Once ready, Jiaguo’s hastily assembled army made its way across the wilderness that separated the young nation from its southern neighbors. When Yoshika had escaped from the demonic invasion that took over the former academy, it had taken her two years to cross that stretch of wilderness. In retrospect, it had probably only taken them so long because Jianmo had spent the entire time herding magical beasts into them.

The army made much faster progress. Not only were the magical beasts in the area mostly frightened away by Kaede’s aura, but the few that were brave or stupid enough to take their chances would be eagerly hunted down by the demons.

While the demons had been working on controlling their urges with only the consumption of magical beast cores and the meditative techniques taught by Lady Tennin, apparently live prey was much more satisfying.

Kaede was a little worried about what that would mean for their human foes once the fighting began, but it wouldn’t be reasonable to expect the demons to fight without consuming the souls of the fallen.

Their first staging ground was to be the former location of Urayama village. While the villagers had disassembled as much of the shrine as they could bring with them, most of the regular houses remained abandoned, and the fallow fields would give the army plenty of room to set up camp.

Unfortunately, they weren’t the first ones to think of it.

Melati’s drones reported armed soldiers occupying the former village. The site wasn’t fortified, but it had nevertheless been converted into a makeshift border outpost.

Kaede camped her own army a respectful distance away to plan.

In her own command tent, she was joined by Jin Hu, Luo Mingyu, Long Ruiling, and Yang Qiu—her de facto lieutenants.

“Our goal is to start with a diplomatic approach. We’re not here to just slaughter our way to Ienaga’s lands. If we demand to see Lord Noguchi, they should comply without a fight.”

Yang Qiu scowled.

“Yeah, but it also gives them time to call for reinforcements. The force here doesn’t outnumber us on its own, but it’s better to take the easy wins where we can get them—we’re definitely going to be facing harder opposition deeper in.”

“That’s why we’re going to force them to make a decision right away. I should be able to get away with it by leaning on my family name.”

Ruiling sighed and shook her head.

“I still think it’s going to be pretty hard to convince them we’re on the same side. You and the villagers are one thing, but one look at me or Xiao Chong and they’re going to change their minds.”

Yang Qiu shrugged.

“Then we kill them. Problem solved.”

Kaede covered her face and sighed.

“We’ll ease them into it. I’ll go meet the leaders personally. Ruiling, send Ito Yuuki over to represent your forces, Jin you’re going to be our palatable foreigner.”

Jin Hu bowed, smiling wryly.

“I’m honored to serve such a noble role.”

 

---

 

With her minor escort in tow, Kaede marched up to the gates. Ito Yuuki proudly held the Hayakawa banner high, heralding their approach long before they emerged from the treeline.

Once in sight of the camp, they were stopped by a pair of soldiers—one leveling his spear at them, while the other looked ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. Which was probably exactly what he’d been ordered to do if things turned violent.

“Halt! Identify yourselves!”

Kaede marched forward, ignoring the spear pointed at her and allowing her aura to hang heavily over the pair of soldiers.

“Hayakawa Kaede. I need to speak to Lord Noguchi as urgently as possible.”

The two exchanged nervous glances.

“Lady Hayakawa Kaede was said to have died over a year ago.”

“Those reports were obviously inaccurate. I don’t have time to quibble about this—where is your commander?”

“Apologies, my lady, but without proof of—”

“Mujuuryoku!”

Calling out her techniques like that was a habit she’d grown out of, but in this case it served an important purpose. In the eerie stillness of a weightless world, Kaede rushed forward, snatching the spear out of the soldier’s hand and planting it into the ground before disarming the second one and positioning herself between the runner and the outpost, leveling the spear on him.

That sort of control would have been completely beyond her before she’d joined with Yoshika. Between Jia’s Absolute Awareness and Narae’s refinements on the Weightless Fist, Kaede had made enormous leaps in her own techniques while making her own contributions to Yoshika’s increasingly broad arsenal.

She released her hold on the Gravity essence within her body, and the world lurched back into motion.

“—your ident—kami preserve me!”

The guard staggered back from where she’d been, while his partner turned and nearly ran himself through on his own spear before catching himself.

Kaede stood up straight and returned his spear.

“Will that suffice?”

He blinked at her, accepting the proffered weapon mutely before swallowing nervously and nodding.

“Um, yes Lady Hayakawa, I think it will. Please follow me.”

The shaken guards led Kaede and her party through the village and up the mountain, where they’d set up command at the site of Lady Tennin’s former shrine.

The man in charge of the outpost turned out not to be a military commander at all. Minister Kano...something—Yoshika had never bothered remembering his given name—was technically the man who had been in charge of Urayama village before it had been abandoned. In practice, he was little more than a glorified tax collector and messenger in service to Lord Noguchi.

He’d never kept a permanent residence within the village, and openly resented the way they looked to Lady Tennin as their leader and guardian—a role that should have rightfully belonged to Lord Noguchi, with Kano serving as his proxy.

The fact that he was there was a good sign. It meant that while the village was occupied by soldiers, Noguchi was still treating it as a civilian settlement—on paper, at least.

Kano’s eyes threatened to pop out of his head when he saw her approaching. They’d met before, and he’d need no confirmation of her identity.

“L-Lady Hayakawa?! You’re alive?”

Kaede gave him a curt nod. Toadies like Kano were simple to work with, but had a way of twisting any sign of approval into a sword and shield that they could use against their enemies.

“Alive and well. I don’t know what sort of rumors you’ve heard, but the campaign abroad was a complete success. The former academy is now thriving under my banner.”

“I see. Well then, er, how can I help you?”

“I need to speak with Lord Noguchi. Take me to the city.”

He wrung his hands anxiously, unable to meet her eyes.

“Ah, yes. Naturally, I’ll send a messenger right away. You’re welcome to stay here until—”

“No. Today. I don’t have time to waste lazing around.”

He coughed nervously.

“I, um, understand your urgency, my lady. But there’s the matter of the force joining you, and I must remain here to oversee the outpost.”

“No need. The soldiers here will be joining us.”

“Eh?! Are you ordering me to abandon my post?”

Kaede shook her head.

“No, I’m reassigning you. If Noguchi has any complaints about it, he can bring them up to me himself.”

She watched as his face twisted and he performed the mental calculus of reconciling conflicting loyalties. Men like Kano were cautious—they never made a decision for which they could be held personally responsible. They always needed a name to hide behind, a finger to point.

In the end, that made his decision easy.

“If that is your command, my lady, then I have no choice but to obey. I must warn you, however, that it is in direct opposition to my lord’s orders.”

“Noted, thank you. Gather your forces within the hour. This is my trusted Lieutenant Jin Hu, and this is Ito Yuuki of Urayama.”

Kano blinked at the young villager.

“One of the trai—”

Kaede had to cut him off before he finished voicing his accusation.

“Ito and his fellows have been aiding in the settlement of the new Jiaguo region. He and Jin will help you and your forces get acquainted with the rest. Jiaguo has been integrating many of the locals into its population, but I personally guarantee that each of them are loyal to me and my clan.”

“I...I see.”

Jin Hu bowed low.

“A pleasure to meet you, Minister. Our lady means no disrespect, but circumstances require swift and decisive action. I am sure that your lord will be able to assuage any concerns, but for now I humbly request your patience.”

Kano stood up a little straighter, lifting his chin and smiling magnanimously.

“Oh! Well yes, of course. I understand. These are trying times, yes.”

Kaede looked askance at Jin, who simply smiled. She wasn’t sure what he was trying to allude to, but she caught the way he’d fed Kano’s ego such that he’d be too embarrassed to look ignorant by inquiring further.

It was the sort of manipulation that would only work on Minister Kano’s particular caliber of person, yet Jin Hu had picked up on his personality in an instant and already had him eating from the palm of his hand.

A true man of Qin if ever she’d met one.

Satisfied that the minister was in good hands, Kaede turned and left. She’d served her role, but Kano was ultimately beneath her concern. The real test was yet to come.

 

---

 

Lord Noguchi Ryo wanted to tear his hair out when he read the reports. His own damned soldiers were marching on his city, led by a ghost and accompanied by a bunch of foreigners. It was as if the world itself was out to get him!

Ever since he’d inherited the clan from his father, everything had started going wrong. He’d supported Hayakawa during the last war of succession, but instead of being rewarded with more territory, his demesne had shrunk! The shogun acted like he was doing Noguchi a favor, reducing the amount of work he had to do as a young lord and allowing him to focus his attention on the borders.

How was he to be the first line of defense against the youkai with only two thirds the territory? He’d needed to demand much heavier levies from his territories to keep up, and that was before the shogun demanded that he raise a new army. Soldiers needed to eat, and that meant higher taxes and unhappy people.

Ryo knew that he wasn’t the lord his father was. He enjoyed his vices as much as the next fellow—maybe a bit more—and didn’t have the effortless charisma that had blessed his predecessor. But he wasn’t stupid. He at least knew that one could only squeeze the population so much before something burst. After the mass emigration of Urayama, a rebellion was only a matter of time.

He’d just assumed that the shogun knew something he didn’t. After all, he was a mediocre lord, and if a man like Hayakawa Takeo ordered him to do something, who was he to question it?

Well now that there was an army on his doorstep, Noguchi Ryo was doing quite a lot of questioning indeed.

A servant nervously knocked on his door, flinching away when he turned his scowl on her. He shook his head and tried to school his expression.

“What is it?”

“Lady Hayakawa Kaede is here to see you.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. It was time. Hayakawa Kaede was an intense person, and he found her difficult to handle. He’d tried to broach the idea of marriage on a few occasions—who wouldn’t? But privately, he was glad that she’d been so quick to shut such discussions down.

Someone like that could be excellent for a night of debauchery, but as a partner for life? Far too stressful.

And that had been when they’d met as allies. Now they were...Noguchi wasn’t sure. She was flying her clan banner, but it was impossible to miss the eclectic mix of foreigners under her command. Her time abroad had changed her, but how?

Only one way to find out.

He squared his shoulders and followed the servant to his castle’s main hall. There she was, waiting for him. The worthless minister in charge of Urayama was with her, along with some strange man Noguchi didn’t recognize—an imperial, by the look of him.

Hayakawa Kaede was exactly as he remembered—everything about her was intense. Her bright red hair, piercing blue eyes, and the way she held herself as if she was constantly ready for a fight. When last they’d met, he thought he’d entertain her by organizing some sparring matches with her guests—only to be humiliated when his retainers decisively lost every match. Even the visiting onmyouji hadn't stood a chance against Lee Jia.

Who could have imagined that such a cute little creature could be so vicious?! After that display, Noguchi had even invited Lee Jia and her partner to his bed, but alas nothing had come of it. Now he was regretting his brazenness.

If anything, she was even more intimidating than he remembered. Though she looked the same, there was something different about the way she held herself and Noguchi could feel some primal part of him instinctively screaming to run away.

“Lady Hayakawa! It’s so good to see you alive and well! Welcome to my land, my city, and my home. What can I do for you?”

As upsetting as all this was, keeping a smile was the one thing Noguchi truly prided himself on.

Lady Hayakawa bowed politely—a good sign.

“First, let me formally thank you for supporting my new region with the settlers from Urayama. It is in no small part thanks to your contributions that Jiaguo thrives today.”

His eyes widened. She was giving him face. A chance to redefine one of his most humiliating failures. He wanted to jump on the chance, but there had to be some kind of catch. He decided to hedge his response first, and fish for more information.

“Your words are too kind, my lady. However, I must ask what brings you to my land with an army at your back.”

“What do you know about the rumors about my death?”

Noguchi frowned.

“Precious little, I’m afraid. I know only that Lady Ienaga Yumi is being held responsible, and that she led an army against the shogun in open rebellion.”

“She did no such thing. I’m alive and well, and Master Ienaga’s loyalty to the people of Yamato is unimpeachable. I intend to correct the record.”

Several things came together at once. First, Lady Hayakawa Kaede was not acting with the authority of the shogun. Second, Shogun Hayakawa almost certainly knew that his daughter was still alive when he’d declared her dead. Third, putting these things together, leading an army south to ‘correct the record’ could only mean one thing—she was going to challenge him.

Noguchi Ryo was a mediocre lord, but he was still a lord. He knew that there was only one thing that mattered in a conflict like this.

Could she win?

Her army was miniscule, her father was entrenched in the capital, and she was young and inexperienced like himself. From the facts alone, as he understood them, she stood no chance. The decision was so obvious it was laughable. This was the invasion he was installed here to prevent—or at least stall.

And yet...

The way she spoke of loyalty to her people. The genuine pride in her voice when she spoke of Jiaguo thriving. The way she’d offered even him—a mediocre lord with a reputation for debauchery and incompetence—respect and a chance to save face.

With that alone, she’d treated him better than any of his peers, much less her father, the shogun. That earned his respect, and for that at least Noguchi thought the idea warranted a second thought.

She was at a disadvantage in terms of military, but that wasn’t looking at the whole picture. Unlike his late father, Noguchi was no warlord, but he knew people and it didn’t take an expert to guess that Ienaga would be siding with Lady Hayakawa. Given that, one could consider the conflict to be Ienaga against Shogun Hayakawa—a battle they’d already lost.

But that had been a different time. Ienaga Yumi had infamously stayed out of the fight, even though she could have easily been the deciding factor. It seemed like she was indisposed this time, though Noguchi wasn’t sure how the Shogun had managed to suppress her—but could Hayakawa Kaede’s forces make the difference?

Almost certainly not, but what about her? Something was different and at the thought of Ienaga Yumi, he’d finally placed it. He’d felt that strange instinctive terror only once before—when he’d met with Ienaga Yumi herself.

Maybe there really was a chance. A slim one, but so what? Of all the things Noguchi had been accused of in his life, being a strong leader wasn’t one of them. Above all else, he wanted her to win. There was no future for him in a Yamato run by warlords like the Shogun—the fact that he’d been so blatantly disrespected and sidelined was proof enough of that.

Lord Noguchi Ryo made his decision. He dropped down to one knee and bowed low.

“Of course, my lady. If there’s anything I can do to help, I am at your service.”