THE AKUNI ARMY SWARMED INTO THEIR BASE in Murasakino, having successfully upheld their winning streak. Their casualties were minimal, as evident by the large number of surviving troops that barrelled into the main hall. All of the troops felt that they were nearly invincible with the tactical brilliance of Kadaina Meiji on their side. It was his strategy and quick thinking, after all, that had granted Akuni their most recent victory in Northwell. Their pride had reached an all-time high. Zenpan got onto a table to stand above the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” he bellowed over the crowd. “Today’s victory is one that shall go down in history as one of our finest. You have all cemented your legacy! Your valiant efforts have tremendously impacted the outcome of this war, no doubt. By continuing to fight on for Akuni, you are honoring those who cannot and those who died trying. I’m very proud of all of you, and I want to prove it to you. We will be holding a victory party for all members of the Akuni fleet!”

The crowd had become ecstatic upon hearing this news. Swords clashed against shields. At least one arrow was shot into the sky, lodging itself into the ceiling. Yukan, Ite, and Kadaina looked at one another and cracked a smile, satisfied with their accomplishments.

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The party started off relatively tame. It mostly consisted of the soldiers eating high-quality food and drinking some of the finest alcohol in Crenon. Others would play various bar games. Zenpan and Kadaina were playing a game of one-pocket pool. A few soldiers were spectating the game, one of which was drinking a gin and tonic from his highball glass. Yukan and Ite were playing darts together.

A blond-haired and blue-eyed woman suddenly approached Kadaina with a Casino cocktail in her hand. She glanced for a moment at the pool table as Kadaina made his shot, knocking the ball near Zenpan’s pocket into his own, using its momentum to hit the pocket on his end as well.

“Good game,” Kadaina announced. He began to take the billiard balls out of his pocket and revealed that he had eight, thus meaning that he had met the required number.

“Not bad, kid,” the blonde-haired woman remarked as Kadaina and Zenpan began to set up for the next game.

“One-pocket is a much more defensive version of pool,” Kadaina began. “When you get a ball close to the pocket, you force your opponent to try to knock it out of the way instead of allowing them to shift their focus to a different ball. They don’t have the novelty of being able to make a punt at the ball closest to a pocket or banking off of your shot to take the ball for themselves. In my case, I trusted myself to hit a flyer and win the game. It was a risky play, admittedly, but I knew that the chances were non-zero.”

“That sounds intense,” the lady replied. “Here, let me get you a drink so you can cool off.”

“I’m fine, miss…”

“Brunnhilde,” the lady chimed in, “and I insist. What are you feeling?”

“I don’t drink,” Kadaina continued.

“Barkeep!” Brunnhilde called out as if she didn’t hear. “I’ll have a Bertrand.”

The rest of the party’s attendees were oblivious to this, but the bartender grew pale upon hearing the request. The Betrand was a notoriously powerful cocktail. It got its name from Bertrand Okibo, the former King of Akuni who died after he poisoned himself due to the pressures of following in his father’s footsteps. This crude moniker was well earned for the cocktail, however, as many cases of alcohol poisoning have been attached to consuming the beverage in large amounts.

Regardless, the bartender began to make the drink. He put two ounces of vodka, an ounce and a half of gin, an ounce a half of white rum, half an ounce of triple sec, four dashes of aromatic bitters, half an ounce of agave syrup, a splash of tonic water, and a dash of lemon juice into a highball glass with ice. After stirring the drink, he garnished the drink with a lemon wheel. The bartender put the drink on the bar, along with the traditional ginger beer chaser.

Brunnhilde took the drink and went back over to the pool table.

“Here you are,” she said as she offered the drink to Kadaina. “One Betrand.”

“Don’t you think this is a little heavy to start off with?” Kadaina interjected.

“Relax, Kadaina,” Brunnhilde replied. “It’s only one Betrand. It’s not going to do you any harm.”

“With all due respect, I’ve never had any alcohol in my life,” Kadaina continued.

“And that’s why I’m only giving you one drink.”

“I’d really prefer something else-”

“Hey!” Brunnhilde suddenly called out. “Hey everyone! Kadaina said he’s going to chug this Betrand!”

Suddenly, everybody began to look over to Kadaina. Many of the people grew an excited look on their faces. Such a daunting feat was seldom ever attempted. The Betrand was meant to be consumed slowly to prevent instant nausea, but Brunnhilde was promising to the onlookers that Kadaina would chug it. Kadaina knew that drinking this was probably a terrible idea, but the crowd that had gathered around him began cheering him on. Caught up in the heat of the moment and the life of the party, he folded and put the glass up to his lips.

The crowd looked on in awe as Kadaina chugged the drink. Even Zenpan, who was initially planning to stop the cheering upon seeing what was going on, was stuck in place to witness this phenomenal undertaking.

After about a minute of effort, Kadaina finished the drink, slamming the glass down on the pool table. The onlookers celebrated as Kadaina began to cough. The strength of the liquor was foreign to him. He took the ginger beer and began to chug it to wash out the taste. By the time he finished the chaser, he rushed out of the building.

“General!” Brunnhilde called out to Zenpan. “The co-commander threw up.”

Zenpan immediately put down his cue and rushed outside. Brunnhilde almost let a wicked grin slip as Zenpan passed by her. Regaining her focus, she sat back down at the bar.

“Another Casino, please,” she said, using her natural, sultry alto as opposed to the more chipper tone she put up earlier.

As the bartender began to make her drink, a thoroughly drunk soldier planted himself by her.

“Hey there, beautiful,” he said in a voice both twangy and low. “I haven’t seen you around the army. Are you one of them nurses that’ll heal me real up good if I get hurt?”

“Yeah, sure,” Mirikiteki said dismissively. This man posed no threat to her mission.

“Can I get you anything else, sweetie?” the man continued.

“I’ve got my own drink,” she replied, unimpressed. “I think you should get your own drink. You shouldn’t waste it on me.”

“Well, I can’t ignore my nurse,” the soldier responded. “Barkeep, a lager please!”

The bartender reluctantly slid another mug of beer toward the already drunk soldier as he handed Mirikiteki her casino. The soldier took a massive gulp, but didn’t even drink half of the mug. He turned his back for a moment, giving Mirikiteki enough time to slip a pill capsule into his drink.

“Quite the party, ain’t it?” the soldier said as he took a hefty swig from the mug, finishing it off. “We should go find a special spot just for you and me to enjoy.”

“Maybe in another life,” Mirikiteki scoffed as the man collapsed. The assassin casually moved a few seats over.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Yukan and Ite have gotten fairly close to the end of their game. Up to this point, Ite hit a bullseye every time. To win this game, she needed to score exactly one point. Luckily for her, this was simply a matter of accuracy, something she excelled at greatly. After a brief moment of aim, she threw the dart, which stuck directly in the one-point area.

“Way to go,” Yukan said. “I guess that proves the board wasn’t rigged.”

“Why would it be rigged?” Ite replied. “It’s just the same dartboard you’d find in any other bar.”

“I guess you’re right,” Yukan noted as he began to take the last darts out of the board. “Let’s raise the stakes, shall we?”

“How so?”

“How does this sound?” Yukan began. “If you win, then I’ll cover our drinks. But if I win, then you’ll have to kiss me.”

“You know what?” Ite replied. “I’ll take you up on that. It’s a deal.”

The next round of 301 began with Yukan throwing the darts. Yukan’s first dart missed the board, but his next darts scored him an 8 and a 19. Ite’s turn came up, and she hit a 20, a 13, and a double 6.

A similar scheme of scores went on, until Ite was down to thirty points. She immediately hit a bullseye on her next turn.

“Oh dang,” Ite remarked. “I got a bust. Well, I’ve still got thirty points to get and you’ve got one-hundred.”

“Don’t act so smug now,” Yukan quipped. Yukan then scored a double 20, a triple 5, and a 6.

Ite’s turn came up again and she hit yet another bullseye, followed by Yukan hitting a double 5, a triple 3, and a 2. Yukan only had to get three points on his next turn, while Ite had the leniency of thirty points. Fortunately for Yukan, Ite hit yet another bullseye. After a few more turns of both players getting busts, Yukan eventually managed to hit a triple one on the first throw of a round, giving him the victory. Upon seeing that he won, his face became flush.

“I honestly didn’t think I would win…” he began.

“Well, either way,” Ite sighed. “I have to uphold my end of the bargain.”

As she said that, Ite pulled Yukan in for a kiss. After the kiss was done, they both stood awkwardly for a moment.

“Anyway, about those sodas-” Ite remarked.

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

The two of them went to the bar and sat next to Mirikiteki without even bothering to look in her direction.

“Could we get two cream sodas please?” Yukan asked the bartender. The bartender went over and grabbed two cans of soda before placing them in front of Yukan and Ite, along with a glass of ice. As Yukan poured the soda into his glass, Mirikiteki saw the rose imprint on Yukan’s arm, a surefire mark of the Kenshi bloodline.

“Hey guys,” Mirikiteki said to them in a cheery and upbeat tone. “That was one hell of a battle, wasn’t it?”

“I guess it was,” Yukan replied to her. “I don’t remember you being in the 154th.”

“Oh, I’m just a field nurse,” the assassin answered. “I was all over the place, really, treating people left and right. Say, what’s your name?”

“Yukan Kenshi,” the swordsman responded.

“And I’m Ite,” the archer interjected suddenly. “I’ve never seen you before. Isn’t that kinda weird?”

“I’m new,” Mirikiteki answered. “Brunnhilde’s the name and saving lives is my game. Say, you look kinda sore still from the battle earlier. Do you need me to check you out, make sure that you’re okay?”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Yukan plainly stated. “I was already checked out by a nurse in Northwell before I came back to Murasakino. If I were hurt, they would’ve told me then and treated me on the spot.”

“So, Brunnhilde,” Ite began. “Why are you in this war anyway?”

“I’m fighting for my ill old father,” she replied rather nonchalantly. “The poor man can hardly stand straight anymore.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Yukan said sympathetically.

“It’s fine, really,” Mirikiteki continued. “I just hope he can get through next winter all right.”

“Hey, Yu,” Ite started once more in an agitated tone, “can I go and talk with our new friend in private?”

“Of course,” Yukan answered, confused by Ite’s seeming paranoia. “See you in a bit?”

“Sure thing, dear,” she said before kissing Yukan. “Love you.”

Ite then turned to Brunnhilde before the two of them left. Yukan sat at the bar alone, confused by what was going on. Not too long after, Zenpan approached the bar and sat beside him.

“Barkeep, can you get me a Murasakino Mule?” the commander requested.

“Where’s Kadaina?” Yukan asked. “I thought he was with you guys over at the pool table, but I don’t see him over there.”

“He was,” Zenpan answered. “He chugged a Bertrand though and immediately threw up. Now he’s in the stables talking to the horses. He’s a fun drunk, really.”

“You just left him?!” Yukan replied.

“He’s got a few other people watching him to make sure he doesn’t do anything too stupid. Anywho, what happened to Ite?”

“She went off with one of the nurses for whatever reason.”

“Nurses?” Zenpan asked with a concerned tone. “What are you talking about?”

“Yeah,” Yukan continued. “Some Brunnhilde.”

“Yukan,” the general continued, grabbing both of Yukan’s shoulders. “Kadaina sent all of the nurses to aid the injured in Northwell overnight. There shouldn’t be any in the camp.”

“What?!” Yukan exclaimed before getting up from his seat. “I need to find Ite!”

Yukan bolted for the nearest door, his drink spilling out in the process. As Yukan left, Kadaina burst through the door, struggling to walk straight.

“Where ya goings, Yuko buds?!” Kadaina hollered to his comrade. He then turned to Zenpan. “Zero! I have a question for ya, buddy! Is your mom’s name One and your dad’s name Two?”

Zenpan planted his head in his palm and heaved a groan.

“Okay, young man!” he said, trying to bring Kadaina back in the direction he came from. “Let’s get you to the barracks, okay? He’s gonna regret this in the morning for sure.”

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Ite and Mirkiteki went to a more reclusive spot on the camp, behind one of the barracks. The pale moonlight provided the smallest sliver of light to where they could see each other.

“Is everything alright, Ite?” Mirikiteki began, keeping up the act of Brunnhilde. “Was he bothering you? You know, they have these things called angel shots you can order for that sort of thing-”

“I know you’re up to something,” Ite huffed. “I know you’re not a nurse. All of the nurses stayed behind in Northwell. So then, why would you have broken away from them?”

“Well, we realized that Yukan wasn’t properly treated,” the assassin continued. “He still had several injuries that, if left untreated, could cause him further complications and perhaps even lead to his death. Honestly, the way you’re keeping him from proper care is beyond malicious.”

“That- that’s not true!” Ite defensively interjected.

“Oh, sweetie,” Mirikiteki carried on, a more devilish smile beginning to grow on her face. “I know this is hard for you to realize, but not everybody can bounce back from an injury like you. You were hit with a pretty bad arrow to the shoulder a while back. At Chisana, wasn’t it? Quite impressive how quickly you recovered. But you aren’t able to see that Yukan’s not as hardened as you are. He’s far more fragile, fresh to combat. You want him to be stronger because you need him. No, you don’t need him. You just want him. You’re willing to let him suffer by being forced to stay with you instead of letting him go for even a few seconds to get him patched up. Just take one look in the mirror and you’ll see the selfish, arrogant little brat that I see in front of me.”

Suddenly, Mirikiteki drew a thin-bladed sword and went in to stab Ite. Ite managed to barely see Mirikiteki go in for the kill, narrowly avoiding certain death. She then kicked the sword out of Mirikiteki’s hand.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Ite yelled out as her attacker threw a dagger at her.

“I’ve got a bounty to claim,” Mirkiteki answered, finally using her normal voice.

Ite charged at Mirikiteki and tackled her to the ground. The two began slugging at each other with great force. After a few seconds of fighting, Yukan arrived on scene.

“Ite, stop!” he yelled out, prying Ite off of Mirikiteki, who had since found herself taking the blows. By this point, Ite had several bruises on her body and Mirikiteki had a cut on her forehead, which leaked down onto the concrete path they stood on.

“Yukan?” Ite responded upon seeing her lover.

“What the hell are you two doing?!”

“Your girlfriend attacked me!” the assassin spurted out as Brunnhilde, trying to pin the blame on the archer.

“She’s the one who pulled a sword on me!” Ite cried out in response.

“You know what?” Mirikiteki scoffed. “I’ve had enough. Let Yukan stay out here. Don’t come crying back to me when he keels over from his wounds!”

“That’s bullshit!” the archer once again interjected. “You know damn well he isn’t injured!”

“That’s enough!” Yukan shouted over the two of them. “Get out of here, Brunnhilde.”

Mirikiteki then stormed off. Ite stood there for a moment, watching Mirikiteki leave, before spitting out blood from her mouth.

“And don’t you ever come back!” she yelled after her.

“How about we head back into the bar, Ite?” Yukan suggested.

Ite nodded silently as the two of them began to head back.