Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter ❯ Episode Five: A New Battle ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I still don't own Konan, Suzaku and all characters and seishi pertaining to them. Kiori and Ritsuka are and shall forever be mine, and that holds for everyone in Takkan and all the other “originals” as well (you'll know `em when they appear, trust me). Obviously the story is mine as well.

Rating: PG-13, for moderate language and violence.

Translation Notes:

Akai - Red

Aoi - Blue

Murasaki - Purple

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--Episode Five: A New Battle--

Keisuke wasted no time in beginning the fifth chapter. His legs bounced with anxiety and a sort of guilty anticipation as he flipped the page and began.“`As the sun rose into the sky, a pair of Takkan soldiers squabbled over breakfast in their new camp...'”

---

“Neeee, Kirei-chaaaan!” a young male soldier tugged at his female companions' sleeve. “Don't hog all the fish, I'm hungry too!”

The one called Kirei glared back at him, holding the tiny perch just out of his reach. “I caught it while you were sleeping, you great lazy bum, so stop complaining and let me eat in peace!”

“But I'm starvin', an' you don't gotta go into battle like I do, you're jus' one-a the cooks. C'mon, be a sport Kirei-chan...!”

“Would you stop calling me that? No one's called me that since I was a child.”

“Kirei-chan Kirei-chan Kirei-chaaaan!” the male soldier stuck his tongue out at the girl, who promptly grabbed it between her thumb and forefinger and nearly yanked it out of his mouth. “Itetetete...!”

The soft crunch of grass caught the pair's attention. Kirei, still keeping a firm hold on her friend's tongue, glanced up to see a dark green cloak sweep between the trees. Her brow creased as she caught a flash of short, brown hair and the glinting hilt of a sword thumping at the man's waist. “Ne, Tori-kun, isn't that the shogun, Watanabe Hataku-sama?”

“Eh?” Unable to move his head, the boy turned his eye towards the noises. He only saw the tiniest bit of cloak and boot, but recognized the forest-colored uniform immediately. “Uh, bat's `im. I bonder but he'b doink oud `ere?”

“I dunno, but I wouldn't mind finding out,” she said in a low whisper. Kirei scowled at him and released his tongue from her grasp. “And don't talk with hand in your mouth.”

The boy called Tori rubbed at his tongue and glared at his friend, but he stood and followed her through the forest. The pair tip-toed behind the shogun, careful to avoid any twigs or stones that might give away their presence. Before long they caught up to the army's leader, who had halted at the edge of the clearing. Hataku leaned up against a nearby sycamore, glaring with unusual intensity across the sunlit plain and towards the Konan palace. He shrugged his shoulders restlessly and began to pace, still shooting thoughtful glances at the open field from time to time. Kirei followed his movement, taking in her leader for the first time since she'd join the forces.

Hataku had an air about him that commanded respect; he was lithe and sinuous, with a natural, deadly grace to his movements, and the look of a true hunter in his eyes. Kirei had to admit that he was a handsome man, in the same sort of proud, dangerous way that a tiger might be considered handsome. And, like a tiger, she didn't think she'd ever want to get too close to him. His eyes held the knowledge of a thousand victories and defeats, and the willingness to use that knowledge whenever necessary. He wasn't the shogun simply for his good looks, after all.

“I'm gonna get dizzy if he keeps pacin' `round like that,” Tori grumbled at her side; his female comrade cuffed him sharply but quietly over the head.

“Aren't you afraid of him at all?” she asked. “If he caught us out here...”

“We'd get exactly what we deserved: a tongue-lashin' t'end all tongue-lashin's, an' about three weeks' worth of extra chores,” the youth explained with a wave of his hand. “He isn't someone ya want on yer bad side, Kirei-chan, but at least ya always know where ya stand. Now, on the other hand... eh?”

A strange shimmering at the edge of the forest halted his words. The pair watched, wide-eyed, as that same patch of sky flickered once, twice, and then settled into the shape of a young golden-eyed boy. His round face framed by chin-length silver bangs showed that he wasn't much younger than the two soldiers, though he possessed a look of such cold reasoning that he appeared quite a bit older than the pair hiding in the bushes. He bowed low, his braid swishing over his shoulder at the action, and moved back so the figure behind him could step forward.

Kirei clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp. The boy's companion was none other than the Lady of Takkan.

“Now on the other hand,” Tori finished weakly. “There's her.”

“Ah, my dear shogun,” Setsuka said with a smile. She glided across the clearing to greet Hataku, who touched his forehead to the ground respectfully before rising to await her orders. “I apologize for scheduling this meeting so early. I do hope you slept well?”

“Well enough,” he agreed. He kept his tone clipped and careful, as if afraid to show even a hint of emotion. “I await your orders, my Lady.”

Setsuka pulled a scroll out from the folds of her robe and handed it to the shogun. “Here are our terms as you requested, though I doubt they shall be answered. Konan has a habit of being painfully stubborn against enemies it knows it cannot beat.”

The shogun unrolled the parchment and skimmed its contents. His eyes widened for the barest of moments, but he regained control and glanced up.

“Is there a problem, Hataku?”

Still as cautious as ever, he said, “My Lady, your reasons are vague but believable, and the terms of surrender are in order, but... why do you want to have the seishi turned over as prisoners?”

“Because, my dear shogun,” she said, and her eyes flashed such malice that Kirei felt a shudder ripple down her spine, “it would be foolish of me to annihilate an entire empire, so I'm doing the next best thing. I'll destroy the people's greatest symbol of freedom and hope. That's all I really wanted in the first place.” A private, secretive smile flitted across her features, a smile that only Hataku was meant to understand. “Seizing Konan may be my ultimate goal, and we may tell them that it's because we want more land for our growing population, but you know very well that Takkan's glory is only the half of it.”

“Revenge, then?” Hataku muttered.

“In more ways than you could possibly understand,” she whispered, running a hand through her long golden hair.

“My Lady, if I may speak freely, your father—”

“You may not speak freely, Hataku, and you will not be so hasty to assume that you can,” Setsuka snapped. “Just because you are my second in command, just because I have given you the privilege of sitting at the right side of my throne when our conquest is complete... that does not give you the right to assume that we are equals.” She spat out her next words like venom. “It is not your job to think, Shogun-sama. It is your job to win me an empire.”

Hataku clenched his fists at his sides, but he did not press the argument. “Hai, Setsuka-sama.”

The Lady of Takkan glanced down to smooth at the edges of her robes, her violent mood gone as quickly as it had arrived. “Now,” she began, “when they do not accept the terms of surrender, you shall formally declare war and leave. Gather your men and attack later this afternoon. You are to test the strength of Konan's forces and put a bit of pressure on them, but that's all.”

“My Lady—”

“Please don't make me repeat myself, my dear shogun,” she glanced up at him through the wisps of her bangs, one hand shooting out to cup his cheek lightly in her palm. The action harbored no affection, however, and Hataku stiffened in her hold. “You will obey my orders, won't you?”

Her nails prodded at his skin, ever so slightly. He nodded once. “Of course, my Lady.”

“Excellent.” Setsuka released him with both hand and eyes and turned to face the silver-haired Element waiting at the edge of the clearing. “Tsuki, we are finished here. I am ready to return to the palace.”

“As you wish, my Lady.” The youth set a hand lightly on his mistress' shoulder, and the two disappeared.

Hataku all but collapsed against a nearby tree, heaving a sigh and running a hand across his sweat-drenched brow. Kirei frowned. “Ne, Tori-kun, do you think Shogun-sama's actually afraid of her?”

“Ain't you?” he asked.

“Well, of course I am, but that's completely different. Shogun-sama isn't—”

“Deaf, for one thing,” someone growled. The pair jerked their heads up, staring wide-eyed at Hataku. He hadn't moved from his spot by the tree, and he kept his head turned away from them, but there was no mistaking who his words were meant for. “Your workloads have already been tripled. If you don't want to be sent back home to the palace dungeons, then I'd suggest you keep your knowledge to yourselves and learn how to make a quick escape. When a spy is caught, typically they are...”

He continued his explanation of what happened to a captured spy, but neither of the young soldiers stuck around to listen. With shrieks of fear they scampered back through the woods, completely forgetting about the half-eaten fish waiting at their campsite.

---

Akai dashed into the Empress' throne room, ducking quickly to the floor in a low bow. "Houki-sama, I'm sorry for bothering you, but a group of Takkan soldiers has arrived. It looks like they want to discuss their terms," she glanced up through her bangs, watching the older woman's calm features. "What should I tell them?"

Houki stood with a swish of skirts. "You need not relay any messages, Akai. I will go there and speak with them directly. There may be a chance that I can end this before it begins, however small that chance may be."

"Are you sure that's smart?" the girl wondered. She winced and bowed lower, practically driving her forehead into the floor. "Ah, not meaning to question your Majesty's judgment of course! It's just, if there was a trap, and you were hurt—”

"Are Chichiri and Tasuki there?"

She looked up. "Um, yes, all the Konan Warriors are on the wall."

Houki smiled. "Then I doubt that I will have anything to worry about."

Akai grinned, nodding in agreement. "That's true. I bet they could wipe out the whole army on their own."

"Let us not put too much responsibility upon them."

---

Hataku shaded his eyes from the morning sun, watching as the stately, female figure looked out over the ramparts. A soft yet commanding voice called down to him. "How may I help you?"

It didn't take the general long to realize the Empress herself had come to the meeting. Hataku nodded his head out of respect, but didn't waste too much time on formalities He glanced back up again, trying to meet her gaze from atop the wall. "Your Majesty, I have been sent by Setsuka-sama of Takkan to deliver terms."

"Terms?" Houki feigned ignorance. "Terms of what, sir?"

"Conquest, if you will," he answered shortly. Hataku unrolled the scroll Setsuka had given him and read out in a clear voice: "I, Shogun Watanabe Hataku of the Takkan Army, hereby deliver the terms requested by Setsuka-sama, Ruler of Takkan, daughter to the late Yukibara Toushi-sama of the Southern Plains, conqueror of Takkan and former master of the Takkan Army..."

Tasuki's head popped up over the wall. "Jus' read th' damn terms, messenger-boy!"

Hataku's eyes narrowed, but he went on without complaint. "Here they are, then. Setsuka-sama wishes to merge the lands of Konan and Takkan, and to sit on the dual throne of both kingdoms. She demands that the control of Konan be turned completely over to her capable hands, militarily, economically, and socially. She demands that the current line of Emperors abdicate their position. If they do so without a fight they will be exiled but unharmed. She insists that any who oppose her rule shall be exiled, without question or trial, and those that attempt to fight back will be killed to the last man. Finally, she requests that Konan surrender its two remaining seishi into her hands, so that they may be dealt with as she sees fit."

Chichiri winced from behind the rampart. "What's she got against us no da?" Tasuki shrugged.

Houki set her jaw angrily. "Those are terms I could never agree to!"

"If our demands are not met, my army and I shall take Konan by force," Hataku warned, though he knew there would be no change of opinion. “And, as our Lady has stated, that will put the lives of everyone in the capital city in danger.”

The Empress spread her hands in a gesture of both peace and confusion. "Shogun Watanabe-sama, what has Konan ever done to force such an attack? We have always been allied with Takkan. It seems as if this conflict has arrived out of the blue."

"Conflict and conquest are entirely different matters, Empress," Hataku answered. "Will you reconsider?"

"Never!" several voices cried back.

"Then consider this a formal declaration of war," the shogun replied. He turned on his heel and marched off, the small contingent of soldiers in his wake.

Aoi, the boy who had escorted them to the Empress the night before, glanced at Akai and winced. "He certainly knows how to make an exit."

She laughed. "That pompous jerk thinks he's tough now, but he hasn't gone up against a seishi yet."

"Sou (That's true)," Aoi glanced at the retreating contingent. "I guess he'll be back before long, and with an army at his back. I'd better get my bow."

Kiori heard the remark. "Bow? You mean you're a fighter, too?" He nodded and the young woman sweatdropped. "Um, no offense, but does Konan usually hire children to do its fighting?"

Akai bristled at the word “children,” but Aoi just chuckled. "It's nothing like that," he assured her. "After that Tenkou incident a few years ago, her Majesty realized the kingdom needed someone to lead the army and protect the people in case of another attack. She called all the warriors in the area - men, women, boys and girls - together for a tournament to see who would become the `Palace Champion.' The top four were allowed to stay in the palace to train, and help with protecting the empire. Akai won of course, but I snuck in as a runner-up."

"You mean you beat a bunch of full-grown warriors?" Ritsuka gaped.

Aoi chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but Akai kicked my butt pretty easily. I've still got a long way to go if I want to be as good as her."

The warrior girl blushed. "Oh, c'mon Aoi, don't say that! You've really improved too, you know!"

He shrugged off her compliment with a quiet “maybe,” but couldn't hide the smile of pride that twitched across his face. "Anyway, I might head over to the south wall - I heard they need some extra fighters - so I probably won't see you until the battle's over. Stay safe, Akai, and try not to embarrass those Takkan soldiers too badly."

Akai waved as he trotted down the steps. Kiori and Ritsuka grinned at the still-blushing teenager.

"Oh, I do wish you'd come back," Kiori cooed.

"Killing enemies holds no joy without you by my side," Ritsuka added.

Akai's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"

"We aren't `implying' anything, we're saying it straight out,” Ritsuka cupped her hands under her chin and sang, “Akai-chan likes Aoi-kun!"

"I do not!"

"Why are you blushing then?" Kiori pried.

"It's hot!"

"It's barely seventy degrees!"

"A Palace Warrior doesn't have time to concern herself with relationships!" Akai snapped, touching her sword hilt in a silent warning.

Ritsuka snickered and held up her hands. "Okay, okay, just answer this."

"What?"

"Will you name your kid Murasaki?"

Akai's eyebrow twitched. "Ritsuka-san..."

Tasuki hand swept up in front of the girls, halting their conversation. "Oi, hold off th' gossip fer a sec an' lookit this." They followed his pointing finger over the wall and out across the field towards a sea of soldiers, all in the forest green of Takkan, marching straight for the capital.

Kiori's breath caught in her throat, and the first wave of terror she'd felt in months swept across her spine. She had to set a hand against the rampart so she wouldn't turn tail and run right there, but she did manage to gasp out a disbelieving: "We have to fight them?!"

"And that's not counting those Elements with their magical God-knows-what powers.” Ritsuka kept her tone steady and sarcastic, but couldn't hide her sudden paleness. “This is turning into a lovely little war.”

Chichiri's hand tightened on his staff. "Ne, Tasuki? How does that old Reikaku saying go? `It isn't the size of the sword, but the skill of the wielder...' is that it no da?"

Tasuki pulled his tessen out of its sling and chuckled. "This ain't exactly th' kinda situation it's s'posed t'be used in, `Chiri. Still, I'd say it fits pretty damn well.”

"Houki-sama," Akai said suddenly, remembering the Empress at her side. "Please go back to the palace, where's it's safe. We can handle things here."

The Empress hesitated for the briefest of moments, then nodded and hurried back the way she had come.

"Some of them around splitting up," Akai remarked. "Pass the word down the line for the soldiers to spread out, but not too thin. I expect a four-sided attack." To her surprise, the men followed their young champion's order without question. Though at this point, she noted with a crooked smile, the frightened Konan army probably would have followed orders from a bowl of noodles.

"How many did you count no da?" Chichiri hissed in Tasuki's ear.

"Impossible t'tell. I'm guessin' at least seven thousand."

"I'm sensing over ten thousand life forces," Chichiri told him. "We have our work cut out for us no da."

The other seishi nodded. "We're outnumbered at least three to one, an' from th' way their shogun acted I'm willin' t'bet they know how t'use their forces.” He glanced at Chichiri out of the corner of his eye and tightened his grip on his tessen. “Better not let th' girls know that, though. Akai-chan thinks we're gods an' Kiori `n' Red're both nervous. It's only their first battle; I hope they come out okay.”

"We'll make sure they do," Chichiri responded. He flashed a thumbs-up and a small smile. "We take care of our seven, remember na no da?"

Tasuki nodded again, a deep determination filling his amber eyes. “This time, we lose no one.”

---

From the back of the army, Hataku viewed the situation with more confidence than he'd felt in a long time. On the north side of the Konan Wall there only seemed to be a thousand to fifteen hundred soldiers; if the soldiers were evenly spread, it was unlikely that their numbers were above six thousand.

'Outnumbered and outclassed,' he thought, and even allowed a fleeting smile to pass across his somber features. 'This victory will be an easy one.'

He almost raised the order for a full-out attack, but stopped as he remembered the words of the Lady he served. "You are to test the strength of Konan's forces and put a bit of pressure on them, but that is all."

Inwardly, Hataku seethed. On the outside, however, he remained composed and called to his captains. "I want a careful attack! Test their strengths! Focus your attention on the main gates, but don't attempt to break through! There are two seishi among them, so be cautious!”

---

Kiori watched the advancing soldiers, swallowing hard. She gripped the bow in her hands to quell her trembling, but the weapon just rattled along with her body. “Ritsuka? Are you nervous?”

”No,” the redhead snapped back. She hesitated. “Maybe... a little. You?”

”Terrified,” her friend answered truthfully. “There's a lot of soldiers down there, and a lot of arrows to go with them, and we've never done anything like this before... do you think we can survive something like this?”

Ritsuka glanced over at Akai, Tasuki, and Chichiri, all of whom faced the enemy and looked ready for anything. She flashed a crooked grin. “You're welcome to try getting killed, but I don't think they're gonna let you.”

Kiori tried a smile that fell short. “Guess so.”

”They're in range!” Akai shouted.

Half a second later a shower of arrows sailed over the wall, rattling the ramparts and the steps behind them. The girls managed to duck just in time, though Ritsuka saw a slower soldier take a shaft through his shoulder. Once the volley ended, several Konan archers sprang up and fired back at the oncoming soldiers. They were rewarded with surprised shouts from below, and the war for Konan had begun.

Tasuki popped up with the second string of archers and tried to pull his tessen out. The arrows plinked off his fan - its shining metal was like a beacon in the sunlight - and forced him back below the wall. “Kuso, they've got good trainin'. I don't have time t'get off a single decent blast.”

Chichiri frowned. “If I tried to say a spell, they'd turn me into a pincushion no da.”

Tasuki snatched up a bow and some nearby arrows. “Guess we'll have t'do this the old-fashioned way, then!” He jumped up, fired, and dropped back down - after seeing his arrow take an enemy through the eye. The thrill of battle rushed through his veins and he couldn't help but let out a tiny, sarcastic chuckle. “One down, a whole shitload t'go.” The seishi looked over and noticed that his friend had begun inching away. “Oi, where ya headin' Chichiri?”

”I'm going to go check on the south wall, see if they need any help no da,” he explained. “The forces should be thinner on that side, so maybe I can get off some attacks over there. Keep an eye on the girls no da.”

Tasuki saluted, flashing a cocky grin. “Yokai (Roger), Seishi-sama. One eye on th' girls, one on th' battle - shouldn't be too hard fer a super-bandit like me.”

---

Kiori came up to fire and missed her mark by several feet. Her next shot fell short. The college girl swore under her breath. "C'mon baka,” she grumbled to herself, “you don't want to look like an idiot in front of everyone, do you?”

She popped back up, pulled her bow taut, and let fly. Her third shot struck one soldier in the arm. Kiori took a breath and managed a small smile of triumph. At least she was hitting something now. She glanced over to see Akai smoothly sailing arrows down every few seconds, as if it was as simple as breathing.

The young woman gritted her teeth. "Just like Akai," she murmured. The college girl came up, aimed for a spot between a soldier's helmet and breastplate, and fired.

The flying missile pierced straight through the soldier's neck. The unknown man opened his mouth in a silent screech, clawed at the arrow for one horrible second, then stumbled backwards. His eyes turned upwards, and Kiori felt the faraway man's gaze land directly on hers. It all happened within seconds, but to the college girl watching, it seemed years. Then without a sound he toppled backwards and his body relaxed inside his armor. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Kiori watched it all in frozen horror, watched as her arrow, shot from her bow, tore through the air, tore right into that man; watched as he scrambled desperately for some kind of breath, some kind of hope, though of course there was none; watched as his eyes seemed to stare straight into hers, if only for a moment, asking for some kind of answer; watched as the blood soaked his uniform; and finally watched as his life was snuffed from his body. All because of her.

The college woman took a few steps backwards, collapsing against the inner rampart. Her bow clattered against the stones as she clasped both hands over mouth, still staring over the wall towards the spot where she knew the man had fallen. “Oh God,” she whispered, certain that she was going to be sick. “Oh, dear God…”

Akai noticed the pale girl leaning against the wall. She scrambled over, ducking several arrows in the process. "Kiori-san? Doshita no (What's wrong)? You didn't - were you hit?"

She shook her head, still fighting back that retching feeling in her stomach. "Akai…” she murmured, glancing up at the warrior girl. “Did you, did I just… did you see…?”

"You shoot that guy? Mm. It was a good shot, Kiori-san."

"Oh, God,” she gasped, curling her knees to her chest. A tiny part of her had been hoping that Akai would say it had been someone else's arrow; that hers had missed its mark again. Only now… “Oh, God,” she said again, finally pushing back some of her sickness and putting her head between her knees. “So I just... I just killed that man.”

Akai frowned. "Well, yeah, that happens in war."

Kiori shook her head, feeling tears at the corners of her eyes. “No. No, it isn't supposed to happen like this. They don't… they don't tell you that it happens like this! They don't tell you about all the blood, about sight of someone else's life just ending… and they don't tell you about that look, Akai, they don't tell you about that horrible question in their eyes right before… that man was only doing his job, and I killed him!”

Akai sighed, rubbing at her temples. "Look, Kiori-san... I know it's hard, when you find out it isn't like it is in the stories. But we're fighting in a war; you have to remember that. He would've killed you first and you know it."

"Yeah, but..." Kiori looked up into her comrade's red-violet eyes, surprised by the matter-of-fact sureness in that young gaze. "Doesn't it bother you? Doesn't it bother you at all, Akai?!"

The young warrior looked away, glancing over the wall. "I need to keep fighting. We're outnumbered as it is, and I'm one of the better archers.” She continued to avoid eye contact with the older woman as she picked her way back to her spot on the wall. “Stay here `till it's over. If you feel better later, go ahead and try again. If not, just wait until the battle's over. No sense in trying to go back to the palace and getting killed by a stray arrow."

Kiori nodded blankly, watching as Akai went back to raining arrows of death down on the surrounding Takkan enemies. The college girl glanced down at her bow, still lying where she'd let it fall. She reached down to pick it up, and to try again, like Akai had suggested - but at the last second, she felt that man's eyes on her again, felt them staring straight into her heart, demanding to know why...

The college girl knocked the weapon out of her reach with one swift kick. She put her head in between her knees, feelings hot tears of mixed sorrow and frustration well up in her green eyes. “You coward,” she cursed quietly. “You're nothing but a stupid, useless coward.”

---

Ritsuka had to admit that she was doing an excellent job for her first day. Every shot she took hit its mark - an arm here, a leg there, and just for fun, a jarring shot to the top of a helmet every once in a while. The whole thing felt like a delicious game back in the archery rings at home, and she was causing damage among the ranks at the same time.

She smiled as one of her arrows went through a Takkan soldier's left arm. She ducked back down, scrambling over to a pile of unused arrows. Her hand touched one just as a man on her right did the same.

"Oh, sorry Ojou-san (Miss)," he said, letting her have the shaft. He paused for a moment, staring intently at the top of the girl's head. "Oi… you're that girl who always whips everyone in the rings, aren't ya?"

"That's me," she agreed with a grin, popping up and hitting a man in the leg.

"Why'd y'do that?" he asked. "I never seen you miss a target before."

"I hit my target," she snapped back. "I took him out of action, didn't I?"

The man chuckled, firing and hitting a soldier hard in the shoulder. "The only way to take an enemy out of action is t'kill him. You oughta know that, Konan Warrior."

Ritsuka frowned. "As thrilling of an idea as that is, I think I'll pass."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected much less from a girl."

The young woman punched him square in the jaw. “So you think I'm some little girl, is that it?” She gritted her teeth and jerked back to the battle, leaving the man twitching on the rampart. “Fine, then - I'll show you what this `little girl' can do.”

Ritsuka came up, took aim for a man's chest, and fired with all the power she possessed. The shaft buried itself almost up to its feathers in his breast; the soldier stumbled forward, slumping against another of the Takkan soldiers. His comrade shrugged the other man off and continued his fight; there was no need to support a dead man, after all.

A dead man?!

The thought struck Ritsuka like a ton of bricks. "Holy..."

Tasuki happened to look over and see the redheaded woman standing up against the ramparts. For whatever reason, she seemed frozen to the spot: a perfect target. "Red! Get down!" He dove forward and shoved her back just as an arrow flew past the place where her head had been.

The college girl's elbow hit the stone floor hard, snapping her out of her trance. Tasuki cursed, clambering off of her. "Dammit, Red, didn't they teach you in yer damn Archery Club that yer s'posed t'duck after you fire? You gave me a heart attack! I thought that arrow was gonna kill you, you idiot!"

The redhead blinked. "Tasuki...chan?” She shook her head as if to clear it. “Sorry, I just… wow, I didn't expect that to happen, but it was such a surprise, hitting the bulls-eye on a guy instead of a target…”

"First kill, huh?" Tasuki interrupted. He sighed, sitting back on his heels and offering the young woman a hand. "Ah, don't worry about it, okay? It happens t'most everyone. C'mon, I'll help you up."

Ritsuka batted his hand away. "I don't need anyone's help. I'm fine now. It was just a little shock, that's all." She crouched against the wall, dusting off her jeans.

Tasuki took up his bow, backing away. He muttered unhappily under his breath, returning to his old spot.
The redheaded college girl retrieved her bow as well, though it took her several seconds to stop the shaking of her hands. Killing that soldier had been both easier and harder than she'd thought, but that wasn't the only reason she was shaking. If she'd stood there a second longer, she might've joined that man in the afterlife. The thought sent an extra shiver down the girl's spine. She glanced over her shoulder at the annoying bandit who had saved her life. "T…Tasuki-chan?"

"What now?" he growled, jerking his head to look at the redhead.

Ritsuka scowled. "It won't happen again, so don't think you need to hold my hand or something. But, uh...” she stared back at the wall and just barely managed to grumble out a grudging, “Arigatou, Tasuki-chan.”

The seishi turned his head back to the battle, but was unable to stop the small smile at the corner of his mouth. “Don't call me that.”

---

Hataku watched the fight from just out of arrow range and nodded confidently. The battle was clearly falling in his favor. “They're fighting like demons, but those Konan soldiers don't have the experience of my men,” he murmured aloud. “A couple weeks of this and we just might have them beaten. Of course, if we gave it everything we had, that time could be cut in half... maybe less...”

Once again, he felt the urge to order a hard, full-out attack, and once more Setsuka's words came back like an angry whip: “You willobey my orders.”

His clenched fingers brushed at the welt on his cheek. Hataku mounted his horse and rode swiftly down the line, passing the word along. They would bide their time and retreat - for now.

---

"Hey, they're giving up!" Aoi cried from the top of the south wall. He and the other Konan soldiers twirled their unused swords and let out cries of victory.

"We won the battle!"

"Ha! Some warriors!"

"Couple-a decent fighters scared 'em away fast!"

"Takkan! Pah! They're all chickens!"

Chichiri smiled and leaned on his staff, watching the celebration from a distance. He decided to let them enjoy their small victory, even if he knew that this victory had nothing to do with Konan. Their people had been tiring, and though at the time the two sides had been about even, the tide had been turning in favor of Takkan.

'Someonemust haveordered that shogunto retreat no da,' Chichiri thought to himself, his worried expression hidden behind his smiling mask. 'What's Setsuka up to na no da?'

"Chichiri-sama?" Aoi called him back from his musings. "Do you think they'll be back?”

Chichiri looked down at the flushed boy and smiled. "Who knows? Looks to me like they've had enough for now no da."

Aoi fired an arrow out onto the body-littered field, raising his fists and shouting out another call of victory. Chichiri lead the boy off the ramparts. He laughed and joked along with Aoi, but he couldn't keep his mind away from the battlefield, and the crafty minds behind Takkan's strategy.

`They'll be back, all right,' he murmured, chancing one last look at the horizon before the wall hid it from view. `And something tells me that next time they won't just be testing our strengths no da.'

---

Chichiri and Aoi swung by the infirmary to help with the injured, so they were the last to arrive in the dining room that evening. Ritsuka, Tasuki, Kiori and Houki sat around the table, though Ritsuka was the only one still inhaling food. Akai was nowhere to be found. "You probably have a lot to talk about,” Aoi said, feeling a bit cowed in the presence of Empress, seishi, and women from another world. “I guess this is where I make my exit, then. Jaa ne, Chichiri-sama." He bowed and left.

The monk heaved a sigh and sat down next to Tasuki, reaching across the table for the pitcher of steaming tea. "How did it go on your side no da?"

Tasuki shrugged. "Okay, I guess. We're all alive anyway," the bandit waved a hand to mean him and the girls. "About t'pass out, but alive."

"Those Takkan soldiers know how to fight," Ritsuka muttered into her fried noodles. "I thought this was gonna be exciting, but all it's been is exhausting, not to mention depressing as hell. I may just fall asleep in my bowl..."

"Can you make a guess on our casualties, or on theirs?" Houki inquired, her face tight with anxiety.

"I visited the sickbay a little while ago," Chichiri said. "105 dead, 330 badly wounded, and another four hundred or so with minor injuries no da."

"And Takkan?" Houki pried.

The monk shrugged and sipped pensively at his drink. The food on the table smelled delicious, but he didn't think he could handle a meal just yet. The blood and moans from the infirmary were still fresh in his mind. "It looked like at least five hundred were scattered about the battlefield, but some of those may only be injured. I couldn't begin to guess no da."

Tasuki didn't like the gloomy silence that followed. "We kicked some ass then, didn't we? One-oh-five is nothin' fer a big battle like that!”

"Try telling that to their families," Kiori murmured, head down and eyes on her half-empty cup.

Tasuki shifted and rubbed the back of his head. "Er, well... yer right, of course. I was jus' tryin' t'look on th' bright side, s'all." Kiori continued to stare numbly at the teacup; the bandit frowned. "Oi, you okay? You eat some bad rice `r somethin'?"

"Kiori had a tough time today," Ritsuka explained. "I think I know how she feels. It's nowhere near as easy as they make it look on TV."

Tasuki decided not to ask what “TV” meant. "Yeah, th' first time's always th' hardest. It gets a little easier after that, though, after ya get over th' initial shock.” Ritsuka nodded in agreement.

Kiori took a sip of her tea, never once looking up. "I can't do it," she announced, shaking her head as if to clear away the blood-stained images from earlier. "After the first time... I thought it wouldn't be so bad, but... I just kept thinking about him. I still am.” Her shoulders trembled suddenly, and she gripped the cup tighter to keep them still. “I couldn't do that again, not to anyone! It's just too cruel..."

Only the occasional cricket chirp from outside interrupted the silence that followed. "I know what you mean," Chichiri finally assured her. "But you don't need to worry about it, Kiori. Don't fight if you don't want to. Not everyone's built for battle no da."

The college woman said nothing for a moment. She looked up after a moment. "Where's Akai?"

Ritsuka blinked at the sudden question, then grabbed another bite of rice and shrugged. "She disappeared as soon as we got back to the palace. I think she said something about going over to the pond.”

Tasuki stood, popping his back. "I better go find her. We need t'have a meetin' b'fore t'morrow. They're bound to attack again, an' we need Champion-chan t'help us get things set up."

"Let me go," Kiori offered, practically slamming her cup onto the table. "You're all exhausted, and I haven't done hardly anything today, so... so I'll go find her, okay?" She hurried out of the room before anyone could protest.

Once the college girl had departed, Houki sighed. "Poor girl. She truly wishes to assist with this war, and since she cannot fight she feels useless.” A tiny, wistful smile flitted across the Empress' face. “I suppose I understand her feelings."

Tasuki sat back down and shoveled a chopstick-full of noodles into his mouth. "Yeah, Chichiri oughta go talk t'her."

The chibi monk almost fell out of his chair. "N-nani?! Me!? Why volunteer me na no da?"

Tasuki pointed his chopsticks at his friend. "Yer a good listener, plus th' two of ya had some kinda `bonding time' yesterday, ain't that what'cha told me? You even used some of her ki. And th' only way I know how t'do that is the way Nakago and Soi did..." his fangs glinted in a devilish smile.

Chichiri's eyebrow twitched. Ritsuka smirked. "Want me to smack him?"

"Could you, please?" A slap and a yell followed. Chichiri stood. "She did look pretty upset... Maybe I will go after her no da." Tasuki snickered and the monk frowned. "I didn't mean it like that no da." Tasuki continued to smile through a bite of shrimp. Chichiri's eyebrow twitched again. "Ritsuka, could you—?"

"Right-o!"

"OUCH!"

---

Kiori found Akai out by a big willow tree, sitting on one of the large roots that protruded from the soil and dipped into the nearby, crystal pond. She watched as the girl pulled off blossoming flowers from an overhead tree, placing them solemnly in the water and watching them drift away.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Kiori asked quietly.

If Akai was surprised to hear her, she didn't let it show. "Seventeen."

"Beg pardon?"

"Seventeen," she repeated, nodding towards the spinning white petals. "One for each of the warriors I killed today. And," she pulled off a willow branch thick with leaves and dipped it into the water, "for the sorrow of their families."

Kiori stepped out onto the large root and sat down next to the warrior, frowning in confusion. "Akai, I don't—”

But Akai was speaking before Kiori could ask her question. "Ever since I was little, I wanted to be the best fighter in Konan. When I learned about the seishi, what great heroes they were, I decided to turn my little kid dreams into a reality. I loved the thrill of battle, the steady routines of learning different tricks and weapons," she paused for a moment. "And, I was pretty good. I guess that helped, too. I felt like I was destined to do great things, to destroy villains and demons and become a famous hero, just like the seishi. I never thought twice about it. Until three years ago.”

Akai plucked another blossom from the tree, touching the petals one slim fingertip at a time. “Right before my journey to the palace, my village was raided. I stayed and made a stand with my family and friends. We banded together, and fought back, and we even won. But see, there was this woman, someone in the raiders' group, and she attacked my older brother. She had him down, and I thought she was going to kill him, I really did, so I just, I just grabbed my own sword and fought her back. I fought her back, and I managed to get the upper hand, and before I knew it my blade was sticking through her chest. There was blood everywhere, and I remember thinking how much that must have hurt, but then I looked up and realized that she couldn't feel it at all… she was already dead."

Neither girl noticed the seishi who walked up behind them.

"It's funny," Akai went on, "after all my workouts and training, I figured I'd do it mechanically and move. But..." she sighed. "It took me by surprise." She looked down, chuckling darkly. “That night, I must've washed my hands about thirty times. It felt like I'd never get the blood off of them, like I'd never get the image of that woman out of my head.”

"Then why do you still do it?" Kiori demanded. “How can you possibly stand to keep doing it, after that one time?”

“If you're looking for a secret charm, I don't have one,” Akai answered. She stared at her reflection in the waters for a moment, then shrugged and leaned back against the willow. "Some people just... can. Besides, I have the Palace to protect, so I can't let my own weaknesses get in the way of my duty. But it doesn't really get any easier, not for me anyway. So... I suppose the flowers are my way of saying, 'Safe passage.' It helps get some of that blood off my hands a little quicker, and brush those images out of my mind a little faster.” The warrior girl smiled thinly, watching as her seventeen blossoms drifted further out into the pond. “Strange, isn't it? A Palace Warrior who doesn't like to kill?"

The girls fell into silence. Kiori glanced down and noticed Chichiri reflected in the pond. One of Akai's white blossoms danced lazily across his body, creating miniature ripples in the reflection's robe. He met her gaze in the water with a tiny smile, then quietly took a seat on the other side of Akai.

"No one really wants to die no da," he said after another pause. "Maybe that's why, no one ever really wants to cause death no da."

Akai nodded. "Mm." She glanced up, looking first at Kiori and then at Chichiri. “Say...” she began with a tiny sweatdrop, “is there a reason that the two of you are out here?"

"Oh, right!" Kiori looked up, remembering her task. "Houki-sama wanted to talk about tomorrow's plans. She sent me out here to find you."

Akai stood, smoothing out her tunic. "I'd better head back, then. You coming?"

"In a minute," Kiori assured her. She watched the flower blossoms float lazily about the pool, waiting until Akai was out of hearing range before speaking to the monk. "Did the others send you out here as a personal counselor?"

"Something like that," Chichiri admitted. "We were all a little worried. Are you okay no da?"

She clenched her fists in her lap. "I'll live."

"That's not what I asked no da."

"I... I'm fine. Just sick of being useless, I guess," Kiori explained. "You, and Tasuki, and Ritsuka and Akai... even Houki-sama... all of you have something important to do, something that helps the empire.” She stared hard at her tightened hands and gritted her teeth in disgust. “I wanted to help with the battle, I really did... but of course..." he waited for her to finish, but the college girl trailed off into silence. After a moment she stood, stepping lightly off the tree root and glancing towards the palace. “Well, Houki-sama and the others are waiting. We shouldn't hold the meeting off any longer than we need to, I'm sure everyone's exhausted, so—"

"You aren't useless no da.” The remark was so sudden that Kiori's head snapped up, though she still kept her back to the monk's friendly gaze. Chichiri tilted his head and smiled his most reassuring smile, even though he knew she couldn't see it. “You really helped me out yesterday, and I'm sure you'll do everything you need to when the time comes. You wouldn't have been chosen if that wasn't the case. I truly believe in that choice, and in you, na no da."

"Confidence must be a nice thing to have," she murmured with a sigh. The young woman turned, clasping her hands behind her back and flashing a false smile in Chichiri's direction. "Let's go. It's getting dark, and I'm really starting to get hungry."

Yet despite the disheartening battle, Kiori found herself walking back to the palace with a bit more bounce than when she had left it. `“I believe in you”he said.I don't think anyone's said that to me since grade school,' she mused as she neared the glowing windows of the dining room. `And if someone like Chichiri can have faith in someone like me, then... then maybe I really cando something, for once.'

---

“`The young woman and her seishi companion entered the dining room in comfortable silence, each lost in their own private thoughts about the battle that was, the battles that would be, and the thousands of lives that would be determined by it all.'” Keisuke set the book down to rest both his eyes and his nerves. Why did he always get so involved in these stories? “End Chapter Five.”

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Ye Olde Free-Chat: December 7th2006; 9:42 PM

Hello all!
Well, this one didn't take too long to get out, right? I meant to spit it out sooner, but alas, life called and I had to pick up the phone. Anyway, on to the chapter notes! The most noticeable difference is the starter scene between Setsuka and her shogun. I really wanted to expand on Setsuka's reasons for attacking Konan - I was so vague in the original. Besides, I have a soft spot for Hataku, so don't be surprised if he gets a few extra scenes in these earlier chapters. (smile smile)

Something else the returning readers might have noticed: this chapter didn't used to end here. Because of that early scene (and some expansions I made to the battle sequences in both this and the next episode), “A New Battle” wound up being almost seventeen pages long. I know you guys are dedicated, but I didn't want you to have to digest so much in one sitting, so I split the episode up at the best place I could find. If I find good stopping points, then you can expect that in later chapters as well, since I know some of my originals were unspeakably gigantic.

I guess those're all the “Creator Comments” for now! I hope the old readers like the changes and the new readers are enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it! This baby's only just begun, so get ready for one helluva ride! Feel free to post all questions, comments, and raging rants in the review boxes! I always love hearing from my readers!

Your Authoress—Dee