Kaede stretched sweetly and opened her blue eyes; then, having surveyed her surroundings, she furrowed her brows menacingly.
The reason for her irritation was quite obvious. Having decided to take a short nap as usual, Kaede cozily settled herself in her astral pocket. But when she finally emerged into the real world, instead of her familiar corridor, she was greeted by collapsed and scorched walls.
Ash flew around, and the smell of burnt human flesh was distinctly present. She didn't particularly mind the latter, but what, in the name of all demons, had happened to her corridor?!
The Kuchisake-onna disliked leaving her part of the palace, but she could do so if she wished. After her conversation with the unordinary healer, she saw nothing wrong with it.
Of course, some inner feeling still pulled her back, but she could fight it. Besides, unlike the usual duration of her sleep, this time, she planned to nap for just a few days.
How could such a disaster happen in such a short time?
The resolutely determined spirit moved along the palace corridors, listening to people's conversations.
Everyone discussed the treachery of "those Sansa," who had cowardly attacked the palace's latest owner and almost abducted his sister. The owner himself was in a terrible state, and it was unclear whether he would survive or not.
However, Kaede, who didn't understand politics, found all these conversations utterly meaningless. Clans, warmasters, and revenge – these words didn't really stick in her ghostly brains twisted by death.
As she walked past the talking people, Kaede saw the city through the windows a couple of times. It, too, had suffered greatly. Numerous black spots from fires, sometimes entire streets burnt to the ground.
Unsurprisingly, Kaede could even see from here many weak spirits that, for one reason or another, had not passed on to the other world. They swirled in flocks around the places of their death. Some, fueled by pain and fear, would soon be reborn in a new form, giving work to monks and onmyodo.
But Kaede wasn't overly concerned about this. All her attention was focused on the completely empty room where the prince, who was frequently visited by her Shiro-san, had lived.
Having sniffed everything around, the yokai dashed toward the servants' quarters. The girl spirit, fearing the worst, sincerely worried that Shiro had died and hadn't managed to say goodbye to her in spirit form.
Kaede saw nothing wrong with death itself, but how could one leave without saying farewell?!
After sniffing around again, in the servants' rooms this time, the yokai confirmed her suspicions. Shiro-san was alive and had not perished in the palace.
But if he wasn't here, then where was he?
Kaede tensed up and made an incredible effort, recalling the conversations she overheard from Shiro and all those he spoke with in the palace.
Things obvious to people were not so for spirits. Nonetheless, having shed the chains binding her to the place, she stepped onto a new level of evolution.
So, she did the impossible, remembered, and managed to comprehend the information received earlier.
"So you did escape after all?" the yokai murmured, thoughtfully twirling a strand of hair. A passing servant flinched and ran away. He didn't see the speaker, but given the recent events, any oddity could be dangerous. "But why did you burn down my corridor?!" Kaede frowned.
"Where am I to live now? Amongst the ruins and under the rain? No, this won't do at all," she said decisively, shaking her head. "If you've left a girl without a home, you'd better find her a new one!"
With those words, the yokai sniffed the air, trying to pick up the earthling's trail, then immediately sensed his unique astral scent, unmistakable for any other.
Nearby was the scent of his amusing little snake. Unlike her master, Leviathan possessed much larger reserves of spiritual energy, so the yokai could see her even in a concealed state.
Kaede had played hide and seek with her a few times, appearing from unexpected places.
If Stas knew about it, he would have involuntarily thought of cats that love to stare into empty corners as if they see something there.
Or could it actually be true?
The yokai didn't even notice how the last chains holding her crumbled into spiritual dust, finally releasing their captive. Now, the girl spirit was free to go wherever she wished.
At that moment, Stas hiccuped loudly, involuntarily wondering who had just thought of him.
Meanwhile, the ancient spirit of the palace sighed in relief as the restless yokai finally left. She woke up so often and wandered to and fro that she disturbed the grand spirit's peaceful sleep.
Over the centuries, the spirit had become one not only with the wooden part of the palace but also with the very foundation on which it stood. The palace had been burnt down more than once, but a new one was always built on the same base.
The grand spirit wasn't too concerned about the mortals' trivial worries. However, he was somewhat intrigued by the scent of chaos coming from the unusual human, but after checking, it was clear that he posed no threat.
This world had a terrifying defense against chaos and otherworldly invasions. Therefore, any entity that entered from the outside had to possess a tremendous level of strength to breach the barrier.
That's why otherworlders were so disliked here, as nothing good was ever expected from them.
The grand spirit vividly remembered the disaster when, three thousand years ago, an archdemon almost as powerful as a chaotic deity stepped into this world. Lulled by memories, the spirit fell asleep again for another century or two.
*****
It was the fourth day of their journey, and they had reached the small border town of Akichi. Although the settlement supposedly belonged to the enemy country of Hyugo, it was already a place where they could relax.
Akichi was located at the border between Hyugo and Rashta, yet it was equally far from all major roads and had a dubious value.
There were marble quarries here. While the stone was valuable, no conqueror would bother making such a detour for it.
The town's inhabitants seemed to be aware of this, so they carried on with their usual work without much worry.
Rashta and Hyugo had clashed many times before, but Akichi had always stood somewhat apart.
The supplies were running low, so they needed to restock here.
But that wasn't the only reason they had stopped by.
Someone was supposed to meet them here.
The shadows, having removed their masks and dark cloaks, looked like ordinary armed guards of some merchant. Because of the shackles on his wrists, the prince had to conceal his arms; luckily, he had suitable clothing with long sleeves.
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When a towering figure armed with a two-handed sword approached them, Kusa and Haru smoothly glided forward, giving the stranger unfriendly glances.
But the special sign given by smiling Shin made them relax a bit.
"Kensei-san, glad to see you," Stas greeted him first, approaching closer. "How was your journey?"
"Barely caught up with you," the ronin chuckled, having thrown a disdainful glance at the warmasters. "Should have spent less time waiting after you left."
"Then Akiro would have grown more suspicious," Stas shrugged. "He survived, I hope? Because when we left, something terrible was clearly happening in the city."
"He's alive," Uramasa snorted, holding back laughter. "What's going to happen to that dragon with a snake's tail? People like him survive anywhere. And as for the city, it's clear why it flared up. Nobunoro-sama, when I left, had practically one foot in the grave. Turns out, the Sansa struck right at the bedroom where he was sleeping. The whole city knows." The irony was felt in the ronin's voice.
Stas closed his eyes in dismay: 'I wonder if Naito did that deliberately or just by chance? In any case, it's better for me not to return to Akaru. I doubt Lieutenant Akiro will forgive me for killing his beloved's brother. And the princess, I think, too.'
The situation with Kensei arose because Stas convinced the ronin to resign from the yoriki a couple of days after they left.
This was done so Kensei's disappearance wouldn't be linked to Prince Sumada's escape. Stas had plans for Uramasa, and it would be preferable for the former samurai to maintain a legal status on the territory of Hyugo.
As a result, where the shadows had to slow down and rest more often, Kensei could run almost without restrictions. However, their calculations were nearly thwarted by the strength of the people sent by Naito. Advanced warmasters turned out to be much more resilient than Stas anticipated, so Uramasa arrived in this town only half a day earlier.
A little more, and they would have missed each other, as no one intended to spend the night in this town.
"Jishin-sama," Kensei turned seriously to the prince and bowed. The conversation took place on the outskirts of the town; it was daytime, and everyone was busy, so there were no people around. "My name is Kensei Uramasa, a ronin. Shiro-san saved my life when we were carrying out your mission. The Sansa are my enemies, and I thirst for revenge. But they are your enemies too, Jishin-sama, so I want to join your squad to protect you from them and, after reaching the destination, to continue serving you."
"Jishin-sama," Shin stepped forward, his face contorted with a scowl. "I don't want to say anything about this former samurai... Although no, what am I talking about," he snickered, squinting. "I think bringing such an unverified person with us is a precarious move. Who knows what's going on in the head of a samurai who decided to serve warmasters?"
"Former samurai," Kensei growled, giving his opponent a look that was very far from friendly. "I'm no longer a samurai."
"All the more reason!" Shin tilted his head. "Why do we need the help of some samurai who couldn't even protect those he was supposed to?"
"That's it, you little snot, you asked for it," Kensei's hand rested on the sheath of his odachi, shifting it for an easier draw. Shin's subordinates also placed their hands on their katanas.
"Everyone, please," Stas stepped forward with a conciliatory smile. "There's no need to fight, we're all on the same side. Shin-san, I understand your concern, but Kensei-san has shown himself well against the renegade warmasters. And even before, he had to kill both samurais and warmasters. Considering the importance of our mission, any help is timely. Kensei-san, please remove your hand from the sword. Shin-san may have been a bit rude, but he was driven solely by concern for the prince."
"Please forgive me," Shin smirked, mockingly bowing to the teeth-grinding Kensei. "If you vouch for him, Shiro-san, then I can only respect your choice. Just that my father has collected a lot of information on him, and according to it, Kensei-san is frankly unrestrained, willful, and even unruly..."
"But I know how to wield a sword, you lying mug," Uramasa couldn't bear it. "Let's see who's the better fighter without using prana?"
"Enough," Jishin's cold voice cooled everyone. "Kensei is coming with us. He has already proven his loyalty in action."
Stas had already told the prince about the ronin wanting to join them back at the palace. And although Sumada wasn't thrilled about the former samurai, he respected the desire to gut as many Sansa as possible.
Overall, although the prince didn't say much about his captors, Ordyntsev could literally feel the hatred that had been accumulating in him all this time. It was frightening to imagine what it would turn into once Jishin finally removed the prana-blocking shackles.
"So," Kensei continued the story. "I didn't get to tell you. The samurai, driven by vengeance for their lord, attacked the clashing clans of Sansa and Kiatto. I wasn't there, I was helping put out fires at the home of some acquaintances of mine, but they say the slaughter was terrible. Almost no warmasters were left, though the samurai were significantly thinned out too. The survivors fled the city, so they definitely won't be after you for now."
"Good news," the prince said succinctly, and a nearly demonic smirk flickered on his lips for a moment. "Let's not stand still. Let's go."
The enlarged company moved toward one of the taverns. They all planned to grab a bite of homemade food before making another dash to Rashta and then to the Sumada lands.
There was no longer any point in fearing the Sansa or Kiatto. In general, the guard of the shadows was conceived not so much as protection from pursuers but from potential dangers along the way.
The local establishment welcomed their company cheerfully. Apparently, travelers didn't often stop by this place. Especially travelers with money.
Everyone politely refused alcohol. But they gave due credit to the cuisine.
However, Stas once again felt a longing for Earthly delicacies. Yes, in this world, any food could be considered ideal for health enthusiasts, as no GMOs had been invented here yet.
But how much the dishes lacked a variety of spices.
Ordyntsev mentally pulled out a list in which he noted things he had to do. Next to the note about searching for rejuvenating effects and immortality, he added: "Modernize the cuisine of this world. Item 'a': find and distribute other spices besides salt..."
Nonetheless, eating freshly prepared food was much better than choking on rations heated over a fire. Especially delicious were the warm, fluffy flatbreads. It felt like they just melted in the mouth.
The sun was still high, so after paying, the squad moved out of town, heading towards the border of the countries in the direction of Rashta.
It so happened that Kensei and Stas strode side by side, while the warmasters spread out around. The prince walked ahead of them thoughtfully.
"How's your daughter?" Stas quietly asked. He couldn't forget the ronin's story about the fire.
"She's strong, she'll cope," Uramasa simply replied, looking into the distance. "Good thing I managed to reach my acquaintances' house where my daughter was spending the night. The fire was almost upon them. I personally chopped and threw away all the nearby houses and chunks of walls to cut off the wave of fire."
Levi rustled on the chest. They had agreed that Stas would carry her now and then. On long distances, the snake got too tired. The ronin obviously noticed the moving clothes of the earthling, but said nothing.
"Damn," Stas shook his head, looking down. Partly, he did this to play repentance in front of the ronin, and partly... In any case, it didn't matter. "According to my plan, everything was supposed to happen much more... peacefully. Without such a number of casualties."
"Don't dwell on it," a pat on the shoulder made Stas look at the ronin in surprise. "I don't hold any grudge against you. You should have seen how those Sansa were cut down. I didn't witness it myself, but those who told about it claimed only the strongest warmasters survived, and just a few. For such a cause, it was worth burning that city to the ground."
"Well, yeah," Stas shrugged, as if feeling a chill to the bone. He didn't remind him that in such a case, his daughter would have burned, too. "For such a cause, of course."
"Caution!" Kusa, walking ahead, raised his hand, drawing attention. "I feel prana ahead. Two large prana cores, rapidly approaching. They're not hiding. They want to be noticed. Most likely offering negotiations."
At that moment, everyone with weapons immediately drew them and moved towards the nearest clearing. The open space allowed for a far more convenient meeting with potential attackers. Shin and Kusa, the escort leader and the shadow who controlled stone, took a position at the forefront. Kensei remained standing with Jishin and Stas.
Time for jokes and conversations was over.
Such an encounter with warmasters could end as a peaceful discussion or a bloody slaughter. Each clan, especially one as large as Sumada, had a great many blood enemies or allies. However, for warmasters, the latter sometimes differed little from the former; they were often even more dangerous because, from them, you expect much less a stab in the back.
They didn't have to wait long.
Within a minute, the guests leaped onto the clearing.
There was no need to look closely to understand that the newcomers should be taken seriously.
This was indicated by everything, from the quality armor and weapons they held in their hands to their demeanor. It was clear that the guests were not afraid of the numerically superior enemy but rather treated it calmly.
The first was a young man armed with a spear, while the second was an older warmaster with two swords in his hands.
Most importantly, they bore a clan sign on their chests.
Stas stared at the symbol and, to his relief, did not recognize it.
These were, at least, not Sansa or Kiatto, which was already good news.
The symbol looked like an open white lotus on a black background.
"Mizuno," Jishin murmured quietly. "Interesting, what are they doing here? Their country is far from these places."
"Jishin-sama," Stas cautiously asked. "What are your clan's relations with them?"
"What relations can the great clan of stone lords Sumada have with the great clan of water lords Mizuno?" the prince asked sarcastically. "Like all great clans – we dream of destroying each other and seizing all the knowledge and women."
'Why am I, damn it, not surprised?' Stas thought with a bit of fatalism.