The Tenrou Nation was known as the ruling center of Wakoku, the current country sporting the largest military strength. But even a country as strong as this one had its own worries.

For one, it didn't have any territories that possessed anywhere suitable to advance anywhere into the sea. The sea to the south was currently being controlled by the Black Lake Nation and none of their ships could get through.

However, the smallest nation and probably the most powerless of all, the Soukai Nation, were facing the ocean. For this very reason, the Tenrou Nation continually kept dispatching their troops and capture this country. To overtake it so they can have a territory that has access to the sea. But the Soukai Nation had prospered through the south sea and the bustling commerce there, which is emulously intercepted and remains to this day, never budging.

--: 6 | Crossing Blades :--

"E-E-E-Enemy attack!? H-How many are there!?" Maruge screamed, terrified due to his position.

"I don't know, Lord Maruge!" A soldier responded. "It's like they came right out of the mountain itself!"

"Wh-Whatever the case, keep them away! No matter what it takes! The enemy must be annihilated!"

"Yes, sir!"

The cowardly commander shivered, clenching his fist tightly. 'Not good. Not good... Not good at all! My life being in danger is not good at all! Nor the fact that I got so spooked I pissed my pants!'

A soldier screams in fear. "I can't believe they would come by such a dangerous mountain pass!"

Another mirrored his expression. "What is the enemy thinking!?!?"

The battle on Mount Kageboushi had begun. The enemy commander, Yomihime, had sent her troops to engage the Soukai Nation troops stationed there, having taken the commander, Maruge, completely off guard. Not only that, Hinowa's friends had been spread out, engaging the enemy on all different fronts.

Currently, Suzumaru positioned himself in one of the many forests that riddled on Mount Kageboushi, the young  man standing his ground as he held a spear tightly in his hands. The screaming cries of men as they rushed onto the battlefield, engaging themselves in bloody warfare, using their many arms to thrust and slash at each other. From the tree line, three men from Tenrou peek up from behind some rocks, firing their crossbows as the iron bolts flew through the air.

Though unfazed by such attacks, Suzumaru spun his spear in a circle, creating a barrier of sorts as he deflects the bolts off him. The Tenrou soldiers scoff in annoyance, grunting as they slam their fists on the ground below them.

"That... That brat blocked them all!" One uttered.

Soon, Hinowa dashes out of the shadows. "Hyah!"

With a battle cry of her own, she slashes two of them in one fell swoop. The third, however, was able to dodge the girl's attack and unsheathed his own blade. A grin forms onto his face, thinking he had the upper hand in the situation as he was about to hack his blade down at the girl to end her. But in the nick of time, Suzumaru had rushed forward and thrusts his spear's bladed tip through the man's neck, making cough up blood before he died instantly.

Hinowa smiles in appreciation, "You saved me, Suzumaru."

But Suzumaru didn't respond. Instead, he looked upon the corpses of the soldiers they had just slain. An expression of disdain, surprise, and disgust had appeared.

'What a frightful scene and smell... So this is what a battlefield is like,' he thought, thinking back to how excited they were before. 'We were a little too optimistic about it...'

"Hey, Suzumaru," Hinowa speaks, snapping him out of his trance. "Don't get distracted!"

"I'm sorry, Hinowa! I got lost in thought here...!"

She grabs his shoulders to reassure him. "I know you feel! Calm down! They're still too close!" She then turns back to the battlefield, "Let's support our friends in their fights while we hurry to Lord Maruge's unit!"

He smiled in awe. "You're amazing, Hinowa," he said as they ran. "You're adapting to the battlefield without a hitch."

"I almost lost myself in thought after I killed people too! But..." She swerves past a few Tenrou soldiers, cutting them down as she does so, "the moment I wonder if everyone's okay, my body moves on it's own! Then I'm yelling in a loud voice! Getting myself all pumped up!"

"That's so like you, Hinowa." Suzumaru sweat drops. He soon steels himself. 'I have to keep it together. I was supposed to be ready to fight for the person I love.' "Hinowa. Looking at the Tenrou soldiers, I realized something."

"Ooh. Your observations are always dependable."

"They move with the nimbleness of wolves accustomed to the mountain. But their actions lack discipline," Suzumaru theorized."

"I wonder if mountain bandits are included among their ranks," Hinowa finished his thoughts.

"Right."

"The Tenrou Army may have captured bandits and brought them to the battlefield."

"A suicide corps traveling through this dangerous mountain pass... I don't believe there's that many of them."

Hinowa hummed. "So that was their strategy. ...All right." She then took in a deep breath, "Everyone! Don't panic! Group up and fight! There's not that many of the enemy!"

Fumio looked at the young girl in awe, murmuring to himself. "...Captain Hinowa! All right. Group up! Band together! You can leave it to us!"

Suddenly, the Soukai Army found themselves invigored with newfound valor, due to Hinowa's courageous and hope-filled orders. This newfound determination of theirs allowed them to do as she had asked, grouping up as they all began to fight back, surprisingly pushing the enemy forces back. Maruge had even heard the girl's voice, gaining a bit of hope himself.

Elsewhere in the forest, a group of the Tenrou bandits were crouched in a circle.

"Hey, there's a few Soukai soldiers with real skill!"

"Don't worry about wiping them out," one said with a hushed tone. "Just go for the commander! It'll disband the whole lot of them"

A second whispered, "Let's make a mad dash. If we don't get it done, we'll lose our heads...!"

The rest silently agreed and looked toward the camp the Soukai commander had posted himself at, the cowardly man continuing to shiver and shake in fear. Of course, as Suzumaru had surmised, these men were mountain bandits, so they knew these neck of the woods like it was the back of their hand. Yomihime had captured them, ordering them to cross the mountain and engage the enemy in order to have a reduction in their sentence.

Gathering enough of themselves for a large raiding party, they all let out thundering yells as they began to rush up the mountainous path. Instantly, the Soukai soldiers positioned at the entrance grew alarmed, quivering in slight fear as they steeled themselves. Hearing the roars and battle cries of the Tenrou soldiers only spiked Maruge's fear, causing him to squeal, the coward he was.

"Th-They've made it this far..."

"Don't let them near Lord Maruge...!" A soldier shouted.

Positioned at the entrance of the camp was none other than Hisame. Furrowing his brow, he calmly turns to the enemy and prepared to engage, despite the multiple protests from his many comrades. However, Hisame knew he would be able to handle them. Compared to the pirates he had fought at sea, these bandits were nothing but mere child's play. But he knew not to make a severe mistake as it could very well cost his life.

"Leave them to me," he spoke, his hand on his blade's handle.

And in one, quick, clean cut, he cuts three down. Their corpses fall to the ground, some of them having been bisected, the other oncoming Tenrou soldiers halting in their tracks as they stare in shock at the teen. Some of them even began to falter a little, questioning whether to continue or if it was the right course of action. Hinowa and Suzumaru begin to head up the hill close to the camp.

"Hisame!" Hinowa calls out.

He briefly turns his head to her. "I'm fine. Take care of the others."

Hinowa smiled. "That's my Hisame." She then rushes off to find everyone else with Suzumaru.

'This isn't an organized war,' Hisame thought. 'It's a melee on a mountain... And it's each of us intercepting freeform without any real direction. I'm used to this.'

Two more rush at him and swiftly clenches his blade and slashes at them. They reel their heads back in pain, a brief scream escaping their mouth before they fell to the ground, blood pooling out of their wounds. Flicking his arm, he swings as blade in a swift manner, the deep red liquid having been flicked off before he steeled himself once more.

'I'll cut down all these enemies and protect the commander to earn my success!'

Perched elsewhere on a cliff was Kumehachi. Armed with his bow and arrows, he took aim, sticking out his tongue slightly as he focused. With a wide grin, he found his two prey.

"I can see fine from here. Just fine from here," he proudly stated, taking an arrow from his quiver. "This is the beginning of the Kumehachi legend."

Pulling on the bowstring, pulling it back as far as he could, he let's the arrow fly. The graceful projectile let's out a high-pitched whistle as it soared through the air, striking itself into the neck of two unsuspected Tenrou soldiers. The two men cough up blood as they fall face forward off a cliff, into the abyss below.

Kumehachi whooped wildly. "Two!" He then took aim again, firing another arrow in the distance.

Striking a rope hitched onto a tree branch, it broke. This tree branch was holding onto a rope that was supporting numerous amounts of Tenrou soldiers scaling up the mountain. As soon as it broke, they began to fall to their impending doom, their screams echoing throughout the valley as multiple thuds could be heard in the distance. Kumehachi grins with another whoop.

"That got about ten of them." He drew another arrow from his quiver, "And for the next one..."

Unknown to him, a Tenrou soldier was sneaking up on him. The bandit then lets out a war cry, scaring the life out of the young man as he screams to the top of his lungs. Of course, Kumehachi wasn't expecting for himself to be ambushed as he thought he was quite hidden. Thankfully, Hinowa came in time and jams her blade through the bandit's back, killing instantly.

"Hinowa!"

"Don't get cocky and forget to check your surroundings," she scolds. "Understand?"

He sweat drops and laughs awkwardly. "Sorry. I got so into it, I was careless."

She sighs. "Good grief." She then looked to the battlefield below. "Can you see Tobari from here?"

"...Hinowa. Are you going around and checking on all of us?" He couldn't help but look at her in shock.

"Yes," she simply replied. "It's dire out there. We underestimated what the battlefield could be like. We have to focus on our energies!"

"Even on the battlefield, you're still Hinowa," Kumehachi says amused, rubbing his head.

---

On the other side of the mountains, Yomihime stood at a tree line with her arms crossed. She soon glanced behind her, hearing the footsteps of one of her subordinates coming up to her.

"Yomihime-sama!" He addresses her, kneeling. "The enemy's defenses are tight and not letting a single of our number through!"

"I see," she hummed, glancing back over to the mountain. 'Even if they have soldiers on the defenses, I didn't think much of them. I've dispatched my entire first unit at this point.' She began biting onto her finger in frustration. 'I didn't expect them to send half the forces of Shiranui Fortress to defend here. It must mean they predicted our strategy of passing through Mount Kageboush to get behind Shiranui.' "...What of the status of my dear cousin?"

"Well..." He cleared his throat. "Akira-sama hasn't been spotted behind enemy lines, Yomihime-sama. Do you suspect that he has fled?"

She shook her head. "That is not likely." 'Although, he did live up to what he had said.' She soon gives him a death glare. "Also... Don't you dare suggest something like that ever again."

"Y-Yes, ma'am...!"

---

"Take that! And that! And that!" Tobari screamed maniacally, slashing her way through tons of Tenrou soldiers. "Outta my way! Move it or lose it!"

On another front, Tobari seemed to be doing fairly well. Gripping a blade in both hands, she was going on a massacre of Tenrou soldiers, cutting and whittling down the forces one by one. It all seemed so easy for her that it didn't really help them that she looked like some wild monster charging straight into them.

"You small fries! Commander! Where's the commander!?"

Hinowa catches up to her. "You're sticking your neck too far out there, Tobari!"

She soon pouts at her friend. "Yeah, but... I want even more military achievements!"

"You aren't losing yourself, are you, Tobari?"

"I don't have time for that! It's kill or be killed!" She suddenly exclaims, having this new fire of vigor. "This is like hunting in the wild! I will kill! I will kill!"

She began parading, clanging her two swords together. Hinowa stares at her dumbstruck, extending her hand out to her.

"I think you're losing yourself in a different way, though. Calm down!" She then sighed. "Your first order is to keep them away. We should be asking for further orders--"

Hinowa was then cut off, a figure, a girl, clad in black having jumped to their location. The two were instantly confused and shocked, as before they were unable to perceive her presence earlier. In fact, they weren't able to perceive her presence at all until she appeared. Deep down, Hinowa could instantly tell that this woman was a very strong opponent. Their muscles tensed, sweat pooling down their faces as they clenched the handles of their blades tightly as they cautiously eyed the woman carefully.

Yomihime simply sighed, staring at the two with a bored expression. "I was wondering who was causing this riot. A couple of kids. Impressive, considering your weapons aren't even Meihou."

The girl's eyes soon widen upon the sight of Hinowa. Yomihime furrowed her brow. Not only because she looked like the woman she had killed back then, but looked familiar to someone else she knew.

"Hmm? Didn't I meet you... On the waters of Ryuumon Castle?" Hinowa gains a shocked expression, which didn't go unnoticed by Yomihime. "But that's odd. I'm sure I killed you."

At this, Hinowa paled and the grip on her blade nearly faltered. That's right. 

Years ago, Fumio had reported to her that her mother had died, along with her aunt, on the waters of Ryuumon Castle. Slain by a powerful human with a strange power. That's when it clicked in her mind, made her realize that the woman that appeared in front of her was the one that killed them.

Killed them both.

"You... I'd heard that my mother and aunt died in battle. So it was you...!"

"You're her daughter?" 'And aunt...? It couldn't be...'

Already, a wave of regret began to wash over the dark-haired woman. That smiling face of her as she held her close, her eyes filled with sorrow of not being able to take her with her. And the sorrow of also killing that other woman. A pang of pain tinged at her heart, but Yomihime made sure she made no emotion to show it. Right now, she was on the battlefield. If she were to show any sign of weakness, she'd be killed.

Just a bit away, Fumio darted his eyes over to where Hinowa was. His eyes widened as well, seeing the familiar dark-haired woman there. Instantly, he began to dash over.

"Captain Hinowa!" He screamed, running as fast as he could. "Please get away! She's... She's... Too strong!"

Tobari was the first to act, running toward the dark-skinned woman. "So you're their commander!"

The woman with yellow eyes kept an unfazed look on her face. As Tobari charged forward, she slashed with her two blades in hopes of getting a hit in. But of course, Yomihime wasn't a commander for nothing. The title wasn't just for show.

Easily, the woman blocked it and retaliated. Swinging her blade from the side, she slashes the light-haired girl onto her side, just to the left of her abdomen. Blood sprays into the air, Tobari's eyes looking wide as she was caught off guard by how fast Yomihime reacted. Already, Hinowa holds a worried gaze.

"Tobari!" She cries in distress.

The sounds of Tobari's swords making a clattering noise as they hit the ground, the blonde girl tumbling onto the dirt, coughing in pain as she comes to a stop. Yomihime sighed, looking back to Hinowa as her Meihou began to be coated with a dark aura, she herself having a dark aura herself.

"I'll send you where I sent your mother and aunt," she said, hiding her tone of regret. "Go and walk... To hell."

---

"Die!" A Soukai Nation soldier shouted.

Akira simply sighed with a straight face. "Boring."

Dodging a slash from his left, he unsheathed his blade and dashes forward. Landing a strike onto the man's side, he coughs blood before falling to the ground, dead.

Akira sighs again, sheathing his blade as he turned around.

The ground was littered with the dead. Littered with the blood of the Soukai Nation soldiers he had just massacred. Whilst looking upon them with a unfazed expression, deep down, he knew this wrong. The moment he had finished fighting in the war against the Empire, he had swore to his wife he would never fight again. Rather, to never return to the person he once was.

He trails his fingers across the black markings of his skin, deep in the back of his mind as he heard the ominous chuckles of the Lich that once controlled him. Grunting, he shook his head to rid himself of such negative thoughts.

However, he soon clenched his right arm, stopping him from shaking. He scoffs to himself quietly.

"I'll never return to that... I'll never return to become 'that' man again..."

Just as he was about to continue on his way, he felt a presence behind him. A dangerous one.

Whipping himself around, he draws his nodachi from it's saya, swinging it with might as he blocks the arrows that were coming his way. Cutting them down, he looks to where they came from, narrowing his eyes as he spots a cloaked figure in the trees. Wearing something akin to his own, the figure's hood creating a shadow to cover his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Akira questioned.

The figure said nothing. The bow that he was wielding disappeared into familiar flames. The same flames every time he conjured and dispelled Harvester. And at the same time, the figure conjures a sword in his hand, taking one step forward before falling to the ground with a slight thud and then taking a offensive stance.

The former Ice Cold Reaper stares him down. "...So, it's going to be like that, huh... So be it."

Likewise, he takes his own stance and readies himself. Moments after, the sounds of crossing blades began.