Such an imposing inter-national and inter-species camp couldn't avoid conflicts. But unlike a usual army, where the worst might involve a melee between a few squads, a conflict with the dragons could easily escalate into a real disaster.
That's why, when the roar of water techniques mixed with the hissing of steam was heard near Stas's tent, the earthling leaped from his futon and hurriedly began to put on his armor.
The senses of the startled Leviathan and his own scanning techniques didn't detect any nearby enemies, so the Ordyntsev decided to spend the time preparing thoroughly.
That's why when a disheveled Kaede burst into his tent, he was fully equipped for battle.
"What happened?" he barked, moving towards the exit while the Kuchisake-onna quickly followed.
"My mentor went to rest by the river. She's been doing that often lately, but this time, she stumbled upon several yokai from the Nine-Tails' entourage! I felt right away that I should intervene, but it was too late. They started fighting before I could act!"
"That's just all we needed," cursed Stas, speeding up towards the still ongoing battle.
Fortunately, the river was some distance from the camp. Otherwise, their fight could have triggered a real chain reaction, as the warmasters outraged by the destruction of their personal belongings might have joined the growing fray.
Even so, some of the shockwaves from the clashes reached here, causing the thin fabric of the tents to tremble and strain.
Emerging to his side, Mari and Kenta promptly followed Stas closely as he rushed to save the overly confident yokai.
Luckily, the scene before them wasn't too serious. Obviously, the combatants hadn't lost their minds to use anything from their supreme arsenal.
Yet, there was no doubt about their capabilities.
Minoru, standing on the water, surveyed the eight yokai surrounding her with serpentine eyes. The features of the lamia blurred, frozen somewhere between human and yokai form.
And if Leviathan's senses were correct, each of her opponents was also in the top league of spirits, though less powerful than the Nure-onna.
But there were eight against one, and they clearly knew how to work as a team.
Right now, Minoru had to spin in place, parrying targeted techniques that were apparently designed to capture her.
And since they all relied primarily on speed, there were no significant destructions. However, this couldn't last long.
Either Minoru would surrender and be captured, or she would resort to techniques that could damage the nearby camp.
"Stop!" shouted Stas, sending a substantial amount of prana through his legs into the ground. Right now, his energy was seizing and transforming the soil, creating numerous devouring serpents that secretly surrounded the entire scene. "What is happening here? Why are you attacking?"
The battle paused as the encircling yokai reluctantly backed off, allowing Minoru to recover a bit.
One of the yokai, an old man with crow feathers sticking out of his black clothes, turned and gave Stas a hostile look. Ordyntsev felt "scanned," acknowledged as too strong for a quiet resolution.
"Move along, human. This feud doesn't concern you," hearing this, Kaede was about to speak but hesitated under Ordyntsev's stern gaze.
"You're mistaken, yokai," Stas lifted his head and carefully surveyed everyone gathered. "This woman is part of our team, and I won't allow you to attack her unprovoked, engaging in lawless violence."
"Lawless violence?" the old yokai scoffed mockingly. "Don't you know who she is, Serpent? You've nourished a snake in your bosom that's more vicious than the one behind you. Although I don't blame you; she knows how to ingratiate herself only to strike the harder later."
Stas was about to respond but didn't get the chance.
Movement on the side soon revealed another group approaching the riverbank, this time composed entirely of the Mizuno clan, led by none other than Katashi himself.
"Why are you violating the agreement signed by your mistresses?" he demanded sternly, surveying the hesitant yokai. Behind him, warmasters quickly secured the perimeter, hands on their katana hilts.
Seeing this, the yokai grew even darker.
Apparently, they had tried to capture Minoru with a quick strike, but she managed to defend herself until reinforcements arrived.
"We found a traitor," the Tengu spat out, warily eyeing the head of the great clan. "To prevent her from causing more harm to you, our allies, we decided to capture her. We honor the agreement."
"If I recall correctly," Katashi touched his cheek and ponderously pretended to think. "She is in the service of Shiro the Serpent? And since that's the case, and we are all allies, any disputes should be postponed until after the victory over chaos. Isn't that right?"
Katashi's words were measured and calm; he clearly wasn't new to such conflicts.
However, the old yokai was not ready to give up so easily.
"You're right," he nodded, shifting his hateful gaze to Minoru, who had been suspiciously silent all this time. "But this traitor is clearly an exception. She's responsible for starting this whole invasion! She's accountable for creating the Deathbringers that brought so much sorrow to this world. I swear by the Kami, if the great spirits hadn't been so merciful and had slain this creature a few hundred years ago, none of this would have happened!"
Each word from the old yokai struck the lamia like a blow, causing her to lower her head further. The surrounding warmasters looked at Minoru in surprise. Yet, in contrast to the rest, Katashi maintained an impressive calm.
"You're wrong," hearing this, the old yokai was about to protest, but the clan head continued speaking. "The invasion of chaos doesn't occur out of nowhere. Dark forces have been planning to start this war for a long time. Who knows what would have happened if we had given them a bit more time to prepare? Yes, Minoru's actions may have pushed them to more decisive actions, but look around. We are all gathered here to stop them. We are informed and ready. Chaos made a mistake by rushing, and we'll make it regret it! Humans, yokai, dragons, onmyoji, and even monks - all of us…"
Katashi spoke vividly and emotionally. His words were believable, and even the ancient yokai listened, beginning to calm down.
Gradually, other interested warmasters and yokai began to gather around the fight scene.
The old Tengu saw this and, grimacing, cast a disdainful glance at Minoru.
"If you had any honor, you would rid this world of your presence. While Lord Serpent King is in the clutches of chaos, you live a carefree life. What a cruel mockery fate makes." Without another word, he angrily walked away. Other yokai followed, leaving Minoru alone.
The guards let them pass without trouble.
The lamia lowered her head, hiding her face with long hair and remaining motionless.
Sighing, Katashi walked across the water to the woman, waving at the guards to stay on the bank.
Stas couldn't hear what they were talking about, but the morally devastated yokai obediently followed the head of the Great Clan.
Ordyntsev shook his head at Kaede, who intended to follow them.
If he understood correctly, the only one who could still help this woman was indeed Katashi.
Stas wasn't worried about losing such a valuable resource. At this point, Minoru was like a ticking time bomb. You never knew where or when she would explode and who she would harm.
Better she be in someone else's care.
*****
As mentioned earlier, besides the Minoru incident, there were other conflicts. For instance, several arriving warmasters, misunderstanding the situation, dared to venture into the dragons' camp.
As a result, two of them were eaten, and one was simply eviscerated. News of the massacre spread like wildfire, stirring everyone up.
If it hadn't been for the recently arrived Jishin, things could have ended much worse.
As if just waiting for a moment like this, a small onmyoji clan clashed with a pack of Inugami. The following outcome was rather predictable.
Several corpses on both sides and very angry allies glaring at each other like hungry wolves.
It wasn't hard to understand that if chaos continued to keep silent, or if the allied forces waited too long, the infighting would envelop everyone, leading to mutual destruction.
Serious disagreements and weak self-control were playing against them.
Moreover, one shouldn't forget the irreconcilable feud between the Mizuno and Sumada clans. Jishin and Katashi did everything in their power, yet every few days, dead bodies were invariably found.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Vengeful warmasters twisted in every conceivable way to settle scores with each other.
Driven to the boiling point, the clan heads eventually conducted an investigation and caught a couple of particularly vicious killers and publicly executed them.
The execution was, as is customary in this world, long and excruciating. And the warmasters' vitality certainly didn't play in their favor. Stas didn't know what these butchers had concocted, as he didn't go to the "performance," but the agonized screams of the tortured were audible even at that distance.
Such steps, although they didn't bring popularity to the clan heads, did cool some particularly hot heads.
That's why when scouts reported suspicious movements on the northern border, Ordyntsev almost felt relieved.
It was better to face a dangerous but unmistakable enemy than to wait for an inevitable stab in the back from one's "allies."
However, the news coming from the north was also not particularly encouraging.
The returning scouts looked frankly bad. Sunken faces and hollow eyes that easily read fear. Some were even tainted, hence being immediately destroyed or used for experiments.
Like the inhabitants of this world, chaos also didn't waste time.
Yes, the invasion forces had no ability to summon demons, the main driving force behind any chaos breakthrough.
Instead, they used tainted and altered clans of warmasters who had become conduits for the will of this ever-changing energy.
On top of that, one should consider the intricate and expansive cult of warlocks, which had been preparing for this moment for centuries.
Having somehow obtained a source of energy, they represented a formidable force.
It was clear that in these days, the final preparations for the upcoming war were underway.
Both sides decided to test their strength in the primary, decisive battle. A fight where all their available forces would clash.
Even looking towards the northern lands evoked an eerie feeling.
The sky in that direction was perpetually covered with black, unnaturally still clouds, within which green lightning struck repeatedly.
Meanwhile, the allied forces and the south enjoyed excellent weather, which, however, was also soon to change.
The Mizuno planned to start rain to strengthen their water techniques.
But one way or another, Ordyntsev felt that he was as ready as ever for the approaching battle. All the time he had spent studying chaos, all these months and years of researching this unfathomable energy had finally given the necessary spur to the increase in his own power.
Time after time, conducting complex experiments, Stas forced himself to resort to increasingly complex methods of prana control.
Now, the man seriously doubted that there was anyone in this world whose energy control could be better than his.
Yes, he was outmatched in terms of prana reserve volume by many, but due to lower energy expenditures and deceptive natural-etheric techniques, he could very unpleasantly surprise even the strongest.
It's also worth adding that Stas had managed to imbue some of his techniques with a chaos-destroying effect.
Though it wasn't all-encompassing and didn't destroy chaos with a single touch, in a potential clash of two techniques, it would play its role.
Ironically, Ordyntsev was shocked to learn that the locals had independently refined the technique for detecting chaos. Now, although it had grown in control requirements, it no longer killed its users.
Apparently, the desire to live had prompted the locals to think much more vigorously.
Magnificent armor, an impressive reserve of prana, remarkable control, deep knowledge, and a trained body - Stas Ordyntsev was ready to face the "bogeyman" of creation and even planned to survive thereafter.
For once, his life was somewhat in his own hands. And he intended to hold onto this opportunity, if necessary, even with teeth. Even if they weren't his own.
The earthling planned to spend the remaining days putting things in order and resting, so Jishin's sudden summons proved all the more surprising.
Unlike Stas, his friend had such a mountain of responsibilities that he wouldn't have called him without a reason.
Especially with the note "urgent!"
*****
Stas found Jishin pacing nervously in his underground headquarters, or more precisely, in his personal apartments.
In preparation for the upcoming battle, the Sumada took fortification very seriously, growing a thick stone rampart that, after being reinforced with seals, could withstand even a hit by something akin to the supreme techniques.
Yes, it was not particularly high, but it had remarkable reliability. Satoshi, who participated in the construction, highly rated this work, which was unusual for him.
Behind the rampart were trenches and pathways, beneath which lay a branched network of tunnels, shelters, and storages. If chaos somehow unleashed an "apocalyptic fire rain" or something similar, the shelters were supposed to save the troops from complete destruction. After the trenches and shelters came the main camp.
It was inside the central part of this network that Jishin now resided.
"The head of the clan should walk unhurriedly and with dignity, otherwise he'll cause panic among his clanmates," Stas paraphrased the joke, but judging by Jishin's face, he didn't appreciate it[1].
"It's easy for you to jest," the head snapped irritably, but still sat down at his work desk next to a table with brushes and scrolls. "Meanwhile, it feels like everyone wants me to go mad!"
Stas raised an eyebrow, suggesting they should move past the preamble.
"All sorts of clans have joined us," Jishin continued, nervously shaking his head. "Even those hermits from the mountains have shown up. I don't understand - how did they even hear about us? However, of all people, I didn't expect them! What are you gaping at? I just received a message from all the Deathbringer families that had been hiding! What the heck?"
"And what do they want?" Stas asked cautiously, as if walking through a minefield, tracking Jishin's facial expression.
"What they want," the son of Goro echoed emotionally. "Oh, just a trifle. To fight along with us against chaos. In return, they desire an end to their persecution and the cancellation of all past grievances! May demons take them!"
The table was overturned, and Jishin resumed pacing back and forth. Writing supplies scattered around, and an inkwell began to stain the floor with a rapidly growing puddle.
"If you dislike the idea so much, then don't accept their offer," Stas shrugged, settling in the corner.
"If only it were that simple. I've already discussed this with Katashi, and our situation is frankly depressing. If the scouts' data is accurate, the enemy outnumbers us several times over. Several times, Shiro! It turns out the war between Hizoru and Avasaki didn't deplete their resources enough, as all the survivors promptly rallied under the banners of rot. They should have killed each other off earlier, honestly."
Jishin grimaced as if all his teeth ached at once.
"Add to that other clans, tainted peasants, ashigaru, samurai, and the situation becomes quite sad. And even so, I would have rejected their offer if I didn't realize that leaving such a force behind us is deadly dangerous."
"Then place them at the very front. Let them earn their forgiveness with blood," Stas suggested with a smirk, offering the only possible solution.
"That's all that remains," Jishin sighed sadly. "But don't think I called you just to complain. You will have to negotiate with their leader, a certain Koruga."
"How small the world is," Stas sighed, somehow not at all surprised.
"You've met?" Jishin raised his eyebrows, even calming down a bit.
"You forgot? He was one of the Deathbringers who attacked us when we were fleeing from the Sansa. He was strong, so he managed to escape. And over these years, it seems he's risen quite well and united the scattered families into a single force."
"Well, isn't that something?" Jishin commented thoughtfully on such a coincidence. "Alright, talk to him, as you are versed in that crap as well. Make sure he intends to do exactly what he writes here." Goro's son shook the letter as if it were a piece of used toilet paper.
"I will," Stas nodded reluctantly, his demeanor displaying irritation.
Truth be told, he was somewhat fibbing. He was also interested in talking to such a powerful Deathbringer who apparently wasn't planning to kill him on the spot.
[1] Translator's note: "Generals do not run. In times of peace, a running general draws laughter, and in war, panic."