Fubuki lined up the robot maids. The twenty robot maids stood equally spaced apart from each other, each given a weapon from Rikya's Armory she stole from Syon. Each weapon the maids held was the former possession of someone worthy of becoming a target by the top Spirit Hunters on Earth. They could not be taken lightly. The maids trembled as Fubuki stood in front of them. She carried a katana talled than her in it's sheath.

Wavr and Hifu abandoned her summons for military training, and Fubuki wasn't eager to chase after them. She was grateful her Master had the sense of responsibility of a walnut in times like these. She sensed a terrible chaotic energy from the two, hiding under their calm and cheerful atmospheres.

Fubuki scanned the shaking maids.

"Our Master has requested war. Our enemies are numerous. Before the sun sets, you will all be procifcient in the art of war."

A maid objected, throwing down her sword. As she did, Fubuki pulled her katana enough to show a glint of steel. The maid scrambled to pick up her sword but her head was cut off by then. The sound of Fubuki's sheathing sword left the maids silent and attentive. She pointed to a small maid.

"Get this piece of junk to 'that' girl. Tell her to have our soldier ready for training."

The small maid squeaked and scattered as she collected the fallen maid's head and body. Fubuki stared straight on at each maid, making them recoil.

"If there is anyone who feels the same, let them speak now. I am happy to send you to 'that' girl for repair."

Each maid looked straight forward, masking their faces as best they could. None of them looked like they had any will to resist left. The training continued deep into the night.

Meanwhile, Ichi visited the Red Abbey with Oni and Rikya. Ichi couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Tama.

She was happily chasing after animal children with a smile on her face. Her extravagant clothing was gone, replaced by a simple volumious habit. Ichi noted that it wasn't enough to hide her breasts completely, but it gave her indomintable appearance some well needed counterbalance. Tama looked like a normal woman.

Ichi fell to the ground is despair. Rikya rubbed Ichi's fallen back.

"Why..." Ichi gasped out on the ground.

"She's just playing. After ten thousand years of deception and power games, there's no way she's changed her tune now." Rikya said, comforting Ichi.

Oni herself had fallen in with the children, his entire atmosphere of respectability gone as he acted like a little girl. Even though he looked like a little girl, it warped Ichi's perception to see Oni actually playing the part. He removed himself to the kitchens, Rikya accompying him. There, they saw Hifu and Wavr who were discussing something in-depth with a large brown hare and an old mouse.

"Desolation and death await." Wavr said.

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"There might be an attack from scary people, in that case, run run run." Hifu clarified.

The old mouse wasn't having it.

"We won't abandon the abbey!"

And the brown hare had to say his piece as well.

"Just a nip to the mountain and back and I'll have ten score fighters ready to take on any nasties you've got coming."

Wavr shook her head.

"Very weak, shadows take spirits fastidiously." Wavr said.

"Each enemy is worth a hundred hundred score of any fighters you have! They have powerful magics, poooowerrrrfulll maggiiicsss." Hifu wiggled her fingers with a forboding face at the brown hare.

Rikya and Ichi walked past them into the kitchens and asked for something to eat from friendly looking mole. Rikya couldn't understand the creatures speech, but somehow Ichi did. They tucked in to some steaming vegetable pie with greensap milk, Ichi using his hands while Rikya ignored him and used a plate, fork, and knife.

"Better to keep Tama here to protect these people, right?" Rikya commented.

Ichi laid back in between wolfing down chunks of the pie. He half burnt his tongue. That didn't stop him for long. The maids at the castle could cook, decently, but he got thought that he should send them here to train.

"Definitely. Perhaps this is for the best. I was worried she'd be trouble."

"Even as her friend, I think she's trouble. Ichi, you're much worse, but at least you're loyal." Rikya poked her portion. She was already full.

"It's just some stupid cats. How bad could they be?"

Meanwhile, in the Spirit World, at the pinnacle of the city of Prsuka in the Fox Spirit Nation where the Spirit Gate linked to, a bakeneko walked down the streets at night. His two thick grey blue tails swished as his shadow caused fox spirits to shut their windows in fright. One of his eyes was covered in a white eyepatch, he wore a blue robe, and at his waist a katana and wakashazi were sheathed.

A small gang of bakeneko leapt out from the shadows, surrounding him and snickering. A short fat black one waddled forward

"Nice swords you got there, mind if we swung them around? For the rest of your life, which won't be long!"

The bakeneko with the white eyepatch met eyes with the fat one.

"You are a disgrace to our people with your crude speech. If I need to kill you all to make you quiet in death, I will do so."

The fat black cat sneered at him. He felt a strange aura from this cat. His thoughts of thievery and violence fled upon hearing his voice and seeing his posture.

"Who do you think you are? The bakeneko lords have fallen! There is no one who can restrain us now, all we have left is to fight to the bitter end and take what we can from others, freely! Aren't you the same?!"

"I am Avar. I have restrained myself. I will not bring misery to others like the likes of you." The grey blue cat drew his katana.

The fat black one had already noticed it. All the bakeneko surrounding Avar noticed it as well. This bakeneko, he had the aura of a bakeneko lord. None of them could believe it. The fat black one questioned his instincts, before he shook his head and bowed, touching a paw to the ground.

The bakeneko looked at the fat black one in disbelief, then nodded to each other and bowed as well.

Avar couldn't believe his one eye. It swished around at the stupid cats, thinking they had all gone insane.

"What are you all doing? It's as if you've all decided to become respectable! This is impossible!"

In the night, the fat black cat looked up at his new lord, his new bakeneko lord. That aura was unmistakable to someone who lived for a hundred years in the service of former bakeneko lords.

"I am Tufts. There is an army to gather, a nation to conquer, and you will be the one to rule it. I will see to it."