The darkness of the well was all-consuming. Noriko lied on the ground, unsure if she was still alive or if she had already died. The mouth of the well looked like a full moon radiating in a pitch black sky, shining down on her like a fading spotlight. Her entire body ached and stung as blood continued to pool around her legs.

The hollers of the Senkumo had faded into silence, and were soon replaced by another set of voices echoing from above. She struggled to hear their exact words, but the tones of the new voices weren’t as serrated with rage as the those of men that hurt her. They seemed to be frantically giving out orders to each other, the subordinates responding in kind. There was one word Noriko did pick up, a word that immediately widened her heavy eyes.

Tsukiakari. Noriko heard that name echo from the outside. A small fire of hope ignited in her heart. She struggled and groaned as she sat herself up onto her bottom, staring into the light lingering above her head. That name, Tsukiakari —she repeated it to herself as if it could bring back the dead and banish evil in all its forms.

The name itself became a powerful mantra, one that could rouse any weary spirit. Noriko first whispered the name, her voice growing louder with each chant. Finally, she found the strength to scream the name out as loud as she could, scratching her throat and squeezing the air out of her stomach.

“Tsukiakari! Tsukiakari!”

Hearing the faint screams from below, Mayumi peeked her head down into the well. At first, she thought she was merely hearing things, but she soon realized someone was trapped below. Noriko couldn’t hear what Mayumi shouted down to her, but she at least understood one thing. She had finally been found. Figuring they’d use the rope to get her out, Noriko grabbed hold of it.

“Gekko," Mayumi howled. “Someone’s trapped down here!”

A squad of five Senkumo soldiers surrounded the well, all of them straining and groaning to pull the woman and her baby out from its depths. Lord Tsukiakari was among them, pulling away at the rope to hoist her back up.

“Takahiro! Report back to Taeko’s squad! We found a civilian, still alive," Mayumi commanded to the men. “Our guys threw her down into the well! And tell her to bring the medical supplies! She’s going to need help as soon as we pull her out!”

“Yes, ma’am!” the soldier saluted before running off.

Tsukiakari peeked down into the well. “Hey! Can you hear me? What’s your name?”

“Noriko! My name is Noriko!”

“Noriko! You’re doing great, love! We’ll get you out soon! I promise you’ll be fine! Just hang in there a little longer!” Tsukiakari encouraged.

For what felt like hours, they hoisted her up further and further from the well until, finally, she emerged from its dark depths, collapsing into Tsukiakari’s arms. The war goddess carried her in both arms with a chuckle of happy relief, infinitely pleased that the worst part of it was over.

Noriko’s naked and bruised body told a story of beating and rape before she was thrown down the well and left to die. Nonetheless, she prevailed, a miracle that made everyone cheer and collectively breathe a sigh of relief.

Their elation did not last long. Mayumi immediately noticed something was off.

“Her breathing! Gekko, something’s wrong!”

Noriko breathing was erratic and deep, her pregnant belly visibly shifting and moving around beneath her skin. Her grip around Tsukiakari was fading and weak, and despite being thrown down a well, she was breaking out a terrible sweat.

“Let’s get her inside, now," Tsukiakari urged.

“She’s going into labor," Mayumi recoiled.

“It must’ve been the impact when she fell! We’ve got to hurry and get her somewhere safe!”

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Having rushed Noriko inside one of the village homes, Tsukiakari and Mayumi laid her down on a long, wooden table. Taeko and her medical team arrived as soon as Noriko was set down. Tsukiakari hurriedly discarded her Senkumo robe and gave it to Noriko to cover her dirty and bruised body.

With a medical team on hand, Taeko managed their attempt to save Noriko and her child. One of the medical troops felt his hands around Noriko’s stomach as she cried out in excruciating pain, hanging on tightly to Tsukiakari and Mayumi’s hands.

“Chief!” the medic urged with a worried tone.

“Noriko, we need you to push for us, okay? Push with everything you’ve got," Taeko ordered.

“Okay, I’ll try!”

“Hang onto us too," Mayumi recommended.

Noriko managed several short pushes, so much so that the medic could feel the baby making his way down the birth canal, slowly but surely. But after several more pushes, complications already started to arise.

“Something came out," Taeko questioned.

Taeko laid eyes on the umbilical cord, which found its way out of the womb before the baby did. Her worry for Noriko and the child increased tenfold.

“What’s going on?” Noriko asked with panicked breath.

Taeko paused, prompting Tsukiakari to question further. “Taeko?”

“The umbilical cord prolapsed and came out before the baby," Taeko said.

“Chief! The baby’s coming in at an odd angle!” the medic warned. “I think the shoulder will get caught in the birth canal at this rate!”

“Can you guide it at a better angle? I won’t be able to pull too hard on the baby’s head," Taeko responded.

“I’ll give it my best shot, Chief!”

“Oh god, will he be okay? He’ll survive, right?” Noriko panicked.

“You’re doing good, Noriko. Just keep pushing, okay?” urged Tsukiakari.

Noriko’s exhausted eyes were filled with hope when she looked upon Tsukiakari’s smiling face, giving her just a bit more strength to continue. The night carried on as they all tried desperately to save Noriko and her child, but with each great effort, Noriko was losing more and more of her strength. Her strained, beaten body was at its limits trying to safely deliver a premature baby. Her voice grew weaker and weaker, her pushes becoming far less effective and sparse.

“Noriko! Noriko, stay with us," Tsukiakari cried.

Her half shut eyes wandered around the room. “I’m getting...tired...”

“Her pulse is weakening," Mayumi warned, gauging Noriko’s pulse with two fingers on her wrist.

“Keep her alive! The baby hasn’t come out yet!” Taeko fiercely commanded.

“Oh god...oh my god...please...I don’t want to die...my baby!”

Tsukiakari gripped Noriko’s hand harder. “You won’t die, Noriko! You’ll live to see your baby, we promise! Just stay with us! Fight it!”

“Damn it, it’s not just the shoulder! I think the umbilical cord is trapping the body," Taeko cursed.

“Chief, should we cut her open?” the medic asked, running out of options.

“She won’t survive that! She’s already high-risk," Tsukiakari hissed. “It’ll be a race to get the baby out before Noriko dies!”

“Its body is stuck, Gekko," Taeko sharply responded.

“We are not going to kill a mother before she can hold her child," Tsukiakari declared.

“Chief, it’s Lord Tsukiakari’s call” the medic reasoned.

Taeko cursed beneath her breath. “All right! Noriko! We need one big push from you! I know you can do it!”

Gathering her strength once more, Noriko managed to push as hard as her body allowed. Despite her amazing efforts, and despite the extraordinary help of everyone around her, the push was not enough for the baby. And yet, it proved to be far too much for Noriko.

“Her pulse! There’s no pulse! Her heart stopped," Mayumi cried.

Tsukiakari held her hand over Noriko’s chest. “She’s not breathing either!”

“Pump her chest! Keep her heart beating!” the medic urged.

Tsukiakari got right to work, standing up with her hands placed firmly over Noriko’s chest. She pumped her chest as hard as she could, desperate to see this tragic tale have a happy, miraculous ending.

“Mayumi, give her air while Gekko pumps her chest," Taeko instructed.

“All right!”

“Noriko, can you hear me? Noriko," Tsukiakari cried out.

Those few minutes seemed like an eternity. Everyone was so desperate to save Noriko, to save her child and atone for the grave mistake committed in the Senkumo name. But as the minutes continued to pass, there was less and less anyone could do for her. Tsukiakari soon found herself to be the only one still trying, while the others all refused to even look at Noriko’s pale face. The hope and optimism in the room died with Noriko and her child.

“Guys? What are you doing," Tsukiakari asked, still trying to pump her chest.

Taeko watched with glossed over eyes. “Gekko...she’s gone.”

Tsukiakari took a good look at Noriko, her colorless face, and her battered, violated body. She was forced to admit the one thing she didn’t want to believe that day; She was ultimately responsible for all of this.

Mayumi stormed outside, covering her eyes as she stifled her sobs. Silence weighed heavily upon them. Taeko especially looked dejected and exhausted, cursing beneath her breath as she too erupted into tears.

Tsukiakari’s deflated voice gently rang out an order. “Medic, prepare a coffin.”

“Right away, my lord.”

“Taeko, bring me the men responsible for all of this.”

The war goddess’s anger showed through her sorrow. Nothing that happened to those villagers or to Noriko represented what the Senkumo clan was about. Regardless, Tsukiakari was their commanding lord. Their sins were her sins. The pain they inflicted upon civilians was her pain.