exploded. "Excuse me!?"

"Being a leader is not privilege or luxury. It is a duty and responsibility. Every decision you make and every action affects those who decide to follow you. You view the position of a leader as a privilege and the others below you. Also, you not only insulted my faction, but also a friend of mine and then got into a fight with Shun and Sousou-dono over a trivial matter. So tell me, Enshou Honshou…" Yamato then narrowed his eyes at Enshou. "…Why should I follow you? Do you think you can shoulder such burden? All that you have said and done as well as the way you have acted has proven that you are unfit to be the leader of this alliance."

"W-What did you say!?" Enshou snapped.

"I said…" the air around Yamato immediately shifted and Enshou took a back step unconsciously. It was as if a sword had been drawn from its scabbard and it was pointed at her. "…You are unfit to be the leader. I get the feeling, no, I know that you are the kind of person who doesn't want to get your hands dirty and use your men like disposable pawns to achieve your goal instead." Enshou was now beading in cold sweat as Yamato's eyes narrowed further and felt that metaphorical sword was now touching her neck. "I will never follow that kind of leader. I will not risk my friends, comrades, and men under the leadership of an egocentric person like you."

Touka and Shuri gulped nervously when they witnessed their lord's fury. They had never seen him this angry before and while Touka had seen him angry before, it was never as furious as this. It looked like Enshou had pushed the wrong buttons and got on his nerve, so this was the end result.

Pairen was looking at her ally with wide-eyes. To her, witnessing this kind of cold fury was a first and she found it a little hard for her to breathe while being close with Yamato.

Sousou was regarding Yamato with interest. Seeing him dressing down that idiot Enshou was really satisfying, but she never expected that he, a man, could exert this kind of pressure. She even had to grip her left arm to prevent herself from shuddering.

'So…this is what Baron meant to live up his name as Kusanagi, the sword regalia…' Sousou as her blue eyes gleamed in interest. 'Show me more…Show me more of what you can do Yamato Kusanagi…!'

Shun and Yuki were no stranger to this kind of outburst from Yamato. They had seen it several times before and one of the most notable times was last year. A former Kendo club member named Kurosawa, who was a bully and very arrogant, had boasted that he could defeat Yamato and had challenged him for his position as the club captain.

One duel later, Kurosawa ended up with several broken bones, a major concussion, and a deep seated trauma. While it sounded excessive to some, Kurosawa's bullying tendencies toward his own schoolmates and many others including several middle-school students was well known and he always escaped punishment because his father was a teacher. His father tried to get Yamato expelled, but Yamato had managed to gain evidence of his bullying with the help of his family and the victims' testimonies. Later, Kurosawa was expelled and his father was fired. No one had heard from them since.

"Yamato's pissed. This won't end well…" Shun muttered, loud enough to be heard by Yuki.

"…At least there won't be broken bones or trauma today," Yuki muttered back.

Sonken on the other hand watched Yamato's verbal lashing towards Enshou with a healthy dose of respect and admiration. She found herself agreeing with him. Being a leader was no privilege or luxury. It was a duty and responsibility toward those who followed her because every decision she made and every action she took WOULD affect them. Even the slightest mistake on her part could end with her men would be paying for it. Being the kind-hearted girl she was, Sonken couldn't let that happen on her conscience. While the pressure Yamato was exuding was menacing, she could see that he was an honorable person who cared for his allies and friends. Glancing briefly at Yuki, Sonken now understood why Yamato Kusanagi was the best person to be allied with and the worst person to make an enemy of.

"If I may ask, Kusanagi-dono," Sonken called out. "Seeing that you will not follow a leader like Enshou over here, what kind of leader would you follow?"

Yamato glanced at the Queen of Son Go for a moment before he answered. "To quote a saying that I heard: "If a King does not lead, how can he expect his subjects to follow him?" A true leader never sits back in the tent or the rear guard while their men fight for them and do their dirty work. A true leader will not be afraid to fight together with their men in the frontlines and lead them into battle. An army is the responsibility of a leader and when they fight, the leader will order their men to win and not to die. A leader must take the same risks like their men. That kind of leader is the leader that I would follow."

Sonken looked surprised for a moment before an approving smile curved on her lips. "I see. So you are that kind of person. Very well, I will defer to your command during this alliance, Supreme Commander Kusanagi."

Yamato looked surprised by her statement as did everyone else, but managed to recover his composure before he asked Sonken. "Why me? Wouldn't you or Sousou-dono would be the better choice since either of you have more experience in leading a big army?"

"That is true. However, I have a feeling that you will do a better job than either of us," Sonken explained. "Yuki has told me many times that you are a natural leader. I want to see if she is right."

"I agree with Sonken. For once, I have no qualms in taking orders from a man," Sousou admitted before she smirked at Yamato. "This way, I can see for myself if what Baron has told me and if all those rumors are true or just lies."

"I already have the pleasure of fighting together with Yamato-dono, so I can attest that those rumors are certainly true, if not understated in what he is capable of," Pairen spoke up for her ally as a slight smile curved on her lips. "I actually look forward to the time when we will be able to fight together again."

"You should take this position, Yamato-sama. I couldn't think of someone better to lead this Alliance," suggested Touka, smiling. She was happy that her lord was acknowledged by other famous warlords.

"I too think that is the best option, Gaim-sama," said Shuri before she added with a much lower tone, "This way, we can gain more benefits from this alliance, such as more allies and the reputation we need."

Yamato didn't show any kind of recognition to what Shuri said, but the young strategist knew he had acknowledged her.

The King of Shoku then focused his attention to Enshou who seemed to have difficulties to breathe, "Well? What about you, Enshou Honshou?"

Enshou for her part wanted nothing more than to scream and rant at this upstart Kusanagi. How dare he ruin her moment of glory!? Her moment where she would show the other warlords that she was, in fact, superior to them? But for once, her survival instinct won over her ego and was screaming at her to lie down or Kusanagi would destroy her and the En Army, especially with Gi and Go supporting him. Being an egocentric and stubborn person by nature, surrendering was never an option for her. Besides, the motto of En family said it all.

"There are only two results of a battle for a member of the En Family: win elegantly or win beautifully."

It should be noted that Enshou herself made up that motto, so its credibility was questionable.

She really hated to lose, but discretion seemed to be the better part of valor at the moment.

"F-Fine. Do what you wish," she spoke and as soon as she said that, the pressure Yamato exerted on her lifted off. She gave him one last dirty glare as she swore mentally. 'I'll get you back for this indignity, Kusanagi…'

Yamato looked over at the occupants of the room one more time before he nodded. "Very well. I, Yamato Kusanagi, hereby accept the position as the Supreme Commander of the Anti-Toutaku Alliance and you have my gratitude for entrusting me to lead you all for the moment." He paused to let his words sink in for the others before he added, "And before we end this council meeting, I want every army to send their scouts ahead to Shisui Pass. Tell them to report on how many soldiers the Toutaku Faction has stationed there, what kind of formation they are using, who their commander is, what kind of personality the commander has and even the smallest things about our enemies matter. The more information we have about our enemy, the more resources we have to come up with a better plan."

Shun quirked an eyebrow. "Already? You sure work fast, buddy."

"We may be one week away from Shisui Pass, but we can't afford to waste our time," replied Yuki as her childhood friend nodded.

Sonken shared a glance with Yuki before she turned to Yamato. "Very well. The Son Go Army will send its best scouts to scout ahead in Shisui Pass. You can count on us to gather all the information you need, Kusanagi-dono."

"Sou Gi will also send our best scout," said Sousou before she smirked at Sonken's direction. "You may have Kannei Kouha and Shuutai Youhei with you, but Sou Gi's scouts are also as good as Son Go's."

"I knew you would say that," Sonken sighed.

"We will also send our scouts ahead to Shisui Pass. That way, we can cover more ground and gain more information," remarked Shuri.

Pairen nodded to acknowledge the order and so did Enshou although she did it rather begrudgingly.

"Does anyone else have anything else to say?" asked Yamato. No one answered him so he took the silence as a no. "If that is all, then this war council is adjourned."

---

After the war council was dismissed, Yamato, Touka, and Shuri walked back to the Shoku Encampment. There they found Aisha, Rinrin, and Hinari waiting for them.

"Welcome back, Yamato-sama, Touka-sama, Shuri," greeted Aisha before she noted the smiles on Touka and Shuri's face. Curious, she asked them. "Did everything go well with the war council?"

The smile on Touka's face widened as she answered her. "It did! Yamato-sama was appointed the Supreme Commander of the Anti-Toutaku Alliance!"

"Really?" replied Aisha with a surprised look before she smiled earnestly. "Congratulations for your new position, Yamato-sama!"

"That's awesome, Onii-chan!" Rinrin beamed brightly. "Now Toutaku will be so sorry for being a tyrant!"

"It looks like the other warlords finally recognize you as one of them, Yamato-sama," said Hinari positively.

"They sure did. After all, Yamato-sama had done many great things, hasn'the?" smiled Shuri.

"Remember, now that I have become the leader of this alliance, everyone will be looking up to me, and us by extension, so we will have to be at our best," reminded Yamato, causing his Generals to sober up. "Not to mention, the other warlords appointed me to test my capabilities."

"To test you?" Touka blinked in confusion.

"Indeed. It looks like you are as sharp as they say, Kusanagi," a voice called out to him and his generals.

Yamato turned around and saw Sousou along with her entourage. There was Shun and another two girls he didn't recognize, but judging from their similar features he deduced those two must be related somehow.

"Sousou-dono, Shun," he nodded at them. "What pleasure do I own to receive this unannounced visit?"

"I just want to get a closer look at the up and rising Shoku Army," answered Sousou before she motioned to her escorts. "These two are my personal guards and escorts, Kakouton Genjou and Kakouen Myousai."

"Greetings, Kusanagi-dono," greeted Kakouen politely.

Kakouton however, stared at Yamato with ill-hidden contempt. "…So you're the man who stole Karin-sama's attention."

Aisha immediately took that as an offense and stepped up to her lord's defense. "Watch your tongue! How dare you address Yamato-sama like that!?"

"I will address him in the way I see fit! What I don't get is how a man like him can get Karin-sama's attention!" Kakouton growled.

"I said watch your tongue! I don't care if you are Sousou-dono's escort, I won't tolerate any disrespect towards Yamato-sama!" Aisha rebuked angrily as she reached for the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Kakouton was about to retort when Sousou called her out. "Shunran, enough. Remember your promise to me." The Queen of Sou Gi then turned to Yamato and his Generals. "I apologize for the behavior of my vassal. Rest assured, I will punish her accordingly."

"…You don't have to apologize to him, Karin-sama," muttered Kakouton. Sousou gave her a warning look and she immediately shut up.

"It's alright. I've had to deal with worse cases of jealousy," remarked Yamato with a slight joking tone and Shun chuckled knowingly. "So, what is your verdict about my army, Sousou-dono?"

Sousou looked around the Shoku Camp for a minute or two before she nodded to herself. "Your army is quite well organized from what I can see even if your faction is still new compared to mine or Go and your men look competent enough despite being mostly volunteers. You have done a good job as a leader."

"Thank you. Hearing that coming from Sousou Motoku of Sou Gi really means something," replied Yamato with a slight smile. "It wasn't only me though. Kan'u, Ryuubi, and the others have helped me in some parts that I was unfamiliar with."

"And to progress so much in such short time is quite an achievement," remarked Sousou before she turned to Aisha. "And you must be Kan'u Unchou, the Black-Haired War Goddess of Shoku and the wielder of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. I have heard of you and you really are as beautiful as they say about you."

"Beautiful? It sounds as if you are telling me that I am a weak woman," frowned Aisha.

"That is not what I meant. You possess both beauty and strength and I am fascinated with that," corrected Sousou with a confident smirk. "I have heard about your prowess in battle, your skill with your Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and your beauty which earns you the moniker as the Black-Haired War Goddess." She paused for a moment before she looked at Aisha in the eyes. "I would like to offer you a position in my court as my vassal. Serve me and become mine."

Aisha looked surprised at Sousou's offer while the rest of Yamato's generals gasped. Yamato himself watched on with his eyes narrowed slightly since he knew in the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sousou wanted Kan'u to be his general but Kan'u refused because of his oath of brotherhood with Ryuubi and Chouhi. There was something more than an offer to become her vassal, especially in the last part. Perhaps he was being irrational, but Yamato really didn't like how Sousou worded it.

Aisha recomposed herself and replied to Sousou. "I thank you for your generous offer, Sousou-dono. However, I'm afraid I have to refuse it. I have already sworn an oath of sisterhood to Ryubi-sama and Chouhi as well as swearing my allegiance to Yamato-sama. I promised to stay by their side from the beginning to the end. There will be nothing in this world that can buy my loyalty."

"Is that so? Such a pity," said Sousou before looking at Yamato and Aisha, a wistful smile crossed her expression. "If only I had met the two of you earlier…"

Yamato and Aisha shared an unsure look while Kakouton was practically steaming with jealousy. Kakouen sighed at her sister's antics while Shun was barely holding his laughter in. He still remembered that 'sword and sheath' comment at Sou Gi's castle. He wanted to tell Yamato about that, but he got the feeling that his generals wouldn't be happy to hear that and he knew his friend also wouldn't appreciate the joke. And Sousou would maul him again. His nuts were still aching in phantom pain when the blonde Queen kicked him there. For someone so small, she had strong kick.

"Sousou Motoku is interested in a man? This is a first," said a voice. They all turned to see Sonken, Yuki, and a new girl approached them.

The new girl has purple hair that tied into a bun, wrapped in a white cloth that tied with a red strings-like ribbon. Her eyes were purple and her skin was tanned, a shade lighter than Sonken's. She was wearing red tunic with gray sleeves and black scarf was wrapped around her neck. She didn't wear pants or skirts, but she opted to wear what appeared to be the female version of fundoshi. White bandages were wrapped around her lower arms and lower legs while her hands were covered with black fingerless gloves and brown shoes covered her feet.

"Oh, and the Queen of Son Go also comes to speak with me personally?" Yamato asked. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You piqued my interest, Kusanagi-dono," answered Sonken with a slight smile. "And if Onee-sama was here, she would like to meet you too."

"I have heard about what happened to Sonsaku-dono. I hope she gets better soon," replied Yamato. "I too, would like to meet with the eldest daughter of the Tiger of Koto."

"I'm sure Sonsaku-oneesama will be happy to hear that," said Sonken before she motioned to the silent, purple haired girl. "This is Kannei Kouha, my personal guard and one of the scouts that I will send ahead to Shisui Pass."

"It is an honor to meet you, Kusanagi-dono," bowed Kannei.

"The honor is also mine, Kannei-san," said Yamato. "This is hardly a good place to talk, so would you join me in my tent, Sonken-dono? It is not much, but it is certainly better than standing around like this. I will also extend my offer to you, Sousou-dono."

"I will have to rescind your kind offer Kusanagi since my business here is done," replied Sousou as she looked at Yamato in the eye. "We may be allies for now, but once this alliance is dissolved we will be back to being rivaling warlords. We will be fighting against each other in the future. And when we do, I will do whatever it takes to defeat Shoku and claim you and Kan'u Unchou as mine."

The atmosphere became tense after Sousou said her line. Yamato stared back at Sousou who took his hardened, steel-like gray eyes without flinching while Aisha was also glaring at the Empress of Sou Gi. The rest of the Shoku Generals and Kakou Twins also tensed, preparing themselves for some kind of confrontation. Shun, Yuki, Sonken, Kannei watched the stare-off between the two faction leaders with a degree of apprehension.

The staring match ended when Yamato chuckled, surprising the others. He was looking at Sousou with bemused smirk. "I will take that as a challenge, Sousou-dono. You will have to give your best or otherwise, I will destroy Sou Gi and scatter its remains to the sands of time."

"Is that a threat?" asked Sousou defiantly as Kakouton and Kakouen behind her regarded the King of Shoku warily.

"No. it's a promise," answered Yamato as his smirk was replaced with a severe frown. "A promise that I intend to carry through, Sousou Motoku."

The two rulers had another stare-off before Sousou decided to back off. "I will be looking forward for that day, Yamato Kusanagi. I hope you will not disappoint me. Shunran, Shuuran, let's go. As for you Baron, return to the camp as soon as you finish your business here."

"You don't need to tell me twice, Your Loliness," replied Shun flippantly, causing Sousou's eyebrow to twitch while Kakouton growled angrily.

"Watch your tongue, Baron! Do not call Karin-sama by that accursed title!" shouted Kakouton.

"I called her because that's who she is, a loli," the brunette waved off her outburst as he grinned. "Or do you prefer her full title? The Skirt Chasing Her Loliness Sousou Motoku of Sou Gi?"

"W-Why you…!?" Kakouton started, but Sousou called on her immediately.

"We're leaving, Shunran. Now." Sousou then turned around and walked away.

"B-But, Karin-sama, he is…!" the elder twin tried to call on her mistress, but she kept walking away and did not turn back.

"Let it go, Aneja. The angrier you are at Baron, the happier he will be," Kakouen tried to pacify her sister, knowing the personality of the Unmatched Red Knight.

Kakouton growled and glared daggers at the grinning Shun before she stomped off and followed Sousou. Kakouen bowed one last time to the Shoku and Go officials before she left and caught up with her mistress and sister.

They all watched as Sousou and her entourage left the Shoku camp before Yamato and Yuki looked at Shun in exasperation and annoyance. Noticed the looks his friends sent him, he turned at them.

"What is it?" Shun asked.

Yamato sighed. "So it was you who started to spread that title around. I should've known."

Yuki was glaring at him. "…I don't know what to say to you except that you're an idiot."

"Hey, you know me. I'm just that honest and blunt," retorted Shun.

"As blunt as a sledgehammer you mean," deadpanned Yuki and Yamato at the same time.

The three friends stared at each other before they all laughed. Their laugh was an unbidden one and for once, they didn't look like the Messengers of Heaven or Armored Warriors with the power of the Fruits of Heaven like how the people saw them. The three of them looked like ordinary teenagers. Yamato's generals watched on with smiles on their faces, happy that their lord was reunited with his childhood friends.

Shun then pulled his friends into one armed hug as he asked to Yamato. "So, aren't you going to invite all of us in or what? You're a bad host, you know that?"

"And you're a rude guest for demanding that," answered Yuki flatly. One can see the hidden mirth in her words

"Enough bantering you two," Yamato smiled before turning to Sonken. "Shall we, Sonken-dono?"

"We shall," answered Sonken. She then turned to Kannei and said, "Shishun, please depart to Shisui Pass with Shuutai. I will be alright here with Ryuugen and I know Kusanagi-dono will not harm me."

"…Understood. By your leave, Renfa-sama." Kannei bowed to Sonken and left the Shoku camp.

The Shoku officials then followed Yamato as he led Sonken and his friends toward his tent on the middle of the camp. The first day of the alliance went rather well for them despite the little altercation with Sousou Motoku. With Yamato leading the Anti-Toutaku alliance, it would be only a matter of time before they dethroned the tyrant.

---

A/N: I'm really sorry for the late update, but my schedule is really packed up this month with how much my job took my time. But don't worry, I intend to see this story finished through and through. As for my Kiva DxD, I will start working on it once I finished the Anti-Toutaku arc of this story. Be patient with it, okay? Oh, and another note. Bijiku and Bihou are characters from the new Koihime VN called Koihime Eiyuutan and they are also mentioned in the first VN. They will remain as Background characters for now. As always, please leave a review when you finished reading this chapter. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

PS: Credits to Kamen Rider Chrome for editing this chapter. I can't do this without his help and encouragement.