Aotoshi’s troops began to emerge from the exits of Fort Yaoseyun and charged with an unusual confidence. Kadaina and Zenpan were both initially taken aback by this, until they remembered what they had seen during their planning.
“The spy must’ve warned them!” Kadaina shouted over the chaos. “We need to get in there!”
Kadaina began to run toward the fortress, only to get caught in the shoulder by a broadsword. The blade withdrew itself and the mage attempted to flee, but his assailant did not allow him time to do this.
“So you’re the annoying punk who’s been planning all of those attacks, huh?” Shirei remarked, smirking as he saw Kadaina writhing in pain. “You’re a real pain in the ass, you know?”
“Well,” Kadaina scoffed, wheezing slightly, “aren’t you a charmer? You’re Kunshu’s grunt, right? It’s a pity that you’ll never amount to anything else.”
“You’re pathetic!” Shirei shouted as he plunged his knee into Kadaina’s chest. “What makes you think I care about being anything more? I owe that man my life! I’m the one who stood by his side when he first claimed the throne to Aotoshi! I was the one who marched him up to the throne room! I wouldn’t want to be anybody else!
The leading commander of the Aotoshi military continued his onslaught on Kadaina. Despite Kadaina’s best efforts to exchange at least a single blow, Shirei’s attack in all of its unrelenting fury prevented even a single reply.
“And despite all of that, you think you’re something better. Well, I’ve got news for you! You can be the best strategist in all of Crenon, but without the brawn to back it up, all of those brains would be just as useful splattered on the ground!”
Shirei eventually landed a hefty blow to Kadaina’s cheekbone, causing the mage to collapse and for Brildingjr to fall too far away. Shirei stood over Kadaina and prepared to plunge his sword through the co-commander’s chest.
“Here, let me prove it to you.”
Before he could plunge his sword into Kadaina, however, an arrow pierced through his shoulder, causing him to stumble backward. He turned around to see Ite standing behind him, with another arrow already knocked into the bow.
“If you want to live,” Ite called out to Shirei from her position, “I’d suggest surrendering.”
Shirei gave Ite a slight, menacing grin.
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“Men!” the commander suddenly shouted. “Cover me!”
A decent sized band of troops began to charge from behind Shirei toward Ite and Kadaina. As they charged forward, Shirei slinked backward and escaped from the fray. The archer was enraged at her failure to finish Shirei off. Regardless, she still went over to Kadaina’s aid.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she began to hoist Kadaina to his feet.
“I don’t know,” Kadaina scoffed. “Do you think this gaping wound is a sign of health?”
“Cut the wisecracks,” Ite replied as the troops got ever closer to their position. Ite suddenly dropped Kadaina with a thud before reaching for her arrow and hitting one of the men.
“Did you have to drop me that hard?” Kadaina whined.
“I don’t have time for this,” Ite groaned. “Look, I’ll try to find someone to get Zero’s attention. It’s your turn to sit this one out, Kadaina.”
Kadaina nodded as he took out a roll of bandages, beginning to wrap it around his shoulder.
Despite the fact that the fleet was charging at Ite, she showed no signs of fleeing. Using a bow at close range was not an option she was opposed to, even if for some it would seem ludicrously impractical. As she fought, her movements were unusually calm considering the circumstances. Even though the man she loved was likely a prisoner of war and possibly dead, even though one of her closest friends had been injured, and even though she was beginning to risk being swarmed, she seemed to be in a state of complete control. One of the approaching men came very close to striking her with a halberd from behind, but she managed to turn around fast enough and send an arrow through the attacker’s right lung, killing him almost instantly.
“Ms. Daitan!” Zenpan called out to her. “It’s great that you’re back in the ranks and all, but where’s Kadaina?!”
“He’s over here!” Ite hollered back. “I’ll hold them back! You get Kadaina out of here! He’s been injured!”
“Right!”
Ite then let another arrow loose from the bow, this one hitting three people in a line, running through each of their bodies before landing in the ground a few yards away. All three of the troops died instantly. One of the troops managed to slip by and nearly cleaved a prone Kadaina with his axe, only for Ite to put her bow on her back and grab the man by the head. She snapped the soldier’s head in one clean motion, keeping him from harming Kadaina while Zero picked his co-commander up and carried him out of range of any belligerents.
From behind her, Ite heard the war cry of a soldier approaching her. She turned and saw one of the last Aotoshi troops closing in with a dagger. Thinking fast, she grabbed an arrow from her quiver and leapt toward the soldier, using her leverage to force the arrow through the back of the soldier’s mouth and out of the other end. A quick spurt of blood left the back of the soldier’s head as the arrowhead pierced through his skull. Many of the remaining soldiers had since retreated while Ite was fighting against that specific group. Her clothes were soaked in blood, as were the clothes of many of the other remaining Akuni troops.
“Are you alright, Ite?” Zenpan asked as he approached her.
“I’ll be alright,” Ite replied. “I’m more worried about Kadaina.”
“He’s on a cot right now,” the general remarked. “The nurses are treating him as we speak. Most of the main force retreated into Fort Yaoseyun. We should be able to lay siege now, but who knows how long we can keep them from breaking free.”