Hideyoshi kept piling it on, bringing up the nature of the Hykings and their curse, the history of the Kage Clan and their misfortune.
He even made sure to point out the soft spots the villagers are known to be frustrated with.
For he, more than anyone, knew exactly what ticked them off.
And it worked.
“Yea! He’s got a point! Kid or not, if he is a Hyking, we are better off just throwing him out before he causes something else to happen!”
“I have to think of my family and kids first! I’m with Mister Hideyoshi on this one!”
“I agree! We can’t let that kid stay here!”
“Throw him out!”
Munisai and Jun stood still, frozen in place. They had tried all they could to remedy the situation, to convince the villagers to let the boy stay, but to no avail.
Munisai clenched his fist, it was about to happen again… And he can’t do anything about it.
“Let’s go! Quickly!” The mob started to move toward the unconscious Lawkey lying over Kerberos’ fur.
Munisai remembered how bravely he fought, the boy had jumped in to protect him, and from what Jun said, the kid had saved her too.
He owed him too much to let this happen to him.
He didn’t have his sword back yet, but he wasn’t about to watch them throw the kid out.
He would stop them, even if he had to fight every single one of them with his broken bones.
Munisai took a step forward, leaning on his crutch.
However…
“My fellow clansmen and women!”
“?!”
A loud and commanding voice from behind him stopped Munisai before he attempted something reckless.
It was the voice of a man who carried authority and respect within the Kage village, far more than Hideyoshi or even Munisai himself.
Even the villagers immediately turned when they heard it, they wouldn’t dare ignore it.
“It seems I was late in getting here, even my new recruits were not able to protect you in my stead. Allow me to extend my deepest apologies for their shortcomings!” The man spoke as he began to come into view.
His hazel colored hair was medium length, but there was still a long ponytail tied to the back of his head that almost reached down to the back of his knees. The goatee stretching to both sides of his chin gave him the typical middle-aged man look, but that only served to compliment his handsome face, or so the women of the Kage Clan would say.
Despite not being the brawny type, he held his long naginata firmly as he walked, all the while donning a light armor plate to suit his stature. The Kage Clan logo was clearly visible on his shoulder piece.
Tsutomu and Ichiro, the two guards who got blasted away by the monster earlier, immediately lowered their heads. The man’s words cut deeply into them, expanding the shame of defeat still eating at them.
“...Commander Hachi, Sir!” They still managed to give him a proper greeting.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
He ignored them and kept walking towards Munisai and the mob.
THUD!
Then he came to a halt, stomping the blunt end of his long glaive into the ground and catching everyone’s attention once more.
“In the great name of the 22nd Shadow Queen, Taiga Kage… I, Hachi Kage, Commander of the Royal Guards, will take things over from here!”
His purple eyes glowed as he narrowed them.
“...”
“Any objections?”
The Commander of the Royal Guards stood tall, waiting for anyone to step forward.
But no one did.
They all simply stood waiting, avoiding any direct eye contact with him.
He had quickly established control.
“Now, while this is quite the odd situation, I cannot fathom why anyone here would dare make any final decisions before going through the right procedures.” He moved his narrow eyes, looking every person in the face one by one, “Would anyone care to explain?”
He stopped slightly at Munisai, made stern eye contact with him, and then switched to Hideyoshi, where his eyes came to a halt, inviting the respected mediator to explain.
“... Hachi,” Hideyoshi clenched his fist without anyone noticing, “In times of crisis like this, procedures don’t matter! To protect our Shadow Queen, Her Majesty, to protect the clan, to protect our people… We have to get rid of any potential threats as soon as they present themselves! Don’t you agree?!”
Hachi kept his stern pose and kept looking at Hideyoshi in silence. He knew what kind of man he was, someone who’s cunning and had a way with words, that’s why he mentioned protecting the Shadow Queen as the first priority.
To Hachi, that was the only purpose he now existed for. Everyone, including Hideyoshi, knew this very well.
The problem was, Hideyoshi often didn’t know when to stop.
“You, along with Munisai, should know the threat of strangers coming into our clan! Just like my family, you have similarly lost a loved one to previous naivety and carelessness! We cannot let such a thing happen again-”
“Shut up.”
“?!”
Hachi cut him off plainly, but the sudden silent atmosphere around him quickly tensed up and darkened.
“E-excuse me?” Hideyoshi let out, still taken back.
“You…a measly old man who has never picked up a weapon in his life…” Hachi walked slowly toward Hideyoshi.
With every step he took, the villagers watching forced themselves to hold their breath for a second longer.
Munisai felt the shadows begin to change beneath the Commander, a sense of grief and pain accompanying them.
He couldn’t help but grimace and narrow his eyes. He felt the tug on his sleeve tighten, he knew Jun was feeling it too.
“You dare make decisions before consulting our Shadow Queen? Are you disrespecting Her Majesty?” Suddenly, shadows exploded behind Hachi as his eyes glared with anger at the man in front of him.
“W-what?! N-no! I would not dream of it! I-i’ve served Her Majesty my entire life!” Hideyoshi, feeling the pressure creeping up on him, managed to respond through his sweating body, fidgeting the entire time. His teeth clacked against each other inside his mouth.
“I don’t believe you.” Hachi stomped his giant glaive in the ground again, sending cold chivers all around.
“Hachi.”
Munisai spoke calmly, but directly looked at the Commander of the Royal Guards with no hesitation.
Hachi, without moving his body an inch, simply redirected his eyes towards Munisai.
“Hideyoshi is bringing up a valid concern, a concern of many people present here. While I am personally against it, it is nevertheless something we should bring up to the Queen too, don’t you think?” Munisai spoke with a slight grimace, his tone carrying a hint of melancholy.
“...”
Thud!
Hachi took a proper look around, examining the situation around them as his shadows and dark presence quickly vanished.
With the pressure on him gone, Hideyoshi fell on his behind the moment the tension in his body let up. The little kid with bangs covering half his face from earlier quickly ran up and tried to support him.
“It seems a lot has happened here…” Hachi stopped looking around and scanned Munisai’s body, from his injuries to his missing leg, lingering on it for a second.
He turned around suddenly and began to leave.
“Take the boy in for now, and get yourselves treated. You are to come to the Royal Castle as soon as he wakes up and explain everything to Her Majesty. She will grant you an audience.”
Then he looked to the side, glaring at Hideyoshi.
“And you. Make sure to be there.”
Then, he gave the unconscious Lawkey and the giant wolf one last glance before moving on.
“Guards!” He shouted.
“Yes, sir!” The two guards from earlier, along with four other soldiers that had shown up after Hachi arrived to check out the bell sounds way too late, took stern positions and replied in unison.
“Clean up this mess. Make sure the gate is secured and everyone is safe! I’ll contact the Keymen for reconstruction and bounty collection. That is all.”
“Yes, sir!” They all answered in unison again, then immediately scattered in different directions.
Munisai watched him, feeling a painful knot in his chest.
He wished a certain person could see who Hachi had now become.
From an untalented young orphan, all the way to the position as the Commander of the Royal Guards.
Terumi… If only…
“And Munisai.” Hachi turned around again and addressed the man barely standing on his one remaining leg.
Munisai looked at him, not having expected another conversation.
The two had rarely talked to each other after that day. Neither held a grudge over the other, that wasn’t why.
Perhaps it was simply the memories which would come rushing back that made them hesitant to strike a conversation.
The times they did talk, however, it was always because…
“Be sure not to be late. You know how she is.” Hachi, for the first time since he appeared, allowed himself a slight smile.
“Heh, I know. I’ll try not to cause you any more trouble, Commander.” Munisai chuckled, saying that last part through gnawing pain in his sides.
Noticing her gaze, he brought his daughter closer to him, happy to have her safe by his side.
image [https://i.imgur.com/7EKC2I1.jpeg]
Now, the passed out Lawkey had been successfully taken in for the time being, but what awaited him next?
He was too busy fighting a silent battle to give that any thought.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/KQmIY8F.png]