"I sense everyone is here," spoke Yotsuba Setsuko, the shogun, softly. She graced them with a smile and nod. "Good. Let us proceed at once."

A steaming cup of tea from a servant found its way into Setsuko's hand. At the same time, the servants from each clan performed the same for their respective daimyos and themselves, while Izel had the honour of pouring tea for Tamoanchanese representatives. Alicia was still trying to wrap her head around such a behavioural pattern before the people raised their cups and their gazes slowly drifted to her and Wisesa.

Izel subtly tilted her head to the teapot near Alicia. Understood, the bespectacled lass seized the initiative to raise it and pour its content into her own vessel.

"Yer cup," Alicia whispered to Wisesa.

Wisesa acquiesced and let his cup be filled as well.

All cups were steaming. Within seconds, the murky liquid inside vanished down their throats.

"Thank you for attending the summons of the fiftieth volume of the mujino war meeting, representatives of the Kazanoka, Ayemagawa, Itto, Besshou, and Hitotsuyanagi. No less gratitude for the representatives of the Kagatsean Branch of the Magisterium, the Ministry of Defence, and the brave warriors of the Tamoanchanese Community," Shogun Setsuko officially convened the meeting. Everyone bowed their heads.

Yet, the Dajō Daijin had more to impart. "As you have also sensed, there are new faces among us. Alicia Crimsonmane, and Wisesa, her companion. Young in years, but don't make the mistake of judging their innocent appearances. It is to our fortune that these two people prevented Atama no Tsuki from eating the moon for the second time. On behalf of the entire Kagatsean nation, we are honoured that they are willing to assist us in stopping this endless war."

Stopping the endless war was a tall order and an oxymoron. But anyone willing to do so merited a bow and respect. So that was what they extended to Alicia and Wisesa, who mirrored the expressions in kind.

"We shall proceed with the routine battle planning," continued Dajō Daijin, "I seek an update on the progress of the dimensional rift."

The Tamoanchanese representative elder bowed. He was the first to speak. "Our combined shinobi and quimichtin spies have discerned no significant changes in the four dimensional rifts. As of now, there are no fresh ruptures in the Kagatsean regions. Otnagochi remains the primary front to drive the mujinos away from Takamagahara, but the dimensional tear in Onogoro is still the most unstable with the influx of monsters escalating within each wave. Based on our observations, we feel the need to allocate forces to Onogoro."

"Allocating warriors, yes...?" Dajō Daijin's exposed lids creased with consideration. "What are your suggestions? Should we allocate troops from the Otnagochi frontline?"

"It is the need, but I deem it unwise," the elder replied.

"I concur," The Minister of Defence nodded. He sat against the backdrop of a warrior drawing his katana from its sheath. "The current Otnagochi deployment is already strained. But we can have the remaining troops guarding the villages and towns moved to the Onogoro region. We'll make sure all the residents there are evacuated before the attack arrives."

"What about the preparations in Onogoro itself?" asked Dajō Daijin.

The Besshou clan daimyo's retainers executed Ninshu's hand gestures, animating the sand garden vortex into an interactive virtual floor plan.

"We, the Ayemagawa and Besshou clans have tightened our patrols and built more outposts around the Onogoro rift. After our last incident, we can no longer take the risk of attacking them up close. Smaller clans have agreed to lure the mujinos closer to the towns of Miyahoro and Miyagata," explained the daimyo of the Besshou clan as his finger shifted the sand into levelled terrains believed to be the twin towns of Miyahoro and Miyagata. He appeared as a giant seated raccoon in his trademark cloak and headdress. Splashes of black paint from his eyes and cheeks emphasised his and his servant's looks.

"And those unable to partake in combat?"

"We did our best to evacuate all our elders, mothers and children to Takamagahara as much as possible. But those who cannot make it before the deadline will be taken to Miyahoro or Miyagata. We have set up a perimeter in the area of those two towns as our defence field. It's quite a large area, easy to scatter their ranks. The city walls of Miyahoro and Miyagata have also been fitted with steel armour panels and skyscraper cannons. Gothhotroos will never be able to enter the city again while we attack them."

"Then I leave the fate of Onogoro in your hands," Dajō Daijin replied, her nod a tacit acknowledgement. "Taro-dono. What of Otnagochi itself?"

"Yes, Dajō Daijin-sama." Hokutoji Taro—who was sitting with his back to a painting of a warrior brandishing his katana at the ground—saluted. "We have deployed three hundred Ninshu practitioners to reconstruct the first-tier Shinpi wall near Hiurui further than its previous reach to suppress the mujinos," the defence minister reported as he lifted the sand field into an elongated block. "Minefields are being prepared. Broader this time. The cannons on the two-tier Shinpi wall are fifty per cent repaired. We've also made three layers of booby traps before the second Shinpi wall to harass the binxtrunachs. But as I said before, the number of soldiers on the front lines is too strained and we're still waiting for supplies from the centre. If we aim to weather this new wave with Takamagahara securely in Kagatsean’s custody, I require additional troops."

Dajō Daijin shook her head. "The soldiers in other regions have been centralised to Onogoro...," she said before turning to the daimyo on her right. "You promised a grand training of new warriors and practitioners. How fares the endeavour?"

"Dajō Daijin-sama," a daimyo from the clan whose banner was a kneeling woman, Kazanoka, bowed. "We have trained and assigned more warriors to be stationed along the Tengoku no Tani valley, and also at the signal outposts in the Amaterasu area. But I'm not sure we can spare enough troops for the front lines."

"Numbers?"

"One thousand five hundred practitioners—one thousand Chūnin and five hundred Jōnin—divided into three classes: five hundred fifty heavy troops, two hundred scouts, five hundred shield bearers, and three hundred sharpshooters."

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"A considerable force. Yet, most are assigned to your domain and Onogoro?"

"That is correct, Dajō Daijin-sama. Forgive us if the number falls short of your expectations." The Daimyo of the Besshou and Kazanoka clans kissed the ground. "The deployment of warriors became increasingly challenging with each wave, as the number of mujinos burgeon and their kind diversifies. They force us to only defend our own territory."

"You have done your best. Adversity burdens all. But keep the faith," Domen Toyoshige, the priest, interjected gently. "Our endurance to date stems from faith. Without it, even ten Shinpi walls would have been a breeze for them."

Hokutoji Taro merely shook his head, his face sour. What use was a priest in a war room if there was nothing else to do but preach virtue and faith? The correct deployment of soldiers and resources was the surefire tip for victory!

"As Domen-sama said, you have tried. Nevertheless, I do not wish to hear of the desperation that results in innocent civilians or minors being forced to fight." asserted Dajō Daijin firmly.

"No, Dajō Daijin-sama. Never will we do that."

Looking at the three puppets sitting quietly on the waves of the sand garden, Domen's web of thoughts formed a new connection. "Why didn't we ask Zuban Engineering for help producing more war automatons?"

"If the company wasn't in strike trouble with its workers, we could," sneered the Minister of Defence.

"A strike? At a crucial time?" The Daimyo of the Besshou clan interjected. His tone was high with exasperation. "Don't those workers understand our survival and theirs also depends on them?"

"The problem is that they also need to provide food on the table," this time from the Hitotsuyanagi clan daimyo, who was wearing a catfish-shaped kabuto. "Sending automaton units to each region at last wave was excessive labour."

"Then compensate them accordingly! Raise the budget for that! That was done by the shogunate, wasn't it?"

"That means cutting the budget for army supplies and so on," Hokutoji Taro rebutted, his face already hot with the thought. "It means more national debt. Taxes are already higher than we'd like. We haven't even paid off the debt from the Realm's Prosperity Consortium for the last two years' projects."

"Chixian Shenzhou is still standing by their offer," the Hitotsuyanagi clan's daimyo said, which was immediately met with raised eyebrows from the others. The blind shogun's lips seemed to curve slightly downward.

"Don't you ever present that damned offer," Taro snarled.

"I am merely raising a possibility that you have not considered."

"It's not a possibility and it won't be considered!"

"I can talk to the workers and officials of Zuban Engineering to work something out," Domen said again, trying to cool the heat. "Perhaps also make contact with Kagatsean conglomerates to finance this automaton project."

"Ah, yes. I forgot. Toyoshige Domen also has a side as a Gold Digger," Taro sneered. "Unfortunately since the kingdom plague happened, there’s been no word of fundraising for new temples or social favours. Lost your touch, I presume? They prefer hoarding treasures in other countries and leave when the hour strikes. How will you convince them this time, Domen-sama? Another sermon?"

"Sometimes all they need is the understanding to perceive the bigger picture." Domen seemed unmoved.

The Minister of Defence scoffed. "Have it your way. I don't think you have anything to lose."

"They will be generous, if they understand. I'll make sure the good news reaches your ears, Dajō Daijin-sama," the priest assured in a hushed tone to the shogun.

Amid the conversation, Wisesa and Alicia seemed to be displaced, gawking at this adult conversation with wide-eyed curiosity—or clamped-lips bewilderment.

"Oh, missy, this is certainly an interesting meeting." A sarcasm from Wisesa whispered to the bespectacled lass. "Do you think you understand what they're talking about in terms of debt, state budgets, faith, and secret politics with this neighbouring country?"

"Unfortunately, Wisesa, they dinnae include this in the academy curriculum let alone in Mama's encyclopedia," Alicia whispered back. But then her ruby eyes caught the faintest hint of a smile on the shogun's albino face, as if it were meant for her alone. Shyness struck Alicia, and she dropped her gaze to the sandy garden.

Dajō Daijin then nodded. "And what of the dimensional cracks in Ryūgū and Yomi islands?"

"The completion of the Watatsumi Project is on schedule," reported the daimyo of the Hitotsuyanagi clan. "When the new wave arrives, the remains of the citizens will be moved into the subaquatic bunkers. Our strategy involves redirecting mujinos' attention back to the Kagatsean mainland, then to the buffer zone between Miyahoro and Miyagata. However, we still have not received the survival supplies we requested for our people. Zaloses and formszazazs wiped out most of our livestock and crops. We beseech your aid, o Imperial Highness Dajō Daijin-sama, to expedite our request."

"We are expediting the process as swiftly as possible," responded Dajō Daijin. "The distribution of supplies extends to numerous regions. However, I assure you that before the week concludes, your rations shall be in your hands."

The gaze of the Hitotsuyanagi clan's daimyo lowered at the response. A fleeting moment, and their gazes redirected on the pale grey visage beneath a conical hat—an eerie one not marked by pain or panic, but that was just how his face was. His amber eyes, discernible from a distance, scanned the room until they rested upon Alicia and Wisesa. There was a hint of dismay in the lass, as she recognised familiarity in those eyes.

"Yomi is still the same," drawled the Daimyo of the Itto clan, tone insipid, disposition composed as he crossed his arms. "One hundred and sixty-five cattle tigers have been contracted as yokai. Some shall be dispatched to Ryūgū and Onogoro. Yomi is still the same. The Itto Clan will endure."

Cattle tigers? Yokai? Could it be the Shinobi at Trinketshore back then..., Alicia inwardly questioned. Hopefully, breeding tigers to become yokai was a common practice throughout Kagatse. Don't let it only be associated with certain clans!

After a measured breath, Dajō Daijin directed the clay cup to her servant. The servant poured the tea, and the ritual extended to the other attendees, including Alicia, who had intuitively embraced the customary gesture. The war room melted away with a resonant, soothing sip.

"Let us transition to the next discourse," Dajō Daijin pressed on. "Now, despite Domen's efforts to try to continue the development of new automaton warriors, I have received some rather surprising news about a collaborative project of the Ministry of Defence and the Magisterium. I hope this can make up for the automaton problem if Domen-sama still fails to convince the Zuban Engineering instrument. You might want to hear this." Her hand went straight to the Minister of Defence.

"Of course, Dajō Daijin-sama." Taro extracted a metallic block from the suitcase propped against the painted wall behind him, a portrayal of a warrior with a katana poised halfway at chest level. He tossed the block into the centre of the sand garden, and one of his followers performed a ninshu gesture that caused the block to disassemble itself and turn into a kind of projector contraption, projecting a mana-fueled display.

"Now. You've been imbibing Satori no Michibiki in worship at Rikaiha temples, and they promise you a state of being closer to enlightenment because what you drink is the particles of the Three Gods of Enlightenment. A shrewd strategy, I must say, to keep the temples bustling each day. It was an approach I adapted with my trusted alchemist to my left. But the difference is, we're not offering promises... but results."

The meeting room instantly garnered undivided attention.

"That means you make potions?" asked the Kazanoka clan daimyo. "What does the potion do?"

"Please look at this visual record."

The colourful light from the projector machine began to form a shot from the perspective of the first person perched on a tree branch, surrounded by a clamorous pack of tentacled binxtrunach mongrels. The individual was seen gulping down a pink potion before jumping down. Then, strange things happened. The fierce roar of the hounds gradually waned. Soon they fell silent, then scattered again to go about their business. The recorder approached one of the hound mujinos, and it seemed not to recognise his presence from their sense of touch and hearing.

Another interpretation also sprouted in the minds of the viewers: the mujino suddenly becoming allies to the recorder... []