Flesh is Weak

The way of the warrior and magic's unpredictability

The bright yellow sun was high in the sky, peering through the many windows of our red manor house. Suddenly, several shrieks of glee were heard as Cesario and Luana, along with two other blurry-faced kids, came racing down the hallway chasing after a grinning me. As I passed the great hall, I saw all the queens watching us from the grand staircase steps, amused as they cheered on the kids. I glanced over my shoulder to see Cesario and Luana share a look with their siblings before they as, one jumped onto the back of my legs.

That sent me tumbling to the tiled floor with an oof as the four children laughed in glee. I flipped onto my back just in time to have Cesario and Luana jump on my chest with their siblings. The four were soon burrowed into my chest, shrieking in glee. Holding the four of them was everything I ever wanted, and we were joined on the floor by the queens, who snuggled close to me. This long-wanted happy moment was only broken when a loud noise came.

My eyes open slightly when I hear a blissful loud snore from next to me. I blinked a few times before I was pulled closer to Murayama's chest. My knight continued her happy dream, and I managed to lift my head up. I see that blissful face and get a brief flash of the others not here. That thought broke me from the happy moment, and I already miss them. That's when I heard a knock on our door. A glance that way shows someone standing on the other side. I slowly extract myself from the sleeping chestnut and tiptoe to the door. Opening it slightly shows a grinning Issari, who was extra happy today. She had two bentos in her right arm, and her grin disappeared when she saw my face.

"Sorry Gregor-kun."

I popped my shoulders before sighing.

"What's up?"

That put the grin back on my best friend's face."

"Tobio-san came by a bit ago wondering if you were up. I told him you were up late last night doing stuff and that I would wait for you to get up before taking you to see him."

That got a sigh from me.

"I see. Thank you for letting me know, Gecko. Did you impress Lavinia-san last night with your wards?"

Issari chuckled pervertedly and looked ready to clap. She handed me the bentos, and I saw a small blood droplet come from her nose.

"She is very impressed with me and my wards. She says I'm vastly better than the ward master she knows of. She is also interested in Ravel-chan's guild premise."

I raised an eyebrow at her, slightly opening a bento.

"When she joined Grigori, she was forced to resign from Grauzauberer to keep the guild from getting blowback, as they are supposed to be neutral. She can't join the guild again even though she left Grigori. She said we are a more attractive choice to join than the new guild formed earlier this year."

That would make Ravel's day having Lavinia in her guild. I absentmindedly asked as I prepared to turn to get dressed.

"Did Lavinia say the name of this other guild?"

Issari's face switched from her kind one to a deep sneer.

"Nilrem."

I stopped in my tracks while Issari continued.

"It wasn't serious consideration. She doesn't like that they have been trying hard to poach as many low-level apprentices from the existing guilds as they can. She calls that unprofessional as a real guild wouldn't need to steal members if they were actually willing to train people properly."

An image of Euclid flashed for me, making me sneer for a second.

"We might have to get her to talk to Conner then. We know next to nothing about Nilrem or their goals. I'll go get dressed and ready to go."

Issari shrugs and loses her grim face before giggling pervertedly again. I close the door to see Murayama has woken up and gotten dressed. She sees my face and kisses my cheek. She sees the bentos and grabs them alone while I go get dressed.

Fifteen minutes later, a dressed me and fed me exited our room to find Murayama with Issari sitting on the steps of the building. The two were discussing something, and I saw the beginning of a nosebleed for both of them. The two grinned and then high-fived each other before quickly getting up and walking with me toward the center courtyard.

It was when we were under the red archway that Issari told us something surprising. Irina would be trying to get into Kuoh Academy at the next open exam. Issari was ultra happy about that possibility, and she was half-bagging that Irina had a possible club idea for the school. Murayama and I eyed each other as I remembered her canonical club. That club and its name made me start huffing in amusement. Murayama raised an eyebrow, but we arrived at the inner courtyard before she could ask what was funny. There, I find Tobio, Suzaku, Akeno, and the other heirs discussing something at the table. Issari pulled us to them, and we stopped at the front of the table. Tobio and the others looked up at us.

"Good morning, Gregor-san. We were about to start getting people ready for this raid and another mission. Byakko-kun will be in charge of the raid while I and the others will do a reconnaissance mission on the temple."

Byakko grinned wide at me, and I returned it as we began planning.

Akeno soon had a portal open for Suzaku, Seiryuu, and Tobio. The two were giggling about something as they entered it. I was drawn by the sight of it closing when Byakko began briefing our team of fifteen, which was made up of his Shinra clansmen and women. The almost bald young man was finishing the initial briefing, and I could see the eagerness on his and the faces of the Shinra fighters for this fight. As Murayama and I made our portal to this base, the young men and women were positively bouncing like Byakko was. The group moved quickly onto the hill that overlooked this compound in a valley.

Tsuda's servo skull flew off my pack and began scanning the base in the valley, which was similar in shape and size to the True Clans base. The Shinra fighters were hyping themselves up while Byakko was playing with one of his power fists, watching the lighting flow on it. Before he stopped looking at it, he waved me over with his other hand. I moved to him as Byakko looked down on the compound.

"What are we facing inside?"

I showed Byakko the screen.

"The scans show that there is a large group of sixty people located on the backside of the compound. There are also two smaller groups of fifteen on the east and west sides of it. Would that bigger group be trainees, or would that be clansmen?"

Byakko looked at the screen before he made a call.

"Trainees. They are kept in specially made rooms at the back of the compound to keep them from running from their 'training'. The groups on the side are probably their trainers and watchers."

I noted that near the trainees' rooms was a room with a huge electricity output. Anaka warbled from my armor pack and said she would head there as soon as we began fighting. Byakko looked at the screen and then began to explain it to me.

"I will lead the charge to the training rooms to free the trainees. You go for that supposed server room and make sure the hack goes well."

I give the other a nod.

"I won't have to. My data interrogator will do the job. I'll be testing several weapons here for your plan on Saturday. I'm guessing that the clan heads isolated the heirs from the full view of the clans if we need multiple hacks."

Byakko grew silent before he answered with a sad and, to a small degree, still ashamed face.

"They do. We are not told even ten percent of how things are run until we are deemed 'enlightened' enough. That means that we have accepted and will continue to perpetuate the cycle of abuse that they claim needs to happen for the defense of the home islands."

Byakko was very upset before he stepped forward determined. He looked at the clansmen and women who were now watching us.

"This idea they tell us that we need to do this crap is Tanuki shit! We didn't do this shit pre or during the Second World War, when we had enemies on all sides! The only ones who want this cycle of abuse to continue are the fossil heads and their indoctrinated captains! The clan heads have grown fat on power over us and are reluctant to give up said power! We will show the degenerates that their sun is setting, and ours is rising! We will show them that we are the true defenders of Japan that they wish they were and can do everything they do without being weak cowards who dishonor our heritage by bullying and abusing children!"

That made the Shinra clansmen and women cheer for their heir as Byakko made his power fists crack, fully showing his battle-fanatic self. Murayama and I looked at the eleven others cheering before we started donning our helms, getting the others to do the same as we began preparing for battle.

That battle began with a loud humming sound as my Las cannon powered up. Before I blew open the wooden gate that was the entrance to this compound, wood splintered and flew into the courtyard, and Byakko showed me a new side of him. He led from the front, at the tip of a triangle formation of his clansmen. They moved fast into the courtyard with swords and guns raised. Murayama and I followed behind them as we saw our foes.

Pure Clansmen in samurai armor flooded the courtyard with assault rifles and melee weapons ready. They saw the advance and Byakko's face, making a captain with long horns on their helm snarl out.

"It's the tainted kill them!"

There was only two seconds of hesitation from the foes before they opened fire on us. Bullets flew, and Byakko tried something as he and the True Clans moved to cover around rocks or trees.

"Their time of control over you is over! Show them you're sick of their abuse by helping us!"

That rang out to the clansmen but did nothing as the gunfire increased in intensity. Murayama and I hadn't dived for cover, and bullets flew into our armor. Pings were heard as she and I advanced. Anaka flew off my pack towards the server room just as four of Murayama's mechadendrites extended with grenade launchers, throwing flashbangs and special frag grenades. The flash bangs go off, allowing Anaka to fly while getting yelps from the Pure Clansmen. Several drop to the floor unconscious from multiple darts with tranquilizers in them. The True Clans took the opening and aimed for leaders. Las shots carve through two of their longer-horned helms, and their bodies drop. I tell the True Clans over the vox.

"Setting three if we are aiming for prisoners."

Las shots flew faster, and several younger clansmen who were near the back of the formation flew to the ground screaming for a second before going unconscious. Others fell with red hot holes in their bodies. Gunfire and las fire picked up as Murayama and I advanced with Byakko. Byakko saw the growing number of dead clansmen and got angry. Very angry as, he began to growl like a tiger. Byakko's eyes flashed white as he charged past us and across the courtyard at a rapid pace. He jumped extremely high and landed close to the horned commander. The person flinched as the ground shook, and a small crater was made. Byakko made his power fists crack before making a punch towards their head.

"You degenerates will fall! Death to the old ways!"

The True Clans echoed that as several drew melee weapons.

"Death to the old ways! For the White Tiger of Justice!"

Power weapons hum to life as a melee begins, and more clansmen drop from las shots or draw their own weapons. Murayama and I didn't do much at this fight other than throw a new grenade occasionally. Instead, we were busy talking about other things in our own vox chat.

"I promise to help gather more sword data for her if she agrees to be your co-host, Greg. The others will do the same with other things. I want to know everything about knights, titans, the Lion, and his Dark Angels!"

I threw a grenade into a group of three very stubborn clansmen who kept trying to shoot Byakko as he dueled the commander. The grenade goes off, blinding them as True Clans fighters focus on them. Koriel told me as I threw it to tell Murayama no and piss off.

"She won't do it until the prototype is fully done and we test it, Mura. I want to do it, too, for Zaku, but she insists that the reader comes first."

Murayama glared at me as she threw another grenade. It exploded in the air and rained knock-out needles on two young clansmen at the back of the formation who had been slowly backing away from the fight. They shrieked and fell unconscious, hitting the floor.

"We won't be denied Koriel. Ravel wants to learn about the space marines. Kuroka wants to know about the other skitarii. Everyone has something we want to learn about from that time, and you won't stop us on the quest for knowledge!"

Koriel took control of of my vocal cords and snapped over the vox.

"Not until the goal I sacrificed almost two centuries of life is done and made. This goal would have gotten me strung up for being a hereteck girl. I will not let you and your flesh bag horny push me from that goal. Till then piss off!"

Koriel let go of my vocal cords and went back to work on the digitizer for plans. Murayama growled at my sister with anger and took that anger out on a clansman who charged her. She punted the man with her storm shield across the courtyard and into another clansman who had been getting ready to try to cut off a leg from Byakko. The two slammed to the ground before a True Clan fighter charged them and drove their power naginata into the two.

Byakko, it seems was finally done with his fun because he cracked a fist and then punched extremely fast in a series of punches. The commander dodged all but two of them. The power fists slammed into the commander's upper and lower body pulping them. Blood and body parts hit the walls of the left side of the courtyard. That sight made the few survivors from the Pure Clans gulp. They eyed the manic grinning Byakko before they ran like no tomorrow. The True Clansmen cheered before they gave chase after the others. All the while Byakko huffed for a few seconds before he looked at the power fists with love. The White Tiger then practically skipped towards the back part of compound while I sigh and began clean up operations. Bodies were levitated to where I would make an underground pyre. Murayama was still pissed at Koriel as she growled over the vox.

"I will personally assemble that damn thing when we get started on it you cyborg hag!"

Koriel got a tic mark and was ready to take of control my vocal cords again when I teased Murayama.

"You're a cyborg too Mura and look nothing like a hag. I instead have a sexy knight with beautiful brown hair and eyes that shine like the stars. When we get back, I'll talk to Roka about that thing you want to try."

That shut up Murayama before the new unholy sound of a perverted giggling symphony started. Koriel was a bit shocked before inside me she repeated a quote.

"Your tactics confuse and frighten me."

That giggling was better than the rage and I say to my sis.

"You owe me here."

Koriel grunted as she understood.

"I am not against it. Your other cousin is decent. It would be interesting to tell stories of my time to people but Reader first."

I repeated that.

"Reader first. I'll let you get back to work."

Koriel goes back to work as Murayama helps me gather bodies all the while giggling.

Thankfully Murayama and I were done with dead bodies having been helped by several clansmen when they were done with their hunt while others had guarded our prisoners. As we finished it was not even five minutes later that Byakko returned with the trainees who were mostly sixteen or seventeen. They all wore faces of relief or determination. The sixty were a mix of mostly men with only twenty women. Byakko had been saying to them something that made many of the trainees cheer. His hetorcromic eyes turned on me and he called out over the courtyard.

"The hack?"

My reply was said a second later.

"Anaka is mostly through the firewalls. The last one might take a bit."

Byakko looked at me strangely before he shrugged turning to the trainees.

"We will get your ready to help us crush the degenerates. Grab your stuff."

That got an even louder cheer from the trainees who moved toward the left side of the compound. Byakko looked at the now slowly waking prisoners. He made his way towards them while Murayama does my unasked question as she moved.

Trainees were soon moving through the portal while I waited for another update from Anaka. I frowned when I got a note from her that she found something I would be interested in. I made my way towards her past the now awake prisoners being watched by clansmen with las guns at the ready with Byakko saying to them.

"You have a choice now to make. The Old Ways where you are slaves or the New Ways where you will actually be serving the Shinto. Choose freedom or chains."

The prisoners looked at each other for a second then Byakko before their response started as I moved to the server room.

The door was only slightly open and pushing it aside showed five massive data servers packed in here. A glance down each row showed they were empty till the final server and row. There Anaka had her mechedendrite inside a USB port. The skull was swaying back and forth warbling a song before she caught sight of me. She warbled three seconds later that she had broken the firewall and was being extremely smug. Anaka then warbled several zeros and ones telling me what she had discovered. The information and then her idea made me blink twice in surprise. Then a somewhat blood thirty grin crossed my face as I approved this idea. Anaka had her smugness grow before she started the plan.

As I'm stepping back into the courtyard Byakko was nowhere in sight and all the prisoners were now freed. They along with the trainees were starting to move through Murayama's portal. I set my HUD to counting the number of people so I could set aside time for making new armor and weapons for them. The line almost done when Anaka floated to me warbling that the surprise was set and rested on my pack. The spirit started shutting down her machine as I make my way to Murayama. My knight told me that Byakko had gone back to base to report the success to Ouryuu. I shrugged and would give him or Tobio the information when I saw them next. The two of us share a look before we moved through the portal.

As Murayama and I stepped out of the portal inside a half-arch hallway taking off our helms we got to see the large crowd of trainees being shown over to where Ohashi stood with multiple training swords by a few of the Shirna clansmen.

Following the trainees was another crowd of people mainly consisting of kids who excitedly pulled their minders that way. As the crowd left it revealed the familiar face of Taira.

My future mother-in-law was standing under the central Sakura tree with a young man a year younger than me next to her. She had a hand on his shoulder and the young man's brown hair was short and slightly spikey. He was watching the backs of the trainees with a small hint of envy. It however disappeared when he caught sight of us His face brightened before he grabbed Taira's hand and charged toward us with a massive grin.

"Mura!"

Murayama smiled wide and opened her arms for a hug. The fifteen-year-old wrapped his arms around Murayama as my knight squeezed her brother.

"Toshi! It's so good to see you again."

Taira had followed her son over and Satoshi quickly broke from hugging his sister and narrowed his brown eyes at me. He stood up straighter and crossed his arms.

"You're the Chikatetsu no eiyū and the guy my Onee-chan likes."

Despite trying to look tough the younger guy had stars in his eyes saying that and I was amused.

"I am. I happened to like her very much too despite the fact she leaves socks on doorknobs and snores loudly."

That got a squawk of outrage from Murayama and made Satoshi laugh with Taira chuckling in fondness. The young man kept grinning before he grew serious.

"Onee-chan if he ever hurts you, I'll beat him down for you! Mom and Uncle have been teaching me how to fight. I'm going to be like you all in protecting Japan while making our clan's name great!"

Taira lets worry cross her face for a second before pride dims some of it. She put a hand on Satoshi's shoulder.

"Not until you are old enough Toshi."

The young man frowned before he asked me now with a keen eye.

"Mom said you fought dozens of stray devils and a ten-winged fallen by yourself Gregor-kun. Really?"

I smirked and will tease Murayama about this later.

"I really did. The fight with the fallen was my toughest fight. You are welcome to just call me Greg."

I have a new fan it seems as Satoshi gets a determined face.

"I shall become the strongest warrior in our clan and be like you! I will make the other clans finally look at us with respect rather than scorn!"

His determination made all of us smile slightly before Taira pulled her son closer to her.

"I believe you will Toshi. Gregor-kun I have managed to get my husband to take a break from his work and we were thinking about possibly having lunch at a place in Tokyo…..."

Whatever Taira was about to say was cut short by the sudden sound of extremely loud explosions going off as the temple shook. Screams were heard before multiple people started running our way carrying scared and or crying children. Murayama, Taira and I immediately fell into battle stances before Taira showed her stuff.

"Toshi help me get people to safety."

Satoshi shook for a second before he followed his mom's order and started helping a minder who was trying to get a group of seven children moving. Murayama and I rehelmed and moved towards where the explosions had gone off.

The front part of the compound was nothing but Chaos with parts of the wall raining down across the front part of the compound. Despite the confusion, noise and screams Ohashi was directing minders and trainees with moving more children towards the back of the compound. A flood of people moving backwards helped slow down us along with twelve clansmen in regular clothes who were trying to rush towards the front entrance of the compound with las guns. As the crowd began to disappear that rush went faster and when we get to the sight of the explosions what we see makes us blanch.

There were now two decent sized holes in the aged white wall around the closed front entrance. Underneath two large white parts of the wall were two mangled and unmoving bodies, but that sight wasn't the worst part of this. Pouring through the hole and into the compound were Pure Clansmen in more ornate armor and with longer horns than the foes at the last two fights. The foes were quickly forming a battle line with twenty foes at back of the line raising up type 89s. They began a barrage of fire sending most of the True Clansmen into cover. Three of the responders however were unlucky getting hit and went down groaning thankfully instead of being killed.

The gunfire increased the noise in the courtyard as advancing around and under that hail of gunfire was three dozen Pure Clansmen. The foes were drawing katanas and quickly pulling out paper with kanji symbols on it. The paper was swiftly being wrapped around their handguards before holy fire started moving up their blades and they got ready to charge the suppressed defenders.

Just as the gunfire lessened to allow that charge, I threw every single flashbang I had straight into the advance and the shooters on the incline. The grenades landed with thuds before going off all at once. The sounds of yelps and several melee weapons and guns hitting the ground allowed Murayama to charge at knight speed to where the three wounded True Clansmen were about to be swarmed. She engaged her first foe in man with a katana rubbing his eyes. A swipe of her power sword took his head off before she used her shield to bash the body into a dazed group of foes behind him sending them to the ground. Gunfire picked up again as the foes saw that shield and multiple melee foes started moving towards my knight.

My distraction and Murayama's attack helped the True Clans fighters here along with three more coming in carapace to burst from cover and start a barrage of las shots at their foes. That barrage killed several shooters instantly going straight through their stomachs while two foes had their arms blown off making their former users scream before another shot ends them. Gunfire from the incline was diverted from Murayama and sent back at the True Clans people with more of the first responders getting hit by bullets and tumbling to the ground. Their groans are muffled by snap-hisses as the newly arrived True Clans in carapace began a small barrage of las fire towards the shooters helping pull fire from Murayama again. She was deep in a melee with multiple Pure Clans fighters who had been trying to get to the wounded. They were now trying to swarm her and were steadily pushing her back. Wrath builds in me as I make my power axe hum to life. I kicked my servo-enhanced legs into a running sprint that soon had me joining the melee. The loud clunking of my armor against the ground distracted a foe who became my first kill as I disemboweled the man. His body dropped and my axe blocked another blow that was aimed at my head. The axe reposted the swing and I soon cut through the katana and into the wielder cutting him in half horizontally. The body fell to the floor, and I managed to catch five more katana swipes that came from an extra-angry man and two of his comrades. They too soon fell under my axe and swords as their body parts litter the ground around me. That sent the melee people into a bigger frenzy as they along with most of the gunners now focused solely on Murayama and me.

Despite our kills Murayama and I were slowly being pushed back by the number of our foes. Our push became more of a holding action with us trying to give the True Clan people in armor who were arriving in ones and twos a chance to get the wounded away from the now steady advance. Our situation grew worse as more Pure Clansmen poured into the courtyard with the newcomers taking up the previous wave's firing lines allowing the first line of shooters to join the melee. The new gunners turned their barrage back on our allies and kept them from coordinating or firing back effectively.

Seeing how bad this had gotten especially with the reinforcements I quickly gave Murayama an order over our vox.

"Move the wounded."

Murayama blocked two katana strikes and multiple bullets.

"I'm staying here with you Greg."

I blocked six katanas before two of my power sword hands took two of my attackers down with their legs cut off and screaming.

"Mura please move them. I'm going to try and buy you some time."

Murayama micro flinched hearing the wrath in my voice as she caught a katana swipe.

"Greg, you don't have to do that."

I interrupted her there while taking an arm off a foe before slicing his head off.

"I don't Mura, but we can't hold them back right now with just the two of us and a few shooters. I can buy you all time to set up a better position. Please move them."

Murayama blocked two more katana swipes before she growled a fine. She dashed off to a white statue where the wounded had managed to crawl behind leaving a blood trail of scarlet. She soon began giving orders to the carapace clansmen nearby who jumped into action. With her finally being gone, I make my axe crack once before pointing it at the foes saying to the enemies before me.

"I am the wall unbroken. In my hands is the shield against the void."

My display stopped the foes for a second in confusion before I charged and kicked in my servo motors in action. I charged straight into a wall of hastily lowered katanas. When I hit them, I broke several of them from the speed and then brought my axe down on a foe.

The first kills were made by a swipe that cut two men's heads off at the same time before their bodies were kicked into their comrades. I followed the corpses as they hit two men who were side by side making them stumble for a second. That allowed me to slash open one man's guts before I cut off both arms from the second man. Both men toppled just as three more foes charged me and the number of bullets shot my way increased as the gunners cried out to kill me.

This trio of attackers were veterans and had clearly worked together before often. That didn't save them as the first man tried to stab his blade through my stomach. The clanging of the blade made him freeze and lose his head to my axe. The second man had been doing a combo that would have helped the first man, and he received a punch from my free arm. The blow and my servos broke his sword arm before a power sword cut off his head. The final man charged forward screaming for vengeance and was killed by my axe slashing him in half vertically. His halves fell over allowing me to continue my advance.

I brought up a boot and kicked a man's leg clean off making him scream before my axe swiped killing him. My swords came down on a man and cut him into pieces while my axe claimed another and kept up my grim toll. Another man lost his head as his comrades continued to try and stop my rage. Soon multiple bodies lay scattered around me and the path of my advance. The sight of my work now made the first waves of melee enemies start to back up from me. My swords and axe cracked all at the same time. This sight made them continue to back up as I started round two and pushed them to the incline.

Soon the gunfire lessened, and the second line of gunners entered the melee desperately trying to help their falling back comrades left from the first two waves. This group had multiple naginata users who formed a spear wall and then charged down the incline. Despite oncoming spears, I continued my rage as three more men charged me only to fall to my axe and swords. The shield wall hit the flat ground and started pushing me as the still-alive foes from the first waves were now running behind them to draw their guns again. Before I could charge the line, I glanced behind me. The wounded were now gone, and I see that Murayama had with the others done their job.

That made me sigh in relief before another glance back showed that Murayama and the ten or so clansmen in carapace had formed a new line a little further back closer to the Sakura tree. The battlefield went quiet for a moment as the Pure Clans were confused and a bit horrified at by my new stillness and the field of corpses behind me. I took a step back and that sent the Pure Clansmen into a frenzy as they were pushed forward by a man who had a red helm with ultra long horns. He snarled out in a pure rage as he pointed his katana at me.

"Kill this Tainted worm! For the Pure Ways of Japan and the Shinto!"

That cry was echoed by his comrades who started a charge after me. I fell back a few more steps and saw something that was flying above the field. Just as I got to where Murayama and I had made our original stand that flying thing hit the ground next to me with a loud thud and the impact made a small crater and stopped the charge. I was amused by Issari doing that as she stood up and extended her dragon and mechanical wings. The sight and sound of the jet engines hissing made the Pure Clansmen and their commander back up a step.

"Took your time Gecko."

Issari shrugged her armored shoulders and lifted her right hand which had the gauntlet and her chainsword in it.

"We had to make sure the kids were safe then jury rig a plan together. Make yours go full power too. Ouryuu-kun's recommendation."

I give her a nod and throw my Longinus on full power. The power from both of us made the clansmen back up even more except for the commander. He shook in rage before he screamed

"Abominations of the highest order stand before us contaminating the purity of the home islands! Death to them and the Tainted!"

The commander raised his katana and charged straight for us aiming for our heads. Only to have a spike of earth suddenly form under his chest and shoot up impaling him. That made the other clansmen who were about to follow that charge stop and stare as the man gurgled his last breath before falling limp. His helm fell off his head and hit the ground with a thud. Yet that noise was drowned out by another that echoed in the courtyard behind the Pure clansmen who start shaking. There at the temple entrance stepping through one of the holes in the wall quickly was an angry dragon growling Ouryuu and an equally angry Byakko. Behind them were twenty True Clansmen with power weapons out or las guns at the ready. The blonde-haired man held a power naginata and made it crack along with Byakko's power fists. Ouryuu jerked a hand twice and made dense earth walls filling in the two explosion entrances. When the rock walls were up the two led a charge into the Pure Clansmen's rear. Most of the True clansmen followed the charge with only five taking up positions on the incline firing at the foes.

Bodies start tumbling with red hot holes just as a melee starts at the back of the enemy formation. Then came four members of Slash Dog who suddenly appeared on either side of the courtyard from the tops of the white wall with avatars out. The dude and one of the women joined the melee while the other and Lavinia threw spells along with ice from the doll down on the foes. Issari and I shared a look before we raised our blades making them hum and roar extremely loud before we charged into the front of the now boxed in block of Pure Clansmen followed closely by Murayama and the ten clansmen from the second line. We slammed into them and began a general melee that quickly became extremely brutal.

Despite the brutality of this I got to see why Ouryuu is the strongest Yellow Dragon as he ripped apart foes like they were nothing. With only a twitch of his finger, he would summon earth spikes that would funnel his foes towards him, cut off their retreat, or just straight up impale them. He was also an indirect threat as the foes not facing him would soon have shrapnel rain down on them as Byakko broke newly made spikes with his power fists. He and Ouryuu were clearly used to working together and that was helping us greatly in this fight. Slash Dog's people were also helping here as the sight of their gear made several of our foes break ranks in rage. Bodies kept tumbling down along with katanas and naginatas. Each foe that fell was tightening the noose in a smaller and smaller field.

The quickly diminishing number of Pure Clansmen kept fighting us and kept falling to blade, spell and las shot. The enemy never broke or tried to run and instead fought harder and harder with each person they lost. Soon it was only three foes left who were back-to-back with each other. The courtyard fell silent as the trio glared at us in hate and a bit of fear. The three men glanced at each other and Issari got ready to offer them a surrender when Ouryuu who had a sneer on his face slammed his naginata butt on the ground. Three earth spikes shot up and impaled the men hoisting them into the air.

The three dropped their katanas gurgling and then drop to the ground extremely hard when the spikes retracted quickly. There was silence in the courtyard for a second before Ouryuu took a deep breath.

"Clean up the bodies. Move the wounded to the infirmary while I go reassure the others that we are safe and keep them inside till it's done."

Clansmen immediately moved out to do that as Ouryuu moved past me. He stopped at my side eyeing me.

"I heard and saw what you did for my clansmen with your charge. You know Bushido and do indeed follow our ideals as Suzaku-chan said you do Chikatetsu no eiyū-kun. Perhaps at some point in the future when time allows the two of us can have a friendly spar."

There was genuine respect in his voice for me as I faced Ouryuu before giving him a nod.

"I'd be honored to battle the Strongest Yellow Dragon ever. I won't hold back there and expect the same."

The hint of a smile crossed Ouryuu's face before, and a gleam entered his eyes. That gleam however soon disappeared and his face returned to his normal frown. The man nods to me and then he began moving toward the back of the compound. As soon as he was gone the clansmen began their work of cleaning up the courtyard. Bodies were soon being stripped of armor and weapons before they were moved through a now raised gatehouse entrance. A clang made me break from watching the clean up as something rolled towards my feet. I looked down and saw that the object was the red helmet from the commander. The helm rolls to a stop only a few inches from my right boot. Its eye sockets looked up at mine blankly as I picked it up. I stared at the helm and heard footsteps behind me making me look to see Byakko. The man was frowning deeply, and I asked him.

"Who were these foes? I know they were Pure Clansmen, but they fought vastly better than the others from earlier or the many exorcists from the Churches."

Byakko took on a deep scowl upon hearing about the exorcists. He looked at me then the helmet.

"One principle clansman or woman is worth seven of the Christian's exorcists. Our frontline people are better trained and armed than them thanks in part by the fact we honor our samurai and mystic heritages so highly. However, these foes we fought were from the Shingen who are the elite forces of the Clans. The Shingen are trained by members of the Tokushu-sakusengun from the JDF with only the best and most fanatically loyal Clansmen selected by the clan heads to join it. The fact that they were here is disturbing."

I raised my eyebrows there and again looked at the helm. Thinking back on the fight made me agree with that assessment. The two of us continued to look at the helm while Issari moved with Murayama to help clean up the fight. The two put their helms on as they started moving towards where the crushed bodies are. They used magic to start lifting the wall debris as Byakko and I turned away from that. I sighed before handing the helm to Byakko. The man takes it putting it under his arms before he looks at me again.

"I will go help Ouryuu-kun with calming people down before I find out how many we lost here."

Byakko sighed before his eyes got a glint of anger.

"The others will be back soon from their scouting mission. Ouryuu-kun after he is done calming people will likely be in the infirmary to check on his people."

I gave Byakko a nod.

"I have something big for them anyway from the base we were at. I'll help clean this up."

Byakko gave a quick nod before he began trudging back towards the other end of the compound. As he left, I put on my own helm and began making my way to the other two as the mask kicked in.

It took an hour and a half to clean up everything. After we were done with the two crushed bodies, we moved to cleaning up blood. When we were almost done with clean up Issari was called away while Murayama was briefing me on how to talk to her dad. As were entering the home stretch of the clean up she poked me about something I had promised her to give him.

"I have the item Mura. I'm just sorry we couldn't do the lunch with your mom."

Murayama sighed there as we began to put weapons away in pockets.

"I am too. Still Daddy will be happy to see it."

We pulled out helmets off and continued our walk to the middle of the compound. Near the sakura tree we ran into one of the minders who I saw running before the attack. She was carrying a bucket of water towards a building nearby. She froze for a second when we approached her before she relaxed. We asked her where the infirmary was, and she pointed us towards another of the attached buildings to the white wall. We thanked her before we began walking that way. We soon entered the building where we entered a large open area that took up most of the building. In it on the many rough-looking beds here were the clansmen from our raid earlier today. They were being treated for their burns by three identical-faced women in white shrine maiden outfits using magic. We moved through the beds and then turned to the right to see a hallway. We see a door slightly open with a voice that I recognize, and we began making out way to the door. Another voice said something, and Murayama grew excited. She pulled me to the door and opened it. We entered and then froze in horror at what we see.

On multiple beds were all twelve of the True Clans fighters injured in the battle. Eleven were dead and the last alive was wheezing hard. Standing close to them was Tobio, Ouryuu and the rest of the heirs. Ouryuu had a face of despondency looking at the dead while Murayama's dad was telling Tobio and Suzaku something. He turned to us as I asked with growing horror.

"What happened?"