Chapter 6 | Pandas and Exiled Dukes

Warning: Death (not explicit, but it's still there)

雪

Tsurugi snuck through the shadows, a cloak wrapped snuggly around him and his eyes trained on the sign ahead. The sign of the local pub. The perfect place to hear exactly what everyone despised about the Kingdom of Mannouzaka. Or so he hoped.

He had left Saryuu near the side of the castle wall. Tsurugi had thoroughly taken in the surroundings, as was required of a knight, when they'd been arrested and brought inside the castle gates. He had noticed the lack of guards and lush greenery of a certain part near the wall, and it was the perfect place for Saryuu to sneak inside the castle. The dark would mask more than enough of his appearance. However, if their plan were to succeed, a revolt was needed.

Saryuu and Tsurugi had thought long and hard about the escape plan. For Saryuu getting inside the castle in the dark was a piece of cake, but to get out with Tenma, whose wings were probably bounded, and was being watched at all time by a lot of guards was the tricky part. Therefore, a distraction was needed. For instance, if guards were needed to stop a revolution from happening and had to throw their full force into stopping the people from advancing on the castle, it was easier for Saryuu to slip past whatever guard was left at the castle and get Tenma out, most likely unscathed as well.

However, that did mean that Tsurugi had to start a revolt before sunrise. At night it was harder to see the extend of the march. Harder to estimate the amount of guards needed. Harder to see who was the voice behind the revolution. But first, he needed allies. Allies who hated Mannouzaka so much that they were willing to put their lives at risk. It was selfish, but in a country ruled like Mannouzaka's, there were plenty people who were willing to put a stop to it. And a shady pub had to have someone willing.

The smell of smoke, alcohol and sweat wafted from outside the café as Tsurugi stepped into the light of the lantern next to the door. The smell had always disgusted him, but then again, as a nineteen-year-old he hadn't been to pubs all that often. His brother had offered a couple of times and his fellow knights had often tried to drag him along, but he had declined, preferring the quiet of his quarters.

He opened the door tentatively and hid a scowl as the smell strengthened tenfold. Glancing around warily, he moved to the bar and ordered a beer. He threw the coins to pay on the wooden surface and slipped to a table with his drink. He sat down and took a sip, scowling at the bitter taste.

"No' used t'drinkin', I see." The words had been slurred slightly and Tsurugi glanced to the one who'd uttered them. A man with greyish-purple hair lifted up in spikes smiled bitterly at him, his hand on his own jug of beer.

He laughed when he caught Tsurugi's disgruntled expression. "Sorry, sorry. No' m'business t'poke m'nose in, right?" He snorted and emptied his jug in one big gulp. Slamming it on the table, he called to the bartender, "Gimme 'nother!"

The bartender came obediently with a full jug, not placing it on the table until the other had produced the money. When the necessary coins lay on the table the bartender placed the jug on the table and swept the coins away with his other hand.

The man took a generous gulp again and met Tsurugi's eyes. The man's black eyes were dim and bloodshot. "You look like a good lad," he said seriously. His words were still slurred though. "An' there's no way a good lad like you'd be in this—" he gestured wildly with his arms. "—country. No' without good reason."

Tsurugi hesitated. The man had already emptied this jug too and was staring sadly at it. Deciding quickly, Tsurugi shoved his jug to the man and leant close. "You wouldn't know how to start a revolt, would you?"

The man froze for a mere moment, but then took the glass and stared at it. "There're many who'd want a revolt, lad. Many who'd want a revolution even. But I'm no' your leader. No' anymore."

"Not any…" Tsurugi muttered and glanced around stealthily. "So you know."

The man shook his head. "Know not'in', boy. But a drunkard's me. That leader's long dead. Long gone. No more. Left behind." The man took a long swig of his jug.

"Having a pity party about your loss then," Tsurugi said. "I'd expected more of Miyabino Reiichi."

Miyabino choked and slammed his jug down with such force it silenced the entire pub. His eyes blazed furiously and his lips were stretched in a tight line. Tsurugi held his gaze levelly.

With a jerk Miyabino was on his feet and gulped down the rest of the beer, slamming the jug down on the table once more. Turning on his heel, he nearly smashed in the table next to theirs, but eventually managed to stagger to the door. Tsurugi swiftly got to his feet and followed the man.

Miyabino was grumbling angrily and swaying dangerously. Tsurugi wondered whether or not it was a clever choice to go after this man. If he truly was the ex-Duke of Teikoku, he had surely fallen low.

"You did not deny my claim," Tsurugi said.

Miyabino turned his head so quickly he nearly fell over. He stumbled a bit, but managed to hold on to a small fence. He shot Tsurugi a foul glare.

"I'm no'. Miyabino Reiichi's no more. Left behind." The man stood rigid and Tsurugi could see the panic in the bloodshot eyes even in the shimmering light of the waxing moon.

"So it seems." Tsurugi regarded the man's pathetic appearance. "For I thought that Miyabino Reiichi was a proud and honest man. Not easily swayed or moved and acknowledged for his unwavering ability to stand proud and tall on the battlefield no matter how dire the situation may be. This pathetic figure before me is nothing but a mere shadow of what once was. No, not even a shadow; maybe poorly watered down beer is a better comparison."

"How dare you," spat Miyabino. He raised a finger, nearly lost his balance again, and clung to the fence again.

Tsurugi tilted his head haughtily. "I, Tsurugi Kyousuke, dare. I dare you, Miyabino Reiichi, to call upon your honour, your honour as a knight, and help these people. The people of Mannouzaka."

"Why? Why should I?" cried Miyabino.

"Because you are no Isozaki!" Tsurugi hissed, stepping closer. "You are no Mikado! Do you want them to let their—and your!—people suffer!?"

"Mikado doesn't make 'em suffer! He has 'em in the palm o' his hand!"

"Do you truly believe that, Miyabino? Because to me, you simply sound like a pathetic, drunk man who's just making up excuses to go back to the pub and drink himself a stupor."

Miyabino opened his mouth and closed it again. He repeated this motion a couple of times and then pulled himself up straight. "I do no' answer t'you, Tsurugi Kyousuke. Honour or no'."

Tsurugi grinded his teeth as Miyabino staggered away again. Tsurugi wasn't going to let it end now. They were on a tight schedule. He stalked after the man, but before he could open his mouth Miyabino swivelled around again, this time actually losing his balance and crashing painfully to his knees.

Hissing in pain, the man let out a sob. "When? When di' I become this? I'm pathetic. I'm not'in'. Why'd you want me for your revolt? Wha' could I possibly do? Why ask the help o' a pathetic, miserable, banished—" Miyabino's tirade got cut off by a splash of water thrown in his face. Spluttering and coughing, Miyabino tried to scramble to his feet, but crashed down on his butt again as he slipped. He stared up incredulously at Tsurugi instead.

Tsurugi growled and dropped the bucket with a loud clatter. "Then fix it! Fix your miserably life! Start out by helping these people! By helping me!" Tsurugi took a deep breath and knelt by the man's side. "Look," he said softly, "Isozaki needs to be put in his place. This 'self-proclaimed King' cannot rule his 'Kingdom'. He is no more than a Duke with a hunger for power he cannot satiate. You have been ousted, yes, but surely there are more than enough in Teikoku to agree with your rule. Those who oppose Mikado.

"And you, Miyabino Reiichi of Teikoku, if the stories I heard were truth, are the most amazing leader. A leader well enough to stir up a crowd with mere words. A leader well enough to stir up a crowd in one meagre night. Aren't you?" Tsurugi had balled his fists and was meeting Miyabino's eyes with all the vigour he felt.

Miyabino simply stared, his hair and clothes dripping. Then slowly, he nodded. Tsurugi's eyes lit up.

"You believe you can?" Tsurugi asked, not able to contain his enthusiasm.

"Yea," said Miyabino slowly. "I… You're right. I been sittin' in these… slumps for god knows how long. You're openin' my eyes; the eyes I been tryin' t'keep closed for so long. That bucket o' water was a big help too. I'll help you. Whatever you need this revolt for, I'll stir it up."

"How much time do you need?" Tsurugi asked.

Miyabino flashed him a crooked grin. "How much can I get?"

"We need it going before sunrise."

Miyabino thought for a moment and chuckled. "Easy. You stayin' or…?"

"My job is the revolt, so I'll answer to your orders, Your Grace."

"Rascal," Miyabino said and slapped Tsurugi's shoulder. Tsurugi flinched. "For the debt I'm in t'you, you may call me Miyabino till death."

Tsurugi blinked. "In debt?"

Miyabino laughed and held out his hand. Tsurugi pulled him up.

"T'me, I owe you a lot, good lad—no. Tsurugi Kyousuke, you said your name was. An' a knight too." Miyabino eyed him for a moment, his eyes lingering on the teenager's left shoulder. "I'll no' ask for your past, but I must know one thing. You claim the people o' Mannouzaka are in need o' a revolt—an' I believe so too, however. You claim t'have personal reasons for this revolt as well. The one reason that pops into my mind when one wants t'start a revolt other than the good o' the people, 's t'use it as a distraction. An' thus my question, what or who d'you need t'get most probably from the castle?"

Tsurugi hesitated. "A youkai, sir," he said, deciding on the truth.

Miyabino whistled. "A youkai, eh? Well," Miyabino grinned, "t'have the support o' a lad like yours means he's a proper one, right?"

"More proper than the one who's doing the actual breaking in and breaking out," Tsurugi grumbled.

"An' yet, here you are. If you trust 'em, then I trust 'em," Miyabino said. "Let's get this thing goin', yea?"

"As Miyabino Reiichi?" Tsurugi asked warily.

Miyabino nodded. "Most o' him. Still a bit tipsy, mind you."

"Most is enough. I'll fill in the rest," Tsurugi said wisely.

"Excellent!" Miyabino laughed. "I'd recruit you any time if you need a job an' I have my Dukedom back."

Tsurugi shook his head. "Sorry, but my loyalties already lie with another."

"Ah~ then that's that. If by any chance somethin' happens, you're most welcome to hide out with me."

"You speak as if you've already reclaimed your title, Miyabino the Ex-drunkard," Tsurugi said, scowling.

Miyabino chortled. "Maybe I already have, Tsurugi the Wisecracker."

雪

Saryuu scowled. How long did it take to start a rebellion? Surely not this long. Saryuu was certain he'd been standing next to this damn wall for ages. They didn't have all night. Honestly, starting a rebellion against a King who had no regards for his people wouldn't take all that long, surely? He dug his toes in the soft soil and glared at nothing in particular.

He stiffened when he saw lights from the distance. Crouching, he squinted and prickled his ears. The distinguished yells calling for justice were mixed with yells from frustrated guards. From the other side of the wall orders were barked and the iron fence creaked open, disturbing the supposedly peaceful night. The clattering of armour and huffing of the men wearing them was Saryuu's sign to climb the wall and assess the situation.

With nimble movements he found himself squatted on top of the wall. He glanced to where the revolt was happening, not too far from the iron gates. He shuddered. Even with the torches the people were carrying their figures were ghastly illuminated.

A pang of empathy shot through Saryuu. Those people were fighting for their freedom, and here they were making use of that for their own purposes. No. Saryuu shook his head. This was important too. Tenma needed to be freed. To end all of this.

He glanced around and, deciding there was no one there to see, jumped down to the ground. He landed with a soft thud and hid behind the bushes as he heard feet shuffling by. Peeking, he snorted at the scrawny guard hurrying by, lantern in hand and a look of horror illuminated on his face. Saryuu waited until the guy was out of sight and he dashed towards the castle. He shuffled along the stones and jumped inside the first open window he saw.

The entire room was filled with books. Bookcases stood along the wall and were aligned in neat rows throughout the room. Towers of books were mounted around soft and cosy chairs and a fire was burning in the fireplace nearby. Also, someone was snoring in Saryuu's immediate vicinity.

He ducked behind the closest bookcase and peeked around the edge. A man dressed in his sleeping garb was sprawled out on a soft chair and was snoring softly. A book lay open with its cover turned upwards on the man's stomach and his long black hair was messy with sleep. Saryuu sniffed and scowled; that man meant bad news if awakened. Licking his lips, Saryuu darted out from his safe spot and past the snoring man. He swiftly evaded all book towers and stood in no time in the stone cold hallway.

He glanced around. He remembered where'd they'd been taken down those awfully slippery stairs, but how could he get to the entrance hall from here. He sniffed and, betting on his non-existent luck, choose left. Apparently, his luck was there for once.

Saryuu nearly let out a whoop as he tiptoed into the entrance hall. He scowled at the horridly cold appearance of it all. Then he slipped down the stairs and stood in the small room where he and Tsurugi had been searched. Saryuu's nostrils flared and he clenched his fists. Now was not the time to cause a scene. He took a deep breath and snuck towards the dungeons. He crammed himself in a niche when he smelled a guard coming his way.

He swallowed and closed his eyes. The guard passed by without a glance. Stealthily, Saryuu reached forward and stole the man's keys from his belt. Holding his breath, he waited for any sign he'd been caught, but the heavy-armoured man continued walking. Saryuu poked his head out and followed the man with his eyes before stepping out and skittering towards Tenma's smell.

Saryuu bristled at the sight. Tenma had been bound with a heavy iron chain by his neck, arms and wings. And yet, he sat there peacefully, like he completely accepted his fate. Saryuu let out a growl and Tenma looked up wearily.

The tengu's eyes widened and he whispered hoarsely, "Saryuu?"

Saryuu hushed him. "The human came up with the plan."

"…But how?"

"Revolt," Saryuu said simply and opened the cell doors. He stepped inside and started to undo Tenma's shackles. To his great annoyance, Tenma was trying to stop him, feebly. What had they done to him in the mere hours he'd been in this place?

"Saryuu, no!" Tenma grabbed his arm. "I did this to get you out!"

"And we're doing this to get you out," Saryuu hissed back and removed the last shackle.

"But…"

"Tenma, this is not honour. This is stupidity and you know it. Now, we leave!" Saryuu huffed and placed Tenma's arm around his shoulder.

"Why do you only sound reasonable in situations like these?" Tenma sighed.

"Because monkeys aren't known for brains," said an icy voice.

Saryuu swivelled around, dragging Tenma along. "You!" he spat.

The man he'd been in a fight with, complete with little round ears on top of his head where his buns had been, was glaring from the cell next to Tenma's. The panda glared him down haughtily, even though he hardly looked like a threat to them.

"Me," the panda deadpanned. Then he smirked. "I'll tell on you."

Saryuu growled. "No, you won't."

The panda cackled and wiped away a tear. "Why wouldn't I? I'm stuck in here, so what else to do but cause despair for another?"

"You can escape with us," Tenma offered.

"What!?" exclaimed the panda as well as Saryuu.

Tenma shrugged. "If he escapes with us he can hardly tell and he doesn't have to bore himself out of his skull in these dungeons. Or you'd like to get executed later on?" he asked the panda.

The man hesitated, but then let go off the bars. "Get me out of here and I'll forgive you, monkey."

"'Scuse me? Forgive me? I should be the one forgiving you!" Saryuu spat.

"Guys…" Tenma groaned.

Saryuu growled, but shuffled to open the panda's door anyway. "Just making this clear, though," he hissed, "You are to follow whatever call I make and if you rat us out I swear to the Mountain Gods I will skin you alive."

"All right, understood." The panda held up his hands in surrender.

"What's your name?" Tenma asked curiously.

The panda regarded them warily before puffing his cheeks and saying, "Mitsuyoshi Yozakura. Yours?"

"Matsukazu Tenma," Tenma said with a smile.

Saryuu groaned. "Yeah, go ahead and give him everything he needs to prosecute us."

"And this is Saryuu Evan," Tenma added dryly.

Mitsuyoshi nodded, but gasped as he hid behind Saryuu.

"Oi, what's going on there?" came a deep and booming voice.

"Oh crap," muttered Saryuu and he dumped Tenma in the hands of Mitsuyoshi.

The bulky man drew his sword and glared at Saryuu, his mouth stretched in a thin line. Saryuu was glowering at the man as well and was doing a quick assessment of his options. They were limited, very so.

Saryuu cursed and launched at the man, who had apparently seen everything coming but that. He and Saryuu crashed onto the ground, but the monkey was quicker to recover. He dived for the sword the man had dropped in his shock, and without another thought, brought it down in the man's chest.

No sound was heard but the awful snapping of bone and the spilling of blood. Then, Saryuu heard Tenma gasp and the panda muttered something. Dropping the sword, Saryuu pulled Tenma's arm across his shoulder again, and together with Mitsuyoshi, hauled the tengu past the corpse.

The stairs were a lot trickier, but they managed somehow. When they stood in the entrance hall, Saryuu dragged them inside another niche as angry voices arose from somewhere. Not moments later the man Saryuu had caught sleeping in the library, and who was now fully dressed in armour, stepped not too far from their hiding spot.

"The King," breathed Tenma.

The three youkai held their breaths as the King berated the one he was with.

"What do you mean 'you can't handle them?' They're just peasants! Squash them!" Isozaki hissed.

"But there are too many!" cried the other. "Someone has riled them up well!"

"Who the hell would rile up this mess of pathetic human trash!?" demanded Isozaki.

"I don't know! They yell about unrighteousness and a new Duke! Not those who imparted their vile thoughts upon them!"

Isozaki growled and slapped the man. "You'd better find out before returning to this castle. Ever!"

"Y-yes, sir!" squeaked the man and hurried off.

Bristling, Isozaki stomped out of sight again.

The three released their breath as one.

"I hope you have an escape plan," Mitsuyoshi muttered as Saryuu poked his head out to check if the coast was truly clear, even though he could smell trouble from a mile away, literally.

"Uh well…" Saryuu said and glanced at Tenma. "The original plan had Tenma flying me out, but he's hardly in any condition to fly even himself out, soooo we'll have to improvise."

"Just great," Mitsuyoshi sighed and stepped out of the shadows with Tenma once Saryuu told them it was all clear.

They hurried down a corridor and slipped inside a room where the chill of the night's breeze could be felt. The window was opened just slightly and Saryuu slipped towards it to see if the coast was clear. It was and Saryuu opened the window wider, hoping it would not creak and alert anyone to randomly opening windows.

They got Tenma out without too much of a hassle. Both Tenma and Mitsuyoshi breathed in the cold, clear air. Saryuu shot them an odd look.

"You weren't even in there for more than a day," he said pointedly.

"Yet it feels like ages," Tenma breathed.

Mitsuyoshi nodded in silent agreement.

Saryuu rolled his eyes and pulled them towards the stone wall. They just had to scale that and then it should be a walk in the park. Hopefully.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Mitsuyoshi voiced Saryuu's thoughts.

"I…'m not sure," Saryuu admitted.

"Is there anything you're sure of?" hissed the panda.

"That I'm gonna throw you as bait to the guards if you don't shut up!" Saryuu growled.

"Guys…" Tenma sighed.

"Okay, uh…" Saryuu pondered. "Right. Tenma climb onto my back and hold on tight. I can climb both of us up."

"What about me?" Mitsuyoshi asked.

"What about you?" Saryuu questioned in return as he squatted in front of Tenma.

"I've… never climbed before…" admitted Mitsuyoshi.

Saryuu sighed and shot him a look. "Then watch how I do it and just think cleverly in picking where you take hold."

Once Tenma clutched at Saryuu, arms wrapped about his neck and legs around his torso, the monkey licked his teeth and scaled the wall with nimble movements. He peeked down once he sat on top and snorted at the hesitant expression on the panda's face.

"Come on. Or do you want me to carry you up as well," taunted Saryuu.

Mitsuyoshi's expression turned dark and he clasped a rockier part of the wall. With quite some effort he managed to make the top and Saryuu helped him the last part by simply pulling him up.

"I could've done so myself," Mitsuyoshi grumbled.

"Can't risk you screwing up and falling down, making a ruckus and accidentally foiling our plan," Saryuu said and shrugged.

He had already helped Tenma down and the two now joined the tengu in the shadows.

"It sounds horrible," he said and nodded to the flickering light of the torches further down the road. The angry slogans were loud and clear, and Saryuu was somewhat impressed that Tsurugi had managed to stir up such a crowd.

"Oh right, we have to meet up with the human," Saryuu muttered.

"Human?" Mitsuyoshi asked curiously. "The one who tried to come between our scuffle?"

"Scuffle?" Tenma asked sharply.

"Uh yeah. That one." Saryuu scratched his cheek. "Let's not talk about it now. You're coming too, panda."

"It's not like I have anywhere else to go as a youkai fugitive," mumbled Mitsuyoshi.

雪

"Wow. So you actually made it out," Tsurugi said the moment he caught the white fluff of Saryuu's hair. They were in the outskirts of the village, close to the border of Teikoku.

"Yeah. Thanks for your confidence," Saryuu said dryly.

Tsurugi eyed Tenma and frowned. "You look terrible."

Tenma laughed sheepishly. "Stuff happened."

Tsurugi narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, but then Miyabino appeared and slung an arm around the taller man's shoulders. Tsurugi winced while Miyabino took in the appearances of the three before him.

"Ah… so these are youkai, huh? Curious for sure," hummed Miyabino with a nod. He let go of Tsurugi then and clapped his hands. "Miyabino Reiichi's atcha service!"

"Sir…" Tsurugi said.

"Whoops. My accent slipped again. Need to focus on that again." Miyabino grinned and stretched.

"Miyabino… Reiichi…" Saryuu wondered.

"The ex-Duke of Teikoku?" Mitsuyoshi asked.

"Who are you?" Tsurugi questioned.

"Who are you?" Mitsuyoshi shot back.

"You're the one who started a fight with the monkey," Tsurugi said coldly.

"Uh yeah… sorry about that…" Mitsuyoshi said. "I'm… on your side now? Something like that."

"Tsurugi, why are you with the ex-Duke of Teikoku?" Tenma asked quickly.

"I met him in a pub. He's the one who got this crowd going," said Tsurugi.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, lad. You helped me a lot." Miyabino said with a pointed look. "Anyway, we should hurry. Officially, we are all fugitives in Mannouzaka now and I'm pretty sure Isozaki won't mind issuing the order to 'kill upon sight'. So let's get a move on, yeah?"

雪

"Well, well, well. Look what skittered towards the holy border of Teikoku," Isozaki sneered and dismounted his horse. One of his guards took the reins from him. "I have to admit; you came remarkably far for some second-rate filth."

Saryuu growled and Tsurugi's arm moved immediately to the hilt of his sword. Tenma shot them a look and looked Isozaki squarely in the eye.

"We will leave," he said, determined.

"Oh. Will you now?" Isozaki chuckled. "And how so? You cannot fly, tengu. And even if you could, while carry all this deadweight, where would you go? Kaiou will shoot you down without as much as a second glance. You won't even get near the border of Teikoku without getting killed by rogues. And Tengawara has just closed the whole border to its country. No one will get in there.

"So seems to me you're stuck here. And I won't show any mercy." Isozaki's eyes glinted.

"You didn't show us any to begin with," Saryuu spat, but was caught by the arms by Tsurugi and Mitsuyoshi.

"Tut, tut." Isozaki shook his head. "I wonder whether I should execute you on the spot, or if I should make examples out of you to show what happens to rebels. Justice will be done tonight, though. For one of you killed one of mine."

"Oh please," Saryuu hissed. "You wouldn't recognise justice even if it stood right in front of you waving its—"

"Saryuu!" Tenma exclaimed.

"Banner…" Saryuu finished, digging his heel in the ground.

Isozaki's eyebrows shot up and he regarded the monkey. "You know, you really seem like the obvious candidate for murder. I think I will finish you right now and we'll execute the others at the village. We won't have to listen to your vulgar mouth any longer."

The flash of a sword being pulled and thrust forward seemed to blind everyone for a second. It was as if time froze for a mere second. But then the clatter of metal meeting metal broke it and Isozaki jumped back in surprise.

Saryuu was seated on the ground and stared, dumbfounded, at the man before him. Tsurugi was equally surprised. He had been pushed away by Miyabino, who had grabbed the sword from Tsurugi's belt in the same movement.

Miyabino crouched as he clasped the hilt of the sword firmly. Isozaki eyed him warily.

"And who might you be?" Isozaki questioned and repositioned himself.

"I'll tell you if you survive," taunted Miyabino.

Isozaki's eyes widened and he lunged forward. Miyabino evaded him while his fellow companions quickly moved out of the way.

Isozaki skilfully twisted around and lunged again. This time, Miyabino could not evade the blow and he gritted his teeth as their swords met. He shifted his weight and Isozaki lost his support for a moment. Miyabino made use of that by moving away and slashing his sword at the King.

With a hiss of pain Isozaki stumbled back. He spared a glance at his hip to see blood dripping from where his hauberk had been pierced. Grinding his teeth, he turned furious eyes to the calculating man before him.

He waved his sword in a wide arc and then, with amazing speed, sidestepped and jumped forward. Miyabino managed to deflect most of the blow, but a throbbing pain in his left arm and the iron smell of blood informed him he had been hit.

Isozaki gloated for a second before lunging again. Miyabino faced his blow head-on, but his arm was protesting. Growling, he put all his strength into his arms and pushed Isozaki back.

Both were panting as they sized each other up again. Miyabino knew he had to stop this quickly, his left arm apparently in more of a bind than he'd initially thought. In that moment, he suddenly noticed the noises around them, but he couldn't afford losing focus.

Gritting his teeth, Miyabino lunged and Isozaki braced himself for the blow. Instead, Miyabino sidestepped at the last second and with a blow to the side of the man's armour, knocked the other to the ground.

Isozaki needed only a moment to realize the dire situation he was in and was about to turn and grab his sword, but a foot placed on his chest and a sword placed at his neck prevented him from movement. Swallowing harshly, the King looked his adversary in the eye and held up his arms in surrender.

"Go ahead," he said fearlessly.

Miyabino's eye twitched as he stared down at the man. He really wanted to do it. End this horrible, despicable man. But… was it truly worth it? Mannouzaka would fall in even more disarray now if the King were to be killed. It would also hurt Miyabino's chances in ever reclaiming his title as Duke of Teikoku. Weighing his options carefully, Miyabino decided.

"Tch." Miyabino pulled back his sword only to bring it down on the man's throat again. "Listen to me, Duke Isozaki Kenma of Mannouzaka," he said as he barely kept his sword from drawing blood. "I am Miyabino Reiichi. I am going to reclaim my rightful place as Duke of Teikoku and you will help me achieve it."

"W-what?" Isozaki asked hoarsely.

"You will be going by the title of Duke again," Miyabino continued, "and you will discipline your knights properly.

"You will feed your people. You will listen to their demands. You will be a man of honour. If you do so, the revolt will not become a full-blown revolution. I will make sure it won't." He removed his sword just enough for the man to speak. "Well?" he prodded.

Isozaki licked his lips and stared warily from the tip of the sword to the man towering above him. "What if I refuse?"

"ARE YOU BLIND, MAN!?" bellowed Miyabino. Isozaki flinched. "Do you not see," Miyabino continued lowly. "Do you not see the pain and suffering? Did you not pledge loyalty to your people their needs in return for their loyalty? You can still fix this, Isozaki. If only you will listen!"

"I…" Isozaki stared. "You want to appeal to my empathy?"

"I am not appealing. I am warning. Whether it is by me or someone else, you will die if you continue the way you do things now." Miyabino sighed. "If you change your ways. If you will see to your people. If you will help me reclaim what should be mine. I will form a contract with you. I will make both Mannouzaka and Teikoku flourish again. We both will. If only you would help me."

"What if you won't reclaim your country?" Isozaki asked, eyes searching.

"You may do with me what you want. I will not resist. But that is only when I fail to reclaim Teikoku after a year."

"Half a year," Isozaki said.

Miyabino's mouth stretched into a thin line. "You think you're in any position to haggle, Isozaki?"

"There are time limits in life, Miyabino," spat Isozaki. "There is war. No country trusts another. My people are starving because no traders come by with goods. No exchanges are made on the markets. Mannouzaka is empty. If you cannot reclaim Teikoku within half a year, all of Mannouzaka will starve, including me."

Miyabino eyed the man warily. "But you will discipline your knights?"

"I will," Isozaki affirmed

"Will you go by the title of Duke again?"

"I will."

"Will you make sure your people are fed, even if it means you will eat like a peasant as well?"

"…I will."

"Will you be a man of honour again?"

"I will."

Miyabino eyed the man for a moment longer, but removed his sword and stepped away from him. Isozaki got to his feet and picked up his sword. He sheathed it without another word and turned to his knights. Those knights were standing strangely far away and Isozaki noticed this too.

"Why are you all standing there?" barked Isozaki.

"T-they told us to," one said, pointing a quivering finger at the little group behind Miyabino.

The ex-Duke glanced at them and they smiled innocently. Tenma stepped forward and leant towards him.

"They wanted to attack you from the back. Saryuu and Mitsuyoshi stopped them," he said.

"Thanks," Miyabino said, directed at the two.

"No problem, I guess." Saryuu shrugged.

Mitsuyoshi's eyes glinted as he opened his mouth, but flinched when Isozaki started yelling at his traitorous guards. Apparently, the man had some honour to begin with since he absolutely did not appreciate his guards their actions. It was an attack on said crumble of an honour that they would try and backstab his adversary while he clearly still had things under control.

"You," Isozaki called and pointed at the panda.

Out of reflex Mitsuyoshi did a step back.

"You are to join my guards!" Isozaki barked.

"I… what?" Mitsuyoshi stared.

"If you held off these thick losers, you sure got some… something. I will hire you, if you'd like. I'm sure as hell not going to ask the monkey," Isozaki said. He was eyeing the panda curiously and looked quite sincere.

Saryuu grumbled something along the lines of, "I sure as hell am not gonna join you, you son of a—" Around there Tsurugi elbowed him in the stomach.

"You're not going to execute me?" Mitsuyoshi asked warily.

"No. If it means I will have a youkai on my side, I will not execute you," Isozaki affirmed. His eyes glinted with glee. "I'd like to see the faces of other the other Dukes once word gets around I have hired a youkai as guard."

Miyabino shook his head. "You will have war at your doorstep if word goes around."

Isozaki frowned. "Sadly. But I am still willing to recruit you, panda. It is your decision to make."

"I… will join you if you promise safety," Mitsuyoshi said. "I have been fleeing for too long already. I'm sick and tired of it. If you promise me safety of prosecution, I will gladly join you, Your Grace."

Isozaki smiled haughtily at the title. "And safety you will receive, Mr …?"

"Mitsuyoshi Yozakura."

"Very well. We shall return to the castle. Someone take Mr Mitsoyoshi with him." Isozaki nodded and glanced at Miyabino before mounting his horse and spurred off.

When all horses were gone Tenma watched Miyabino worriedly.

"Will it be all right, Mr Miyabino?" he asked.

"Even if he's an asshole, Isozaki is a man of his word. You heard him harassing his guards about nearly stabbing me in the back," Miyabino said with a shrug.

"So that's the end of that," Tsurugi said thoughtfully.

Miyabino laughed. "So it seems."

"I should've punched the panda one last time," Saryuu grumbled.

"Saryuu…" Tenma groaned.

Miyabino chuckled and turned to Tsurugi. He retrieved a necklace with a round pendant and handed it to the teenager. "Tsurugi Kyousuke, see this as my thanks to you."

"I couldn't possibly—" Tsurugi held up his hands, but Miyabino grabbed one and placed the necklace in it.

"This will help you cross the border to Kaiou. Show it to a pair of tanuki living near the border. They will help you pass once you show them this and say Rei sends his regards. I'm sorry I can't help you pass the border to Teikoku, but I will spread your cause there as much as I can. A lone traveller often knows how the world turns, you know." He winked.

"Thanks," Tsurugi said, slightly dumbfounded.

"You told him?" Tenma asked.

"H-he prodded it out of me," Tsurugi admitted reluctantly and turned his head to the side. Tenma chuckled.

"Then this is farewell, Tsurugi Kyousuke and company. I hope to meet you once more when I reclaim my throne and this war has ended," Miyabino said. "Ah well, the Duke of Mannouzaka is waiting for me now. Good luck, all of you."

"Wait! My—"

"Rule one of tactics, Kyou. Always—always—pay attention to your surroundings!" Miyabino called past his shoulder. He started whistling a happy tune as he walked calmly back towards the castle.

"I…" Tsurugi stared, dumbfounded, at the sword sheathed in his belt.

雪

And that… is one chapter of 6,200 words and it's the longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfic, and I refuse to split it. I want this part of the story over and done with so you get this super huge chapter deluxe from Yuki as a 'get your asses back to school' gift (also kinda see it as the fic's one-year anniversary (even though that's in like 2 months), because I don't know when I'll update again. College started and I intend to focus on my studies so I can actually pass this year.)

Also some things to clarify.

One. About no one is their age from Ina Go. Tsurugi is nineteen. Tenma is like really super old because tengu age reaaaaaaally slow. Saryuu is twenty-six or something because he's still young (all youkai age super-duper slow). The Dukes are all around there thirties-something, unless stated otherwise.

Two. Miyabino. My really dumb headcannon for him in this story is that he is from the countryside so he got the really awful accent. But then Sakuma, adviser of the then-Duke Kidou of Teikoku, found him and brought him in because he showed potential and taught him how to hide his accent and stuff. And Miyabino eventually got ousted by Mikado because he was drunk as fuck and betted his rule away and lost and Mikado exiled him.

Three. If you ever have questions about not understanding something or wanting a description or just any info, just ask and I will gladly explain and such. Just a head's up, because sometimes I'm not sure whether I cover everything… since I know everything, so I might write it too much like you know as much as me.

Okay, that's the end of this super long author's note. Sorry for the hold-up and enjoy your day and have sweat dreams and such.

Laters!