Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Kamen Rider and Koihime Musou. I only own my OCs and plot twists.
Chapter 14: Blurred Lines
Although Ganryou, Bunshuu, and the soldiers of the En Clan fought bravely against Gaim and his forces, it was a completely one-sided battle in Shoku's favor. Not even the Inves under the command of Enshou's men could even the odds as Gaim methodically took them out without much trouble. However, Shoku still took considerable losses with how tenacious Enshou's men were and the Inves they summoned. From the 12,500 men they had started the battle with, Shoku lost around 1,500 men and many of them were wounded by Inves. Fortunately, their wounds didn't grow any vines like Aisha's had. Gaim still didn't want to take any chances and had them sent back to Xizang to be examined by Kada.
Also, it took longer for the Shoku Army to break through the barricade of the En Clan's soldiers than Gaim originally predicted, so Enshou managed to escape. They swore to catch up with her soon after.
"Alright, now what to do with you two?" asked Yamato as he looked at Ganryou and Bunshuu who were bound with rope.
Bunshuu was not the greatest of fighters, but she did put up one of the fiercest fights Yamato had ever seen despite how outclassed she was to Sui. Sui herself seemed to enjoy her fight with Bunshuu before she ended the battle by breaking her greatsword and knocking her unconscious with well placed blows to her chin, temple, and forehead. The brunette was surprised and impressed that the verdette didn't go out cold from the first knockout blow and the fact that it took three blows to finally knock her. It showed how stubborn Bunshuu was.
Ganryou was nowhere near as reckless as her partner and actually planned her moves as she faced against Miyabi. She did put up a good fight against the silver-haired warrior and even managed to score a lucky hit that injured Miyabi's ribs. Unfortunately, it was all she could do before the former General of Toutaku totaled her and destroyed her hammer. Ganryou was now sporting a broken leg thanks to Miyabi's fury.
"Can't we just kill them to get it over with?" Miyabi suggested, feeling a little miffed. Her torso was bandaged from Ganshou's lucky hit and her mood was foul because of that.
Bunshuu and Ganryou paled while Yamato shook his head. "Denied. We still need some information from them and how those two Riders ended up joining Enshou." The verdette and ravenette sighed in relief.
"Ano...don't we already know that those White Clothes are working together with Enshou?" Ruo asked.
"You missed the how and why, Ruo. That's basic interrogation procedure 101," Yamato answered with a smile and Ruo nodded. He then turned to his captives. "Alright, you two. Let's start with something easy. Why did Enshou attack my territory?"
Bunshuu and Ganryou shared a look before the latter answered, "Enshou-sama attacked your territory because she felt you had humiliated her enough. The last straw was...Well, she was mad because you didn't invite her to the Chou Sisters' concert that you organized."
Yamato blinked owlishly and so did his generals before he spoke incredulously. "...Are you telling me...That Enshou attacked my territory, nearly killed my ally, and killed so many people because of something as trivial as an invitation!?"
"S-Sounds like that, a-ahaha…" Bunshuu laughed nervously.
Yamato palmed his face. " ...That has to be the stupidest reason for declaring a war…ever."
"She's so childish," Rinrin pouted.
"Don't forget how stupid she is," Bachou added, sighing.
Pairen though, was not so amused with the reason behind Enshou's actions. She lost her home, her soldiers, and the people she swore to protect because of Enshou throwing a petty tantrum?
Touka noticed her old friend's body trembling in anger and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Pairen-chan...Are you alright?"
"I...I'm not…!" Pairen answered through gritted teeth. "Enshou...She...She did all this because of her petty temper tantrum!? I lost my home, my men, and my family because of this!?"
"Pairen-chan…" said Touka in worry at her long time friend's condition.
"Enshou will pay for her crimes. I will make sure of that," promised Yamato as he placed a hand on Pairen's other shoulder. "But you cannot kill her."
"But why!? She deserves death after everything she has done!" protested Pairen.
"If you kill her, then all you will do is freeing her from her sins," answered Yamato as Pairen's amber eyes widened in surprise. "But if you let her live, then she would have to bear with her sins for the rest of her life while she tries to atone for them."
"S-Still…" Pairen almost conceded, but she had not quite given up on the idea of killing Enshou in retribution for the injustice she had done to her.
"I know it's not easy, but if you let her live then you can decide Enshou's punishment for her impulsive actions. You can make her do anything as long as you don't kill her," Yamato assured.
The redhead stared at Yamato for a moment before she spoke up, "If we finally catch up with her, Enshou is mine."
"Fair enough. She did kill your men and destroy your home," Yamato replied.
Pairen nodded at his reply, satisfied for the moment.
Yamato then turned his attention back to Bunshuu and Ganryou, "Next question, how did Kageyama and Ishizawa end up joining Enshou?"
"Kurokage and Gridon came one day together with that shady taoist in white Ukitsu," answered Bunshuu.
"So they did have a hand in Enshou's attack," murmured Nenene, frowning. The involvement of the White Clothes were now pretty much confirmed, no doubt it would complicate matters.
"Why did they help Enshou to attack Yamato-sama?" asked Sui.
"We don't know. All Ukitsu said back then when he offered to defeat Yamato-sama was "What would you do to defeat Kusanagi?"," Ganryou answered with a downcast expression. "Since then, Enshou-sama has changed. She became more arrogant and impulsive in her actions. Maybe it is because of the presence of those Emissaries."
"Emissaries? Do you mean Kurokage and Gridon?" Hinari inquired.
"Yeah, that's what they call themselves now: Emissary of the Black Spear Kurokage and Emissary of the Hammer Gridon," Bunshuu piped up. "They have themselves those titles after their other friend, Bravo, was called Emissary of Destruction Bravo by Yamato-sama when they fought in Luoyang."
"Huh, I did call Francoise that," mused Yamato. "Guess they didn't want to be left out and fashioned their own epitaphs."
"They also provided Lockseeds for the En Clan to use, around two crates full if we're not mistaken," added Ganryou.
"That is a lot of Lockseeds," Miyabi remarked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"And bad news. In the wrong hands, they could cause an outbreak of Inves and worse," Yamato frowned. For example, whatever protection that prevented Sagara from making proper contact with this world would weaken and allow him to unleash Helheim's invasion in full scale.
"Then we have to stop Enshou! We can't let her use those Lockseeds so recklessly!" Touka urged. Everyone nodded, completely in agreement with her.
"Last question from me. Does Enshou have any reinforcements?" asked Yamato.
Ganryou and Bunshuu shared another look as they silently discussed whether to tell Yamato about their lady's plan or not. With Bunshuu's rather reluctant nod, Ganryou answered, "Enjutsu-sama's force of 20,00 men is stationed in Lecheng. They are stationed there as a reinforcements for Enshou-sama."
"Thank you for your cooperation. I promise that both of you will be treated as humanely as possible while you're my prisoners of war," replied Yamato gratefully. He then turned to Hinari. "Have someone take them to Xizang along with our wounded men. Have Kada-sensei look after them just like the rest of our soldiers."
"Right away, Yamato-sama."
Ganryou and Bunshuu looked at Yamato in surprise before they bowed to him as much as they could with their hands tied behind their backs. "Thank you for your compassion, Yamato-sama!"
Yamato only nodded and watched as two soldiers led Bunshuu and Ganryou away. He then turned to look at his soldiers before giving his next order.
"Once our soldiers have finished resting, we will pursue Enshou at full speed. We can't let her get away after what she attempted to do," ordered Yamato. They better stop Enshou soon before she joined up with Enjutsu's army and prepared to strike back.
Enshou's invasion force which originally consisted of a grand total of 50,000 men had been reduced to only around 8,000 after their rather humiliating defeat in the hands of Shoku and its King, the First Messenger of Heaven Peerless Blue Swordsman Gaim. Many would argue that what Shoku did to obtain victory was dirty by exploiting the weaknesses of the En Clan army and setting up traps to their advantage, but they managed to lower their numbers to only a little more than one-sixth of its number. It was quite an achievement when the En Clan had practically outnumbered the Shoku forces at five to one odds. .
Thus, it was a defeated and humiliated En Clan Army that marched to Lecheng to rendezvous with Enjutsu's army in order to prepare for another assault on Xizang. Amongst them who were licking their wounds were Sasuke and Keiichi, who went by the titles Emissary of the Black Spear Kurokage and Emissary of the Hammer Gridon. The two of them were believed to be the En Clan's Army trump cards against Gaim, but they were soundly defeated because Shoku had prepared for them and because of Gaim's prowess in battle.
The two of them were sporting various wounds and bruises on their bodies. They also sported some hastily wrapped bandages around their bodies. If one would take a look closely, Keiichi also had some soots and burns while Sasuke had discarded his shirt and his chest was wrapped in bandages.
"Damn that Kusanagi…!" growled Sasuke furiously. "I swear I will get him back for this humiliation!"
"Maybe I should have let you use the Genesis Driver Ukitsu-kun provided for you," replied Keiichi.
"Gee, who was it that suggested I use my Sengoku Driver first before I can use my Genesis Driver?" asked the delinquent sarcastically.
"Shut up will you? How about you face Kusanagi next time?" Keiichi shot back snidely. "Besides, how the heck should I know that they would be using traps and plans like that against us?"
"Aren't you the strategist? You always have plans and counter plans for the enemy! That's the basic Strategy Game 101!" retorted Sasuke.
"Oh how about you plan for our next battle then? Can you even think of a plan?"
"Why you little-!?"
Enshou, meanwhile, paid no attention to Sasuke and Keiichi's argument. She was quite a mess of emotions right now. Anger, bitterness, helplessness, disappointment, worry...The head of the En Clan was practically a ball of jumbled negative emotions right now.
She was angry that Kusanagi had defeated her again. She was bitter that a commoner like him had upstaged her again and again. She was helpless that she had no choice but to leave behind her loyal attendants to keep Kusanagi and his forces away from her. She was disappointed that her chance of victory was ripped away from her grasp quite forcefully. She was worried of what would happen to Bunshuu and Ganryou while in Kusanagi's captivity.
She was not in the brightest of moods, so when the argument between the two Emissaries got louder, Enshou snapped. "WILL YOU TWO QUIT IT ALREADY!? STOP BICKERING AND FORM A PLAN TO DEFEAT THAT THRICE BE DAMNED KUSANAGI!"
Sasuke and Keiichi sobered up under her loud chastisement.
"Our apologies, Enshou-sama. Both of us are quite vexed with our loss against Kusanagi," smarmed Keiichi while Sasuke glared at him and mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "Kiss Ass...", but Keiichi ignored him.
Enshou sighed and rubbed her temples in a visible effort to calm herself down. "I should apologize too, Gridon-dono, Kurokage-dono. I too am vexed at our defeat in Kusanagi's hands. He only won because of the dirty tricks that he used against me."
"Oh they played dirty alright," Sasuke grumbled as he rubbed his chest where the logs had hit him oh so many times. Not only that, Ryofu and that busty loli had hit him quite hard and mercilessly.
"If that is the case, then let's see if he likes a dirty trick used against him," Enshou smirked viciously.
"Yes, fight fire with fire as they say," Keiichi agreed as he casually lifted his glasses up against the bridge of his nose. "Doesn't the Mayor of Lecheng have a daughter? Let's use her as a bargaining chip."
"Oh?" Enshou asked, interested. "What do you have in mind?"
Before Keiichi could say anything, a soldier called up to Enshou. "Enshou-sama! I spotted someone carrying the flag of Enjutsu-sama approaching!"
Enshou saw a man riding a horse, approaching fast while flying the flag that carried the En Clan's symbol with him.
"Enshou-sama!" the soldier said as he approached Enshou and dismounted from his horse. He then kneeled before her as he continued. "Enshou-sama! I-I have an urgent message from your cousin!"
"What is it now? Honestly that Miyu…" Enshou sighed.
"I-It's Sou Gi! They've begun marching towards Nanping!"
"SAY WHAT!?" Enshou shrieked as Sasuke and Keiichi gulped. That wasn't in Ukitsu's 'scenario'!
"Y-Yes! Our spies had reported that Gi's army is making their way to our capital as we speak!"
Before Enshou could speak, another messenger, this one was hers, had another report for her. The man wasted no time to kneel, but his body was trembling so hard as if something bad was going to happen.
"E-Enshou-sama! I-It's Kusanagi ma'am! He and his army are gaining on us!"
Enshou was rapidly paling once she heard the report. Sasuke and Keiichi began to get nervous as well. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sousou's army had began marching to conquer her territory while Shoku's army was pursuing her and gaining ground quickly.
"No no no no no no no no!" Enshou began to have a panic attack now.
"A-At any rate, Enshou-sama!" Keiichi started to say. "Let us make haste to Lecheng first to rendezvous with Enjutsu-sama's forces and then we can make our next move!"
"Y-Yes, you're right, Gridon-dono. We have to hurry and meet up with Miyu's forces before we take further action," Enshou replied before she commanded her men, "All units, full speed ahead! We have to rendezvous with my cousin's army now before Kusanagi catches up and Gi's army reaches our capital!"
The En Clan army immediately followed her order despite their exhaustion. It was a no brainer choice, really.
Once the Shoku soldiers finished resting, they began to pursue Enshou and her troops to prevent her from reaching Luoyang. Thankfully, with the fast pace of their march they would soon catch up with Enshou and make her pay for her childish tantrum.
"Is Enjutsu a threat?" Yamato asked Shuri as they rode on their horses.
"She is known to be smarter, compared to Enshou," Shuri answered.
"Anyone is smarter than Enshou by comparison," he deadpanned.
"Ah, right," the blonde replied sheepishly. Coughing to clear her throat, she continued, "From the hearsay I have heard, Enjutsu is capable of outsmarting Enshou and manipulating her to dance to her to tune."
Yamato hummed as he filed the information under his mental list. " We need to come up with a plan because this time we'll be heading into enemy territory. We only won before because of preparation and home-field advantage."
"That is true. We will be fighting within their territory and those two Riders will try to plan some traps of their own," Shuri spoke calmly.
"We have to uncover any weaknesses we could exploit too," Yamato suggested.
"Their number isn't as significant as they are supposed to be, only a little more than half of their initial numbers," said Hinari, speaking for her friend.
"Also, their morale isn't high thanks to our recent victory. Their troops are also no doubt tired and hungry," Shuri added.
"But still, I get the feeling that Enshou won't hesitate to use some kind of trap to put us in a bind," said Yamato. "Bunshu and Ganryou said that Enshou is meeting Enjutsu's Army at Lecheng, right?"
"Yes. You just signed the trading contract with the Mayor a week ago," answered Hinari.
"With a marriage proposal I believe also included?" Shuri added in, not sounding too happy with that.
Yamato grimaced at the reminder. "With one of the nobles' daughter which I rejected…" He then groaned. "I'm not interested in arranged marriages unless necessary. The society I grew up in never used arranged marriages for almost a hundred years, except for several circumstances."
"Such as what, Yamato-sama?" inquired Hinari.
"Arranged Marriages are sometimes used in various cultures who still consider it an option or by old families who still believed in social standing. But I believe marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman that no one can interfere with, not even some kind of arrangements that someone decided before."
Shuri smiled at her lord's answer. It spoke greatly about his beliefs in the romance and the loving bond of marriage. Unlike many nobility of the time who usually always had arranged marriages for political and financial reasons.
"So, I assume someday we shall be witnesses to you and Kan'u-san's wedding?" Sui chimed in with a playful smile on her face. His relationship with Aisha was already common knowledge in Shoku's court and would soon be publicly known.
Yamato flushed in embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head. Sui chuckled at the look on her lord's face, with his generals having a good laugh at his expense following soon after. Touka, though,felt jealousy creeping in her heart when she imagined Yamato and Aisha's wedding. She quickly squashed the negative feelings down. She was happy for her lord and her sworn sister if one day they decided to tie the knot.
Still, she would be much happier if Aisha decided to share Yamato and the said man was open to a polygamous relationship.
Meanwhile, as the Shoku Faction was approaching the borders of their land and the En Clan's land. In the other side of the En Clan's borders the familiar army of Sou Gi was briefly resting and preparing themselves for the battle ahead.
Karin was casually standing with her Generals and Strategists while standing nearby was Shun as well. The Knight of the Spear was still thinking about the events before Karin's plans to conquer Enshou's lands.
With Ryoushou conquered that meant that Bachou and other survivors of Ryoushou was no doubt in Shoku and had joined with Yamato...
"Well, things shouldn't be too difficult, with how much I know about Enshou taking over her territory will not be too much trouble. Even she can't be stupid to think her forces can handle mine and Baron's power," Karin said while glancing at Shun. He seemed oddly quiet. Normally, he would offer one of his many quips at times like this.
"Something the matter, Baron?" Karin asked her Crimson Knight.
"Just thinking, that's all," Shun tried to be casual, but it took no genius that he had something on his mind.
Karin regarded him silently for a moment. "Is it about Ryoushou?" Shun grunted noncommittally in response, confirming the blonde empress' curiosity. "It must have left a bitter taste in your mouth for you."
"I don't mind fighting someone or some people equally, but what I did back then in Ryoushou was nothing but a senseless massacre," replied the brunette, his eyes staring right into Karin's.
"It is no different when you fought against bandits or the soldiers of Toutaku," Karin pointed out.
"That's not the point!" Shun disagreed loudly, catching the attention of Karin's other officers. "Those bandits deserved it after they used their power to hurt other people! Toutaku's men were also no different!"
"It still didn't stop you from attacking them. Your hands are still stained in their blood."
"You don't think I know that?"
"Are you worried about what Ryugen and Yamato will think of you?" Karin countered Shun's rhetorical question with one of her own.
Shun took a deep breath before he walked away.
"Where are you going?" Karin called out to him.
"I need to clear my head," he replied.
Kakouton and Kakouen walked up to Karin. "Is there something wrong, Karin-sama?" asked Kakouen.
"It's nothing to worry about," she answered. "Continue with our planning to take Nanping. Although...Baron may not be able join us in the next battle."
"Why is that, Karin-sama?" asked Kakouton.
"His mind still burdened with his actions in Ryoushou," answered Karin. "If one cannot focus their mind for the next battle, then I have no use of them for now."
"Would it be wise to do that, Karin-sama?" asked Kakouen cautiously.
"We may not need Baron's help for the next battle. After all, Yamato had softened up Enshou's army enough for us to finish them off," the blonde stated as she crossed her arms under her breasts.
"Still, picking on Kusanagi's leftovers sounds...wrong," said Kakouen and her sister nodded.
Kakouton agreed, "Shuuran is right. If we may make our choice, then we prefer to crush her and her army by our strength alone."
"Yamato provided us with an opportunity. Best not waste this chance," Karin pointed out before she smirked. "Besides, it is Enshou's fault for bringing almost all of her men, thinking she could defeat him with numbers alone. How foolish of her."
"The scouts say that Enshou had the help of Kurokage and Gridon, but clearly it wasn't enough," reported Kakouen.
"Of course it wasn't," stated Karin with a confident smile. "After all, Yamato is strong and Enshou is weak. That is all there to to it."
The Kakou twins only nodded at her words.
"Come, Shuuran, Shunran. We still have a lot of work to do," Karin beckoned to Kakouton and Kakouen to follow her.
Shun sat on the grass and sighed before he looked toward the lightly clouded blue sky. He ran a hand through his hair back and forth as he groaned, "Man, what do I do now?"
The reason why Shun joined Karin in the first place was because he had no real choice. With Yamato leading the still young Shoku Faction back then, he thought that if he joined Sou Gi, he would soon get his chance to prove himself to Yamato, something that he always wanted to do from a long time ago. He knew that Sou Gi would end up fighting Shoku sometime and he would have his chance then.
Shun had no problem killing people like bandits or people who abused their power to oppress the weak and anyone he saw as equals. But fighting people who were weaker than he was went against his own principles.
How was he supposed to face his friends now?
"Looks like you are having an inner crisis, huh?"
Shun turned to see who said that and his eyes widened upon seeing who it was.
"Sagara…" he whispered out.
"Yo! This is the first time we meet, isn't it Shun Murayama?" Sagara greeted as he walked up to him. "Or should I call you, the Crimson Bloody Knight Baron? Or do you prefer your old title, the Unmatched Red Knight Baron?"
"What are you doing here?" Shun asked warily. When the consciousness of Helheim spoke to you, that couldn't be a good thing.
"I'm just here to talk. Don't worry about the invasion. I can't invade this world for some reason and I'm limited to projecting this form for now," answered Sagara as he sat next to Shun. He then raised a hand and it was flickering between solid and hologram. "See? Like I said to Kusanagi several days ago, even projecting this form takes a lot out of me."
"You met with Yamato?" Shun asked.
"I did, and I have to say he is much more interesting than you or your female friend, Satonaka," answered Sagara.
Shun's eyebrow twitched as the part of him that he had hidden so well almost resurfaced, but he quickly pushed it down. "Oh really? In what way did he interest you?"
"It's because he resembles Kazuraba and the elder Kureshima so much," answered Sagara as he gazed toward the distance. "A person who is a realist and an idealist at the same time, swearing to destroy the rule of reality without letting his regrets weigh him down. He is a truly strong person." The faux DJ then turned to Shun. "He is unlike you, who sulks because you regret your actions."
"Well excuse me for being more humane," Shun retorted defensively.
Sagara quirked an eyebrow before he smiled knowingly, "Ah, I get it. You're jealous of him, aren't you?"
Shun's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you-?"
"He's always the centre of attention. He's always the one people admire and talk about while you always end up as a sidekick and the goofy comical relief. When he became a leader to his people, you became someone else's follower."
The dark thoughts Shun always kept hidden came to the surface at Sagara's words. Yamato had always been his best friend and buddy. However, part of him resented Yamato for being so talented. Even his parents constantly compared him to his best friend. He could remember all the praises given to Yamato and none to him. Shun resented Yamato for it, but he really couldn't bring himself to hate his best friend. He did earn all those praises because of his actions.
"...And what of it? I am me and Yamato is Yamato. There's no need to compare the two of us," Shun remarked with low tone.
"That is what you say but I bet if Kusanagi was in your shoes, he would've disobeyed Sousou on the spot due to his principles."
"Stop comparing me to him, damn it!"
"Don't you want to prove how much stronger you are compared to him? Don't you want to put to rest all your doubts?"
"Just what you are playing at, you damn snake?" Shun was practically boiling right now. All the pretenses had left him.
"I merely wish to see if you actually possess your own resolve. You are in the age of ambition and conquest. Kusanagi has found his reason to fight to the bitter end. He seeks to break the Rule of Reality and change the world. What about you? What is your ambition? What is it you seek? What do you desire? What drives you to make it this far?"
Shun looked down to his right hand and clenched it tightly. "...I want to prove that I am strong. I want to show that my definition of strength is not mistaken. I want to show that I am strong by bearing the hardship of the world with a smile on my face. That is my resolve."
Sagara smiled in satisfaction at him. "And now why are you wallowing in your angst here? Go show the world your resolve! Show the world your ambition!"
Shun stood up and smacked his cheeks, his determination shone brightly on his eyes. "Yeah! I can't just sulk here while Yamato gets stronger!" He then turned to Sagara, "You know, you're not too bad. I just wished you're not some kind of world devouring supernatural entity-slash-force of nature."
Sagara laughed lightly. "Hah, we each have our own role to play here and, unfortunately, I get the bad guy card."
"Why don't you try to defy your own fate or that instinct that drives you to consume worlds?" Shun asked, genuinely curious.
"Hey, hey, stop digging too much," Sagara scolded lightly.
Shun just grinned in response. "Anyway, gotta go. See you around DJ Sagara."
"Yeah, see you around, kid," Sagara gave him a two-fingered salute as he began to disappear. "You know, you're much more interesting than Kumon Kaito. Maybe because you are too nice for your own good."
"I get that a lot," the brunette shrugged.
Sagara just grinned as his figure disappeared like a mirage. Shun stared at the place where Sagara had been before he walked back to camp, whistling a jaunty tune as he did. Now his mind was cleared of doubts and unnecessary thoughts. He would show the world that he was indeed strong by bearing the hardships of the world with a smile. That was just his style.
The Shoku Army finally reached Lecheng and was surprised to see that none of the En Clan's soldiers were stationed there.
"Are~? Where is everyone?" Sou asked.
"Something is wrong here," stated Yamato with narrowed eyes. He quoted from a movie, "It's quiet. Too quiet."
"You think Enshou has left, Yamato-sama?" asked Sui.
"Perhaps," he answered before turning to Hinari. "Send a scout ahead to check the situation. I have a feeling something else is happening here."
"Yes, right away," the blue-haired strategist replied as she went to get a scout.
Yamato watched the gate of Lecheng, his sharp gaze never leaving the town gate. Something was going on and something in his gut told him that it was something he wouldn't like.
Inside Lecheng, the townsfolk were quite nervous as they watched Enshou's men passing the main street hurriedly, as if they were in a hurry for something. Sitting in a ramen restaurant was none other than Chou'un Shiryuu, or Sei as she went by her true name, who enjoyed her menma-topped ramen.
Her violet gaze glanced at the passing soldiers before she asked a townsfolk next to her, "What's happening here?"
"It's Enshou, she is holding the daughter of our Mayor, Kouchuu, as a hostage," the man answered in distaste. "She then blackmailed Mayor Kouchuu to stop Shoku's army that is being lead by Kusanagi-dono so she can return to Nanping. From what I heard, Sou Gi is about to attack her capital."
"I see...Thank you for your information," Sei replied gratefully. She then quickly ate her ramen and finished it before putting her money on the table and walked out of the restaurant.
The blue-haired girl then looked around for a moment before she found the person she was looking for. "Excuse me. I was wondering if you could do something for me…"
Yamato used his telescope to look at the town gate of Lecheng as it opened and a woman stepped out. She was beautiful, seductively so with long purple hair and blue eyes. Her womanly figure was clad in a light purple cheongsam with a diamond-shaped cleavage window and a waist-high slit that allowed mobility and a green cloak with the image of a Chinese phoenix on it draped on her shoulder. A green gauntlet encased her right hand while a bow fashioned after a mythical bird was held in her left hand. She wore brown stockings and red heeled-shoes on her feet and feathers decorated the left side of her hair.
"Hey, who's that?" Yamato asked.
"That is the Mayor of Lecheng, Kouchuu Kanshou," answered Shuri.
Yamato blinked in surprise. "That's Kouchuu? As in our future ally Kouchuu Kanshou?"
"Yes, she is," answered Hinari. "Is there something wrong, Yamato-sama?"
"She...Well, she isn't like what I expected of Kouchuu," he said before massaging the temples of his head. "Urgh right, better forget about some of details from what I learned back home." In his world's history, Kouchuu was an old man and an expert marksman. He should've really expected the gender-bending to really change Kouchuu into a mature and voluptuous woman, not to mention, drop dead sexy and gorgeous. Just look at Kougai of Go for example.
Still, there was something about her that reminded Yamato of his mother. Perhaps it was the presence she exuded?
His generals looked at him weirdly, a little confused with his behaviour.
"Is there something wrong?" Shuri asked.
"No, it's nothing. Though, I wonder what she's doing," Yamato said curiously.
"Kusanagi-dono and soldiers of Shoku," Kouchuu began to speak with a loud and clear voice. "You perhaps have heard about Enshou and Enjutsu besieging my city, but the truth is I have sheltered them willingly. If you choose to pursue them further, then you will have to go through me."
Yamato's eyes narrowed at Kouchuu's proclamation. He decided to respond, "Enshou Honsho had launched an unprovoked attack on both my ally and my territory! I cannot allow such a transgression to go unpunished!"
"Be it as it may, I have already decided to protect Enshou and I will stay by my decision. But if you decide to push it further," Kouchuu mounted an arrow to her bow and aimed it at the King of Shoku. "...Then you will have to go through me. We may have a trade agreement, but I will not hold back against you."
Yamato frowned. His quarrel was with Enshou and he didn't want to fight against Kouchuu. However, Kouchuu was harboring Enshou, which would make her an enemy by association. But still...There was something off about her. He could see it from her body language. There were signs of resignation and helplessness in her stance that one could miss if they didn't pay attention.
"Shuri," Yamato called to his strategist. "Does Kouchuu have any family members?"
"I heard that Kouchuu has a daughter from her previous marriage," Yamato's expression tightened slightly upon hearing that. "Is there something wrong, Yamato-sama?"
"Have the scout we sent ahead returned yet?" asked Yamato tensely.
"He should have returned about now," the blonde strategist said.
As if he was called, the scout arrived back at their camp. However, he did not return alone.
"Sei, is that you?" Yamato asked.
"Hello, Yamato-sama," Chou'un greeted casually. She wasn't one of his officers so she didn't bow. She still referred to him with a respectful honorific.
"What brings you over?" he asked.
"Oh, I just wanted to see you again when I heard you were in the area," Sei smiled. "By the way, where's Kan'u?"
"She's back at Shoku, recovering from an injury," Yamato answered.
"Must've been bad if it left the Legendary Black-Haired War Goddess bedridden," Sei remarked.
"Yeah, it was," Yamato confessed. It had been a terrifying experience for him to almost lose Aisha.
"Anyway, there's something I know that might interest you. It's about Kouchuu."
"Go on," Yamato prompted.
"Enshou has taken her daughter hostage."
"I knew it!" Yamato exclaimed, his eyes narrowing angrily. Now it all made sense to him and explained Kouchuu's actions. No mother would do nothing if their children were in danger. They would do anything to keep them safe from harm.
"Kouchuu-san is being blackmailed?" gasped Touka in horror.
"What a coward," Ruo growled.
"This is Enshou we're talking about. I wouldn't be surprised if she would swoop this low," Pairen commented bitterly.
"...Unforgivable," Ren stated simply.
"What should we do now, Yamato-sama?" Tanpopo asked.
"It's obvious, isn't it? We will rescue Kouchuu's daughter," Yamato answered resolutely as a plan formed in his mind. "Here's what we're going to do…"
Kouchuu narrowed her eyes as the contingent of Shoku approached. She, however, noticed that their king, Kusanagi was curiously absent. Leading this contingent instead was his second-in-command Ryuubi Gentoku, the Dragon Princess of Shoku.
"Where is Kusanagi-dono?" Kouchuu asked.
"Yamato-sama sent us ahead because he wants to save his strength to face Enshou and administer divine punishment upon her. If you do get in his way, Kouchuu-san, then we will have no choice but to punish you as you are her accomplice," Touka answered. "However, he is willing to show you mercy."
"Oh? And what do you mean by that?" inquired Kouchuu curiously.
"Should you defeat our champion in a duel, then we shall retreat and will not pursue Enshou any further. Should you lose, however, we will continue our pursuit and we will have to punish you and your people for your mistake in aiding Enshou."
"I did not make any mistakes," Kouchuu stated with narrowed eyes. "And what Kusanagi-dono trying to do is a far-cry compared to the rumors said about him."
"Be it as it may, Yamato-sama is only doing what he has to do as a leader," Touka answered neutrally. "Now do you accept this proposal, Kouchuu-san?"
Kouchuu seemed to think about the proposal Touka offered for a moment before she answered, "Very well. I accept your challenge and will face your champion in a duel and I shall emerge victorious."
Touka nodded and turned to Sui. "Sui-san, you know what to do."
"Right, gotcha," Sui nodded as she dismounted from her horse.
Kouchuu quirked a curious eyebrow upon seeing who her opponent was. "I see you have joined Shoku, Sui-chan."
"That I have. Though it is quite sad to meet you again in this situation, Shion-san," replied Bachou.
"And what does your father think about you joining Kusanagi-dono?"
"...It was his last wish for me and any surviving Ba Clan members to join Shoku."
Kouchuu expression softened slightly when she figured out what happened. "I see. You have my condolences for what had happened to Batou-dono and your clan."
"Thanks," Sui smiled before she twirled her Silver Flash and entered her combat stance. "So, shall we cut the chit-chat and fight already?"
"That we shall. I will not hold back against you, even if you are the daughter of my old friend, Sui-chan," Kouchuu answered as she mounted arrows to her bow.
"I'm not expecting you to," Sui replied.
There was a tense silence between the two fighters before, at an unseen signal, they acted. Sui charged at Kouchuu at full speed and the older woman fired three arrows at her. Sui skillfully blocked her arrows without breaking her stride and took a swipe with her spear. Kouchuu back stepped out of the harm's way before she nocked another arrow. Sui easily blocked the arrow before she rolled aside to dodge the follow up shots.
The two warriors regarded each other carefully before they clashed again.
Touka watched the on-going battle while also praying for her lord's plan to be successful. "Godspeed, Yamato-sama, Rinrin-chan, Tanpopo-chan, and Sei-san. Do your best on your part too, Sui-san."
A Crack opened within the city's walls and the Tuliphopper stepped out with Gaim, clad in Ichigo Arms, piloting it followed by Tanpopo, Rinrin, and Sei. While the Tuliphopper couldn't form Cracks with its speed, it did come equipped with a laser that could open Cracks.
"Alright, we're here," said Gaim.
"So that was Helheim Forest that you spoke about," commented Sei. "It is as ominous as you said."
"Also dangerous. Just remember that even the fruit can lead to your downfall," Gaim reminded as he jumped off the machine which reverted back to Lockseed form.
"That place is so creepy…" muttered Tanpopo as she repressed a shudder.
"Muu….Rinrin doesn't like that place," Rinrin frowned.
"Forget about it. We have a rescue mission," he reminded. "Right then, where would Enshou be keeping Kouchuu's daughter?"
Sei answered, "I have been snooping around and found the place, but Enshou's men and Inves were guarding it."
"I can handle the Inves," Gaim said as he brandished his Ichigo Kunai in one hand.
"Then leave Enshou's men to us," Sei answered as she readied her Dragoon Tooth bident.
"Lead the way, Sei," Gaim prompted.
Sei nodded and led the group to sneak around the town to evade Enshou's men who were left behind as guards. A smart move on Enshou's part, or perhaps it was Enjutsu or Ishizawa's plan, but it was glaringly obvious as the guards got more and more numerous as they approached the place where Enshou was keeping Kouchuu's daughter.
Gaim peeked from around a corner and saw several guards plus Inves guarding a nondescript house. It was a good plan, if it wasn't so obvious with two soldiers acting as sentries. The Inves made it even more glaringly obvious.
"That's the house," Sei pointed.
"Alright," Gaim nodded and he vanished in a red and blue blur. The guards suddenly went unconscious as Gaim ran behind them and knocked them out with well-placed blows to the back of the neck.
The Inves finally reacted and roared challengingly at Gaim who drew out his Musou Saber and entered his battle stance. "Now let's dance on my stage!"
Some Elementary Inves charged at him with the intent to eat the matured Lockseeds in Gaim's possession. Gaim blurred out of sight again and struck the Inves down with well placed strikes on the critical spots.
The other guards noticed the commotion and saw Gaim was taking care of the Inves one by one. They tried to stop him, only for Sei, Tanpopo, and Rinrin to jump out of their hiding place and stop them in their tracks.
"I'm afraid Yamato-sama is currently busy with those creatures," said Sei with a wry smirk. "Would you mind to taking us ladies for a dance?"
"Yeah! Rinrin wants to dance on stage too like Onii-chan!" Rinrin cheered as she gripped her weapon.
"Or are the big strong men scared of ladies like us? Don't worry, we won't bite too much," Tanpopo quipped.
An Inves tried to take a swipe at Gaim, but he dodged the clumsy attack and threw an Ichigo Kunai at its chest, sending it staggering as the weapon exploded on contact. Some other Inves tried to surround him, but Gaim had another plan in mind. He reached for his Driver and pushed the Cutting Blade once.
"SOIYA! ICHIGO SQUASH!"
Energy transferred into the blade of his Musou Saber as it glowed a vibrant red. Spinning in place, he slashed at the Inves surrounding him and they exploded at the same time.
Sei gouged a soldier in the chest before she smacked the butt of her weapon on the temple of another and ended his life by skewering his head. She pulled out the Dragon Tooth with a jerk before smirking at the soldiers. "My, all of you are bad dancers. I'm so disappointed."
"I'll say!" Tanpopo grinned as her spear stabbed a soldier in the heart. She then ducked under a sword slash and tripped its wielder with the shaft of her weapon. She then killed the downed soldier by a literal backstab. "Come on! Is that the best you can do!?" the youngest Ba Sisters challenged.
"Hiiiyah!" Rinrin swung her Viper Spear and sent the En Clan soldiers flying. Another tried to sneak behind her, but she reacted faster and decapitated the soldier with a quick swing. Another recklessly charged at her only to have his chest cut open for his trouble. "You make this too easy!" Rinrin grinned viciously.
One of the En Clan's soldier growled angrily before he took out a Lockseed, followed by one of his comrades. "How about this, you brat!?"
Two Cracks opened and two Elementary Inves jumped out of them.
"Girls!" Gaim tried to help them, only for a Shika Inves jumped on him. He tumbled on the ground before he shoved it away. "Get out of my way!"
The Inves stalked toward Sei and the others, but suddenly a familiar declaration rang clearly and caught everyone's attention.
"KURUMI AU LAIT!"
Two large walnut-shaped energy projectiles slammed into the Elementary Inves and instantly killed them in a fiery blaze. The soldiers gaped in shock before a cry alerted them to a new presence.
"Haaah!"
A large metallic glove bashed in a soldier's skull before another had his chest caved in with a powerful straight punch.
"Huh!?" Gaim exclaimed in shock.
The one who had attacked the soldiers was another Rider, and a female figure could be seen under the black suit. Her legs had silver bracers on them. Her helmet was similar to Gridon, only it was black. The silver accents on her helmet had ridges and the headpiece was modeled after a walnut with gear-like decoration. Her chest piece was orange with black accents, also modeled after a walnut and so was her shoulder armor. What was truly distinctive about her were the large, boxing glove-like gauntlets on her hands. Like the rest of her armor, they were modeled after a walnut with large, red gems on the back of the gauntlets. They were the Kurumi Bombers, the signature weapons of Kurumi Arms.
"Kamen Rider...Knuckle," Gaim whispered. A roar reminded him that he wasn't done yet with the Shika Inves.
"Hah! Yah!" Knuckle shouted as she punched soldiers one after another. Another tried to slash her with his sword, but Knuckle blocked it with her Kurumi Bombers, breaking the sword and sent the soldier to oblivion with a well placed blow to his chest.
"Oh? Another Rider like Yamato-sama?" Sei noted with interest as she speared another soldier. It was then when she noticed something different with Knuckle's Driver. While it had the knife-like switch on the right-hand side of the user and a plate with her helmet's image on the left-hand side, the belt that was wrapped around her waist was silver instead of yellow.
"She looks strong!" Rinrin commented, striking down another soldier as she did.
Tanpopo, however, was silent as she watched the new Rider. Something about her put the youngest Ba sister on edge. Was she being too paranoid with the new Rider?
Gaim sent the Shika Inves sprawling, right at the direction where the Elementary Inves was also sent sprawling by Knuckle. The medieval-squire/boxer themed Rider saw Gaim approach her and she bowed to him. "Greetings, Gaim-sama. Sensei sent me to help you rescue Kouchuu-dono's daughter."
Gaim nodded in acknowledgement before focusing back to the Inves. "Save the formalities after we've defeated the Inves."
"Ah, right!" Knuckle replied as she tapped the Cutting Knife once while Gaim tapped his Cutting Knife twice.
"KURUMI SQUASH!"
"SOIYA! ICHIGO AU LAIT!"
Knuckle reared her right fist as it glowed with a walnut-shaped aura while Gaim brought his Musou Saber parallel to his head as it was sheathed in a fierce red aura. Knuckled launched the walnut projection with a punch while Gaim slashed his sword, firing a red energy arc.
The two finishers plowed through the group of Inves, killing them as their bodies exploded in a fiery blaze.
With the battle seemingly over, Gaim sheathed the Musou Saber and turned to look at the mysterious Knuckle. "So, who are you really?"
"I'm not an enemy. I can assure you of that Gaim-sama," Knuckle said as she closed the Kurumi Lockseed. The armor flashed and vanished in motes of light which flew off her.
The person under Knuckle's armor was indeed a girl, but a very tomboyish one. Her short, messy black hair had white streaks on the right side and her eyes were amber. She was wearing a white short tunic which was quite strained against her above average breasts and black short shorts. She was wearing a black vest coat with metallic straps to keep it together in the front and black duster cloak with brown belt to secure the cloak to her slim waist. Her arms were protected by red armored gauntlet and her feet were covered by a pair of black sneakers.
"My name is Gien Bunchou," the now introduced Gien bowed to Yamato. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Gaim-sama."
"The honor is also mine, Gien-san," replied Gaim with a nod. "Thank you for your assistance with the Inves."
"You are welcome," Gien replied with a smile. "Sensei is a long time friend of Kouchuu-dono and once she learned Enshou had blackmailed her, she asked me to rescue Riri."
"Is that the name of Kouchuu's daughter?" Gaim asked, which Gien nodded to. "Right, let's rescue her and have her reunited with Kouchuu. While I'd like to ask how you gained the belt, we can save it for later."
"Very well," Gien agreed
Using the key pilfered from the unconscious guard, Gaim used it to unlock the door. He and his officers entered the house and found it empty, but heard a soft sobbing noise coming from somewhere inside the house.
"Spread out and search the house! Find Riri and bring her back to Kouchuu!" Gaim ordered
"OK, Yamato-sama!" obeyed Tanpopo.
"You got it, Onii-chan!" added Rinrin.
Sei and Gien nodded wordlessly and complied with his order. Tanpopo and Rin searched in the left side of the house while Sei and Gien searched the right side.
Using the increased senses his armor provided him, Gaim tried to pinpoint where the crying came from as he looked for Riri. It wasn't until he reached the storage room when the sobs got clearer and louder. Without thinking any further, he ripped the door off of its hinges, causing the crying to become a little louder. Gaim winced, it was probably not the brightest idea to go and rescue a scared little girl by ripping the door off. It was probably not a good idea to also go in while wearing his full armor either. So he closed his Lockseed, and stored away his Driver as he approached the girl.
Said girl was curled up in the far side of the room, crying her eyes out. She wore a pink, floral-motifs shirt and purple skirt. Her purple hair which was in the same shade as her mother's was done into twin pigtails with red ribbons tying them together.
Yamato kneeled to her level and placed a comforting hand on her small back. "Hey there, little one. Are you alright? I'm sorry for scaring you like that."
The girl looked up to him with puffy and reddened blue eyes since she had cried so much. There was no doubt that this little girl was Riri, the daughter of Kouchuu. He still had to confirm her identity, though.
"W-Who are you?" the girl asked a little fearfully.
"Hello, my name is Yamato Kusanagi," Yamato introduced himself with a friendly smile. "You are Riri, right? Kouchuu's adorable little girl?"
The girl nodded, her cheeks flushing a little when Yamato called her adorable. "U-Um. The big bad lady and the small bad lady took me away from Kaa-chan. A-And then the scary men took me here and had the scary monsters outside so I wouldn't run away.I-It was so scary…"
Yamato pulled Riri into a hug and stroked her hair gently as he whispered soothing words to calm her down. "There, there….the scary men and monsters are gone. Onii-chan and Onee-chan-tachi had driven them off."
"Really?" Riri asked as she looked at Yamato.
"Yup, really! Onii-chan is really strong, you know?" Yamato replied with a grin which caused Riri to giggle. "Alright, do you want to see your Kaa-chan?"
"Can I see her?" Riri questioned pleadingly.
"Of course. Onii-chan will take you there now," Yamato answered with a bright smile.
Riri nodded back as Yamato brought her out of the storage room. Outside, he saw his generals plus Sei and Gien were waiting for him. With a triumphant grin, he motioned to Riri in his arms. "Mission accomplished. Now, let's reunite the daughter with her mother."
The assembled party nodded with smiles on their faces.
Yamato and his party rushed toward the town gate where they would get out and reunite Riri with her mother. So far, their trip towards the gate went pretty smoothly without a hindrance. In fact the townsfolk who realized who they were and what they were doing were more than happy to show them a shortcut toward the gate.
When they reached there, they expected to face yet another batch of Enshou's men stationed there. What they didn't expect was for them to be defeated by only one man. Or woman to be more precise. Yamato had asked Riri to close her eyes so she wouldn't see the dead bodies of Enshou's men, just like in the front of the house where she was held hostage.
She was a woman with shoulder length blue-gray hair, decorated and held together by a pair of golden sticks. She was wearing blue kimono-like robe with pink lining inside which revealed quite a lot of cleavage, especially with how large her breasts were, as the sleeves only came from her wrists up to a little past her elbows. Her left shoulder was protected by a large red shoulder guard with some fur underneath and the kanji for 'drunk', held together by brown straps across her upper torso. A green metal sash with pink cloth sash was tied around her waist. A pair of blue fingerless gloves covered her hands and a red heeled shoes covered her feet.
Another peculiar thing about this woman was her weapon, which Yamato recognized quickly. It was basically an oversized revolver with a blade attached under its barrel and instead of bullets, it fired large metal bolts as seen on the bodies of Enshou's men.
'An honest to God gunblade in this era?' Yamato mentally questioned.
The woman drank the sake right from the bottle she carried with her before she noticed the arrival of Yamato and the rescue party.
"Oh, you're here, En'ya. You arrived earlier than I expected," the woman greeted upon seeing Gien's face. "And you're not alone, I see."
"Yes, apparently Gaim-sama had planned to rescue Riri himself, Sensei," Gien replied.
"Gaim, you say?" the woman then noticed Riri who was being carried in the arms of Yamato who had approached her. She then examined him closely and said, "Hoo~h, so you are Gaim-dono. It's good to finally meet you in the flesh."
"That is right. My name is Yamato Kusanagi," Yamato replied, introducing himself in return.
"That voice...Kikyou-bachan?" Riri questioned and tried to look, only for Yamato to chide her lightly.
"You can't open your eyes yet, Riri. There are still scary things here."
Riri nodded, still closing her eyes while the woman smiled lightly. Dead bodies were not exactly things kid should look at.
"My name is Gengan, or you can call me by my true name like Riri-chan here," the woman introduced herself.
"Ah, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Gengan-san," Yamato nodded, feeling another headache coming. Again, the gender bent aspect of this world had turned Gengan from the old man he learned from history of his world into yet another voluptuous, mature woman.
Why did he begin to see a pattern here?
"So!" Gengan clapped her hands together once. "Let's cut the chit-chat and get Riri-chan to her mother, shall we?"
"The sooner the better," Yamato agreed before turning to Rinrin. "Rinrin, smash the gate open for us, please?"
"Okay!" Rinrin grinned. She stood in front of the gate before she rubbed her hands together and smashed the gate open with one strike.
Gengan whistled appreciatively at the gate being smashed open with one strike by a girl as young as Rinrin. "That little girl is really strong."
Yamato only nodded before he walked out of the gate, Riri carried in his arms , and spoke with a loud and clear voice.
"All of you, cease fighting now!"
Some minutes earlier…
Sui deflected an arrow that nearly pierced her eyeball with the shaft of her spear before rushing at Kouchuu fast. The lady archer took another arrow from the quiver on her waist, but unable to mount it as the eldest of Ba Sisters stabbed at her, forcing her to backstep. While she did managed to fire her arrow, it was a hasty move that Sui easily dodged. Kouchuu frowned bitterly as she mounted another arrow.
The duel was getting nowhere, though if it did drag on, Kouchuu would lose as she was running out of arrows. The thought of her losing scared her so much. She could care less about herself as long as her beloved daughter was safe. If she lost...She didn't even want to imagine it. That was why she was putting her all to defeat the daughter of her long time friend.
Meanwhile, two of Enshou's men who were disguised as the city guards were getting bored. Sure watching two girls, well, a girl and a woman duking it out was fun to watch, but it was getting boring after the first hour. They couldn't say anything as it would ruin their disguise, like Gridon-dono said. They were there just to remind Kouchuu of her role and to report to the guys inside if she did something funny.
They were too focused in watching the duel to hear the commotion from inside and when the gate was smashed open forcefully by Rinrin, hundred kilograms of wood slammed into them and killed the poor soldiers.
Sui and Kouchuu stopped fighting when they heard the gate smashed open. The purple-eyed woman gasped as Yamato exited the gate while carrying her daughter.
"All of you, cease fighting now!"
Not that it was needed, but Sui and Kouchuu did stop fighting for different reason.
"R-Riri…?" Kouchuu choked a sob as tears welled in her eyes.
"Kaa-chan!" Riri called out happily as Yamato carried her. The king of Shoku kneeled and set Riri on the ground while the little girl wasted no time to run to her mother. "Kaa-chan!"
"Riri!" the mother immediately dropped her bow and arrows and ran to her daughter. Kouchuu scooped Riri into her arms and hugs her tight, crying tears of joy. "Thank goodness…! Thank goodness…! You're alright!"
"Kaa-chan…!" Riri sobbed as she snuggled deeper into her mother's loving embrace.
Yamato smiled, happy that he was able to reunite a mother with her daughter. He gave thumb up to Sui who smiled back at him.
Kouchuu then looked at Yamato and smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you very much for saving my daughter. I am in your debt."
"There is no need for that, Kouchuu-san. I only did the right thing," Yamato replied, smiling.
"Ne Kaa-chan, did you know? Onii-chan is Yamato Kusanagi, the Messenger of Heaven from Shoku," said Riri to her mother, which surprised her greatly.
"You saved my daughter yourself, Kusanagi-dono?"
"That's right, though I had some help." The rescue party all smiled in response of his words.
Riri nodded brightly at her mother. "Um! Onii-chan is really nice! He saved Riri from the big bad lady's bad men and monsters!"
Kouchuu looked at her daughter for a moment before she turned at Yamato with a questioning gaze. "...But, why…"
Yamato then approached the mother and the daughter duo before he kneeled at their level. He smiled as he rubbed Riri's head affectionately, causing the little girl to giggle happily. "Children are treasures. The greatest sin in this world is to damage those treasures." Here he turned to Kouchuu, "What Enshou did was really unforgivable. Kidnapping a child and blackmailing her mother to do her bidding are something that I cannot and will not ever condone. I promise you that Enshou will be getting her dues."
Kouchuu regarded Yamato with eyes filled with awe and amazement. So the rumors about him were true after all. Yamato was not only a peerless warrior and superb ruler, but also wise beyond his years and very noble. Apparently, he had learned of Enshou's underhanded tactics to stall him and decided to rescue Riri by himself together with his generals and allies. His words about children being treasures were no mere empty words to gain her sympathy and support. He truly believed what he said and his rescue of her daughter showed what kind of man he was.
Someone with compassion and strength. A man who was capable of kindness but also had the spirit of a steel; hard, resolute, and unyielding.
Kouchuu Kanshou had finally found someone worth of her services.
Kouchuu stood up as she regarded Yamato with a smile. She then bowed to him reverently, surprising young king greatly. "Then I truly am in your debt, Kusanagi-dono. Please, allow me to serve you the best I can." She then looked up to him and added, "My city and I now belong to you."
Yamato blushed when he caught the double meaning of her words. Some of his shier officers such as Shuri and Hinari also blushed while some of them such as Sei and Gengan chuckled knowingly.
Yamato cleared his throat and replied, "Thank you, Kouchuu-san. Your help will be much appreciated."
"Please call me by my true name, Shion, Kusanagi-sama."
"Then please call me Yamato, Shion-san."
"Very well, but please drop the honorific. We are comrades now," Shion replied, still with a smile.
Sei, who had been content on watching, decided to speak up, "Yamato-sama, do you remember when I told you that I travelled across the land to search for a worthy lord to serve?"
"Yeah, you did," Yamato recalled.
"I think I've finally found him," Sei smiled as she bowed to the Shoku King. "This Chou'un Shiryuu, the Rising Dragon of Changshan, shall follow you to the bitter end. My spear shall defeat any enemy in your path."
Yamato was stunned. Not just one, but the last of of the Tiger Generals had joined him in the same day? He was either very lucky or someone up there had a strange taste for jokes.
"I have known Shion for a long time and she is a good judge of a person's character," Gengan smiled before she too bowed to him. "Very well, my service is yours, Yamato-sama. Please call me by my true name, Kikyou."
"I will follow wherever Sensei goes," Gien swore herself to Yamato as she too bowed. "My true name is En'ya."
"Sugoi...We have more new allies now, Yamato-sama!" gushed Touka.
"With this, our victory against Enshou is practically assured!" Shuri replied happily as Hinari nodded in agreement.
Yamato agreed with Touka and Shuri, "Indeed. Now, Shion, can you tell me where Enshou is heading to now?"
"Certainly, Yamato-sama. I too wish to see her punished for taking my daughter from me," said Shion with a malicious smile. One that looked so sickeningly sweet and Yamato had seen it oh so many times. It would never end well for whoever was the target of Shion's ire.
Three guesses who that person was.
"Well, lead the way," Yamato requested.
As Shion led him and his army toward where Enshou was heading to, Yamato couldn't help but think that the long legacy of the En Clan would end today and Enshou would be always be remembered as the head of the En Clan who led it to its destruction. All because she was throwing a tantrum over a trivial thing like a concert invitation.
A/N: And that's it for Chapter 14. We will conclude the En Clan Arc in the next chapter. I actually wanted to put the final battle with the En Clan here, but I decided to go against it since it would make the chapter too long. Currently, Chapter 15 is around 7k+ words and it should be done soon. So please look forward for it. As always, read and review! Tell me what you think of this chapter. And happy Mayday to my fellow workers around the world!
Next Chapter Tentative Title: "The End of a Legacy"