Flesh is Weak

The Rubicon crossed and a mark set.

No one answered my question. Murayama and I remained frozen at the door, and the person who broke the silence was Murayama's dad.

"I'm sorry you both have to see this and have this how we meet Gregor-san. I am Dr. Ichihara Doumon."

I looked at the eleven dead clansmen whose faces showed they had died in extreme pain. Those pain-filled faces stare at me, and I wonder. What caused them to die in that much pain? The question haunts me as I look at the now-dead men we had failed to save. Their faces haunted me, and I wasn't the only one, as Ouryuu was looking at them with a face full of guilt. That feeling, however, was suppressed as I absent-mindedly moved to Tobio before handing him the data slate. He looked at it confused before reading the list, and his eyes widened.

"This is."

I finished it while seeing something that I don't like on the corpses.

"The location of all the breeding sites and the numbers of their watchers. The dojo we hit was their main training camp."

Tobio read the list carefully as Suzaku had come around to his side and looked at it, too. She gasped at its size before she looked at it and gave orders to Ouryuu and the other heirs.

"Get people ready for a huge series of raids tomorrow. They crossed the line, and now it's our turn. We can hit these places and force them further into a corner while having most of our people prepared for Saturday."

Ouryuu looked at his dead clansmen and made a fist.

"I will get them ready."

The man walked out of the infirmary, followed closely by Tobio, Seiryuu, and Byakko Genbu, who stayed next to Suzaku. We were silent for a second before I asked Ichihara.

"Did you find bullets inside them?"

Ichihara moved to a bloody tray with a large stack of bullets in it before handing it to Genbu. That's when the last man started coughing violently. He began hacking up blood onto his chest. I remembered Xenovia doing the same thing and asked with growing fear.

"Do the clans put seals for hexes on their bullets?"

Suzaku looked at the dead clansmen before she cast a spell on the alive man.

"Not usually. Those types of rounds are saved for fighting extremely dangerous youkai criminals or other powerful foes. Why would….. By the Vermillion Bird!"

Genbu rushed over to Suzaku to see the result and gasped, looking at the bullets in fear.

"By the Black Tortoise, they are using SeiSei rounds!"

We all looked at the man as he groaned in pain. The words the commander had used at that base made sense now, as did the label for Suzaku's people. Murayama's father looked at Suzaku, and he asked grimly.

"What is this hex called, and what are its effects? Taira doesn't tell me much about what sort of things you all use."

Suzaku looked reluctant to answer the question. Genbu was carefully picking up three bullets with magic and looking at them, and I responded to the question.

"It's called the Naltepen hex, and its purpose is to eat alive the organs of the foe hit with it."

Murayama's dad joined the growing looks of horror on Suzaku and Genbu's faces.

"That is terrible. Is there a possible cure we can work towards to counter this?"

I looked at the clansmen before turning my head away.

"There are several, but I don't think many Principal members would be willing to become devils or be treated by a youkai easily."

Murayama's dad, like everyone else, was silent when he heard this. Genbu looked at the still-alive man, and her eyes held tears.

"They each took three bullets with a seal for the hex applied to the round. The Doumon make all the seals the clans use, and we have an exceptionally large stockpile of Naltpen seals that are extremely easy to apply to bullets. I will make the making of this seal illegal when I take over the clan."

Genbu's violet eyes grew hard at the end and became black. Suzaku put her hand on the other woman's shoulder, and the black disappeared.

"I will support this Gen-chan, as will everyone else."

Suzaku was angry, and she only lost that by looking at the man on the bed along with Ichihara. Then, suddenly, the man began hacking, and Ichihara started pushing us out of the room.

"We will talk in a bit, Mura. I have to take care of this. Suzaku-sama, can you or Genbu-sama get me one of the triplets?"

Suzaku, Genbu, Issari, and Akeno moved in that direction. The man's hacking increased in intensity before the door shut and muffled it. We weren't even a minute away from the door when the sounds ceased.

A tense hour later, Murayama and I sat next to the door of a small office that Ichihara had set aside in the infirmary. We were both lost in thought. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Issari, Lavinia, and Akeno discussing something as they made their way toward the central courtyard. That view was broken when footsteps came from an extremely down Ichihara. He robotically opened the door, and Murayama pulled me inside the room. The door closed, and he sighed before looking up at us.

His brown eyes took on warmth when he saw Murayama rushing to her father and hugging him. He returned the hug before Ichihara looked at me and then sighed.

"I have lived fifty-seven years and believe I know most there is to know about medicine, yet each time and every time I see stuff from the supernatural, I get stumped."

He sighed again, then offered his right hand to me.

"I have heard a lot about you from my wife and Ohashi."

I shook his hand with a firm shake.

"Gregor Astaroth. I have heard the same from Mura. Even getting a hint of that possible new field would be a massive undertaking, and I would happily contribute to it."

Ichihara eyes me and then lets loose a small smile.

"I see Mura was right about you and your desire to be a scientist. I have seen that look on your face on the others of my profession."

That put a tiny smile on my face.

"I want to learn everything in the cosmos we find ourselves in. My quest for knowledge will never end if I have anything to say about it."

Ichihara chuckled as he approached Murayama and touched my knight's shoulder. Murayama looked up at her dad before putting a hand in mine. Ichihara shook his head, seeing something on Murayama's face.

"I see you're completely committed to this Mura."

Murayama squeezes my hand and then grins.

"Greg is who I want as my husband forever, Daddy. My often smart but sometimes a total idiot of a noble king."

Ichihara smiled at Murayama before his green eyes turned hard.

"I have, like your mother, accepted your choice with him, Mura, for several reasons. However, this needs to be said to him. I don't give a damn if you're her king or a devil noble. I especially don't give a damn that you have a Longinus. If you hurt my daughter, I will find a way to make your life hell."

His eyes narrowed on mine.

"Understood loud and clear."

Ichihara glared at me for a few seconds longer before he nodded pleased.

"I'll have Ohashi and my wife help me there if you do that. Ohashi tells me you're a good man, but you can never be too careful because things can change fast."

Murayama got a glean in her eyes.

"You won't need to do much, Daddy, if it happens. The others and I will let Greg know if he has angered us, and we will deal with him first. However, Greg also has something for you."

Ichihara narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me. Murayama grinned and then bumped me hard. My face was amused by the thing I was holding.

"Mura told me when we were making something together that you liked cars."

Ishihara looked at me now with suspicion.

"I don't take bribes."

My smile smirk grew.

"You might want to take this one. After all, wouldn't you like to own the first green energy car in history and have a massive stake in the company that will make more of them?"

Ichihara looked at me like I was mad. He was about to voice that when Murayama went forward with her gleam stronger than ever.

"I'm sure you heard from Mom Daddy that she saw robots on Tuesday right? Greg can make many things like them. He has an entire city being built in the underworld where he will make such things like them and the cars. What was the company named again?"

Ichihara looked ready to deny that was possible as my smirk grew.

"Doumon-Tesla."

Ishihara went still before he looked at Murayama's and my power armor, and then his eyes slowly began to expand. The man finally broke from his shock and what crossed his face made me realize where Murayama got her lust from.

"You have blueprints?"

His near-naked desire to see them grew ever more as I pulled the plans out of a pocket. The gigawatt smile on his face grew, and we three settled into a conversation about the cars.

The conversation continued for a few hours of extra joy for the man until he sighed, catching a glimpse of his watch. Ichihara began moving toward the door to the general ward.

"I sadly have to get ready for things tomorrow. You two have a good night. Please don't try anything."

The look of what he meant was clear to see, and we both gave him a nod. Ichihara smiled slightly before he opened the door and gestured us out. We stepped out into the courtyard and realized the sun was setting.

We looked at the front of the compound for a few seconds before Murayama, and I slowly made our way to our room. The two of us were silent on the walk back as the evening sun slowly disappeared. We met Akeno, Issari, and Lavinia in the courtyard before our building. Issari and Lavinia were ultra-engaged and didn't look up at us, while Akeno did see us. She broke from the discussion temporally to hand myself and Murayama two bentos before she returned to the two.

As we ate in our room, Murayama was extremely pleased that tonight had gone well for us. Despite that happiness, the revelation of SeiSei rounds and today's battle left us somber. That mood followed us after we finished our food and prepared for bed. She and I settled in for the night before I sent a message to the queens saying we missed them. I got one back saying the same and then it was onto reports and approvals. That process again lasted into the early morning hours before I joined a snoring Murayama in the sea.

I stumble over a rock on this almost completely worn away by time road. I thankful caught myself from hitting the dozens of sharp stones that litter the path. I looked up from the ground and saw that I was far behind the only water source, so I ran to catch up. Only to stumble again, and this time, I did fall on my face. I groaned, feeling blood drip down my face, and then looked up into a shadow that towered over me.

I looked at who had made it. It was Murayama, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, closing our door to the room. She looked over her shoulder and saw me awake.

"Sorry, Greg."

I blinked away sleep and then cracked my neck to relieve a cramp. The pop fully woke me up, and my eyes looked at Murayama.

"Who was it?"

Murayama sighed.

"It was one of Tobio-kuns's people. They are just telling me that the heirs are making an announcement soon."

I sighed and slowly began moving towards the bathroom.

At the sakura tree courtyard, Murayama and I found all of the True Clans clansmen squeezed into it, looking at the heirs. We watched from one of the four entrances to the courtyard as Suzaku, the heirs, and Tobio looked out at the gathered crowd. Suzaku looked at the gathering, and her eyes held fire, as did the others. Suzaku started this meeting when she saw the two of us.

She tapped the planning table and got the clansmen to stop talking. They all looked at Suzaku, and my cousin was silent momentarily before she spoke to the crowd.

"We have learned a terrible thing yesterday. The Clan heads have authorized the use of SeiSei rounds on us."

That sent a shockwave through the gathered clansmen and women as they recoiled. Taira and Ohashi went bone white as they looked at Satoshi together. The crowd continued milling, and from another two entrances to the courtyard, I saw the breeders, trainees, and the recently defected clansmen also watching with wide eyes.

The crowd stilled when Tobio raised a hand to silence them.

"Effective immediately, no one is not to be using carapace. The carapace armor stops SeiSei rounds but that by no means should make us not be on guard against them."

That relieved some of the fear in the crowd. Suzaku waited for that to end before her face grew stern.

"This act is despicable. No, it's beyond despicable. Yet it proves that, once again, the clan heads don't care about us in their own clan."

That made everyone still. The other heirs soon matched Suzaku's sneer. Suzaku was so mad she slammed her hands on the table and broke it in half as flames danced up her robes.

"They have never cared about us. We who were children! We who were mothers! We who are the actual defenders of the home islands! For several generations, the clan heads, past and present, saw and took abuse yet did nothing to change it!"

The crowd was silent as Suzaku continued, and fire grew in her eyes.

"They saw it, experienced it, and did nothing! I have seen and experienced it and will do something about it! I will bring this cycle of abuse that has plagued us for over seventy years to an end! I'm not scared of them who call themselves the 'Pure'! If they were pure, they wouldn't have the blood of generations of children on their hands!"

The crowd began moving as they heard that. Faces lost fear, and righteous anger crossed them. Suzaku raised her arm, letting her shrine maiden robe fall, and I saw a long, thin line that went down her arm.

"I'm not scared of them! Let them use SeiSei rounds against us! Let them further prove our words to the other clansmen and women, and the righteousness of our cause is now more affirmed than ever! We will show them that our way is True! That we are the True defenders of Japan against them who have become tumors on its body. We will perform actual SeiSei and save Japan from the disease that is the Old Ways! I will break our fellow clansmen free from them and make a future that I am proud of rather than a future of shame!"

The courtyard was only silent for a second before a loud rolling cheer went up from the True Clans. Taira was still unsure until she caught sight of Murayama and me. Then she looked at Satoshi, standing beside her with another teen who looked like Ouryuu. The two were cheering loudly, and the sight made her brown eyes take on a white-hot fire. Tobio raised a hand, stilling the cheers.

"For those who have the equipment, get ready. We will be showing them this soon. Those who don't have it will need help in the infirmary and other places. I need volunteers from the breeders to help us at other sites. Trainees, get with our sword master, Ohashi Doumon, so we can get you ready for tomorrow."

Clansmen broke off, moving quickly through the other entrances as Ohashi collected the trainees. At the same time, the woman that Miyake had brought down the stairs urged several of her comrades to move toward Tobio. People kept moving, which masked the noise of someone approaching us until a gentle cough was heard. We turned that way to see a smiling Genbu with bags under her eyes.

"I would like to speak to you, Gregor-kun, and Murayama-chan. I promise it won't take too long."

Genbu eyes Murayama and then me before she says to my knight.

"Let it be known here and now that you are still considered a Doumon despite what you are. The others and I will repeal the old decrees against gear users and reincarnated devils."

Murayama looked at her clan head.

"I appreciate the move, Genbu-sama, but that's not what I want. I want to marry Gregor Astaroth in front of our clan."

Genbu wasn't offended and seems to have expected that.

"Then I will approve it when that day comes. The Black Tortoise supports this for you and the Chikatetsu no eiyū. He tells me that it's the least we can do for you in thanks for your deed."

My opinion of that was kept secret before Genbu changed her face.

"Suzaku-chan said you saw Vai-kun on Tuesday. Did he seem alright?"

I was confused for only a second before I remembered that Genbu had a hard crush on Vali in Cannon, and now it seems so here, too. My face was blank, even though I wanted to sneer.

"The White Dragon Emperor?"

Genbu now has love-struck eyes hearing that title.

"Yes. I haven't seen him in five years and want to know if he is ok."

I remember Vali's smirk and how he thought I did that battle for glory. It never crossed his mind that he had disrespected so many people with his shit attitude there. Murayama squeezed my hand, and I broke from remembering.

"He was healthy and seemed to be in a good mood last I saw him."

Genbu didn't notice my barely hidden dislike for Vali and sighed dreamily. She, however, then yawned wide before her violet eyes returned to focus.

"Thank you, Gregor-kun. Now I have to get ready to free the Doumon sites. Murayama-chan, would you be able to help us there?"

My knight considered only for a second before she said yes. Genbu smiled before she took her leave. She continued walking out of the courtyard, and I didn't want to imagine a possible fight between Vali and me. Murayama kissed me on the cheek before she followed Genbu. I watched them go before a footstep made me look to my left. Suzaku came over to me, still working up from her speech.

Her rage calmed slightly, and she composed herself. Her fist was still clenched, and her red eyes met mine.

"Alex, I want you to join Keno and me for the last Himejima breeding site. She is there."

That put a grin on my face and Alex's.

"Count me in. I also left the clans a surprise in their computer network at the last place we raided. Say the word, and a virus will hit every single computer network in the sites as they are interconnected. They won't be able to reinforce sites easily, and we can wipe cams there, so they don't know what we can do till tomorrow fully."

Suzaku blinked owlishly before a voice came from behind her.

"That's sneaky and a great idea."

That was Tobio, who put his arm around Suzaku's shoulder. Suzaku lost all her rage, and I smiled and smirked when I saw the two.

"It wasn't my idea but rather Anaka's. She says thanks for that."

Suzaku blinked there before Tobio squeezed her tight, getting another keen look between the two before he went serious.

"The Himejima have five breeding sites. My plan is to split up people and have everyone take one of the first four. Then, we regroup and strike the last one together. Can your friend manage by herself?"

I shook my head after getting an answer.

"Anaka is good but not that good to do it all at once. I'll have to help her. She will prep the virus at the site, and I'll flip the switch. However, we will need a person from each raid carrying a special pack to do that."

Tobio fell into planning mode and only broke it when Suzaku looked behind me. I turned to see Akeno with her arms around Issari as she whispered something in my best friend's ear. It seemed to rev Issari up as Tobio looked at the chestnut in amusement before becoming serious.

"I'll get our people. Please have the packs and carapace for the breeders ready in ten."

Tobio moved, leaving the four of us together. Suzaku explained the plan to the two while I made the items. When the pack volunteers and breeders arrived, Issari and Akeno helped me hand the equipment over to them. We quickly moved through the groups. When the last of the packs was turned over, Suzaku split Issari and Akeno into teams with True Himejima, allowing me to leave to set up my computer center.

Four minutes later, I saw me finishing setting up the last of my switchboards. I had finally found an empty room close to the entrance of the infirmary. I sat on an old wood bench as Anaka floated in and hovered beside me, warbling out info about each site. While Anaka was telling me this, I updated the HUDs for the first strike teams to compensate for the lack of skull scans. Before a warble from Anaka told me, she was ready to start. Anaka floated next to me, and then we filtered into the program for the first strike team led by Seriyuu as they began their raid.

Five hours passed, during which time I updated the strike teams' HUDs with the building layout and then launched the virus as the raid began.

The three remaining Nakari sites had fallen in the first hour, and I saw through body cams that Ouryuu had soloed one entire site. He ripped apart the forces there with his power naginata and mastery of earth magic. The same was true for Byakko, Seriyuu, and Genbu. The heirs were deadly, and each site quickly fell like a row of dominos. Raid after raid continued without a hitch, and the results soon became apparent.

As the raids continued, the infirmary became very busy. People were slowly being helped down the hall to beds by others, including Ichihara and the triplets. Many were breeders who were slightly terrified or extremely happy to be free. Others were newly defected clansmen who were often young, though there were more older people than I would have thought. The exception to that rule of defections was the Himejima. They were going down with nearly all hands, with only a measly one or two surrendering at each site. The exception was at Tobio's site, with five, given his charisma. Then, there was the small group of wounded from the raids. None were dead, and their injuries were oftentimes sprains or dislocated limbs. They were moved to the room next door for treatment and often were back on their feet in a few minutes, thanks to magic from the triplets and Ichihara.

Soon, it was down to two raids left led by Suzaku and Issari. Issari was going ham on the Himejima at her site. I wince, seeing her through a body cam break a clansman's leg off with a punch from her gauntlet while her other hand moved a sword that beheaded the man. That gauntlet pissed off the other clansmen, and they were charging her with katanas raised, screaming abomination, and for the Pure. Issari used her dragon wings to fly forward and begin a general melee with them as the True Clansmen slowly evacuated the compound on the other side.

A glance at Suzaku's team shows she was also ripping apart her foes, and I learned what Suzaku's anime flaw was. She was a pyromaniac. She thankfully doesn't fufu sadistically in cooking her foes. Rather, she watches the flames rise longer than normal. The mental image of Suzaku next to Vulkan discussing fire as if they were at a British tea party started. They both have monocles and top hats, and Vulkan has a curly, finely done black mustache. The picture breaks with Vulkan twirling his mustache and teacup as the two start snorting snootily about melta guns or fire spells. I contemplate how much of that pyromania is the Vermillion Bird and how much was Suzaku naturally.

I was only broken from that mental picture by the sound of a ping from the cogitator. It tells me that Suzaku is done with her raid. I glance at Issari's cam and see that my best friend is also growing close to finishing her fight. I turn my attention to the final site. It is inside a secondary clan compound and is the largest of the five for the Himejima.

Alex was fully settling into the plasma gun as I entered the courtyard. Half of the Himejima clansmen from the earlier missions were moving away from where Suzaku, Tobio, Akeno, and a now-returned Issari were gathered beneath the crimson arch. Ten of them stayed close to the side of the four. Suzaku and the others broke from their conversation to look my way as I approached the fourteen of them.

Tobio gave me a nod before he turned to the clansmen.

"Be ready for a nasty fight here."

The clansmen obey, and Tobio glances at us all. Suzaku puts her armored hand in his, and her face shows me she is ready for this. Akeno and Issari are also prepared. Tobio and I glance at each other, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Shock and awe?"

Tobio looked at me and then at Issari before he nodded.

"That's what I was thinking. Issari-chan, Jin, you and I, along with our people, can draw most of the clansmen into a battle while the three of you go after her."

Issari, Tobio, Jin, and the clansmen closed for a group huddle, along with the breeder helping us in a woman with light black hair. Akeno made lightning run up her staff and I could see the sadism that wanted to break out. Suzaku gave her a look, and I saw a minuscule sweatdrop before she turned my way.

"She is on the second floor of this breeding site. There will likely be heavy resistance."

I was not worried, nor was Akeno. Suzaku looked at us before she grew determined, while Akeno broke from her sadism and was ready to fight. She tightened her hands around her staff.

Akeno and I share a look before we both steel ourselves. Suzaku saw that and got ready, too. Tobio, Issari, and the clansmen broke from their plan to face us, and Issari gathered magic, which promoted me, along with Akeno, to help. The three of us made our portal, and we all stepped through.

Our landing point was a clump of trees across the road from the compound. Like all the clan's compounds, this place was far from civilization, with trees forming a sea of green around the building. Tobio gathered the clansmen and Issari around him while Suzaku, Akeno, and I moved slightly behind them. I flipped the switch while updating HUDs and nodded to Tobio.

Tobio looked at the team and then to Jin. He said something over the vox to them. The clansmen stood back while Issari and Jin moved to the edge of the tree line. The dog barked at Issari and Tobio before the gauntlet appeared on Issari's hand.

"Boost x10!"

Issari's wings extended, and she flew across the road. Pulling back her gauntlet, she punched and broke the wood doors. A loud boom was heard before Jin charged ultra-fast across the road, morphing from his Labrador size into a dire wolf-sized monster. As he entered the compound courtyard, a deafening howl came.

The clansmen quickly followed behind Tobio, with Suzaku, Akeno, and myself only a few seconds later. Our first glance inside the compound was Jin ripping off the arm of a horned captain and then using it as a club for a second one. Tobio was starting a melee with several clansmen while the True Clan people were trying to get their foes to throw down their weapons and surrender. None were taking it, instead fighting harder, and several spat out the word tainted. All the while, Issari chased a group of clansmen around the courtyard and was soon joined by Jin. We moved to the left, then up a partly enclosed hallway toward a two-story part of the compound past a growing melee.

The noise dimmed, and I was at the front of the triangle formation we had made with my power axe out. We were moving towards the back of the compound and had entered the main hall when we hit our first resistance. Five clansmen had turned from another hallway. Two had naginata, while the other three carried submachine guns. The melee people saw us and lowered their spears before charging with a war cry.

"For the Vermillion Bird!"

My axe hums to life as Akeno launches a bolt of lightning over my left shoulder at one of the gunmen while Suzaku prepares a spell. The lighting bolt made a hole in the gunman's stomach while I made a chop on the first naginata wielder. The chop snaps the spear's wood in half, making the clansman stumble. A second swing decapitated him before my axe blocked the spearhead from the second user jabbed toward my head. Suzaku finally made her move and launched a white spell at one of the two remaining gunmen.

The man dodged it skillfully and fired rounds at Suzaku, screaming.

"Die Tainted!"

The rounds pinged off Suzaku's helm, and my cousin shook her head while throwing another spell and drawing her power katana.

"Surrender or else."

Fire ran up the blade, and Suzaku swiped toward the man who dodged behind a column while drawing his sword. They started dueling, and Akeno began fufufuing as she threw more lightning at the last gunman, who was dodging while firing. Meanwhile, I continued my duel with the naginata user and blocked several more swipes with my axe.

The man was a veteran fighter who moved his spear with some skill, trying to find an opening. He was getting ready for a thrust when my axe cut his hands off, making him howl before another swipe took his head. His body tumbled, allowing me a view of Suzaku's foe as they fell to the ground with flames dancing up their body, slowly consuming it.

There was another thud from the last clansmen's body falling to the ground from Akeno, and we moved again. We turned left into the hall from which the clansmen came, then right to see a long hall with a staircase that went up to the second level of the compound. We moved quickly, and once at the large staircase, we ran into more foes. At the top of the stairs were eight clansmen with blades drawn surrounding a person with very long horns on their red helm, showing he was a member of the Shingen.

The clansmen moved to attack us but were stopped by the horned man. He glared down at Suzaku before saying with a sneer visible.

"I recognize that shit stance anywhere. I'm going to enjoy breaking you again, girl. Like I did every other time I trained you."

I extended mechedenrites with swords, making them hum to life while Akeno readied a lightning bolt. The captain got ready to do something when Suzaku suddenly charged up the stairs with her katana in a prepared swing, snarling rage. She pushed the captain to the right hallway. The clansmen moved to intercept Suzaku but were directed towards us by Akeno throwing a lightning bolt and my axe swiping toward a foe.

The three clansmen on the left got ready to swing blades at my head, and each was blocked easily by sword arms. They tried to rain blows against me, and I wanted to yawn. The three made a bad mistake and lined up. My lance cannon moved and, in a half second, powered up. Before, a shot flies through all four bodies and up into the ceiling, making a hole. The four groan and tipped over to the left, falling over the banister simultaneously. Four thuds were soon followed by another four as I looked to the right and saw that Akeno had done something similar. We looked up to see Suzaku fighting the leader. Suzaku had pushed her foe down the main hallway and was in a mini rage fighting this captain. His katana blocked several blows from her, and he was also in a rage as he spat at her last swing in a combo.

"Still as useless as ever, girl. You are and will always be the worst student I have ever trained. It's a wonder you ever became heir with how weak and pathetic you are. Why the Vermillion Bird chose you is a complete mystery, as there were multiple better candidates than you."

Suzaku flinched badly after each insult. She froze for a second, and the man moved. Swinging his blade in a graceful swipe toward her neck that Suzaku barely dodged. The katana instead hit her shoulder and left a deep cut on the pauldon. The man pushed his advantage by throwing Suzaku back with multiple blows she barely blocked. The man was now smirking in glee.

"When I kill you, we can finally have a strong heir in me! I will use the Vermillion Bird to put down your little failed rebellion! Nothing will stop us, especially not a stupid Meniu who should have been a breeder!"

Suzaku went stone stiff hearing Meniu and looked ready to curl in on herself. She was shaking slightly as the man snarled again.

"We, Himejima, will return to our leading role as we perform SeiSei on the weak fools like you who try to change hallowed tradition! We shall forever expunge the shame you have brought upon us! We will ensure that the pure ways will never be forgotten, and yours will be! Now die, girl, just like your pathetic worthless cousins did and like how that diseased abomination of a gear user will at my hands!"

His blade drew back and got ready to deeper his slice. The blade comes down, and I can see the glee in his eyes. We moved to help Suzaku and were halfway to her when a clang was heard. Suzaku's blade stopped the katana. The foe looked dumbfounded behind his half-face guard. Suzaku shook and then threw the blade backward before she snarled out as the katana hummed.

"They are not worthless nor will ever be! My Keno is close to becoming a reincarnated devil king in a society set against her! My Lex is the Chikatetsu no eiyū, the avenger of ten thousand souls and a genius the likes of which taunki shits like you wish they could be! You and they are nothing compared to them and me! I'm worthy of the Vermillion Bird! Do you know why I was picked over a shit like you!"

Suzaku had been swinging through that rant while the captain had barely blocked each of her blows. He was falling further and further back down the hallway. Suzaku answered her own question.

"I was chosen for having a fucking heart! I love the clan despite all that it has ever done to me! You and the other trainers who left every scar on my body! That stole my father, mother, and aunts, who also had hearts not filled with darkness! I won't let it, or you steal away my cousins and Tobio-kun! I was chosen because within me beats the flaming heart of kindness that you and the others have forgotten! Now, I use this kindness for the children I protect from monsters like you!"

Suzaku brought her blade up, and with a speed that almost rivaled mine, she brought the blade down on top of the captain's head. She had divine power in her there as she cut straight down, not stopping till she hit the wood floor with a smash. The captain froze before he split down the middle and flopped to the ground, cut in perfect halves. Blood gushed onto the floor along with organs, and Suzaku huffs from the strain. She looked down at the body with her red helm eyes and was silent, as were we. Akeno finally broke the silence.

"What happened to Uncle Taedo and Auntie Sakane?"

Suzaku was silent for a moment.

"Mom and Dad were sent on an ultra-dangerous mission against a dangerous Oni and his tengu allies alone. They died in the mission. All because they said one small word of resistance to the old clan head."

The pure grief in Suzaku's voice makes me want to rush to hug her. We continued silent while I checked the building layout, and Suzaku lit a fire in her hands before throwing it on the body. I let Suzaku have this for a bit as the flames danced and grew. When the man was burned to nothing, I pointed to Suzaku and Akeno before we moved over his ash pile, and I tried to break the awkward silence.

"You're close to becoming a king, Keno? That's the first I have heard of that."

The thuds of boots on wood continued, and Akeno replied over the vox as we hit the halfway point.

"I am. I waited until I was beyond certain that I was above the requirements so they couldn't refuse me. I also hope the footage from the battle Isa helped me record will get me a battlefield promotion." 

We continued down the hall toward a bright purple door at the end. I say as we were almost there.

"If anyone can do it, it's you, Keno. Who is going to be your first piece?"

Akeno began fufufuing.

"When I get my set, my first piece will be Kiba. He wants to focus completely on his charity now that the bishop is dead. He wasn't interested in fighting much before, but now he's done. Rias has agreed to trade him to me."

I could hear something in her tone of voice.

"You're going to turn your peerage into a harem for you and Issari aren't you."

The stream of fufufuing and the skip in her step was the answer as I sighed. Suzaku shook her head in amused fondness as we approached the door. We moved back into the triangle, and I moved my lance cannon forward before blowing the door off its hinges. It flew and hit a wall with a loud thud, and I moved in with my plasma gun ready.

Inside the office, a figure stood behind a wooden desk facing a window, looking out over the courtyard, watching the fighting. They wore elegant and sleek purple samurai armor. In her right hand was a naginata more elaborate than the ones I have seen, with a purple amethyst on the point where the spear tip met the shaft.

They didn't turn to face us, and Akeno stiffened seeing the figure. Long black hair with a few white hairs creeping in flowed down the figure's back and settled at the midpoint. They finally turned to face us, and their face was like looking at an older Akeno with a perpetual frown and a resting bitch face.

Her violet eyes beheld the three of us and the gun in my hands.

"So you're the foes attacking us all this afternoon, interrupting our divine work."

Her voice was like Suzaku's, except it lacked familial warmth. She continued studying us, and her sneer deepened.

"You have made powerful enemies strangers. The Himejima and the rest of the Principle Clans are the servants of the Shinto, and we have their total support. You might succeed here now, but we will return this blow tenfold."

Her sneer grew deeper through that, as did her grip on the naginata. Her other hand was preparing something, and Suzaku spat at her.

"You don't have their total support. They are as disgusted by you as we, the True, are."

Our grandmother narrowed her eyes.

"Suzaku. So it's you and your tainted ilk responsible. Have you so little respect for the clan that you would attack us!"

Suzaku shot back, bringing her helm face plate up.

"As much respect as you and the heads have for us authorizing SeiSei rounds to kill us!"

Our grandmother didn't flinch.

"You are a disease that needs to be purged, as are your fellow tainted. As soon as the holiday is finished, Suzaku, you and your tainted will face the full might of the clans. Like your mother and aunts, you are resisting what is best for you and Japan. You were my last hope that my daughters and their children could bring further honor to our long history, yet you do this. Let me guess it. The two next to you are more of your tainted friends in Genbu and Byakko."

Akeno began fufufing loudly and creepily before slowly moving her helm's face plate up. When our grandmother saw her face, she froze, and Akeno smiled, ultra sadistic.

"Not happy to see me, Oba-chan?"

Lightning ran up her staff and gathered around the cog while the air cracked. My blood pounded as I moved my hand and raised my face plate. The blood ran out of our grandmother's face as she looked positively terrified into my red eyes and even more so when a bit of green hair moved over my right eye.

"Hi, Oba-chan. I'm back."

My grandmother shook so severely that her left hand stopped making a spell, and she was now terrified.

"Impossible. There is no way you could have survived it!"

My smile smirk is now ultra wide as Alex tells me what he wants me to say.

"I got better. Now I'm here to collect. For Mom, and the day you held me down before branding me with a big smile."

Alex makes the plasma gun whine to life on its arm and automatically flicks the switch to our special setting. I make my axe crack as our grandmother returns to the window.

I advanced, as did the others, as our grandmother shook. I chuckle darkly, as does Akeno, while Suzaku grins wide. Our grandmother brings her naginata down and points it at my head.

"You can't be alive. You must be a Yūrei. An evil spirit masquerading inside a decaying body."

My snark came out in force.

"Hardly decaying, given I smell good, in my own opinion. Might try a new colon soon, actually, for someone."

That got fufufus from Akeno and a chuckle from Suzaku. Our grandmother seemed to gather herself then and there as a face of determination crossed hers.

"You are a Yūrei. I will do my duty to Japan and purge the spirit that has taken host inside a daemon! Die you foul thing in the name of Susanoo!"

She charged forward at almost Freed levels of speed and jabbed the spearhead towards my face. I jerked back and brought a sword mechedendrite to block her first blow. Head plates snapped down as I blocked two more blows with my axe or swords.

Akeno had winced and missed her shot as her lightning bolt hit the window, spreading glass across the floor, while Suzaku brought her katana down on our grandmother's right and was dodged. My sword arms moved quickly to deflect blows rapidly. A dozen stabs and three swipes were blocked, but that made her even more determined to kill me. She pulled back and then, with the grace of a dancer, began a new series of strikes in a kata that was almost like a ritual.

Three stabs were made to my head. Three stabs to my knees and three to my arms and gut. All riposted with swords humming. She was moving two seconds slower than me and making a wall of steel around her. I understand why she is high in the clan, as I wasn't easily lining up a shot. My eyes watched her stances and found an opening. However, she saw something. After three stabs, she tapped her naginata twice on the floor, and the amethyst lit up.

Two white lines swam across the floor from the spear shaft and hit Suzaku and Akeno, who were both thrown back slightly and then froze. They were trying to move but couldn't, and our grandmother stabbed her spear towards Akeno's gut, making me lose my shot. The spear failed to penetrate and slid off, leaving a deep line. She continued her kata and tried a decapitation swing on Suzaku, again failing. My grandmother sped up again and entered a new kata as the spell on Akeno and Suzaku broke.

Three swipes at my legs, two at my head, and another toward my gut were made. Each was blocked by my swords, and I then sliced with every power sword, trying to get that perfect shot and interrupt her clear casting. My grandmother dodged the next green ball like a crane and started another kata. Her footwork was being recorded for my archives as she continued her flurry of stabs and jabs without tiring, and her magic spells were unpredictable. The fight continued with us blocking or dodging her katas and spells just as she did ours. Her spells were often for blocking our attacks or trying to stun us with those lines.

Finally, she started to slow down. Not by much, but the frustration and hate on her face was clear, given we had been fighting for twenty minutes. She shot a quick glance over her shoulder out the window and got worried. Slowly, she began retreating to a corner of the room. A swarm of jabs was made toward my head and gut. She blocked or dodged swipes from my swords, Akeno's lightning, and Suzaku's blade. Her amethyst flared suddenly twice as she made a committed chop towards my head, screaming.

"Die Yūrei! Let Amaterasu's light burn your evil away!"

The blade hit my helm as white fire swept up the blade. It carved a very deep line across my helm's left side. My grandmother was surprised by the fact she didn't kill me with her first spell, and I saw what her second spell had been. A getaway portal with a view to what's on the other side. I see the face of a surprised man with Suzaku and Akeno's black hair and my red eyes. He's looking at us from behind a wooden desk, and his eyes widen before I take the opening. My plasma gun whines and the green ball flies. My grandmother recovered from her shock and dodged backward toward the portal. She stumbled on a piece of glass, screwing up the shot. The green ball missed her legs, hitting the floor and making a massive hole.

She fell backward into the portal and landed on the floor before the portal hissed shut. Akeno snarled in rage and got ready to follow after our grandmother got a spell ready, but Suzaku quickly put a hand in front of her.

"Don't. That was the clan head's office, and there are powerful ancient seals in it. Unless you were keyed into them, you would die an excruciating death trying to enter. We have to help the others and move the breeders before reinforcements come now that they know."

I'm both glad and angry that Suzaku also thinks of the big picture. She is right; we don't need more people dead from the rounds. Akeno still looked ready to go after her, but a hand on her shoulder from me made her reluctantly back off. We started moving out of the office and down the hall. I told Akeno as we began to climb down the stairs, and I threw fire spells at bodies.

"She's going down tomorrow. The gun will make sure of that, Keno."

Akeno remained silent but sighed in acceptance. She, Suzaku, and I hurried to the secondary building where thirty breeders were supposed to be. We were met by Tobio, Issari, and the others there, and after explaining, we quickly began evacuating the compound.

It took twenty minutes to get the breeders moving from their rooms and across the road. Issari and I were the last people left when a shout came from the compound courtyard. It was a large group of clansmen with guns and swords out. Most had the red helms of the Shingen, and at their head, dressed in samurai armor with a flag showing the emblem of the Himejima on his back, was the man from the office. His eyes were full of rage as they peered over his half-mask. Yet he froze seeing my now unhelmed face. He gazed at me, and my sneer was prominent before he shouted at his men.

"Kill them now!"

Guns came up, and Issari pushed me through the portal before joining me as it closed. Not a second too soon, a barrage of bullets was heard from Type 89s, with many hitting the ground with a series of pings.

I land on my ass next to the sakura tree. Issari, Suzaku, and Akeno quickly picked me up. Despite the help, my face didn't betray the fact that I was prepared for round two with my grandmother.

The sun sets in a window behind Takejiro Himejima's chair as he listens to his wife's rant. Takejiro is silent as his wife continues her rant.

"It's a Yūrei Tak it has to be! The seal worked and he has been dead for months! Nothing could or has survived a Tamashī no shi seal! We must find them and destroy it!"

Takejiro wanted to agree, yet they couldn't. The thing that had been in front of him across the road wasn't a Yūrei. Fifty years of fighting the supernatural made him sure of that. The thing he had seen across the road had human intelligence and a soul in his red eyes. Yet his now very alive grandson was the least of his problems right now.

While his wife was ranting, he was reading the reports his fellow clan heads had sent him. Every single breeding site had been hit by his granddaughter's rebellion. The breeders were gone, and their minders were dead or had joined the rebellion. He and the others now knew why the majority of the Shingen had not reported back yet, as the helmet of its commander had been found at one of the raided sites.

Takejiro closed his eyes, trying to stop a headache as his wife ranted about the Yūrei and demanded they attack the True Clans again with every single force they had now that they knew they harbored a deadly spirit. He desperately wanted to launch another attack, but the day was almost over, and the holiday was tomorrow.

They couldn't call it off or they would become prey to the youkai for breaking the compact of Kyoto. Takejiro didn't like this situation at all. He would recall the air and seaport watchers to double his guard at the temple for the holiday and would urge the others to do the same. The head of the Himejima settled into planning for a possible attack tomorrow and plans for what to do after.