Samurai 2.0 - Destiny: A Harem Fantasy Adventure
Page 22
“What the hell are you doing here,” he demanded when she reached him.
Out of breath, she screeched, “Children!” And she pointed at the mass of men below them. Akio looked down the hill once more, trying to make out what he was looking at.
In his ear, her warm words were barely a whisper over the mass of noise rising up from below. “The whole middle is children! If you fire, you kill them all!”
The color drained from Akio’s face. He quickly gave the halt order all around him. Archers lowered their bows, confused. He passed the word along that no one was to fire on this part of the invading army, that it was made up of kids.
“Come with me,” he told Furi, and the two rushed back along the ridge toward the center of his own army. As they went, he spread his command. He realized that Suenaka must have the bulk of his fighting force at the rear, waiting for Akio to slaughter the children and young men that made up this frontal advance.
As they ran, his mind was quick to form a plan for this new development. When they reached the center, he quickly had his men pull away from the road where they had been holding the pass. Within a few minutes, his soldiers were scattering into the woods around them. They would never completely blend in, but enough that it might appear the army wasn't as large.
The first of the young men reached where the line had been. Furi could read the frightened looks on their faces. They were expecting to be assaulted, to be executed, at any moment. Akio leaned over and whispered something into her ear. She nodded and stood up, moving toward the road. Carefully, she stepped out into the center as the first of the boys in the rows spotted her. Their frantic eyes registered surprise and they clutched their weapons.
“It’s okay,” Furi said. “I mean no harm.”
She motioned them to come forward, smiling at them. They looked hesitant, probably expecting some trap. But she moved out of the way and told them that they would not be engaged by any of their soldiers. That they were to continue on toward the city and stop outside of the gates to wait for Akio to return. She promised that they would not be hurt.
The boys didn’t know if they should rejoice or not, but they continued to walk past her. As they did, she continued to speak out to them, telling them that they would be okay. Her heart broke as she saw young kids, some couldn't be more than six or seven, in the middle of the pack. But at the same time, anger welled up inside her. Even assassins had ethics, and murdering children–or attempting to—was something she couldn’t forgive.
As the end of the mass of young men began to come into sight, she noticed that there were men in armor embedded within them. She signaled Akio as she had been told to do. Continuing to reassure the boys, she also told them to begin running. She wanted none of them to get caught up in the fighting that was to come.
The armored men realized something was amiss. No one was attacking, why? They began to hang back slightly as the boys took to their heels. Then they spotted Furi, standing in the road as the boys dashed past her. They stopped, unsure of what to do now.
***
The scout reached Suenaka and delivered the message.
“What!” he screamed. “How did he find out!”
Terrified, the scout shook his head and tried to make himself as small as possible; he was simply delivering the message from the front lines. Still, Suenaka drew his sword and sliced the young man across the middle, cutting him clean through the stomach, almost to the bone. The young man shrieked and dropped to his knees, looking up at Suenaka. A sneer on his face, Suenaka jammed the tip of his blade through the boy's throat as his personal guards looked on.
“I want all of you to go! I want everything we have thrown at them! Now!” he said.
He was furious that his plan had not worked and vowed to himself that he would personally kill whoever had delivered the message to Akio not to attack. Men scrambled around him, orders were barked, and haste was everywhere. His soldiers began to rush forward toward the pass and the fields where Akio's men waited.
Thirsty for battle, the majority of the soldiers under Suenaka's command were gang members who were always craving some blood. Suenaka smiled as he thought about all of the damage that they would inflict.
***
Movement finally caught his eye. An old woman with short grey hair opened her door to dump out some dirty water and get a quick peek around. He yelled out to her and she slammed the door fast. He ran and pounded on the door.
“I just want to know what is going on!” he yelled at the wooden barrier.
From behind the door, a voice said, “War. War is going on!”
“Where?” he asked. “Tell me which way to go so that I can find out what is happening!”
“To the north,” the woman said on the other side. “The war is to the north. Now go away! Leave me alone!”
Perplexed, he returned to the other two men and relayed the information.
“That is not a good sign, Ratnakar,” one of them said.
“I do not think that we should charge into this war,” the other said.
“You’re right.” Ratnakar crossed his arms on his chest in contemplation. “However, we need to know what's going on.”
The other two agreed. So the trio turned and headed toward the north gates. The city around them was so quiet that it seemed they might as well be the only ones still alive. Ratnakar knew that wasn't true though as he felt the eyes on them as they walked past. Shutters and screens were cracked to check who was strolling in the streets below them.
They continued on, finding another handful of guards at the north gate. One of them recognized Ratnakar and stopped them. “Don't go that way,” he said. “Suenaka has gone to challenge the shogun and we have heard there is a massive battle underway.”
“Do you know how it's going down?” Ratnakar inquired.
“No. We haven't had any word in over two hours,” one of the other guards spoke up.
“Well, then,” Ratnakar said, “we will go find out!”
The guards opened up the gates enough to let them through and then closed them immediately. Ratnakar felt odd as he heard the latches and bars laid back into place. The trio moved down the road a bit, noticing the signs in the road of the sheer numbers of footprints.
“This is more than just an army,” one of them said, crouching to inspect the footprints. “This is almost the whole damn city.”
***
The rush of troops came through the fields below like a tsunami. Armor flashed in the morning sunlight as swords were drawn. Akio's soldiers rushed toward the advancing horde in a mass of flesh and blades.
A cacophonous blast of metal on metal crashed through the air around them all as the two fronts met. Screams of death and screams of bloodlust erupted all over as some fell and some prevailed. Blood flew through space and stained the grasses, the rocks, and the dirt below their feet. It covered their weapons, their armor, their faces.
Furi sliced her way through the crowd as she tried to skirt the edge of the battle. She was making her way toward the back, making her way to Suenaka.
Akio watched from the rock outcropping above them with his archers. He could not give the order to fire now, as the risks to his own men were too great. Instead, he had to simply watch. A situation that made him feel restless. He could barely stop himself from rushing down there and using the powers he had developed to help his fellow men. What good were those skills the alien had bestowed upon him if he could not take advantage of them? But he had to keep a level head. His army needed him here, where he could analyze their enemy’s strategy, find faults and capitalize on them. If he rushed in like a berserker, sure he could probably deal some damage, but battles were often won with brains, not brawn. That was one of the first lessons the Eza had taught him.
Anyways, from the looks of it, it appeared as if the fighting was going to last now that the armies were face to face. So Akio sent word with a scout to have the flanks move in to close in the so
ldiers in the pass below them.
***
Suenaka moved with his men toward the fighting. He wasn't about to set foot anywhere near the main area, but he wanted to be closer to bark his orders and make sure that things went according to how he needed them to go. He could not afford to lose this battle. This was do or die.
As he progressed, the units around him seemed on edge. Repeatedly, he berated them for acting cowardly. He received no reply aside from harsh looks from the corners of their eyes. He cared not for what they thought of him. He pushed his way through the ranks and made his way toward the overwhelming sound of battle. However, he was stopped by one of his followers.
“Sir,” the man told him, putting his hands up on Suenaka's chest to stop him, “the fighting is just right ahead of us. If you continue forward, you'll be in the middle of it!”
Suenaka paused and frowned. He had not realized that the action was already to this point. That or he had gone further forward than he intended. He sent the man away with a nod and moved back a bit where the crowding was less and the sounds were softened.
Then, from his left, came screams and the clash of fresh metal on metal. He understood that Akio had placed soldiers at the flanks. He yelled for more of his men to hit the right and for others to watch the left. Sure enough, movement from the left caught his eye and, in a snap, battle was everywhere. He found himself quickly engulfed in the mass of bodies that were gesticulating in every direction.
He pushed and shoved to make his way back where he came from. He had to get to a better vantage point. A few of his men shot dirty looks his way and he figured that he appeared to be retreating.
Was he? He wondered. No, surely not. He simply needed to get to a better point where he could give orders. Right?
As he moved through the crowd of soldiers, who were all rushing forward, he realized that he was indeed trying to get away from the fighting. He was too old and too overweight for this, and wielding a sword in a fight had never been his strong point.
He finally reached the back of the group and found one of his generals waiting there for him. As he glanced back over his shoulder, he saw that the places he had stopped along the way were now engulfed in fighting. Blood was everywhere.
Looking over toward his general, he recognized genuine fear in his eyes. Those same eyes suddenly shifted to something behind Suenaka, and the daimyo turned around to check what he was gaping at.
As he turned, Furi came into view. He had barely identified her as her blade pierced his chest and drove itself deep into his heart. Surprise flashed across his face as she twisted the sword, completely shredding the muscle that pumped his blood. She pulled the sword out and he fell to his knees, then on his face in the dirt, dead.
She turned her attention to the general who had been standing behind him. The man threw his hands up.
“Call for surrender,” she told him. “Unless you want to suffer the same fate.”
He nodded and yelled out to his men. Those close by heard and stopped, surprised. They turned around to find Suenaka dead on the ground, and the call went up that he had been slain.
Furi continued to hold the general at sword point as she heard the call going everywhere that Suenaka was no more.
***
They could hear the remnants of battle as they proceeded forward. Suddenly, screams went up, alarming ones that meant something had happened. Ratnakar and his men crouched, moving as stealthily as possible. Finally, they were close enough to make out words.
Suenaka was dead.
The sheer surprise shook Ratnakar and he quickly ushered his men into the woods on the side of the road. Cover was their friend now until they sorted out whatever was going on, and their place in this new order if Suenaka was truly out of the picture.
They moved through the trees until they found a small gap about four feet deep. Jumping down into it, they made themselves comfortable for a short rest.
“So, what’s our next move?” one of the men asked.
Ratnakar reached up and rubbed at his chest. The blackened scar was tingling under his clothing. “I think we need to find out for sure if Suenaka has been killed.”
“And if he has?” the other man said.
“Then we need to figure out where our alliances lie,” Ratnakar said, looking at one man and then the other. “If the shogun has already defeated Suenaka, then we need to determine what type of person he is. Do we align ourselves with him or do we wait for the new daimyo? Do we try and take over the daimyo's spot, as promised to us by Suenaka, or do we return to the monastery and go about business as usual?”
So many questions now to answer. And only one certainty, that of the cold weapon resting against his thigh.
***
Akio stood in his tent with Suenaka's general. Outside, what was left of the daimyo's army was being held as prisoners, on their knees, in a line, at sword point. After determining the terms of the surrender, which was complete and released utter control of Suenaka’s lands, Akio finally relaxed. He dismissed the general out of his tent and sat down.
As he was rubbing his face, Kuninaka came in and plopped down on a pillow. His large body seemed to engulf the pillow and Akio had to stop himself from looking at how big the man actually was. “So,” Kuninaka said, “you've won. What are you going to do now?”
“First, I am going to just breathe a moment,” Akio told him. “Then, I believe we need to figure out what to do with the remainder of Suenaka's army.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Kuninaka said. Then he cleared his throat. “What about the boys and young men that you sent toward our city?”
“I believe that they should be given sanctuary if they so desire or be allowed to return home. I don't think that they had any choice in coming.”
Kuninaka opened his mouth to say something but a coughing fit took him over. Akio waited for it to pass, like they always did.
However, this time, the coughing continued to become more and more violent. Then, Kuninaka was clutching at his throat, choking. Akio had no idea what to do. He yelled out for help and several soldiers rushed in. They tried beating Kuninaka on the back, they tried to push at his throat, they did everything they could. But Kuninaka could not breathe. His face began to turn blue right in front of Akio and then the man simply fell over onto the pillows around him.
Right there, in the small tent, Kuninaka died and Akio was able to do nothing to save him, despite those powers he had received from Aichu.
Chapter Seventeen
The week following the short battle was a nightmare of complications for Akio. When he had returned to his compound, he found the emperor had already left without word. He also found that there were several hundred boys who were waiting for him. Allowed to return to their homes, the majority left. However, there were still around forty of them who said they had no homes to return to. Akio was left trying to figure out where to put them.
He sent word to his mother that he was safe and that the battle had been won. He knew that she would be pleased. He sent the same word, except added in more loving sentiments, to Seki, who would also be worried about him and her home.
As he sat in his chambers, writing out letters for different people and considering what to do with Suenaka's seat, someone knocked on his door. “Come in,” he said. He continued writing as the door opened and then shut. Finally, he looked up to see Furi standing there. She was clad in a different type of kimono this time, a beautiful red silk, with her hair pulled back from her face. He was stricken at how stunning she truly was.
“Ah, Furi,” he said, standing to greet her. “The hero of the battle, it seems.”
She pursed her lips and tucked her head slightly. “No,” she said. “I only did what I was told to do to save you.”
“Well, no matter what, you stopped the fight before it could claim too many innocent lives. I thank you for that,” he said, moving toward her. “You have earned my trust completely.”
She shifted her beautiful eyes up to meet his. The silence between them was almost a solid mass. Then, she reached up and kissed him. Moving a foot toward him, her arms snaked around his body and he found himself locked in her touch. He hesitated for a moment, but he just couldn’t resist this woman who pulled him in like a magnet. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. His heart was slamming inside his chest at her touch, her kiss, her soft skin against his.
Furi began to walk forward and he had to move backwards so he wouldn't fall over. They reached the bed and she finally let her lips leave his. She pushed him back onto the mattress and then climbed on top of him. She removed the pins from her hair and tossed them onto the floor. Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders and around his face as she leaned down to suck at his earlobe. She could feel his excitement and knew that this was the right thing to do.
Akio was both amazed and confused at what was happening, but he didn't move to stop it. He let her do as she pleased, removing his clothing, and then hers. When the pair finally was intertwined, he let out a moan so deep that it startled her. With a smile, she continued, and the two made love throughout the night on his bed, falling asleep in each other's arms.
In the morning light, Akio woke to find that she was gone.
He dressed and left his room, heading toward the kitchen for breakfast. His day would be long and there was much to do.
***
Ratnakar was in awe at the sheer size of the shogun's city. It made the town below his monastery seem like a child's play toy. Everywhere he looked, he saw opportunity. Staying at a local inn, he and his men had been closely monitoring the shogun's movements and his dealings. Spies inside the compound that had been loyal to Suenaka were now loyal to him. He knew things that he should not know and reveled in the idea of such information. As the week had progressed, he realized that there would be a new daimyo named soon and that he needed to try and influence who that might be so he could have more control. He asked his men to come up with a short list of names that he could plant in Akio's mind through the use of his spies.