Good night. I feel the delay, but well, here we're with a new chapter. Enjoy the intrigue and the new characters :D Thank you for giving "follow" to this story and comment. Pretty weekend!

*A special thanks to Pazaror for the translation and all her effort. I feel you're like a silent editor who suddenly manifests and makes me update XD

Chapter 5

Dilemma

She wasn't even remotely close to where the remains of that ship and the fallen crew members were and it was enough for the stench to make her stomach turn and make her stop walking. She just watched in awe how that group of men were already that far away from her, examining the surroundings as if they couldn't smell anything; were they some kind of monsters or were they just already accustomed to battlefields littered with rotting corpses?

"Are you gonna stay there, watching?" Abuto was the first one to direct his words to the girl left behind. "Remember it was your idea to come here."

"Yes, well, I wasn't expecting it to smell this bad." She inhaled clean air before covering her nose with a handkerchief she took out of her pocket. And against her own wishes she had already caught up with the rest of the Yato. "You really made a mess." Destruction was the only thing she could see wherever she looked. And those lizards hadn't had better luck.

"Do you really think we'll find something of use if we search in this pile of bodies?", asked her Kamui, who was finally free of his bindings and was walking around the surroundings.

"I sincerely don't know, but we're running out of options", she replied. "Although considering you destroyed this place, it'll be even more complicated…" The woman sighed languidly. She had to have patience with this type of men. "Let's check the control room", she suggested and started walking more deeply into that disgusting place. "There might be records that could interest us. Like video calls or stuff like that."

The control room was miraculously not as damaged as the rest of the ship and that seemed to make Oshin happy, as well as the two who had decided to join her. Perhaps if they had some luck they could get some clue about their enemies.

"The system still turns on and doesn't seem to have suffered much damage", one of the Yato commented as soon as he started typing quickly on the big control panel.

"The monitor has a big crack but it could still work", said the other.

"Something of interest?", she asked quickly, without taking her eyes off the cracked screen.

"There's information about the last places they were before arriving to Earth." He showed them the coordinates and there wasn't anything suspicious at first sight.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, we have a video call that was recorded… Which sounds very weird to me."

"Let's see what it's about."

"...For a long time, we have remained forgotten by the same story, by all those infamous who dared to trample on us and condemn us to an absent existence of sun, life... For all who believed that it had been our end, we have a news: we have returned and this time it will be all of you who are forced to live in the dark exile...". There was no background image, no face or shape that could serve as reference to start investigating anything about a possible culprit. The only thing they had in their hands was a strange message that seemed to be sending a threat to everything and everyone.

Did that mean then there was something else beyond their knowledge that wanted to crush everything and had cleverly decided to start with whoever could oppose their plans the most?

"That… was really… disconcerting." In Oshin's opinion, that message could've been left so they could hear it and know at least that there was someone who wanted to make them disappear.

"I tried looking for more files, but this is the only one I found", replied the one in charge of searching the ship's operating system.

"What are we going to do? Do we tell the captain about this?"

"Do you think an idiot like him would be interested in a message like this?", she expressed. "The only thing he wants to hear from our mouths is the name and location of the one who's trying to kill him."

"Did you find something useful?" Speaking of the devil there he was, fixing his gaze on her; he was eager, and the worst of it was that he wanted some significant answers.

"By what we managed to understand… Either it's a joker leaving threatening messages to kill time, or there's someone out there with a lot of inner hatred because of how bad he's been treated, and wishes to kill everyone, starting for the ones that can give him more trouble: the Yato…", she affirmed, based on the information she had. "And if that's the case, they not only have enough technology, but also the knowledge that's needed to do it. Although…"

"If they wanted to kill us they would've done it by now", finished Kamui with a calm look and a soft smile. "So, what are they looking for?"

"To torture you all until you beg for mercy?", she replied jokingly.

"You seem pretty happy with that conclusion." A few steps were enough to get to the quiet girl's location. Even his gaze turned to her, from the corner of his eye.

"Don't talk nonsense." She massaged her forehead, trying to find some inner calm. "I want to find the one who did all this as much as you do… Stop putting words in my mouth."

"Somebody woke up in a really bad mood today~ Is it that time of the month?" Nothing like him telling her that bunch of things with humor and fake innocence while she clicked her tongue in anger.

"…Dumbass…" And she was going to continue with the long list of insults for Kamui, but somebody seemed to disagree with it and was brave enough to get between the two of them.

"What is it, Abuto?" It wasn't like he enjoyed the verbal fights with the black haired woman but neither was he someone who liked to be interrupted.

"Your little existential conflicts will have to wait for later, we have some unwanted visitors right now." Yes, he really was smiling. And that meant things were about to get busy, which meant real fun for those beasts thirsty for a new battlefield.

They moved towards the only exit before them, and they soon found themselves in front of what would quickly turn into a blood-stained scene. One which the Yato were experts to create, or that was what they thought until the moment it all took an unexpected turn.

The strongest creatures in the universe were starting to have trouble in getting rid of what at first sight were nothing more than simple armed Amanto, and whose species wasn't characterized by their strength or ability in combat. If that was the case, why did they move so well, why did they possess enough power to land such a blow to those Yato?

What was really going on?

"Are they… matching the Yato's strength? Really…?" Oshin's sight wasn't lying to her. Those opponents seemed to be weak at the beginning, but they were now putting up a fight against those men.

"If you don't want to get hurt, you better move aside and not get in the way." It wasn't worry what was coming out of the redhead's lips, but a passive threat that she should stay away from his business.

"Though there's something you can do while you prefer keeping your fangs blunt", pointed out Abuto with sarcasm without taking his attention from their enemies. They could be stronger, but to someone who held the position of second-in-command it wasn't too hard to send such insistent enemies to the other world.

"…You don't have to tell me, muttonheads".

The problem actually wasn't about abandoning the battlefield without being sensed, but about being able to find the root of all of those problems; she had to find the place where those undesirable visitors had arrived and try to find something that could be of some help to give her answers to some of her simpler questions.

She had nothing more than footprints on the wet ground as her only clue, and the certainty that as soon as she found the enemy's base, only then would start the true challenge to keep a low profile and survive.

"I'm far enough from where those Amanto surrounded us and nonetheless I still haven't arrived to where there's supposed to be their base…I" She was running as fast and as constant as her anatomy could allow her. And she also didn't stop looking around searching for anything.

And maybe her efforts would be quickly rewarded. Or maybe she was wrong in believing she had found her enemies before they'd spotted her.

"Boss, look what just showed up all of a sudden." She had been spotted before even managing to finish that footprints trail, and even worse, in just the blink of an eye she was completely surrounded.

"She probably took off running as soon as she say her town being attacked", said another one showing the white of his sharp fangs. Yes, all of those present that prevented her from escaping were humanoid beasts.

"What do we do with her, boss? Do we sell her as merchandise or you'll let us kill her and hear as she cries in despair?" Another one was eager to see the blood flow.

"I knew there was a village nearby, but…" Her gaze was calm, but she was far from unperturbed. Not when her hands had curled unintentionally into tight fists. The creatures she despised the most were standing there in front of her, implying she'd soon turn into some kind of slave or toy. "Does this mean they're the ones behind the attack? Or was it just a coincidence? I…"

"You shouldn't have such bad manners in front of a lady." It wasn't like she hadn't paid attention to who was undoubtedly in charge, but it was more like it was impossible for her to know the appearance of that man due to the kabuki mask covering his face; the same one that represented a disgusting Tengu.

"He doesn't look the same as the others… However, he seems to be someone important."

A man that surpassed easily the two meters high looked terrifyingly good in that long, black leather coat and those worn out jeans. And thanks to his good anatomy, he had no problem in walking around shirtless, showing how well-worked his abdomen was.

Besides his short blue hair, there was something else that caught easily everyone's attention. It was the huge, primitive mace he carried on his back, like a loyal battle companion.

"What do you suggest we do then, Yuusha-sama?"

"What else would I need a face like this for?" Without any consideration, he had walked towards her and took her face in his hand with an unnecessary force. He wanted to raise her gaze to his; that's how that man liked his conversations: face to face.

"Well, she's certainly above the average. She'll surely be of use to your cause, Yuusha-sama", praised one of his men.

"You're lucky you haven't died, because now you'll get to have a better future. Full of luxury and wealth", the blue-haired man said. "A woman like you can be sold at a good price. "

"Who the hell is this man? He's pretty strong." Had he held her a little bit longer, she was sure she would have more to worry about than just some simple bruises.

"Tie her up and see that she gets safe and sound to Yoshiwara", he announced to his men, who in the blink of an eye managed to immobilize the curious girl.

"Did he say Yoshiwara!?" The girl couldn't believe her ears, to the point where she couldn't even stop looking at the man who had sealed her future. "No one has ruled the red-light district since that old man died. Not even after the collapse of the Harusame… Has enough time passed for a new order to appear or was this on their own initiative? But what is going on here?"

How many hours have they been looking for him? Enough so that the evening itself was drawing on the horizon, tinting all the sky with its warm orange and yellow tones. Although having wasted so many hours of their life in locating him was not what he was causing strong murderous desires in their person, but rather that their shameless boss was more than tasty in life, spending all the money they had in one of those many places that provided happiness to the unfortunate men who were unable to obtain a conquest.

"Sakata-san, why don't you ask for something else to accompany the food?" On worlds like these all that was needed was to have a good lining of bills and you'd have the best girls making you cuddly and asking you to spend more than you wear.

"Yes, yes, we are very thirsty. And our palate will only accept the best drink we have."

"Tonight's special, girls. So, ask for everything you want. Today Gin-chan pays!", someone with so much alcohol in their veins and surrounded by females was not the best to keep their finances on good terms. "And how about we take advantage and play? You know, the doctor and the nurse... Or the policeman and the thief... I wouldn't mind persecuting you all over the place."

"Sakamoto-san!", a piercing and provocative squeal that only sought to make even bigger the smile of perverted idiot who possessed Gintoki.

"...Gin-san...Where did you get the money to buy all this? Have you used the advance that Oshin-san has given us for your order? And above all things, what does that mean and that?! Are you a depraved fetish or what?!" The index finger of the poor samurai pointed from the head to the feet of the degenerate man. Is that how it was supposed to end only in boxer and with that strange baby cap around his head? How is Shinpachi supposed to give the face of society with an adult like that of chief and example of life?

"All men are nothing more than society's slag... They are worse than cockroaches after you have stepped on them and creak under your feet... Men like him should be extinguished by a great meteorite". Kagura looked with utter disgust at the scene in front of her.

"Kagura-chan, we'd better get out of here and from now on we'll handle the Yorozuya.

"And let's all that Gin-chan die after he came out of the urination and slipped with his own stupidity", sentenced the Yato after having thrown a spit to the old samurai.

"Ey, ey. Wait, it is not for so much!" He called them with a serious look and a drunkenness that seemingly had faded away of his voice stamp. "Don't think that I have spent all the money and that I have been looking for this sword by all sides. You know that Gin-san is not just as irresponsible as to do something like that."

"Ah, really? The glasses no longer believed in his words. Not when I continued to see that the man continued to ask for drinks and more food.

"Show us", seconded the red-haired.

"Are you, Sakata Gintoki?". Shinpachi and Kagura turned towards the one who had entered so scandalous place, being unable to not feel curiosity of why a woman as she might be looking for a good for nothing like him.

"For you I'm the King of Shamans himself." Where had he gotten that suit and that ridiculous straight hair? That was a mystery; however, he was already in front of her, holding her hand to give her a kiss.

"There's no need to be so attentive, Sakata-san", expressed the woman with a kind tone and those beautiful amethyst eyes. "I'm just looking for you to ask for your services."

The woman possessed wavy brown hair that hung down to her mid-back, wide hips, big b*** and long legs. She represented to a large extent the kind of woman many men would kill for. And that samurai belonged clearly to the group of men who'd want to have such a beautiful toy to have fun with during the cold and lonely nights of Edo.

"Whichever is your petition, we'll carry it out." Shinpachi and Kagura simply sighed in resignation and hopelessness; the adult leading them through the path of life was rotten to the core. "My loyal servants will do everything to bring the smile back to that beautiful face of yours." Discretion wasn't a quality of that man, and he was now pretty focused on the "great personality" of the brunette. To hell with him wearing a white kimono. "I'm all breasts"

"Gin-san, stop, you're bleeding and getting the floor all dirty", begged the black-haired boy. "Seriously, you're disappointing us more than you've ever had before."

"Oh, look Shinpachi! Isn't that what we're looking for?", exclaimed Kagura while her gaze focused on the woman's waist. How could she walk around so calm while she carried that with her without attracting people's attention?

"But if it's…!" Their eyes couldn't be fooling them. What that girl was carrying wasn't just a sword, but it was one of a black and crimson tone. "Gin-san, that's the sword we've been looking for!"

"You're talking about this old rusty sword?", she questioned the three of them. "I bought it in an antique store last week because I thought it was curious." She observed those three who were examining the weapon carefully, and had an idea. "Unfortunately, I have no money to pay for your services, though I could give you this sword in return. What do you say?"

It was a good deal, wasn't it? If they got the sword they could still claim the rest of the pay Oshin had promised.

"Consider it done." To Sakata trades like these were good trades. At least for now he could stop pretending to be looking for that sword. "And what are we supposed to do?"

"…I'd like you to rescue my little sister… She's been kidnapped and taken to Yoshiwara to be sold as a prostitute…", she expressed with a sad look, while looking like she'd start crying any minute. "I wasn't at home when it all happened. However, she wasn't the only victim… A few other girls were taken by force."

"Hey, but that hasn't happened in a while. Not since Yoshiwara was freed", muttered Shinpachi, looking deep in thought. This kind of things couldn't be happening again.

"…The rumors say…there is a new King of the Night…", she pointed out with a serious look.

Delicacy seemed to be meaningless to men like them. From their perspective, the most practical way was to knock down the metallic door with a nice kick and carry on walking like they owned the whole place and had all the rights to inspect it.

However, what was the point of having the privilege to freely investigate when they couldn't find anything useful? Because after having arrived at the control room and the rest of the facilities, they found nothing more than a disturbing quietness; or that's what they thought until somebody arrived with that pair of wooden boxes.

"Where did you find that?" Abuto looked at his subordinate and the man simply told him there was a small storehouse they had overlooked. "What do we have here…" He removed the wooden lid and focused on its content. At first glance, there were nothing more than a bunch of plastic bags that contained some pink powder.

"They could be just drug traffickers", one of them noted. "It's pretty common these days. Though the amount here isn't enough for it to be a good business."

"I'd say we examine this, but our expert in poison and drugs isn't here now", declared the brunet with a half-smile. "I told her she was supposed to come investigate…So where the hell is she?"

"I don't think we should worry about her, Abuto. After all, she can take care of herself and probably disappeared for a good reason", intervened Kamui without taking his attention off what the brunet was holding in his hands. "We better think about why those Amanto had enough strength to face a Yato."

"What the hell is happening with everybody now, huh?" The brunet probably wasn't the only one asking himself such a thing.

She knew that place perfectly, like the back of her hand. Not only had she been working there for the last few months, but also because it was one of the favorite places in which she could always find the good for nothing man who took care of raising her. But the irony of all that was that she wasn't walking through that red-light district showing off her freedom anymore, but rather she was being carried inside a dusty, smelly wagon now, like a piece of meat who shared the same destiny with all those scared and gagged women.

"Is it possible there is someone stupid and brave enough to want to claim a place like this? What is that man thinking, taking over this district?" Just as the other women, she found herself with her wrists tied together by a thick rope. She had even been gagged as the rest of them so she couldn't cause trouble. "He called himself Yuusha, right? Who is he? Is he going to be the next to call himself the King of the Night?"

Her thoughts were cut abruptly when the wagon came to a stop. They had arrived at their final destination and the men guarding them made them get off quickly, signaling them where they were supposed to go; and at the same time, the weapons they carried served to intimidate them into not trying to escape.

"Move, and stop wasting time!", yelled the one commanding the rest of the guards.

"Maybe in this place I can get some useful information… Or at least that's what I want to think" She simply walked faster, completely ignoring the vulgarities the soldiers yelled at them; she wasn't in a position of power to be able to do something about it, and for the moment she'd rather give up her own wellbeing to satisfy her doubts.

One hallway after the other. The path they were following was as much maze-like and as it was tiring. Nonetheless, it was the best way to create a feeling of hopelessness and frustration in the prisoners; they had to break what was left of their will to do what they wanted with the /them.

But every path has and end. The huge door in front of them dictated how they'd live from now on.

"Go inside, once and for all, and settle wherever you wish", spoke the boss after opening the door and letting the women in. "Hekiru-sama will come soon to determine which of you will be of use." That was his message before he locked them inside.

The sound of the door closing ended up breaking whatever sanity was left in the girls accompanying her, and the only thing they could do in those circumstances was to plead for their lives while they hit the doors, in a futile attempt to be rescued. However, the most alarming of it all wasn't the widespread panic they were living, but the unpleasant calm of those girls who had been taken there before them.

Not only were they perfectly settled in, but they also looked at them with surprise, like they couldn't believe the newcomers could be so affected by something that was clearly a great benefit to them.

"Were they brainwashed or something? Who would be happy to be a piece of meat?" The place surrounding her wasn't more than a big woman's bedroom, where there were enough beds and everything needed for those women to be happy. Yes, it was a nice golden cage, and they seemed to be enjoying it too much.

"It's hard to get used to this environment, but once you do you'll realize how wonderful it is to work under Hikeru-sama's orders", said the girl who without a doubt was the one who'd been there the longest.

"How can you say that!? You're insane! They just want us to use us and sell us to the highest bidder!"

"Help, help, somebody get us out of here!" The chaos started once again, induced by the fear and pessimism.

"It seems you've already understood", one of the submissive women congratulated Oshin. "You'll see you're gonna love Hikeru-sama."

"Sometimes you just can't fight the destiny that's been imposed on us", she commented, looking at every one of those calm courtesans. "Spending my energy in a lost cause is just a total waste." Walking wouldn't hurt her, especially if that managed to get her close to those pitiful women. "What would I get trying to escape from a place like this when I don't have what it takes to do it? I'd rather be smart and not risk my life."

"Very nice, very nice. That kind of attitude drive Hikeru-sama crazy", pointed out one of the women happily.

"Could you tell me how Hikeru-sama is? Because he seems to be a great man who's treated you magnificently well." If she had to flatter them to get information out of them, she would. "He must be a powerful man to be able to settle in Yoshiwara."

"Hikeru-sama is a man of refined tastes…", praised the girl. "He always wears tuxedos and dress shoes."

"He's an extremely cultured and sophisticated man!"

"And he's currently Yuusha-sama's right hand", concluded another one.

"And it seems he's arrived."

"He's come to check up on the new girls."

Said man had already come into the room, wearing what those women had previously described. And to Oshin's surprise, it turned out he was a fairly attractive man, barely on his early thirties; and apparently this was enough to make all those girls go crazy trying to catch his attention.

"This time there's a lot of new faces", uttered the blond man with those perfectly defined curls. "I think it'll be harder for me to select our star courtesans this time." The brown of his eyes went over every one of the girls, until they landed on Oshin. He found strange that she was so composed calm when the other girls were terrified. "What's your name?"

"Does it matter?", she lashed out. "I'll be sold like a piece of meat and cattle doesn't need names."

"I think I'll start with you." He smiled widely. She, on the other side, didn't even return not even the smallest of gestures. "You're kind of serious, has anyone told you before?" The words she could ignore, but now his hands were settled on her shoulders, so that was another issue. "The color of your eyes reminds me of the beautiful tone of blood when it leaves the beautiful body of a woman... And your skin seems pretty smooth." There he was, grabbing her chin, stroking her cheek like she belonged to him. "Your face, your skin, that eye color, I like them... But I'm a man with defined tastes. That's not enough to consider you worthy of this place... or of me."

Only a movement was more than enough to tear in half her fragile blouse and to expose part of the black-haired woman's femininity, as well as the rest of her pale abdomen.

"I think you've convinced me to make you my wife."