Wada Kuniaki. The man was finally before him. The self-made daimyo stood at the door in his bed clothes, wiping the sleep from his eyes with one hand and holding an apple with the other. How he had managed to sleep through all that, Sou would never know.

“I’d most appreciate if you didn’t kill my only daughter,” he indicated to the unconscious body lying on the ground before them. “She’s all I have, you know. I assume you’re the Yashiro boy? You don’t look old enough to be Ryobe, and I’m pretty sure I would have heard if he were a giant.” He took a bite from the apple and then held it out at arm’s length towards Sou. “Would you like some? We have the most amazing apples here in Bijo, amazing. Tastiest you’ll find in all of Yashima. Sweet, yet super crunchy.”

Sou wasn’t sure what to make of the man. “Uh, no thank you, sir.”

Kuniaki shrugged and took another bite. “Your loss. Although really I suppose it’s my loss, isn’t it, judging by the pile of dead bodies you’ve created in my courtyard. Well played, boy, well played. You won fair and square, I surrender. The castle is now yours.” He smiled as though he had simply lost a game of Go and there would be more games later, it was no big deal. He turned and walked back into the residence, his voice trailing behind him. “Might as well come on in, then. Let’s have some breakfast.”

Sou looked over at Riko and Ayane. They both shrugged. Toshio was gone. There was nothing they could do. They followed him inside.

The residence was luxurious. Sou wanted to call it opulent. For such a small province they certainly gave off at least the impression of being a rich one. Each panel of the walls was painted with a different scene of battle. There was the Yamata, the Gashadokuro, the Great Tengu and various other legendary yokai battles all in full colourful detail, as well as countless smaller paintings of man vs man, legendary warriors from times past. Sou stopped before one panel that caught his eye, a figure, large and imposing and covered in blood, forcing his sword down the throat of a man in Imperial garb.

“Ah yes, that one is your ancestor, is he not? Prince Genji. The first samurai. The wronged prince, cast out because of Imperial corruption. A tragic story, that one. But he got his revenge in the end anyway, didn’t he? Even if it cost him his life.”

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Kuniaki’s smile was not friendly. Sou gave the painting one last look and moved on.

“And yet your ancestor also knew the value of surrounding himself with good people, did he not? The choices he made were his own and he paid for those with his life, but he never would have achieved even half as much as he did in such a short time if he hadn’t surrounded himself with intelligent advisors and powerful warriors, don’t you agree?”

He set about making a pot of tea and motioned for Sou to sit at a large table in the middle of the room. Sou nodded his head and Ayane and Riko sat either side of him. Riko flopped Izue’s unconscious body to the side of the table. The small trickle of blood that had opened up from where the shaft of the spear had hit her had dried up and mattered her hair to her face.

“I guess so,” Sou finally replied. Kuniaki was unreadable, he still wasn’t sure what to make of the man. He returned with a tea pot and started pouring cups of tea for everyone, before pouring one for himself.

“I’m just saying, you’re a smart man to have such intelligent women by your side, young lord.” He smiled at Riko and Ayane, before turning to his daughter. “And I appreciate that you didn’t kill my daughter.”

He closed his eyes, took a long, deep breath, appreciating the aroma of the tea, and then finally took a sip. “I suppose you’ll be wanting me to commit seppuku now, yes?”

Sou put his own cup down on the table. “Not at all, sir. In fact, I want you to remain here as leader.”

The surprise was evident on his face, as on Riko and Ayane’s.

“My lord, what are you-”

Sou held a hand up to silence Riko’s objection.

“You’re right that a good leader needs even better counsel around him. These lands are now Yashiro lands, and if you object I will personally kill you and set fire to every single village in the province.”

Kuniaki let out a hearty laugh, but didn’t object.

“But it would be foolish of me to try and rule this land by myself. You are a small clan, Wada-sama, and if I so willed it we could wipe you off the face off the earth.”

“I don’t doubt that is true, my boy.”

“It is not my intention to destroy you, however. I want you to join us. You will continue ruling Bijo province as-is, but you will do so in the name of the Yashiro. When we call, you will come running. Do you understand?”

Kuniaki rolled back on his cushion and took another sip of tea.

“You want me to become a vassal of the Yashiro, is what you’re saying?”

“Yes.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because, sir, I wish to marry your daughter, and it would be a shame to have to kill my father in law.”