A week passed since their victory over Hibiki. After staying for a while to help rebuild the homes of the civilians affected by the battle, they decided to hold a council to make some important decisions. Someone had to stay behind to supervise and train the army, as well as make sure that the people are able to return to their normal lives. Another group meanwhile would go with Kazan to rendezvous with their other allies. The council agreed that it should be the Hunters should go together.
So, it was decided. Tatsuya, Mizuchi and Rai started packing their bags, getting ready to depart for the monastery. Higure, the archer who rescued them, also accompanied them along with his small army. They headed for the docks, where the dark-skinned monk Kazan was waiting for them. Several large turtle ships with identical sails were lined up in a row, all ready to depart. The five boarded the flagship.
On the ship, Tatsuya approached Rai and Mizuchi with the hope of making a proposal for the three of them to join forces. After all, it was only after working together that they were able to take down both the daimyo and the devious Yako Himei. With the help of some allies, they were able to take down Clan Hibiki. Now, they not only had four Hunters but a sizeable army. Soldiers who were sick of serving under the daimyo's tyranny willingly joined their cause. Tatsuya also felt that the council made a wise decision in assigning Moya to oversee the army. After all, the old storyteller was a military tactician once. Besides, it gave an opportunity for the four hunters to get to know each other better. Speaking of the fourth Hunter, Rai was anxious to thank the archer. After all, if it weren't for him, Rai would already be dead. With Tatsuya and Mizuchi following behind him, he approached the archer.
"I didn't get to properly thank you earlier," Rai told the archer. "You really helped us back there."
"We could use someone like you on the team," Tatsuya added.
"It would make bringing down the Yako a whole lot easier," Mizuchi agreed.
"Don't mention it," the archer said humbly. "You three are more valuable alive."
"At least tell us your name," Rai insisted. "After all, I owe you my life."
“My name is Ashikaga Higure,” the archer introduced himself. "I am the leader of these are my men."
He pointed at the small army of shinobi that accompany him, all armed with similar Yumi bows.
“Wait Ashikaga?” Rai said surprised. “Are you not the son of the current daimyo of Clan Yurei?"
Tatsuya and Mizuchi looked at their new companion with shock, to which Higure simply nodded.
“So I was,” he said grimly.
“What happened?” Rai pressed on. “Everyone thought you were dead!”
Higure let out an exasperated sigh before telling his tale:
“It all began when the Yako of the Void lusted for power, seeking to claim our land for his own. To do this, he placed a curse on all our territories. Now every place with but a single blade of grass in our name is infested with the foulest Yokai. In order to spare the people from becoming food for the demons, my father made a deal with the kitsune. He was to be a puppet daimyo to the will of the Yako. In exchange, the Yokai are not allowed to harm anyone who inside the walls of the castle. Many citizens were forced to flee their villages and take refuge inside the castle, leading to a severe case of overcrowding. Resources became so scarce that I was assigned to lead the party to gather resources just so that the people do not starve. As you can expect that meant that we had to fight off plenty of demons along the way, I lost many good men, some even close friends, for that cause.”
Higure muttered a silent prayer to his fallen comrades before continuing:
“It was on one of these relief missions that I stumbled across this magical bow. It helped us a lot in defeating the Yokai. At first, I thought I was bringing back good news. Unfortunately, the Yako recognized the weapon. It was the heavenly bow, one of the nine magical weapons of the Grandmaster Ina. That meant that I was chosen to be a Hunter, which didn’t sit well with the kitsune. He saw me as a threat and gave my father an ultimatum. He must either banish me from the clan, or all his people will die. My father was forced to make me leave my home, with only a handful of loyal warriors to follow me. We had to resort to guerilla tactics and becoming shinobi in order to survive. The only way I was allowed to return was if I brought the heads of the other daimyos and Yako. It was that freak’s sick definition of loyalty.”
“How did you meet Kazan?” Mizuchi asked.
“The monks are part of a secret society known as the Onryo," Higure replied. "They are a group of heroes said to be band together in opposition of the Yako. Kazan personally recruited my small group of followers to the cause."
"Who is in charge of the group?" Rai asked.
"No one knows for sure," Higure replied. "Their leader is said to be an enigma."
"Vengeful spirits," Tatsuya said, remembering his best friend who died. "A worthy name for those who stand against the Yako."
"They call her the Lady of Winter," Kazan said interrupting their conversation. "I can take you to her. In fact, she is expecting you."
The four men looked at each other confused. Kazan's gaze however was particularly fixed on Mizuchi. This gave Mizuchi butterflies in his stomach, but he kept it to himself. It was already noon when they arrived at a small island not far from the mainland where all the clans governed. The island was rich with lush vegetation, though it did not seem uninhabited. A large monastery sat at the top of a small hill, its majestic appearance giving the four Hunters the feeling that this was the site of some hidden power. No doubt this must be the headquarters of the Onryo. Kazan led them through the labyrinth of trees, seemingly impervious to fatigue. He led them to the foot of the hill, where they beheld the staircase that led up to the monastery. It was an intimidating sight. The staircase had thousands of steps, that only the brave or foolish would dare to climb. Fortunately, the four heroes were up to challenge, and eagerly followed the black monk up the stairs.
The sun was already setting by the time they arrived at the top. To the surprise of Kazan's companions, multiple warrior monks were lined up in two rows as if anticipating their arrival. They bowed their heads to greet the party, to which the group returned the favor. Kazan then told one monk to run ahead and go inform the Lady that they have arrived. The four Hunters could not help but be amazed at how organized the monks were and how Kazan flawlessly led them. They also marveled at how the monastery was built, their eyes wide like children at a toy store. In fact, the place looked less like a place of meditation and more like a small castle for a daimyo. Kazan had to call their attention.
"She's waiting for you at the throne room," said Kazan. "This way please."
The group followed the monk as he led them through the monastery. As they made their way through the hallways, the four Hunters realized that these were no ordinary monks. Multiple weapon racks can be found at every room. They would even stumble across several monks sparring with weapons. It appeared that it wasn't just Kazan; the whole place was littered with warrior monks. They soon arrived at the doors outside of the throne room. Two giant statues of the komainu, a male and female, stand guard at the door as if protecting the leader of the monks from supernatural forces. As Kazan opened the doors, Mizuchi could not believe his eyes. Sitting on the throne was a woman with her long wavy hair blowing in the wind. She had the same eyes as he, clear skin, and a voluptuous body. On the table in front of her were shuriken shaped like snowflakes, using the same water and ice element that Mizuchi uses. As the group stood before her, they realized that she also had the same scent of a Hunter. It was then that Mizuchi realized that this could only be one person. As the woman stood from her throne, she looked directly at Mizuchi.
"It's been a long time," the woman grinned. "Brother."
