Is this the end?

Rai stared at the sky helplessly, making a silent prayer to the gods that have seemingly abandoned him. He could hear the sound of the executioner sharpening his axe. Looking at the crowd, he could see that their reactions were mixed. Some were shocked that a loyal warrior for the clan is now on the chopping block. Others didn't seem to care. To them the daimyo's will was absolute. Rai could feel the sweat trickling down his brow as the drums continued to beat, the sound growing fainter and fainter until it came to a stop. His time has run out. Rai closed his eyes to resign to his fate, as the sounds all around him were drowned in silence.

And then he heard a loud thud.

Am I dead?

Not long after the thud, he heard shrieks and screams all around him. The soldiers were barking orders. Everything seemed to be in a state of confusion. Rai was unable to keep his eyes shut any longer. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the corpses of the guards all around him riddled with arrows. More soldiers were being shot down by more arrows flying from seemingly out of nowhere. The townsfolk however remained unharmed as these hidden marksmen launched their projectiles with deadly precision. Looking up at the roof of a building, he saw the man responsible for most of the kills. He wielded a special longbow that it need not to take a genius to realize that this man was also a Hunter. As Rai pondered the man's identity, he felt someone sneak up from behind him and cut the rope that was binding him. He turned around to see that it was a shinobi.

"Your weapon is over there, stuck at the executioner's chest," the ninja pointed. "It is fortunate they sent you to die still wearing your armor."

"That makes it more convenient," Rai answered with a smile. "I owe you and your master my life."

"Master Higure and the rest of us will take it from here," the ninja told Rai. "Grab your weapon and go assist Tatsuya. He is headed to the throne room to take on the Yako and the daimyo alone."

"Right," said Rai as he pulled out his sickle and chain from the dead executioner's chest.

He thanked the shinobi one more time before dashing off to the throne room.

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Meanwhile at the cellar, Mizuchi was able to meet up with Moya. The old man was glad to see him. He immediately handed over the Hunter's signature polearm. He also presented him with a brand-new armor. It was dark blue in color, and the horns on the helmet bore the shape of a crescent moon. Mizuchi thanked him, but when Moya told him that they better hurry over to reinforce the shinobi he shook his head.

"Tatsuya is trying to take down the Yako and the daimyo all by himself," Mizuchi said. "I better go assist him."

Seeing that it would be pointless to try and persuade him to do otherwise, Moya relented. He told Mizuchi about a shortcut he could take to get to the throne room faster. Mizuchi thanked him and took his leave. As he raced up the stairs, Mizuchi could feel his heart burning with rage

They will pay for that dirty trick.

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After parting ways with Mizuchi, Tatsuya made his way to the throne room. Thanks to the chaos going on below, there was not much resistance inside the castle. Tatsuya simply stormed his way through, mowing down any opposition that came his way. He soon found himself at the hall leading to the throne room. Unfortunately for him, someone was blocking the way. It was Nitsuke the armorer, he has grown to be somewhat of a friend to him. Tatsuya wished he didn't have to go through this. He let out a sigh of frustration.

"Look buddy," Tatsuya said. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"I know," Nitsuke replied. "But I know what you're really here for."

"Then if you know what's best for you," Tatsuya said, starting to get annoyed. "You won't stop me."

"Forgive me Tatsuya," said Nitsuke. "But I can't let you hurt the daimyo."

"Step aside armorer," Tatsuya growled. "You don't have to get hurt."

"I trusted you!" Nitsuke cried. "All this time you were a mole! How could you do this to us?"

"I am a Hunter, so let me do my damn job," Tatsuya growled. "If I have to turn your boss into a bloody mess to know where that witch is, then I will. Besides, your daimyo killed my friend. That makes it personal."

"Then you would have to go through me!" Nitsuke declared putting a defensive stance.

"I said move," Tatsuya growled.

He took one step closer to the armorer to try to shove him away, only to realize that something was wrong. He could smell the Yako's scent even though it was only the two of them in the room. That didn't make any sense. He was told that the Yako was female. Moya even warned him to watch out for the armorer's servants. It was then that he was able to piece it all together.

"No..." Tatsuya said, stunned. "It can't be.... It was you all along!"

He had been played for a fool. He was expecting it to be one of the female servants in disguise, forgetting that kitsune cam shapeshift into anyone they please. Soon, his fear was confirmed. Nitsuke the armorer was no more.

Standing in his place with a sinister smile on her face was the kitsune Himei.

Tatsuya broke into a cold sweat. They were totally caught off guard. All along she had been in their midst, using the chaos of the battlefield as a distraction. Now she had him cornered. A sinister smile spread across Lady Himei's face.

"You poor little thing," she mocked him. "You felt right into my trap. Now behold, the power of the Yako of Music!"

Lady Himei started singing in a sweet yet haunting voice. It was a song that sets a man's soul on fire, turning it into a wild animal that seeks nothing but to shuffle off this mortal coil. Any man who hears it becomes a mindless zombie bound to the will of the Yako. It was a requiem for the damned. Tatsuya covered his ears, trying to shield himself from the vile melody. This however left him vulnerable as he could not hold his weapon to defend himself. He found himself in a dire situation, slowly being surrounded by Himei's mindless minions. But before any of them could lay a hand on Tatsuya, they found themselves frozen in blocks of ice. Tatsuya and Himei turned around to see Mizuchi grinning, his magical naginata in his hands.

"I'm going to gut you like a fish for what you did to my eye!" Mizuchi growled.

Himei snarled, trying to hypnotize Mizuchi by singing louder. But Mizuchi smirked and continued to make quick work of Himei's minions, revealing to the Yako that he blocked his ears with wax to shield himself from her song. He then egged the kitsune on, daring her to take him on one on one. Grabbing a spear from one of the guards, she tried to stab Mizuchi who easily deflected it with his polearm. They went for about fifty bouts before Mizuchi feigned a retreat. Himei gave chase, so Mizuchi continued to play along and pretended to lose. But when Himei raised the spear above her head to deal the killing blow, the sickled blade of a weapon pieced through her chest. She then felt a powerful yank, her attacker dragging her towards him. It was Rai who had been stealthily hiding in the shadows, waiting for Mizuchi to create an opportunity for him to strike. As she looked up at helplessly at Rai, he whispered in her ear:

"Deception for deception. Your debt has been paid."

Mizuchi would then use his polearm to slice her head off. The two Hunters working together have defeated the Yako. But more importantly for them, they got their revenge.

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The guards defending the daimyo offered little resistance. A few quick slashes of his sword did the trick for Tatsuya. Yet even at that display of ferocity, the daimyo sat on his throne leisurely. He remained calm and seemingly unconcerned, as if he had been expecting him. This infuriated Tatsuya even more.

"Sanada Hagemi!" Tatsuya growled as he lunged at the daimyo, who easily deflected it with his blade. "Do you remember him?"

"No, I don't," the daimyo replied mockingly. "Must be some insignificant vermin."

"YOU MURDERED HIM!" Tatsuya cried, hacking at the daimyo in a mad frenzy.