Section 2: Visitors from Afar, To the Settled Lands

...So you ran back with your tail between your legs then?

My humblest apologies, Commander.

We had no idea the villagers had such strong fighters on their side.

And if Himiko's come back to life too, well...

Oh, don't worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes.

You're too kind, sir. Thank you for understanding.

No need to bother with the whole seppuku ceremony. I'll let you off with a quick decapitation.

Hurk!

B-but C-Commander...why...?

Yes, Commander! Right away, Commander!

It's still in the queen's chamber, not making a peep.

...Himiko? Did you say Himiko?

That's impossible...

There is no priestess left to defend this land.

Himiko... Iyo... My eternal darkness swallowed them both whole.

Consume it... Take it for yourself...

...Erase Yamataikoku from the face of the earth!

...

Um, Commander? Wh-what was that voice just now?

Y-yes, sir. My apologies, sir.

Senpai, look!

Now that the river is clear again, the dying rice crops have started perking up.

？！

Yes, they are. You can actually thank Nobukatsu for those.

Heh heh heh. How about that, Sister's Master?

It's true. I'm the one who had the villagers make those dikes and waterways.

Indeed, this is a wonderful surprise.

I don't think we could ever have made such efficient waterways without your instructions, Lord Nobukatsu.

This way, we won't have to worry about the river flooding anymore, either.

I couldn't believe how old these people's agricultural techniques were.

The ways they drew water from the river and irrigated their crops were practically ancient.

My work here might pale in comparison to the Shingen Zutsumia series of dikes constructed by Takedabut at least these are a piece of cake for me to make.

Huh, I'm impressed, Nobukatsu. I thought the only thing you knew how to do was run around after Nobbu.

Ha! Don't be ridiculous! I'm sure anything I can do, Sister can do a thousand times better!

If she was here now, I bet she'd have already turned this whole farming village into a massively prosperous trading hub!

Wow. Is that how you react every time someone pays you a compliment?

Say, where did Nobbu get off to, anyway?

Ah, there you are. I've been looking for you. It seems we've found another shrine and haniwa.

Really?

I had Saito look for them, since he had nothing better to do.

Now come on, we should hold a strategy meeting right away.

Let's go, Master.

So where's Lady Himiko? We'll certainly need her for this, after all.

Oh, if you're looking for Sister, she's right over there.

Okay, next I'll drive a scaffolding pole into the ground.

Hyaaah!

Whoa, Lady Himiko, that was amazing! You did it in one punch!

Hehe. It's nothing.

Stop that! Don't you know how inappropriate it is to ask Lady Himiko to help with your chores!?

I-I'm so sorry you got roped into this menial labor, Lady Himiko.

Aww, don't worry about it. I was just killing time, anyway.

Y-you're too kind...

Himikooo! Can we talk to you for a moment!?

Welp, guess I'd better get going.

See you guys later!

Later!

Stop that! Don't be rude!

Ahahahahahaha!

Turns out Lady Himiko's not so scary after all!

So a great serpent's taken up residence in this shrine?

That's right. Now that I've met a talking tortoise, I can't really see anything surprising me anymore...

But apparently, there's a shrine that's been taken over by a great big serpent now.

How huge a great serpent are we talking here? Big enough to slither over a mountain?

How could anything that huge possibly still qualify as a serpent?

Anyway, since it's living in a shrine, I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near mountain-sized.

A great serpent, huh... Senpai, do you think it could be

Oh? You think you might know who this serpent is?

Yes. Given what happened to Okita, I wouldn't be surprised if they turned out to be who we have in mind...

Oh, yeah. Now that you mention it...

？！

Either way, we can't have a man-eating serpent slithering around out there, so we'd better get rid of it.

Um, Sister, nobody said anything about it eating people.

Hanyobbuwaaa!?

Ugh, these things are annoying.

I have no idea what you're even saying.

Hanyo hanyo... Hanyobu hanyo.

You, at least, I can kind of understand.

See? That one wouldn't have grown such a big head if you hadn't spoiled it.

Anyway, you'd better not go anywhere. I enjoy hugging you too much.

Hanyobbuwaaaaaa!!!

Look, Senpai. That great serpent is beating up one of those haniwa!

It's also being weirdly nice to the other one...

This does seem like the same kind of thing we see play out in the cafeteria all the time...

I guess that would make the one getting bullied you-know-who, then...

？！

Who are you lot? Did you think I wouldn't notice you?

Oh, cut it out. You're obviously Oryou, right?

Oryou? I do not recognize that name, though it does sound oddly melancholy and familiar.

I am a great serpent, who obeys no human laws. When I came to, I was here, and for some reason, this place is very much to my liking.

This black haze feels strangely comforting as well. The only downside to my new home is that I can't seem to remember much from before I arrived.

At any rate, something tells me that trying to scale this mountain further would result in a spear falling upon me from the sky, so I have decided to stay right here.

If you value your lives, then you'll leave this place immediately.

So, do you know this serpent or something?

Yes, we do. I'm guessing she's suffering from the same condition I was.

Do you think the Dark Blight somehow made her lose her memories?

Hmm, I don't know about that. In Oryou's case, I think she might've just reverted to her wild nature...

Either way, if this is similar to what happened to Okita, we should probably start by taking out the haniwa.

Hanyobu, hanyu hanyo hanyo. (Cheeky laugh)

Hanyo hanyo, hanyobu nyobu. (Awkward laugh)

That one that's getting bullied is pissing me off, so let's start with him!

Hanyobuwaaa!?

Ow ow ow ow... Man, that was a hell of a thing, huh?

Wh-where am I!? What just happened!?

So it WAS Sakamoto and Izo! I'm so glad they're all right. It's a good thing the haniwa weren't too tough this time.

Aww, too bad. I was all ready to go with my powered-up punch and everything.

Now now, Sister. You can't solve everything with brute force.

Hey there, everyone. Sorry for the trouble.

Dammit! You guys weren't holding back at all, were you!? One wrong move, and I could've been killed, you know!

Oh, hey, Okada. You're still alive, huh? I'd have been all right with it if you'd bit the dust back there.

Izo... As in Man-slayer Izo?

Who're you, huh? Weird sword fighting style you got there.

I was wondering why you were able to handle Saito's swordplay so well.

If you're Okada Izo of Tosa, that would definitely explain it.

And you said your name was Sakamoto? I take it you're Lord Sakamoto Ryouma then?

Oh, right, I'm Yamanami Keisuke, and this is Saito Hajime. Maybe you know us from the Shinsengumi?

Of course. There's no one from our time who doesn't know who the Shinsengumi are.

Though I have to say, I never thought I'd have the honor of meeting two famous members such as yourselves.

It looks like you've got your own share of tales to tell.

Why don't we find somewhere we can relax and talk

Huh? Oryou?

...

Are you okay, Oryou? You look kind of pale.

Is it because of the black haze?

Oryou can't believe it...

A whiff of some weird mist is all it took to make Oryou forget who you were, even if only for a little while.

What, that? Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault.

Besides, you were still plenty nice to me even when I was a haniwa.

That's right! I remember now, Oryou!

If you think you can get away with pounding away at me like that, you

Shut up.

What the heeeeeeeeell!?

Oryou can't even look you in the eye anymore, Ryouma.

Oryou's only choice now is to go somewhere far away, find some frogs to eat, and lay in bed all day.

Farewell, Ryouma... Oryou hopes you'll still remember Oryou from time to time.

Ah! Oryou, wait!

Izo! Come here a second!

Now what!?

...! (Whispering)

Huh? What're you on about!?

I'm counting on you.

Sorry about this, everyone. I promise we'll talk as soon as I bring Oryou back.

See you later, then.

Hey! Where do you think you're going!? Ryoumaaaaaa!!!

...The next thing I knew, me and Ryouma were trapped inside those haniwa.

That sounds just like what happened to me.

Right. And the black haze went away when they were freed from the haniwa here too.

Hmm. All that aside, we still don't know who did this, or to what end.

Hmm. Maybe it's someone with a grudge against Yamataikoku?

That could be any number of people, given how much fighting there was back during your reign.

...

Hey, you two. You said you're Yamanami and Saito from the Shinsengumi, right?

What're you doing with this lot?

They've both agreed to lend Senpai their support, Izo.

Oho. Their support, huh...

You sure you wanna be working with Yamanami, seeing how he betrayed the Shinsengumi and all?

...!

...You've got me there, I'm afraid. I can't argue with that.

C'mon, Mr. Yamanami, you don't have to take that from him.

If anyone here'd know anything about betrayal, wouldn't it be the Tosa Kinnoutou's famous Okada the Crybaby over there?

What was that?

You calling me a traitor!?

Oh, I'm sorry. Did I offend you?

I mean, you ARE the Okada Izo who spilled everything he knew about his allies after just a little, tiny bit of torture, right?

...That does it. You. Me. Outside. Now.

Oh, now you're picking fights, huh, Izo?

Or should I say, Tetsuzo the Vagrant?

Stop that, Saito.

Okada, I apologize on behalf of my colleague. I only ask that you please put away your sword.

？！

Shut up! Nobody mocks me and gets away with it!

Shinsengumi or not, you're a dead man!

Oho, interesting. If you think you can take me, you're welcome to

Okay, that's enough!

The heeeeeeeeell!?

Yeoooooow!

I-I've never seen such brute strength... She might even be stronger than Oryou... Urk.

I wasn't supposed to be comic relief... Urk.

Ugh, I swear. The only thing to be gained from pointless fighting is an appetite.

Both of you, lie down and think about what you've done!

U-um, they both seem to be out cold. Are they going to be okay?

Ho ho ho, they'll be fine. Sister's punches have a way of draining the aggression right out of you.

Good grief. At least things have settled down now.

Anyway, now that we've accomplished one of our goals, I'd say this bodes well for our future progress.

Y-yes, I agree. Let's do our best to keep this momentum going, Senpai!

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