Being the man who had captured such an important fugitive was the most excellent satisfaction an imperial guard could aspire to at that moment.

The man without the helmet knew that as a result of his deed, he and his men would likely receive a monetary reward or, even better, a promotion.

​​

The heavy stone doors of the Imperial Palace gate were wide open. In front of them, two huge men in armor stood as still as statues, holding two long halberds crossed in the middle.

The two warriors wore armor that was decidedly different from the other guards: red and black breastplates and pauldrons, very similar to the uniforms of the Emperor's Heralds but heavier and more adorned. They were two long black horns on their kabutos, curved backwards like those of two wild mouflons.

On their faces, covered by the kabutos, were oni masks, with large, sharp protruding teeth and two wide black eyeholes, from which their unemotional human pupils slightly reflected the moonlight.

Although Ryutaro was an exceptionally tall man, he noticed that the two giants guarding the entrance were several inches taller than him when he climbed the last step.

Their gazes seemed to point forward, and even in the presence of the guards and their prisoner, they did not move an inch, keeping their halberds crossed in front of the door.

The helmetless man stopped in the presence of the two giants, so large that they looked more like demons than human beings. "Glory to the Emperor!" he exclaimed, leaning his torso forward with his hands at his sides.

The oni soldiers did not respond, remaining as still as statues. "Um..." stammered the man without a helmet, turning his gaze to Ryutaro, who was still in the same position. "I am Satow Utemaro, leader of the thirty-second division of the southern entrance. My men and I have captured the fugitive gatekeeper, obeying the orders of his royal highness the Emperor," he stated confidently.

The head of one of the two oni warriors moved slightly without making the slightest sound. The infernal expression of the mask that covered his face terrified Satow and his two guards, who were unable to meet his gaze.

On the contrary, Ryutaro's covered face was pointed in that direction, showing that he had no fear of the strongest warriors guarding on the Imperial Family.

In fact, the oni soldiers defending the palace did not belong to any division of the Tentochu samurai army: their only task was to obey Emperor Nishiyama and protect his family.

They called themselves 'Akai Kiba' or 'Red Fangs' and had no commander or headquarters. Furthermore, as proof of their loyalty to the Nishiyama Family, they had taken a vow of silence and chastity. During their lives, in fact, they could neither speak nor reproduce, thus devoting all their time to the growth of their physical strength and fighting techniques.

The Red Fangs were known and feared even beyond the borders of the nation because of their ferocity and cruelty. The legends that revolved around the mysterious oni-faced soldiers were that they were incapable of feeling physical pain, thus being able to push their bodies beyond their limits.

When one of them looked at Ryutaro, the halberd clutched in his left hand was raised upwards. Returning his face to its original position, both warriors guarding the palace pointed the lower tips of their weapons at the floor, raising their blades skyward and clearing the passageway.

"Thank you... I thank you for your understanding, Akai Kiba warriors," Satow stammered, visibly afraid of the two silent men. Together with his guards and Ryutaro, the helmetless soldier crossed the threshold of the Imperial Palace, hurrying towards the throne room.

The gigantic palace, home of the Nishiyama family, was composed of countless halls and rooms of all sizes, each adorned with precious trinkets from all over the world.

Hundreds of red carpets stretched across the structure floors as if they were the lymphatic system of that building, so imposing and sacred that it seemed alive.

After Satow and Ryutaro passed, the halberds of the Red Fangs closed in, again blocking the passage. For security reasons, no one could enter or leave the Imperial Palace except through that great door.

The lighting of the entrance hall came mainly from a huge chandelier that hung from the ceiling, tens of meters high. In addition, hundreds of candles and lamps placed on special pedestals illuminated every corner of that structure.

Being late at night, the hundreds of people who commonly crowded the palace rooms during the daytime were holed up in their chambers. The echo of the footsteps of the unexpected visitors echoed as if inside a cave with high vaults, making those rooms seem even more immense.

The long red carpet led to the Throne Room, proceeding straight ahead in front of the entrance. It was the only physical place in the palace where it was possible to request an audience with the Emperor.

"This place is really huge, sir... I've never been in here before!" - the voice of one of Satow's men broke the silence. "Is it possible that the only guards looking after the palace at this time of the night are those two men we met at the doors? Are they really that powerful?" he asked.

Despite knowing all the answers to those questions, Ryutaro remained silent, already imagining what would happen during his meeting with the Emperor.

"The Red Fangs are the most powerful warriors in our faction. It is said that a hundred of them can equal the strength of a thousand samurai," Satow replayed, walking without ever stopping.

"This is incredible! I can't wait to tell my comrades about entering the Imperial Palace," the other guard added, giggling under his helmet as if it were a kind of game.

After walking through the entrance hall in its entirety, a man suddenly emerged from the back of a staircase. Two flights of curved stairs started from the floor and, following the square corners of the vast room, led to the upper floors.

"Oh, fuck!" Satow boomed, unable to contain his fright. The man who blocked their advance was a short, scrawny old man wearing a long brown robe, so long it covered his feet and crawled across the floor behind him.

On his head was a headdress very similar to the one worn by Ryutaro, but shorter, adorned with two pheasant feathers along the sides.