Sou was motionless. He stood ready for battle, his entire army behind him at the foot of the hill. They waited in silence. They were waiting for a sign from Kazu that he had succeeded, that he had done the impossible and broken into the impregnable castle. They were waiting for him to open the gates and let them walk right in.

Day was just starting to break. The sky was dark but the faintest shades of orange and yellow were beginning to peak over the horizon. Sou’s entire army stood behind him, ready for battle, and yet it was so quiet Ayane thought she would be able to hear a pin drop. The air was tense, so tense you could cut it with a sword. As the sun rose from its slumber in the distance, peaking its head out and casting a faint glow over the land Ayane once more looked up at Sou. The shadows cast on his armour and mask made him even more frightening than usual. It was almost as though the oni mask was leering at her, just waiting for the right moment to gobble her up. Sou’s eyes stared straight ahead but the mask was looking right into her soul. Finding her weakness, feeding upon her fears, laughing at her pain. ‘You’re a fool for trusting me. Soon I will drink your blood, too, and that of your family’s. There will be nowhere to hide. You’re mine, and you always will be.’

Ayane shook her head to rid herself of the vision. She was just tired and imagining things. She had no reason not to trust Sou, not anymore. She couldn’t let that little voice inside her dig up any more doubt. It wouldn’t lead to anything good.

Toshio paced slowly before his men, his arm still in a sling. The only sound she could hear was that of his horse’s hooves in the mud with each step it took. He looked nervous, likely still scared after the traumatic beating his men had taken at the hands of the nurikabe. His unit was slaughtered, but not entirely wiped out. His men stood firm behind him, the Yashiro crest displayed proudly on their chests.

He turned back, his horse trotting once more towards Sou and Ayane. She noticed the flower sitting in the middle of his kabuto. It was an ume, a common tree in Miharu province. An odd symbol to decorate a kabuto.

“Why does he wear that on his helmet?” Ayane asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Miharu people are very proud of the ume,” Riko explained. “While the rest of you may enjoy the sakura for your spring drinking parties, we enjoy our ours even earlier under the blossoming of the ume tree. We drink umeshu and eat pickled plums, there’s nothing like it, really.” For a moment she seemed wistful, as though remembering fond memories. “It’s also said to ward off evil and used in many medicines. He wears it for protection, and for the pride of his people.”

As though on cue Toshio’s horse trotted back towards them. He dipped his head as his eyes met Riko’s, the ume sparkling in the soft glow of the sunlight, and he turned back again. Interesting, Ayane thought, and turned her attentions back to Riko. Ayane had yet to see Riko participate in any battles, come to think of it, but she sat next to Sou in full samurai armour for the first time. Her helmet was impressive. For such a tiny woman her helmet stood high and large, the middle of her kabuto emblazened with characters that signified her devotion to Shaka, the god that had been brought to their lands by travelers from the west. Should she die in battle it would allow her safe passage to heaven. It was evident there was a lot about both Toshio and Riko that she didn’t know yet, but somehow it didn’t strike her as strange that Riko would be a deeply religious person, particularly to a god that had been introduced to them from outside lands. On the contrary, it was very fitting.

The sun was now visible behind the horizon in the distance. The world was rapidly brightening around them. If Kazu didn’t get those gates open soon, Sou’s entire army would be sitting ducks. They had hedged everything on this. Either Kazu got the gates open or the Wada would awake to Sou’s full forces just waiting below their city walls, once again defenseless to whatever attack they might unleash from above.

“Sou, are you sure he can can do it? The sun’s rising, we don’t have much longer.” Riko voiced what they were all thinking.

“Yes.” Sou said nothing more, and Riko didn’t question him again.

Suddenly a loud explosion ripped through the air. A giant fireball erupted into the sky within the castle walls, soon followed by the sounds of screaming.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Riko muttered. Toshio stopped pacing and looked determinedly at the castle gates. He wanted revenge, perhaps more than anybody there.

“Remember, if you come across the witch, don’t kill her. She’s mine.” Sou seemed to rise even taller, the horns on his helmet jutting menacingly into the air. Ayane and Riko both nodded in unison.

They waited, all eyes focused on the castle gate. They could hear the screams coming from inside and black smoke rising high into the sky. Kazu must have lit the black powder magazine on fire. Risky, but ingenious. It would create the distraction needed to clear all men from the gate, but it would also greatly increase the risk of getting caught himself, alerting the entire castle grounds to his presence. Still, nothing in life was gained without a little risk, Ayane supposed. She had risked her faith in Sou, choosing to trust him over fleeing back home. She hoped that trust had not been misplaced.

The gate started to move. First a wobble, then a shake, then finally the entire gate opened inwards. Sou didn’t wait. He took off charging towards the castle and his men sounded the horn as they realised. The Yashiro army charged up the hill behind him, ready to end this battle once and for all.