The previous part

"Only run if you can't be followed."

Interlude

"It has begun," Käl said.

"I know," Philmann Dark replied.

"Should I tell Usagi?"

"That is not necessary," Dark declined calmly. "He will find out by himself soon enough. All what you have to do is to break him the details gently after he did."

Rebellion

'I wonder what has happened in my home country,' Usagi thought relaxed. He looked up the respective reports in the net and froze.

Honshu was ablaze.

It seemed that a new civil war, caused by Lord Hikiji, had been raging for months. There were rumors that the tenno(1) had returned and was supported by Hikiji. The shogun and his allies tried their best to get the situation under control again, but somehow, their efforts didn't seem to yield results.

'What happened?' Usagi asked himself perplexedy. 'Pau Tai did stabilize the situation so a long period of peace could take place in my country. Had Pau Tai made a grave mistake? Unlikely. Maybe other powers are at work? Something, which Pau could not have foreseen? Or was this still intentional?'

Hectically, Usagi searched the reports for hints which would give him answers to these questions. The more he read, the more clearly he got the whole picture.

It seemed that the emperor and Lord Hikiji were one and the same person: The son of the lord which had caused Usagi so much trouble. He had set out to conquer the whole realm a few months ago. And despite having only a tiny army at his disposal in the beginning, he seemed to be invincible. Even when everyone had been sure that he would loose a battle, he had managed to be victorious.

Usagi immediately suspected that there was more. The late Lord Hikiji had already been an outstanding tactician but the young lord managed to win a battle against unbelievable odds. He must be using some kind of magic or a very powerful magician did support him.

Usagi had a look at the recordings of the psi space. If Hikiji really had the help of a magician, then he should be able to find something in these records. And there it was. The computer classified the strange patterns, that didn't tell Usagi anything, as an 'external, psionic extension of the personality'.

That also didn't tell Usagi anything so he asked the computer to explain.

He learned that such a weapon became part of the personality of the owner. It extended his abilities without changing someone permanently. If one left such a weapon behind, then one became ones old self, again. The computer listed several examples of such weapons. Two, Usagi did recognize:

The sword which Pau had used.

And Kusanagi.

Usagi grimaced. If Kusanagi had in fact fallen into Hikijis hands and the sword had only a fraction of the powers which Paus sword had had, then he wasn't astonished at all why Hikiji moved from victory to victory.

He followed the link to Paus weapon. No warning showed up. Usagi scanned the text. The weapon of Pau could take any form and consistency, he read. It could move on its own and stay in some kind of space between the dimensions. This way, it was unreachable for anyone except Pau.

It seemed that Pau actually owned two of these weapons. He had given them names: Shadow- and Sorrowblade. The two seemed to be identical when it came to their abilities. The main ability of the weapons, he read, was that they could alter the reality in any way their owner could imagine.

Usagi gave a laugh. Pau could imagine a lot.

The end of the text contained a warning. The weapons seemed to have a will on their own. They would kill anyone who touched them when they deemed him unworthy. And they did protect their owner on their own accords. If there was a danger which the owner could not cope with, then they acted on their own. 'Probably never happened since Pau has them,' Usagi thought amusedly.

Usagi drew a deep breath. Then he chose the link which lead to Kusanagi.

As expected, the warning popped up that he should only read this when he was ready. Usagi chose the link below the warning which lead to the actual report.

Paus face showed on the screen. As usual, he smiled friendly. "Please talk to Käl," he asked. Then the picture vanished before Usagi could say anything.

Confused, Usagi looked at the screen. Then he shrugged and asked the computer to call Käl.

"Yes?" Käl asked.

In short words, Usagi reported what he had found out.

"And when I wanted to read the report about Kusanagi, Pau showed up for a few moments and told me to see you."

"Probably a pre-recorded message, I guess," Käl thought aloud. "Why don't you come over to my place and we talk about this?"

"I'm on my way," Usagi replied and hung up.

A hologram from the computer lead him to Käls rooms which Usagi had not yet seen. Usagi pressed the doorbell and waited impatiently to be allowed inside.

When the door opened, Usagi stood in a thick jungle in which someone had hewn a small path. Amazed, he stepped inside. When the door had closed behind him, he wouldn't have been able to make it out anymore if there hadn't been a button to open it in a tree nearby. Somewhere, birds and other animals could be heard.

Since he couldn't see Käl anywhere, Usagi followed the path to a tree. In the top of that tree, someone had integrated some kind of house. A climber, formed into a complicated shape, looked like a stair.

Käl called from above and Usagi climbed the plant with growing impatience. Käl had access to all the comforts which the TAURUS offered but they were carefully integrated into his home. Usagi guessed that Käl had invested quite a few of his 3000 years into his home.

"Thanks a lot that you were able to receive me so quickly," Usagi thanked when he had arrived at the top.

"There is a reason for that," Käl explained while he led Usagi into a room which had a spectacular view over the jungle. Despite his impatience, Usagi could not completely withstand the effects of this view and he calmed down a bit.

"Can we please keep this short?" he asked. "There are people dying in my home country and I would like to help them as soon as possible."

"Certainly," Käl agreed, "but you surely realize that it would be better to calm down and think this over, first."

Usagi gave a sigh. Of course, Käl was right. But it was ever so hard to accept the fact that maybe less people will die or be hurt when he took his time while there were already many people dying and being hurt.

"Why did Pau ask me to see you when I tried to read the report about Kusanagi?"

"In contrast to a static text, I can respond to your needs and answer your questions better that way."

"That sounds like I will not be very happy when I learn what you have to tell me," Usagi guessed.

"Correct," Käl agreed.

Usagi made an unhappy face. "And the faster I get this over with, the sooner I will be able to do something, I guess?"

"I couldn't have said that any better, myself," Käl laughed.

"At least one of us hasn't lost his humor," Usagi sighed. "So what do I have to know?"

"You already know that Kusanagi is a weapon like the sword of Pau," Käl started.

Instead of nodding, Usagi asked: "Does that mean that you observe me like Pau did?"

"What makes you think he doesn't observe you anymore?" Käl asked in return.

Usagi moaned. "Could we please leave this minor issues aside for now?"

"Sounds good to me," Käl replied. "Kusanagi is by far less powerful than Paus weapons but it still has some pretty useful abilities. If you use it as a sword, then you can tell it how much its weight should be, how fast it should come around and what resistance you want when it hits something."

"I understand the first two but what does it mean when I can tell it how much resistance I expect?"

"If you defend yourself with the sword, then you can tell it to take the full impact of the blow of your enemy. If you attack, you can tell it to go without resistance through the weapon of the enemy, his armor and himself," Käl explained. "If you give it no weight, then you can attack as fast as you can turn your wrist. And to be able to change its speed means that you can change its trajectory when you throw it and even after it has left your hand."

"But you can even do more complicated things like only cutting through the weapon of an enemy and not into his flesh. I don't know what the limitations are when you try something like that; you will have to do some experiments to find out."

"When I found the sword(2) many years ago, then I didn't notice any of these things," Usagi wondered.

"Did you expect any of these?"

"Uh, no, not really," Usagi admitted.

"The swords follows your wishes. As long as you expect that it behaves like a normal sword, it will do just that."

"That would explain a lot," Usagi said thoughtfully. "Even though I knew that the sword had its peculiarities, I didn't look for them. And what's the bad news, then?"

"You already know a lot about the history of Kusanagi. Do you know what the last words of Gozen Tomoe were when she threw the sword into the sea at Shimonoseki?"

"No," Usagi replied, "none of the legends which I've heard about mentioned that she had said something special."

"Here." Käl handed him a pad.

Usagi could see a frame from a documentation on the pad. It showed a ship on which many women and servants stood. An old nun and a boy stood next to the rail. She held something long in her hand which was wrapped into expensive cloth. Usagi suspected that it was Kusanagi.

Usagi touched the pad to start the movie. The air was still; the ship just swayed gently in the swell.

"I wished," the nun said bitterly, "Kusanagi would only serve someone who is worthy of the responsibility." With that, she threw the sword into the sea and followed with the small child.

Usagi stared at the picture while the movie went on and showed how the ship was entered by enemy forces.

"At that time, the sword served the young emperor. He heard the wise words of his aunt and deemed them true after seeing all the misery this war had brought upon the people. That is the reason why Kusanagi took these words as an order from its owner. And waited for 400 years," Käl explained calmly.

"That means that Kusanagi deems me worthy?" Usagi eventually asked slowly.

"Something like that," Käl said cautiously.

'Here it comes,' Usagi thought uneasily.

"You brought Kusanagi to the Atsua Shrine(3), where a replica of it was kept since the time of the last emperor. The replica was replaced by the original in order to make sure that no one would ever find out that Kusanagi had been found," Käl went on.

Usagi nodded but the longer Käl spoke, the more uneasy he became. 'What is he up to?'

"Only the Komori and the Neko Ninjas knew about this," Käl said.

"Right. The Komori Ninjas were deceived into thinking that Kusanagi was lost to the sea for all time," Usagi reported. "Only the Neko Ninjas learned of its existence again because a second group of them had set up a trap for us on the area of the Atsua Shrine."

"Yes. Chunin(4) Kagemaru, a high-ranking Neko Ninja, who was driven by pathological ambition, related this information to Lord Hikiji. Hikiji began to show interest in the sword and could find out many things about it."

"So he pounced on the sword and now he uses its powers to conquer Japan," Usagi concluded.

"Not quite," Käl said.

Confused, Usagi looked at him.

"I would use the following words: Kusanagi is using Lord Hikiji to conquer the land for its rightful owner."

"What?" Usagi called out, "Kusanagi is responsible for this?"

"In a certain sense, yes. But you still need some other small details to understand the whole picture," Käl said soothingly.

"And what would that be?"

"After you did find Kusanagi, you lost it several times(5), right?" Käl asked.

"Yes, a strange being, more animal than man, stole it from me. Somehow, it fell into the hands of Jei. When I met him next time, I could regain it and kill him or at least destroy his former body with it."

"Right. That beast-man was called Kitanamono. And what happened next?"

"Well, it was stolen several times by different ninjas," Usagi, who wondered what Käl wanted to show him, said.

"It's a fact that Kusanagi always returned to you," Käl concluded.

"Yes," Usagi admitted. Then he began to understand what Käl was up to: "You're saying that these events were no coincidences! That Kusanagi always wanted to return to me!"

"Yes."

"So it causes this destruction to make me come back to Honshu!"

"Yes but there is more: You also wanted peace for the land. Hikiji was the greatest threat for peace and now it tries to create a situation where Hikiji and his supporters can be destroyed in order to comply to your wish."

Speechlessly, Usagi just stared at the giant lizard.

"Kusanagi will try to get back to you, as long as you are alive. It can move on its own but only if you want that. Since you thought that Kusanagi is a normal sword, it had influenced the course of events from the background. It doesn't show its powers openly but everything seems to be happening by pure chance."

"Kitanamono managed to steal the sword from you. A short time later, he ran into Jei and was killed. Next, you ran into Jei and by chance, Kusanagi was within your reach when you needed it to survive the fight with the blade of the gods. I would even guess that Kusanagi had planned for the deception of the Komori Ninjas or had at least supported it so they wouldn't bother you anymore."

Usagis laughter was bitter. "If it is so powerful why couldn't it save General Ikeda?"

"Who knows? Why don't you ask Kusanagi?"

"Ask? How?"

"When it should be able to understand what you want, then it must be able to communicate. And it can give answers if you allow it," Käl replied.

"Wait," Usagi said, when a different thought crossed his mind. "How could that have happened? Why didn't Pau foresee all this?"

"What makes you think he didn't know?"

"Come again?" Usagi asked tonelessly who had a very bad feeling all of a sudden.

"What makes you think he didn't know that exactly this would happen?"

"Did he know?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't he tell me, then?" Usagi asked desperately. "We could have just visited the shrine again, taken the sword with us and all this wouldn't have happened!"

"It's true, that would have been possible. But what do you think would have happened instead?"

"Instead?"

"To change Paus plans as you just proposed would have had consequences. Can you imagine what they might have been?"

"Well," Usagi began but Käl interrupted him.

"Especially what their disadvantages would have been?"

"I don't know," Usagi had to admit. "What would have happened?"

"Lord Hikijis path has now come to an end. Now, he isn't necessary anymore. If he is killed now, then there will be peace in your home country for at least 300 years. But he has only fulfilled his purpose just now. He had to live long enough to start this war and pull the land into chaos one last time."

Desperately, Usagi covered his face with his hands. "And there was no other way?"

"Many," Käl admitted, "but this was the optimum. No other solution would have yielded such a long period of stability and peace."

"Sometimes, you have to hurt in order to heal," Usagi accepted quietly.

"True. As for your next steps, I would propose the following: Put together a group of 8 to 12 people, who will accompany you to Honshu. Together, you should be able to overcome Lord Hikiji and retrieve the sword. Tep can help you with the necessary preparations. You should especially pay attention to the various permissions that you will need from the council which governs the galaxy in which your home world lies."

Usagi groaned. He had completely forgotten about the council. Pau had mentioned it and the strict rules which it had when it came to the transfer of technology between the worlds. When he had visited Karlas world, he didn't have any of these problems. But this would severely limit the possible equipment and companions.

Usagi spent the rest of the day with Tep. Together, they examined the rules of the council. The computer and Tep helped to compile a list of restrictions from these rules which they could use to check their equipment. After that, they put a notice into the net in which they told that they were looking for companions for a mission outside of the TAURUS and attached the list to it.

Around 400 people applied for the job offer in the end. By adding more constraints, they came down to 24 possible companions. Usagi invited them into a meeting room for the next day to talk to them. Some of them would take their leave after that and Usagi would meet the remaining ones one after the other to get to know them better.

Homecoming

After the personal meetings, eight companions were left.

Xut Khassar was a lion-like giant with a thick, sand-colored fur. He was no man of many words but able to cope with stress and used to keep a clear head when things got ugly in the middle of a fight. He came with a long list of successful missions and even the unsuccessful ones were impressive. He could think on his own but also take commands or lead when that was necessary.

He was trained in many high tech weapons but he was also skilled in unarmed combat. Staying fit was no question for him and he had only a few implants. "Only the essentials," as he called it himself. His looks were impressive but he was also cagey and reserved. Usagi assumed that something had happened in his past but since Khassar didn't mention it, he didn't ask.

Wardo Ferdo was a healer. Since everyone except Usagi would be in a foreign environment, Usagi felt it important that they brought a competent medic along who could still do something when the local healers had to give up.

His biggest drawback seemed to be that he was excessively hectic and seemed to be doing at least three things at once all the time. But his abilities as a doctor were out of question. His grey body, which looked closest to a ferret would probably stir a little bit of sensation but he was still well within the limits which the rules of the council set out.

Qu'ral was an altogether different issue. He was a powerful mage and wizard but with his four arms and a slimy black skin, he was definitively outside of the allowed parameters. Fortunately, he could move his essence into a different body and was willing to create a suitable body for this mission and to move into it.

Usagi helped him to choose something which would fit. In the end, they selected a body which looked a lot like the one which Pau Tai had used. He was a bit smaller, the arms and legs were almost delicate and the white fur was riddled with a complicated back pattern.

Tsuku T'he Heramabitiano, a rat-like being, was probably the oddest member of the team: He was a historian by profession and Usagi had only accepted him as a team member after T'he had talked to him for such a long time that Usagi had finally given in. Usagi wasn't afraid of the fitness of the man but he wondered how he might be useful to the team. T'he, on the other hand, was expecting to get a close view to a living primitive culture.

Usagi wasn't at all happy even though Pau had said the same about his culture. Maybe it didn't mean anything for those people who called a different culture primitive, but that didn't make things easier for the people who originated from such a culture.

The next person on the list was called Quitanamongo, also a wizard or psi worker as he called himself. He had good teleportation skills(6) and he could erect telekinetic screens(7) to transport or protect the group. He looked like a cat with a red fur or a fox.

Usagi only worried about his name which had a very offending meaning in Japanese(8). Therefore, he asked him to come up with a different name or, even better, to choose one together with Usagi in order to avoid embarrassing situations when someone of the team called for him. They eventually agreed upon Hanshiro.

The last three members of the team were the Chey brothers Chey-A, Chey-E and Chey-I and had a feline appearance. Since they looked completely alike, people usually called every brother just Chey-O. They were warriors like Khassar but they knew a style which was very similar to the Chi style which Usagi used. But unlike Usagi, they were immortal and therefore, they could stay in this state for much longer. Their main problem was the food because they were allergic to most of the food which they would find on Usagis world.

They refused to have their DNA changed to adjust their immune system. Being immortal, such modifications had long-lasting consequences and so, they were much more hesitant to modify themselves than someone who would only have to live with such a modification for a few years.

All other members of the team were living on board of the TAURUS for much longer than the Chey brothers and this mission was not the first. Astonishingly enough, it was the historian T'he who had the highest number of external missions. He had already visited more than 25'000 different planets.

Like all people who traveled between the worlds, Khassar, T'he, Hanshiro and Ferdo had their normal immune system replaced by one which could be adjusted. That also included adjusting the metabolism so they could cope with the food of the destination world. Of course, there were limits to this, but Usagis world would pose no problem for them, at least in this respect.

Language was another problem. Usagi had learned the common language of the TAURUS but in order to relieve him from having to work as a translator all the time, everyone except for two Chey brothers learned at least the basics of the Japanese language and etiquette.

Since it wasn't allowed to use a remote controlled puppet, Usagi decided to use his own body. To get himself better protection, he had a small operation in which mats of a special material were inserted directly under his skin which were almost impenetrable by arrows and swords.

After three days, they were ready. Tep had obtained new identities for them via an employee of Philmann Dark in the destination galaxy Pagtar so they could at least travel without raising any attention. Since all members of Pagtar could have custom-made bodies built for them, their looks would not worry anyone and modified immune systems were common with all space-faring races.

The long-distance transportation system of the TAURUS moved them into Darks estate on Halkor, the capital world in Pagtar. From there, they used a short-distance transmitter to a great transmitter port where one of the long-distance transmitters brought them near to Usagis home world. A smaller long-distance transmitter finally transported them into the station on the backside of the moon.

After 25 years, Usagi returned to the station on the moon. Memories came up, nice ones and others.

Their equipment had already arrived. Professionally and without many words, they changed their clothes into something inconspicuous and everyone picked up the sealed box with his weapons. Everyone also received a bag with food for the Chey brothers so the teleporters wouldn't have to jump back to the moon every so often.

Since Usagi didn't have much experience in leading others into battle, they decided that Usagi would usually lead the group and command would be transferred to Khassar when they were under attack. This way, they tried to make sure that Usagi didn't endanger the other members of the team unnecessarily because he didn't knew enough about their skills and abilities.

The goal of the mission was to bring Kusanagi into their or better into Usagis possession and to put an end to the civil war as soon as possible. To achieve this, they needed first-hand information. Usagi proposed to go to the Geishu province, first, because he hoped to meet with Lord Noriyuki there. The lord would surely be able to help them. And if Noriyuki wasn't in the city, then he could find someone in his old dojo or other people he had met during his long time in the city.

Qu'ral could only take a light amount of extra weight with him, when he jumped, so he would jump back and forth several times while Hanshiro could jump only once but he could take all three Chey brothers with him. Qu'ral would take Khassar first, so the fighters could secure the target area just in case they were attacked right after the teleportation.

Usagi showed them on a map where Pau had always brought them.

"There is a marker," Qu'ral said surprised, "you feel it, too?"

"No," Hanshiro replied, "I don't have this skill. But I can simply follow your jump."

"Interesting," Qu'ral went on, "very elaborate, this marker. It seems to observe the target area and can even tell me if there are any people nearby."

"What is a marker?" Usagi asked.

"Well, a marker is something like a beacon for a teleporter," Qu'ral explained absent minded. "It's very simple to tune into one if one can feel it. They are usually erected at places which have an affinity for teleporters. This way, the jump is not that exhausting. But this construct seems to be a lot more then a simple marker."

"Hm," Usagi made indecisively, "and what does that mean?"

"Is it dangerous?" Khassar asked.

"I cannot say for sure. There are many unknown structures in the construct. It at least has its own energy source."

"So it can attack," Khassar concluded.

"That's possible, yes. At least, it can withstand certain psi-attacks. I would guess that there is some kind of protection against manipulation. But if it will attack us when we use it, I can't say for sure."

"Pau did jump several times with us to that place or at least near to it," Usagi reported.

"How powerful is Pau?" Khassar asked.

"Very. I have no idea if there is anyone who is more powerful than he is."

Khassar frowned but didn't pursue this any further. "So he either didn't care or he was able to suppress any reaction of the marker," he thought.

"I would guess that he could do both. But maybe we can find something about this marker in the computer," Usagi replied and went over to a panel on the wall.

He looked up Paus reports of this world. The first thing which he noticed was that the reports which were stored in the galactic network were much shorter than the ones which he had seen on the TAURUS. For a moment, he toyed with the thought to have someone on the TAURUS send him a data-crystal with all the reports but he decided against it, because he guessed that Pau had mentioned everything important in these reports, too.

In no time, he had found a map which showed all psi-phenomena on his world. Of course, he didn't understand any of the patterns on the screen, so he asked the two wizards to come over. They looked at the map and began to talk shop, immediately. Since Usagi had no idea what they were talking about, he decided to wait.

After a short time, Khassar stepped next to them. Unlike Usagi, he seemed to understand at least a bit of what the two wizards were talking about because he asked a question every now and then. All three looked up further information which didn't tell Usagi anything, either.

"Well?" Usagi asked when the discussions seemed to go on forever.

"It seems that the person whom you call Pau Tai has installed five markers on Honshu including the one in the Geishu province," Qu'ral replied.

"So we can use it safely?" Usagi concluded.

"It looks like that, yes."

"You needed such a long time to come to this conclusion?"

"No," Qu'ral replied, "there are other phenomena on the map and some of them have been marked as dangerous. We are currently having a closer look at these and planning what we could do if we should run into them."

"Ah, I see. How long will this take?"

"Only a few more minutes. Can you tell us anything about this phenomenon?" Qu'ral pointed at a few random patterns on the screen.

"The patterns don't tell me anything," Usagi admitted.

"Pau Tai called them 'Jei'."

"Jei, yes, that does tell me something."

"What is it? It seems to move."

"Jei is a human. Well, he was once a human. The gods have made a weapon out of him which kills all the evil people," Usagi explained.

"Gods, eh?" Qu'ral asked openly amused about such a backwardly belief. "Interesting phenomenon. From the patterns which I see here, I would guess that he can draw the life-force from another being. Is he immortal?"

"Yes, he's constantly sucking the life out of everything nearby," Usagi confirmed. "I killed him several times myself but he always came back from the dead. Only with the help of Kusanagi, I could destroy his old body but he simply manifested himself again in another one."

"Will he bleed when cut?" Khassar asked directly.

"Yes. Should we run into him, then I will talk to him. Maybe I can ask him to leave us alone. Should you run into him and I shouldn't be around, then tell him that you're here with me."

"And if he doesn't care?"

"You can try to injure or kill him but I hope that this won't be necessary."

"How does he look like?"

Usagi turned to the computer but there was no picture. The whole file about Jei seemed to be missing; there was only this tiny item amongst the psi-phenomena. 'Why is Pau so greedy with information, here?' Usagi wondered.

So Usagi described Jei instead as good as he could. "But when you see him, you will have no problem to recognize him," he finished.

"Good," Khassar decided.

Qu'ral and Hanshiro had a look at two other phenomena and then, they were ready. The three Chey brothers gathered around Hanshiro and touched him while Qu'ral didn't need any physical contact for the transport of Khassar. With two loud bangs, the six people vanished.

Usagi had never noticed any sound when Pau had transported them and he asked Qu'ral about it when he came back.

"Well, there are many different ways of transportation. When you use teleportation like Hanshiro and I do, then a vacuum is created at the place which we leave and the matter at the destination is moved out of the way shortly before we appear there. That is why there is a loud bang at both places."

Next, he took Usagi, shortly followed by Ferdo and T'he. Usagi wondered what kind of magic Pau had been using. It seemed that the whole topic of magic was much more complicated than Usagi had thought until now.

"Position secured," Khassar reported curt and Usagi thanked him. Khassar and the Chey brothers had taken their positions in a wide circle around the target point and were ready to fight.

After taking their weapons out of the storage boxes, they were on their way to the city.

The telepathic abilities of Hanshiro protected them against surprise attacks. To Usagis surprise, Hanshiro insisted that he was unable to read Usagis mind. That seemed to be very complicated if the telepath and the victim were of different species. Hanshiro could only tell them if people were close to them and roughly where they were.

One hour later, they had reached the city limits. The people seemed to be nervous and in a rush. There wasn't much life on the main street and many, poorly clothed people could be seen. On the way to Usagis school, they were stopped by several armed police patrols. Only when Usagi promised that they were on their way to the castle to join the army, they were allowed to pass.

"To become part of the army would delay our plans greatly," Hanshiro worried.

"I hope to be able to get a special permit from Lord Noriyuki which will allow us to avoid that," Usagi replied. "And that is the most simple way to get us to the castle."

"And if he isn't around?"

Usagi shrugged. "We'll see about that when the situation arises. I hope that they will at least be able to tell me where he is. Then Qu'ral can get me there or something like that."

Content with the answer, Hanshiro nodded.

T'he, on the other hand, was completely in his element. Curiously, he looked around and enthusiastically wrote many things in a small booklet.

The houses in the part of the city in which Usagis school was located looked as if they had been renovated recently; only the school itself looked as Usagi remembered it. To his astonishment, the doors were closed. Usagi banged at them with his fist and hoped that there was someone left to open.

"Who is it?" the distrusting voice of Waytiki sounded.

"Waytiki-san," Usagi called through the door, "it's me, Usagi!"

"Usagi-san?" Waytiki replied surprisedly. Scraping sounds could be heard and then the doors opened.

Waytiki was alone. None of the pupils were with him.

"Waytiki," Usagi said happily, "it's good to see you again."

"Usagi," Waytiki greeted his friend, "welcome back, even if it's in such miserable times."

"Yes," Usagi said depressedly. 'Should I tell him that all of this could be my fault?'

Usagi introduced his companions and they went inside. Only Qu'ral hesitated to put a foot inside of the building.

"What's the matter with you?" Waytiki asked.

"There has been a great fire in this part of the city, recently," the wizard said thoughtfully while he looked at something in the building which only he could see.

"That's right," Waytiki said without surprise. That conclusion was obvious when one walked through the streets.

"Only this house did survive the blaze unscarred," the wizard went on.

"Yes. Why to you mention that?"

"Can I speak openly?" Qu'ral asked Usagi.

"Yes," Usagi decided.

"Someone has integrated powerful magical constructs into the matter of this building. I'm not sure what might happen if I try to step inside."

"Ah," Usagi said, who remembered the strange behavior of the money chest, "as long as we are guests of Waytiki-sensei, we are safe."

"Are you sure?"

"These protective spells have probably been added by Pau Tai," Usagi guessed. "I don't think that he would add something to a residential house that would attack guests without prior warning. Even the thieves which have tried to steal something every now and then were never injured."

"That you think it can't happen," one of the Chey brothers said, "doesn't mean it can't happen."

"It's just not like Pau. If the house rejects Qu'ral, then he will not be able to step inside but it won't just kill him."

"It's my life you're gambling with, here," Qu'ral threw in.

"I've already done that by getting you here," Usagi said slightly upset about the delay. "We all risk our lives here."

Interlude

A muscular shape moved from cover to cover unnoticed by the guards. This way, it came ever closer to the entrance of the cave which the Komori(9) Ninjas used as their home.

With the help of its black armor, it became one with the night and despite its size, it managed to move without a sound.

Inside of the cave, nothing could be heard except for the quiet dripping of water. The shape listened attentively. When it had found what it had been looking for, it set into motion once more.

A small device was placed and activated in a specific spot in the cave. Emotion- and soundlessly, a counter began to count the remaining time for the ninjas to live.

The shape was on its way back outside. Unnoticed, it reached the entrance and dug into a cover nearby. Carefully, it erected a telekinetic screen to protect itself.

Inside of the cave, the last ticks of the counter passed by. The device sprang to life and began to emit deep sounds which echoed through the whole cave. Confused, the ninjas set out to find the source of the sounds but because of the many echoes, they couldn't find it.

Then the device had found the correct sound. The air began to vibrate while it pumped more and more energy into the sound that was the resonant frequency of the cave. Dust danced on the ground and quickly, the first gaps showed in the ceiling.

The ninjas covered their ears but that didn't help. Blood ran from their noses while the sound disrupted their inner organs. Unconscious, they fell from their sleeping places to the bottom of the cave.

A short time later, bigger chunks of rock and stalactites from the ceiling of the cave followed. Unmoved by the surrounding chaos, the device adjusted the sound to the new geometry of the cave and made the air vibrate more and more strongly.

Until the ceiling gave in and the last of the refugees of the Komori Ninjas were buried below many thousand tons of rock.

Outside of the cave, Käl searched for signs of life but he couldn't find any anymore. He waited three days for any late comers and then vanished without a trace.

The Shiroi Usagi Dojo

Still uneasy, Qu'ral did put one foot inside of the house.

Nothing happened.

Then he stepped inside.

Froze.

His hair stood on end.

In panic, he ran out again.

Immediately, Khassar and the Chey brothers were ready to fight. "Out!" Khassar ordered and they moved.

With his eyes wide open, Qu'ral stared at the building. His breath came quick and abrupt and he shook from fear.

"What is it?" Khassar yelled at him.

It took Qu'ral a long time before he was able to give an answer. Whatever might have happened, it had completely unnerved him.

"What is that?" he finally asked horrified.

"The house?"

"That's no house!" Qu'ral yelled. "No idea what it is but it's no house!"

The few passers-by vanished from the street. Usagi began to worry what would happen if a patrol would now run into their battle-ready group and Waytiki looked confused at them from the entrance.

"Explain!" Khassar ordered.

"What I took for a protection against fire is in fact something like blinds in psi-space! Only after one has stepped inside, one can see what is really behind it! It's incredibly complex and elaborate. I don't know what it is but it's no protection against fire. It's almost as if it was alive!"

"Did it attack you?" Usagi asked seriously.

"No idea," the wizard said still beside himself, "but, no, not really."

"Did it?" Khassar asked.

"No, no, it didn't attack me directly. I ... I've just freaked out. I've never seen anything like that! Did Pau Tai create this?"

"Probably," Usagi said while the warriors sheathed their weapons again.

"Unbelievable. How long did it take him?"

"I don't know," Usagi admitted. "Maybe a few days."

"A few days? Something like that needs years, maybe even centuries!" Qu'ral yelled.

"As I said," Usagi replied calmly, "Pau is very powerful."

Qu'ral laughed unbelievingly: "Powerful? That doesn't mean anything! It's much to elaborate to be set up by a single person in such a short time. Alone the problems to keep the whole thing stable, to create the stabilizing structures in such a way that they keep together longer then a few minutes!"

"Well, that's simple to explain," Usagi replied. "Pau once told me that he is many. For a short time, I was part of his consciousness. I had the impression that he consisted of millions of souls."

"A concept(10) or a superintelligence(11) maybe?" Hanshiro guessed.

"These words don't tell me anything. Pau only told me that he is a priest of Ookaa'h."

"Really?" T'he suddenly was very interested. "A priest of Ookaa'h?"

"That were his words," Usagi affirmed.

"Well, in that case your estimation of his powers is probably absolutely correct," the historian agreed eagerly. "I've several times encountered traces of these priests but I've never met one in person. And you say that you did in fact meet him?"

"Yes," Usagi admitted.

"Wonderful," T'he said enthusiastically. "You have to tell me everything about him!"

Usagi was confused. "Have you never tried to meet him?"

Now, T'he was confused. "I've never before heard about someone with that name. How should I have met him?"

"He lives on the TAURUS since an eternity," Usagi replied.

"Really?" T'he said surprisedly. "That is most peculiar. Why haven't I heard about him, before? The computer should have told me if there was another Ookaa'h priest on board of the TAURUS."

"Another?"

"Well, it's well known that the founder of the TAURUS is a priest of Ookaa'h."

"That's Pau Tai," Usagi said and all hell broke loose.

"You know Philmann Dark?" T'he asked being quite surprised.

Qu'rals fur stood on end again and he stammered incoherently.

Hanshiro stared at Usagi as if he had just sprouted a second head.

Ferdo got himself to safety.

Khassar was in a blind fury, grabbed Usagi and pulled him up. Usagi was so surprised by the sudden attack that he expected to be dead before he realized that he could defend himself by using his Chi.

The Chey brothers immediately tried to get Usagi out of his grip but the rage allowed Khassar to shake them off while they couldn't attack with their full power because they didn't want to hurt Khassar or Usagi.

In the end, it was Hanshiro who grabbed Khassar telekinetically, forced his hands open and then held him tight.

One of the Chey brothers got Usagi to safety while the other two moved between the raging warrior and the rest of the group.

Ferdo immediately saw to Usagi who lay on the ground trying to catch his breath.

Khassar roared in anger but no sound came through the screen which Hanshiro had erected.

Waytiki had gaped the whole spectacle with his mouth wide open. Hastily, he ran around the ranting Khassar to Usagi. Still, no patrol of the police could be seen but all passers-by had vanished by now.

"I'm fine," Usagi eventually fended Ferdo off.

"We should maybe really go inside," Waytiki proposed.

"Yes," Usagi said and ordered the others to go inside. "Everyone," he said with a glance to Qu'ral who winced.

"Can you carry him inside?" Usagi asked Hanshiro.

"No problem."

"Good. Then do it."

They went inside once more; Qu'ral openly afraid.

"Can't hold him!" Hanshiro yelled when they stood in the entrance hall. Immediately, the Chey brothers were ready to fight again while Usagi helped Waytiki to close and lock the doors. For a moment, Usagi had the disconcerting feeling that they locked themselves in a trap.

Khassar dropped to the ground and easily landed on his feet. He didn't move but his look full of hate was still locked on Usagi.

"The building fights against the use of psionic abilities inside of it," Qu'ral reported uncomfortably. "I can see how the construct influences Hanshiros abilities."

Hanshiro seemed to sense it, too. His face showed his concentration but he couldn't achieve anything. Eventually he gave up and shook his head. "Futile. Whatever it is, it effectively prevents me from being able to do anything."

Meanwhile, Qu'ral looked around. Amazement had replaced the fear in his face. "Unbelievable," he whispered awestruck.

Usagi turned to the problem at hand. "Waytiki, please see the others to the training area. Khassar and I will follow you shortly."

"Are you sure?" Hanshiro asked unbelievingly.

"I don't know if that is such a good idea," Qu'ral objected.

"Qu'ral, should I be killed during this mission, then I want that you try to retrieve Kusanagi. Bring it back to the TAURUS and hand it to Käl or Pau Tai himself. They will know what to do with it."

"But ..."

"It's possible that the sword will resist your efforts. Should you run into unsurmountable resistance then return to the TAURUS without it and just report what has happened. Now go," Usagi ordered.

Reluctantly, they followed the order. Eventually, Usagi was alone with the giant.

Usagi sat down a bit away from Khassar in order not to make him angry unnecessarily. Slowly, he took off his swords and put them next to him on the ground.

"There are only two things which you can do," he said calmly. "You can kill me or you can tell me your story."

"Are you Dark?" Khassar spat out struggling with himself.

"No," Usagi said, "I'm his pupil."

Khassar snorted. "A pupil of the monster."

Unmoved, Usagi waited.

"For loosing my self-control," Khassar eventually said, "I'm most sorry. I think that I'll be able to be professional about this and finish this mission with you should you still want that."

Usagi gave a sigh. "As long as you don't speak with me, I can't help you."

"Help me?" Khassar hissed enraged but he stayed in control of his emotions. "Nobody can help me."

"Not as long as you don't allow it."

"What do you know," Khassar said bitterly, "and I think that my private life is none of your business."

"I would have agreed to this before your assault on me but now it's something personal between you and me."

Khassar grunted. "Let's just say that Philmann Dark is a deadly enemy of mine."

"Why?" Usagi insisted.

"I don't want to talk about it," Khassar rejected. "It has taken me many years to be able to live with it at all and I don't want to go through this hell again. It's over. He did utterly destroy me; killing me would have been gracious. For that, I hate him."

"When I met with Pau Tai for the first time," Usagi told Khassar, "I was full of pain and sorrow. He showed me that one can get rid of that. I'm not very good in this way of healing, but ..."

Khassar suddenly looked very tired. "Don't burden yourself with that. Of course, I know the techniques to work on psychological problems. That was part of my training long before I met Dark. Dark made sure that the pain never goes away."

Stricken, Usagi remained silent. Of course Pau would make sure that someone he really wanted to suffer would be unable to wriggle himself out of the torture. 'Why did Pau do that?' he wondered.

"I'm not satisfied with that," Usagi decided finally and Khassar sighed.

"What else do you want?"

"There are two things which I could conclude from your words. Either I should stay away from you of from Pau. I can't imagine that Pau didn't do this to you for a purpose. Or Pau isn't what I thought him to be."

Khassar made a face. "Stop it. I've been through this more than once and it was always a pain for me and the others. It never helped in any way; everyone was just unhappy in the end. Believe me, I'm looking for a solution for 70'000 years, now, and without success, yet."

"I'm sorry," Usagi said honestly. "If you want, then I can offer you something: I can have word with Pau when I meet him next time."

"Won't change a bit. Tried that myself already," Khassar said hopelessly and Usagi asked himself how that being managed to rise every morning and meet the challenges of the day.

"As you wish," Usagi accepted. He would still talk to Pau about this but he wouldn't increase Khassars burden with this knowledge. "I'm still a pupil of Pau Tai but my actions are my own."

Khassar snorted. "Many, who were also under the shadow of Dark, said the same. But you're right, I should not judge you by the crimes of your teacher. What will you do, now?"

"For me, you are still a valuable member of the team," Usagi replied honestly, "but I can't speak for the others."

"They will follow you," Khassar meant.

"Only when I force them to but I have no intention to do that."

"Ferdo and T'he have lost their trust in me," Khassar enumerated. "Qu'ral is distracted by the house at the moment but when the distraction wears off and he turns back to the matters at hand, he will also turn away from me. I don't know what Hanshiro will do. Only the Chey brothers would maybe accept when I stay."

Usagi would have guessed the same but he didn't say anything. "Still, I won't decide that over the heads of the others."

"You lead, you decide."

Usagi picked up his weapons again and together, they followed the others.

In the yard of the school, a few young pupils were doing their exercises. Waytiki waited there together with his wife and the other team members. Keiko was openly relieved when Usagi stepped into the yard unhurt followed by Khassar.

"Hold it," Waytiki told the pupils. "Miyamoto-sensei, the founder of the school, honors us with his presence."

The pupils stopped their exercises and disciplined, they formed lines to greet Usagi. Together with their teachers, they bowed before Usagi. "Thank you," Usagi said and bowed. "It fills me with pride to see that Waytiki-sensei was able to find so many talented pupils in such troubled times."

"Will you do us the honors to lead a few exercises?" Keiko offered him.

"Unfortunately not," Usagi replied with honest regret even if it was for a different reason than what most pupils suspected. To teach the pupils would have been much more welcome for him than having to plunge into dangerous adventures.

"I've come here for a reason. Keiko-sensei, Waytiki-sensei, can I have word with you? I need to know what the situation in this province is."

"Certainly," Keiko replied. "Please follow me."

While the pupils continued their exercises under the custody of Waytiki, Keiko lead them into one of the rooms in the back of the school.

"What do you want to know?" she asked after Usagi had greeted her and introduced the others.

"I know that there is a civil war again and that Lord Hikiji is involved into it somehow. But I want to know what the situation is like here. What do you know?"

"About one year ago, rumors spread that the tenno had returned. With a glowing sword, he was leading his soldiers into battle and he would easily defeat any opposition," Keiko reported.

"Of course, Lord Noriyuki was greatly worried. While you built the school, we had a period of peace and wealth. Everyone was afraid that the old chaos(12) would ruin the land once more."

"Do you know who the new emperor is?" Usagi asked.

"The rumors say that it is someone who is under the control of Lord Hikiji or maybe even himself. His son, that is. The old lord who was your enemy, has died a few years ago."

"Where is Lord Noriyuki now?"

"He has levied armies together with the other lords of the southwest who are still loyal the shogunate and they have moved north to fight the false emperor."

"The patrols on the street told us that they are still recruiting people for the army."

"That's true. It seems that people are afraid that Lord Hikiji could even win against all armies which the Shogun could form but I really cannot believe that. So more and more men are levied. You have seen the situation in our school yourself. All pupils above 14 have been pressed into service. Waytiki and I are very afraid that we won't see many of them again alive."

"Usagi," she asked forcefully, "can you do something? Will Pau help us once more?"

"That's why I've returned. Pau is not with us but I think that I can help."

"That is good to hear," she said relievedly and Usagi felt quite uneasy. 'Can I really fulfill the hope which I'm putting into her heart?'

"That leaves us with a new problem. I must be able to move unhindered but if everyone, who can carry a weapon, is immediately recruited, then I need a permit from Lord Noriyuki. Is someone left in the castle who will remember me and to whom I could talk?"

"I don't know but maybe Waytiki will. He did visit the castle several times, recently."

Then, almost afraid, she asked: "Are the rumors true?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did the gods send us a new emperor?"

Usagis laugh was bitter. "No, I don't think so." He sighed. "I really don't want to put the burden of knowledge on you. But as far as I know, it's really the son of Lord Hikiji who abuses Kusanagi-no-tsurugi to still his thirst for power."

"Kusanagi? The sword from the legends?" Keiko called in surprise and Usagi nodded unhappily.

"How could it happen that a weapon of the gods can be abused my someone?"

"Please," Usagi replied, "you will not like the answer."

Keiko just waited him out.

"It seems that Kusanagi uses the thirst for power of Hikiji to conquer the land for the emperor it has chosen."

"The sword?" Keiko asked surprised.

"It's no sword," T'he thew in. "As far as I did understand, it's more like some kind of being which has been created for a specific purpose. Something between a tool and a slave without a will of his own."

"But if it has control over Hikiji then it surely must have a will of its own?" Ferdo wondered.

"Not necessarily or only a very limited one. Maybe it just follows a very simple program," the historian replied.

"That's correct," Usagi admitted. "It just wants to return to its owner."

"And who is that?" Keiko asked but she already suspected the correct answer.

"You," Khassar said looking at Usagi.

"That's what you meant when you said that we might meet with unexpected resistance when we try to take the sword with us," Qu'ral concluded.

"Yes. If it doesn't want that for some reason, then it can resist."

"To summarize," Ferdo said, "we have war and can be pulled into the army. If that happens when we all will probably we put into different units and it would become a pure coincidence if we could still achieve anything."

"We have allies on this side but the other side seems to be far superior at the moment. We need an ally right now but he is at an unknown place. What we came for is very powerful and could resist our attempt to retrieve it. If that happens, there won't be much we can do."

"Well," T'he replied, "at least the last argument doesn't count. I've done some research on weapons like these and only very seldom, they can do something against the will of their owner. Usually, there are safety mechanisms, so, for example, it's hard or impossible to use it against its owner but if Kusanagi really accepts Usagi as its owner, then it will not resist to be taken along."

"Qu'ral, when can you jump back into the station to have a look at the satellite maps?" Usagi asked. "You should be able to spot the armies easily on them and with that, it should be no problem to find Lord Noriyuki. Then you can get me there and I can get a special permit from him. Furthermore, I will be able to learn more about the current situation."

"Maybe you should talk to someone in the castle, first?" Keiko proposed.

"Of course, you are right," Usagi said. "Can you please ask Waytiki to see me so he can tell me what the situation is like at the castle?"

"Certainly, Usagi. Just one moment, please," Keiko said and left.

"What's the matter with him, now?" Hanshiro asked and pointed at Khassar.

"Khassar has told me the reasons for his actions and I accepted them. As far as I'm concerned, I have no further objections against him," Usagi replied calmly.

"Come again?" Ferdo asked. "He has almost killed you!"

"That's not true because if he had, then I would be dead, now," Usagi rejected the notion dryly.

As they had expected, the Chey brothers were content with that but the others were not satisfied. Especially Ferdo was very worried that Khassar would freak out again under pressure.

Then Waytiki came back and they had to postpone their discussion.

Waytiki couldn't help them much. It seemed that Noriyuki had only left a very small group of retainers behind. The inhabitants of the city were already greatly worried what would happen if some disaster happened.

"There were only people left behind who follow the rules to the letter. They almost recruited myself!" Waytiki lamented.

"I see," Usagi decided, "then we stick to the original plan to find out about the whereabouts of Lord Noriyuki and then I'll see him."

"I could return to the station with Qu'ral," Khassar offered. "Since many members of the team don't trust me anymore, that would be a reasonable solution."

"And how can we build up the lost trust again, then?" Usagi asked. "Who isn't willing to work together with Khassar anymore?"

Ferdo, Qu'ral and Hanshiro lifted their hands.

"Why?" Usagi asked.

"I've already told you my reasons," Ferdo said. "Khassar is a killer. He can kill all of us and after what I had to see, I just doubt that he has enough self-control so he can stay calm when we get into trouble next time."

"Anyone can loose control when pressure is too high," Usagi argued.

"Yes, but until now, none of the other team members has turned against anyone of us."

"We haven't run into any trouble, yet," T'he objected.

"Maybe, but we also don't have to keep a cool head in a battle situation and to make sure that we'll get out of it alive."

"Khassar, what do you say?" Usagi asked.

"I've got nothing to add."

"But you think that a normal battle situation will not cause you any trouble, don't you?"

"Well," Khassar hesitated, "I have to admit that I was surprised by my outburst myself. For a moment, I really lost control of myself and that's what worries me most."

"Why did you loose control?"

"I'm not sure ..."

"But?"

"I think, that happened, because I thought you were Philmann Dark."

"So that might happen again if we should run into Pau."

"Yes, maybe."

"So the question is: Will we run into Pau," Usagi concluded.

"With you in the team?" Qu'ral threw in.

"Hm," Usagi sounded. "I think that there will be no problems if we don't run into Pau. And if we do, it won't change anything."

"What do you mean?" Hanshiro asked.

"Pau is so powerful that it doesn't change anything whether Khassar looses control or not. From that point in time, only things which Pau wants to happen, will happen."

"That's probably true," Qu'ral accepted.

"Can you accept that?" Usagi turned to Ferdo.

"I think so," the doctor eventually gave in.

"Qu'ral?"

"I don't have any objections, anymore."

"Hanshiro?"

"Same for me."

"Qu'ral, how many jumps can you still do today?"

"Well, alone maybe three, possibly four."

"That means that you could jump back to the station and then return but to get me to Noriyuki would be a gamble?"

"Yes."

"That's not good. The patrols surely report to someone that a group of people is on their way to the palace to join the army. If we don't show up, then they will eventually begin to look for us."

"And to transport you to Noriyuki wouldn't help much because I would still have to return with the document," Qu'ral added.

"To refuse to join the army is not an option in this culture," T'he reported.

"Are you still remembered in the palace?" Khassar asked Usagi.

"His name is still well-known," master Waytiki answered. "If I go along with him and vouch for him, then they would surely believe that he is in fact Miyamoto-sensei but how would that help us?"

"He could simply show up there and ask if the document has already arrived."

"But we haven't spoken with Lord Noriyuki, yet?" Ferdo objected.

"But they don't know. The question implies that we expect such a document and it should be easy to get a terminated permit until our teleporters are fit again."

"Any other ideas?" Usagi asked. When everyone just shook their head, he went on: "Then we'll try that. If we should be separated for some reason, then we meet again here in this school."

So he and Master Waytiki went to the palace. Inside, they met with the civil servants of which Waytiki had already warned them. They were completely overwhelmed with work and didn't want to listen to reason. In the last years, Usagi had only met with the sympathetic civil servants of the TAURUS who always tried to find a solution together with the inhabitants of the ship.

Of course, that wasn't the case, here. The civil servant simply told them that they could as easily wait for such a special permit as part of the regular army.

Basic Training

They spent the evening in a large dormitory of the barracks in the capital of the Geishu province together with 30 other poor souls which had been recruited a short time ago. At least they had managed to stay together.

Armed guards were watching the walls of the barracks so newcomers would not accidentally lose their way and be declared as deserters as the commander had explained sternly.

The commander had went on that they would be trained for about a month and then be sent as a reinforcement for the regular army to the front in the north. The pretty short time for the basic training told the seasoned warriors in the team how desperate the situation already had become.

The Chey brothers, Khassar and Usagi didn't worry much about the training. Usagi had already served in the army of Lord Mifune so he could tell the others what they had to expect. The biggest problem of these five was to find an armor which was large enough to fit Khassar. Fortunately, he had brought his own armor and they would just add the crest of the Geishus to it.

T'he had never served in an army and he was more worried about what would happen if he came into a fight and he had to kill than about the basic training.

The magicians were an entirely different issue. Hanshiro knew a bit about unarmed self-defense but Qu'ral simply rejected to touch a weapon. After a long discussion he accepted to touch a wooden bokken but when it came to more complicated patterns of movement, one could quickly see that he still didn't have much control over his current body. The differences between this one and his original body were just too big when it came to delicate movements.

But it was Ferdo who was worst. His nervousness never allowed him to stand still for even a few moments. While their instructor told them the program for the day, he fidgeted so much that the instructor flipped out.

He sent Ferdo for 20 rounds around the barracks.

Ferdo returned after a short time and went on to flounce.

Since Ferdo had returned so quickly, the instructor immediately suspected that Ferdo had somehow cut his punishment short, so he sent him for another 50 rounds.

It took more time until Ferdo came back again. He still flounced. And Usagi could see that he was upset. To avoid further trouble with the instructor, Ferdo went to the last row where he could hide better.

That did change when the exercises began. As it was normal for him, Ferdo did them pretty fast. In order to make up for that, he just did a few more. Still, the instructor decided to be unhappy about that and he began to harass Ferdo.

Usagi didn't care much because he knew the voice which instructors usually used and someone was always the scapegoat with which the instructors showed the others what happened if someone crossed them. But Khassar seemed to worry.

"What is it?" Usagi whispered.

"Ferdo doesn't take humiliation very well," Khassar hissed back.

"What do mean?"

That instant, Ferdo already flew into a rage. Usagi wondered how someone who was as small as Ferdo could yell so loud. With a gush of swears and insults, he ate the instructor alive who really stepped back from the rampaging doctor.

Ferdo seemed to have concentrated his study of the Japanese language mainly on curses and insults because despite speaking the words faster than Usagi could follow, he never repeated himself.

After a few moments, the instructor had recovered from the surprise and did what he had to do: He yelled back. When that didn't help, he waved over some guards to handle the maniac.

Khassar and the Chey brothers just stood there and waited. Without Usagis word, they wouldn't step in because he knew the local customs best.

Usagi gave it a quick thought and decided that they should not loose another month here in the capital. So they would speed up the whole process.

"Khassar! Go!"

Immediately, Khassar began to give orders.

"Hanshiro, shield the yard! Usagi, Qu'ral, protect Hanshiro. Chey-O with me!"

Unarmed, the four intercepted the guards who were on their way to arrest Ferdo.

In the meantime, Usagi and Qu'ral stepped next to Hanshiro who began to concentrate on a screen. Usagi was relieved, when he saw that the guards, who came running from outside, were suddenly stopped by an invisible obstacle. The other recruits, who were in the yard with them, fled into a corner of the yard before the strange events.

Effectively and safely, Khassar and the Chey brothers disarmed the guards. Because of their better training, their better reflexes and not to forget because of the improvements which Khassar had had done on himself, they were quickly in control of the situation.

The defeated guards were disarmed and then shoved into a corner of the yard. Then Khassar replaced Usagi so he could have word with the instructor.

On the way, Ferdo stepped to him. "I need my equipment so I can see to the injured," he asked. As quickly as he had flown into a rage, he had calmed down.

"I'll see what I can do," Usagi promised. "Anyone heavily hurt?"

"No but all the weapons are of course very dirty and in such an environment, a wound can become inflamed, quickly."

Usagi nodded and went over to the instructor who was trapped with the guards in the corner of the yard and who waited for him with a grim expression.

"As you can see," Usagi said calmly, "our training already leaves nothing to be desired. Since we came to join the forces of Lord Noriyuki and we don't want to waste a month here with a useless training, I would propose that you simply make out march orders for us and tell us where we can find Lord Noriyuki."

The instructor, who had expected that the new recruits would try to press their freedom in exchange for the lives of the guards needed a moment to adjust to the new situation. Meanwhile, Usagi took the captured weapons and handed them back to the guards with a bow. Uneasy, the guards did put them away for now.

"Only the commander can decide that," the instructor eventually evaded a decision.

"Good. In that case, I would like to see him now," Usagi asked.

"Who do you think you are?" the instructor yelled.

Before he could go on, Usagi interrupted him friendly but forcefully: "Surely, you have to report this incident? Let's go." Usagi put all the authority, which he had gained by training his own pupils, into these words.

Instinctively, the instructor reacted as Usagi had hoped. When he had started to move, he couldn't stop again without loosing his face. With an angry face, he led on.

"Hanshiro, drop the screen!" Immediately, several soldiers, who had leaned on the barrier, toppled into the yard.

"Don't do anything until the commander has made a decision," the instructor told his assistants.

As if nothing had happened, Usagi followed the instructor through the cordon of soldiers at the exit of the yard. Since the soldiers, who came from outside, didn't know what had happened, they let them pass and spread along the walls.

Outside, the instructor turned to the left towards the main buildings. A higher ranking officer came from the opposite direction. It seemed that he already knew about the turmoil because he immediately waved the instructor over when he spotted him.

"What happened, Instructor Ibu?" the officer snapped at Ibu.

The instructor and Usagi bowed before the officer. "Officer Kawate, a group of recruits asks to be sent to the front immediately."

Like the instructor, the officer needed a few moments to swallow that.

"Still wet behind the ears but can't wait to die," he cursed and mentioned the instructor to follow him so he could have a closer look at the situation.

"This recruit," the instructor pointer at Usagi, "seems to be their spokesman."

The officer stopped and had a closer look at Usagi. "Well, well, and what do you expect in return for you mischief?"

"A march order, sir," Usagi replied calmly.

"You are really serious about this," the officer said surprised. "What is your name?"

"I'm Miyamoto Usagi, founder of the Shiroi Usagi Dojo."

First, the officer was perplexed then he yelled: "How dare you! Venerable Master Miyamoto is much older than you!"

"Since I met Pau Tai, I don't age anymore," Usagi replied calmly.

"Ha!" the officer said but not as secure as before. "Well, it's a simple matter to prove this! I really hope for yourself that you spoke the truth!"

A group of samurai was leaving the main building that instant. Usagi could see that the commander was amongst them. Outraged, Officer Kawate went over to the group and gestured Instructor Ibu and Usagi to follow him.

"Excuse me," Kawate said when they had reached the group, "but this man here insists that he is Master Miyamoto."

The group turned to him.

"Outrageous!" the commander yelled at the officer.

"Father," the leader of the samurai said and bowed deeply. Immediately, his companions paid their respect to Usagi, too.

"Sanraku," Usagi greeted his son and bowed.

Perplexed, Commander Hori, Officer Kawate and Instructor Ibu stood there, then they quickly bowed as well.

"To see you brings hope into my desperate heart," Sanraku said. "Come, there is much we have to talk about."

Usagi nodded. "Fetch my men," he ordered the instructor who had already made ten steps before he realized that a mere recruit had just ordered him around.

Sanraku led Usagi inside. In a large room, they took place. Respectfully, the samurai kept a distance to Master Miyamoto. Then the instructor returned with Khassar and the others. They spread casually around Usagi which made several samurai frown.

Sanrakus Report

Sanraku quickly introduced his companions. They had come to the capital to learn of the current situation here and to pass on the latest orders of Lord Noriyuki.

Then Usagi introduced his companions. The faces of the samurais didn't move when they learned that T'he was a historian but the two wizards made them jump. But since the wizards were with Usagi, they resorted to curious looks and didn't pester them.

"What happened?" Usagi asked.

"We don't know exactly. Two months ago, there was a large battle near Ueda but despite the fact that we had more men and a much better initial position, we were defeated by Hikiji. There are many rumors that Lord Hikiji uses black magic and other powers of darkness," Sanraku reported. "But you didn't tell us why you are here. Have you returned to help us?"

"If I can," Usagi restricted but still, suddenly, hope spread in the faces of the samurai.

"And it's no dark magic which Lord Hikiji uses," Usagi went on, "but Kusanagi-no-tsurugi."

"Grasscutter?" Sanraku called out. "How is that possible? The sword has been lost centuries ago!"

Usagi gave a sigh. "I found it." A whisper went through the group of samurais. Sanraku just stared at him. It was hard to tell what he thought.

"I brought it to the Atsua Shrine in order to make sure it cannot be abused," Usagi went on.

"Somehow, Lord Hikiji heard this and he took possession of it," Sanraku completed the picture. "But how is it possible that the blade of the gods can be abused by such a man? Have we angered the gods?"

"No," Usagi said quietly, "it's the sword which abuses Hikijis thirst for power to conquer the land." After he had said the words, he suddenly realized what he had said but luckily, the samuray didn't ask the obvious question.

Instead, they just stared speechlessly at Usagi.

"It's just a sword," Sanraku objected.

"It just looks like a sword," Usagi replied, "but it also has a will of its own and the power to enforce it."

"What can we do? How can it be stopped?"

"I don't know, yet," Usagi lied. "To answer this question, I would have to know what the situation really is."

Waytiki and his wife were not bound by their honor to their lord; they could keep a secret. For Sanraku, this wasn't an option and so, Usagi couldn't tell him the truth. He was unhappy how easily he already lied to his own son.

"How can we help?"

"I must be able to move freely. If I can be stopped and arrested by every patrol, then I will be unable to achieve anything," Usagi explained.

"Certainly. In two days, we'll return to the front with all the soldiers here. Then you can come with us."

Usagi thanked him and most of the people left. Father and son separated themselves from the others to talk about what had happened during the time in which they hadn't seen each other. And Usagi was of course very curious what had happened to his other children.

"Do you know what has happened to Magistrate Jotaro? When I saw him the last time before I left Japan, he was magistrate of the seaport Fukuyama."

"He's now a high adviser of Lord Noriyuki and achieves the impossible in the north of the province. He is responsible for the miracle which provides the army with enough supplies without people here starving to death," Sanraku reported awestruck.

"You like him, don't you?" Usagi said smilingly and he asked himself if he should tell Sanraku that Jotaro was his half-brother. 'No, that is something which Jotaro must decide on his own.' Usagi decided. 'It's none of my business anymore.'

"Everyone honors and respects him," Sanraku replied. "He is a great role model for all of us."

"Usagi!" Qu'ral called and came running over with Khassar.

"What happened?" Usagi asked and he had a bad foreboding.

Ambush of the Ninjas

In the middle of his retainers, Lord Noriyuki rode back to the camp of the shogun. The negotiations with Lord Fuchida hadn't been easy but he had been successful. Lord Fuchida would join his forces with the army of the shogunate.

'Whatever that might change,' he thought bitterly. There had even been deserters amongst his own people. Not single persons, no, sometimes whole units just decided to change allegiance. The guards which were located at some distance around the camp to warn them against surprise attacks, were really to be pitied. 'Who could reproach them for doing nothing when 50 or even 100 armed and absolutely determined soldiers just marched past them?'

The situation was murky and greatly irritating. Even people, whose loyalty to the shogunate had been deemed impeccable had betrayed them. Lord Noriyuki was greatly worried what would happen if Lord Hikiji decided to turn his dark powers against him. When he would betray the shogun, too.

The attack came out of nowhere.

Suddenly, the air rang from cries, arrows and shuriken.

Immediately, his bodyguard formed a shield around their lord with their bodies. The horses jumped over the dead and they began a desperate flight from the death out of the trees.

The ambush was clever. The invisible murderers had spread over some distance along the street. Despite of riding as fast as they could, the deadly rain which came down on them just wouldn't stop.

The horse of Noriyuki was hit and began to falter below him. The lord only felt that someone grabbed him and pulled him out of the saddle. He couldn't say who had rescued him because the man dropped him into the saddle of his own horse and then jumped off so the horse wouldn't have to carry two.

A glance backwards only showed Noriyuki a body which vanished between the thundering hooves of the horses. It was impossible to say if he had survived or been trampled to death. Or who he had been. Another victim of this insane, impossible war.

Suddenly, the riders in front of him vanished downwards. With an unexpected clarity, he could see the animals stumbling over each other. The horses either threw their riders in a high arc or the men were crushed between the whining, panicking horses.

'A rope across the street!' was the only thing which Noriyuki could think before he, too, became part of the heap of twitching bodies.

Quick-witted, he jumped and with more luck than sense, he managed to get over the obstacle without being pulled into it. On the other side, he fell to the ground, rolled over awkwardly but he came up again mostly unhurt. With his sword in his hand, he stood there, ready to sell his life dearly.

Five of his samurai had managed to avoid the trap and to ride to him near the border of the forest. Still arrows and shuriken hissed through the air and found their victims.

Any further flight was futile; on horse they would quickly be victims of the arrows. So they dismounted and formed a circle around their lord. Ready to fight to their death.

A few last arrows were shot at them but nobody got hurt anymore. Then the attackers stepped out of their cover. Ninjas.

Slowly, they came closer when suddenly, the thundering of hooves could be heard again. Around the next bend of the street a large group of riders rode and in full gallop, they attacked the ninjas.

At that moment, Noriyuki wished he had died in the trap.

The riders wore the mon(13) of Lord Hikiji.

Interlude

Tired, the Mogura(14) Ninja crawled through the tunnel which led to his sleeping cave. His punishment for digging in the wrong direction had lasted for five days, now, and it wasn't over, yet. Somehow, he had lost his sense of orientation and had almost dug into their water reservoir. Almost, they had all been drowned in the underground sea which supplied their wells.

In a cavern in which many tunnels met, he rose and stretched his aching back. Sharp claws, useful for digging and killing, jangled quietly.

Sighing, he climbed up to the tunnel which would bring him home. His punishment would go on tomorrow, but he didn't mind. He deserved it.

He was about to climb into the tunnel, when he heard an unexpected sound. He stopped and looked around. Because he had spent such a long time in the darkness, he could make out the figure in the almost complete darkness which was only dimly lit by a few glowing mosses. Any normal person wouldn't have been able to see anything.

Astonished, he registered the fact that the delicate figure moved along the wall without moving his hands or legs. "That's impossible!" the ninja thought. "He's flying!"

As if it was searching something, the figure apparently moved along the wall without effort. Eventually, it seemed to have found what it had been looking for and stopped. Turned to him. Laughed as if someone had told a good joke.

Glaring light shot out of its hand and blinded, the ninja closed his eyes. He could hear a howling and hissing. A breath-taking stench could be smelled all of a sudden and hot air brushed through his fur.

Then there was a rush and roar as if from water. Or a waterfall. The ninja was still unable to see anything and only guess what happened by what he heard.

The roar went on and on. The ninja had a bad foreboding what the stranger had done and blinked to make the dancing lights before his vision go away. When he could see again, he looked at the sight with blank horror in his eyes. Where the stranger had been, a horizontal jet of water burst out of the wall.

The stranger was nowhere to be seen. The tiredness was gone. He let himself drop, caught himself with his claws before a different tunnel and ran along this larger main tunnel as fast as he could to warn the others.

He managed to reach one of the main caves before the water but he could already hear it's roar.

"Water!" he yelled gasping. "Someone has torn down a wall!"

Then a jet of water shot out of the tunnel before which he stood and threw him 12 ken(15) against the opposite wall.

Lord Hikiji

Hopelessly, Lord Noriyuki looked around. There had been plenty of time to think on his way to the camp of Lord Hikiji. He had to admit that the trap in which he had been caught, had been very resourceful.

The first group of attackers had had the order to drive them into a mindless run. A few men had been spread along the sides of the road so they would have no time to come to their senses and would flee on.

The main group had been placed near the bend of the road. They had spanned a rope across the street to make the horses trip. Then they had waited in the security of the branches and reduced their number until the "rescuers" had arrived. Those had waited right behind the bend for the right moment to "rescue" Noriyuki.

Exhausted, Lord Noriyuki paid his deference to the man who had come up with the idea for this plan. 'I wonder what his plans for me are. Will he make me betray the shogun like all the others?'

On their way to here, Lord Hikiji had tried to chat casually with him but Noriyuki was too tired for such games. He had left with 60 men. Now five of them were left. So many good men had died in a few moments.

Feigning sympathy for his feelings, Lord Hikiji had finally given up to start a conversation with him and now rode further ahead.

The army camp was gigantic, definitely larger than the one of the shogun. For an endless amount of time, they were riding past rows of tents and soldiers. Shame burned hot in Noriyuki when he passed tents with his mon. He could even recognize some of the soldiers who stood there. People he would have entrusted his life!

Desperation grew in his heart when he noticed the figure which just stepped out of her tent, surrounded by her soldiers. Their looks met. She didn't lower her gaze when he looked at the traitor Miyamoto Himesama with disgust. 'Usagis own daughter! Why her? Usagi would die of shame if he knew that his own daughter has switched sides,' the lord thought full of desperation.

She, on the other hand, seemed to be surprised to see him instead of dying of shame. Without any trace of uneasiness or regret, she returned his gaze until he had passed her.

Bitterly, the lord looked at the standards. One could almost think one was riding through the camp of the shogun, so many banners of allies of the shogun flapped in the wind uncaring for his feelings.

Lord Hikiji assigned them tents and had them brought dinner. He rejected Noriyukis wish to be allowed to return to the shogun with polite but determined words.

"I'm very sorry, but I'm unable to do without the necessary men to provide you with an adequate guard to accompany you safely back to the camp of the shogun," Hikiji explained and Noriyuki was sure he was ridiculed. "It would be a great pity if you would be killed in another attempt on your life by the ninjas so quickly after I saved you."

Noriyuki thanked the smiling lord with a quick nod and then brusquely turned. He didn't care anymore if Hikiji would kill him on the spot for this affront. But of course, Hikiji didn't do it. 'He probably prefers a living ally to a dead enemy,' Noriyuki thought depressedly while he went into his tent.

He sat down on his bed and covered his face in his hands. He didn't dare to think what Hikiji would do with him, now. 'Maybe it's dangerous to sleep? Maybe Hikijis magic only works on people who are asleep?'

On the other hand, he had been on horse back for almost four days with only little time to recover. It hadn't been the slaughtering of his companions which had exhausted him so much. Not to have to see how casually his friends had betrayed him. He was just so terribly tired.

Tired of the endless dying.

Tired to loose more friends to death or worse things.

He was so terribly tired.

He could only pray that Lord Fuchida could help the shogun in this battle. Then he accepted his fate.

The next morning, he still despised Hikiji as much as the day before. He felt the same; the night didn't seem to have changed anything. Against reason, hope rekindled in his heart. The night had rested him and he could still fight.

His companions also seemed to have recovered from the efforts of the last days. Only their blank faces showed how uneasy they really were.

"We are still alive," the lord told them with new energy. "Lord Hikiji hasn't won, yet. We will not give in!"

"Never, my Lord!" the answer came as if from one mouth.

'Six against 60'000,' the lord thought with an odd sense of humor. 'But hope only dies when one gives it up.'

Together, they stepped into the new day, ready to fight for their cause and to die if that was necessary.

After breakfast, a courier from Lord Hikiji arrived and brought an invitation of his lord: Lord Hikiji would be pleased if they would have lunch together with him.

Guards separated their tents from the rest of the camp. An officer, probably the leader of them, promised Noriyuki that this was only for their best. But Noriyuki knew that he was a prisoner. 'But what can I do? I won't waste the lives of my last retainers with a useless attempt to flee.'

So he waited.

Before midday, a high-ranking officer of Hikijis army came to fetch them and led them with an appropriate honor-guard to the tent of Lord Hikiji. Noriyuki had to admit that their manners towards him and his men were without fail. But the murder of his retainers was too fresh in his memory to fall for the illusion.

In front of the tent, he met with more people he would have preferred to avoid. He had to strain his self-control to be able to simply walk past them. He ignored the greeting of the other lord. 'Why him?' he thought desperately. 'Why did he betray us?'

The lord seemed to be embarrassed but not at all because of his treachery. If he had cared, he would have committed seppuku long ago or he should have shown at least a little bit of shame but there was nothing. The lord was very old, now. Proud and upright, he walked when his betrayal should have broken him.

Noriyuki just couldn't understand. They had been allies for so many years. If someone had told him that he would be betrayed by this person one day, he wouldn't even have laughed so devious the thought would have seemed to him only a few weeks ago.

He stopped so he didn't have to step though the entrance of the tent together with this traitor. So he wouldn't have to step too close to Lord Hirano. The same Lord Hirano who had thwarted all those plans of Lord Hikiji for all these years. 'I wonder if he had been loyal to Hikiji all that time?' Noriyuki wondered uneasily.

Lord Hirano finally turned and stepped into the tent before Noriyuki. The lord of the Geishu province made sure that there was a delay before he followed.

Inside, many lords and their advisers were assembled. In contrast to the tent of the shogun, the mood was relaxed, almost happy. 'And why should they worry?' Noriyuki thought bitterly. 'It was them who did win all those battles in which we thought we would wipe them from the field.'

"Ah, Lord Noriyuki. Welcome," Lord Hikiji greeted the new guest and rose to bow slightly. The other people followed his example.

Respectfully, Lord Noriyuki answered the greeting. "Lord Hikiji." He tried to keep his voice neutral but some of his despise still crept into the words. Lord Hikiji acted as if he hadn't noticed.

One after the other, Lord Hikiji introduced his allies. Noriyuki already knew most of the names but he used the time to calm down again. To meet with Lord Hirano had been a shock for him.

During lunch, they only talked about side issues. Lord Noriyuki used the opportunity to get a better picture of their enemy. He estimated the young Hikiji as straight-forward, even a bit blunt. More someone who goes directly for his goals than using lies and deception.

'How does the slaughter of my companions fit into this picture?' Noriyuki wondered.

"I hope my hospitality leaves nothing to be desired," Lord Hikiji eventually said in a friendly tone.

Something in Noriyuki broke. "Apart from the murder of my retainers, I have no reason to object," he flung into the lords face.

Lord Hikiji showed genuine surprise: "One of your retainers was murdered? When? Why haven't I been told?"

"One?" Noriyuki yelled outraged. "Your assassins have slaughtered sixty of my men! Do you really believe I fall for your acted innocence that easily? That I don't know that you've only been waiting for the right moment to safe me from being killed by your own men? So I would betray the shogun like the other traitors here?"

Noriyuki had sprung on his feet and he now stood, heavily breathing, before the man he hated so much. His hand was clenched around the handle of his sword and he was ready to kill.

But the expression in Hikijis face wasn't what he had expected. Instead of rage and anger that his carefully laid out plan hadn't worked, he was openly confused.

With a gesture, he held the guards at bay which were about to lunge at Noriyuki.

"I swear on my honor," Hikiji said with a controlled calmness, "that I'm not involved in any way in the attack of the ninjas on you."

"Honor?" Noriyuki spat the word out. "Since when does that mean anything to a Hikiji?"

Openly angered by this insult, many people in the tent put their hands on their swords but Hikiji held them back once more but he seemed to be struggling to keep a grip on himself, now, too.

"Lord Noriyuki, I would like to ask you in due form to calm down," he pressed out. "Maybe it would be better if we would continue our conversation after you have regained your composure."

"Lord Hikiji," Lord Hirano suddenly intervened. "If you allow, then I would like to have a few words alone with Lord Noriyuki, Maybe I can ..."

"I'd rather die," Noriyuki interrupted him and the despise was now clear in his voice, "than to even be near to you."

"That's enough!" Lord Hikiji called out angrily. One gesture and several guards lunged at the raging lord. Immediately, his companions drew their swords to protect their lord. The promise of death filled the air.

"Lord Noriyuki!" Lord Hikiji ordered with astonishing authority. "Think twice! If you shed blood now, then you will not leave my camp alive."

"As if that had ever been an option," Noriyuki spurned him and lunged at the man.

Hikijis bodyguard immediately tried to step in but Noriyuki was too close. At least this one, he would take with him. 'Nothing can save you, now,' Noriyuki thought while his sword lashed for the throat.

With an impossibly quick movement, Hikiji drew the sword which rested in a scabbard on his back. The blade glowed in a warm, yellow light. It immediately remembered Noriyuki of the sword of Pau Tai which had also glowed.

But unlike that horrible thing which Pau Tai had owned, Noriyuki didn't feel anything. No cold power dug into his thoughts. Nothing turned him into an animal, controlled only by panic, which only prayed that it would be over, soon.

Effortlessly, Hikiji blocked the attack. Noriyuki immediately attacked again but with a face of stone, Hikiji stroke back.

With his eyes wide open, Noriyuki had to see that the glowing blade blocked his sword again. Did cut through his sword as if it was paper. Entered his body at the shoulder and left him somewhere near the opposite hip.

'It doesn't hurt at all,' was Noriyukis last thought.

Interlude

A few of the Mogura Ninjas actually reached the surface alive. The stranger, who had started the disaster was already waiting. Noiselessly and with an impossible speed, he killed those who had saved themselves.

Like the ninjas, he used no sword. Instead, long blades between his fingers glinted in the pale light of the moonless night. They were thin as paper and did cut effortlessly through flesh, bones and steel.

When the cruel game was over, all Mogura Ninjas had either drowned or lay in a quiet puddle from their own blood. Even those who had played dead hadn't escaped the keen senses of their hunter.

Unmoved by the massacre on the surface, the water quietly rushed through the tunnels and caverns below.

Lost Innocence

"Lord Noriyuki has been kidnapped by Lord Hikiji!" Qu'ral yelled.

"How do you know?" Sanraku asked and the other samurai came running to learn what the commotion was about.

"When?" Usagi asked.

"Yesterday," Qu'ral reported breathing heavily. He still had trouble doing something laborious.

"Do you know where he is now?"

"Yes," Qu'ral replied and shot a quick glance to the samurai.

"Can you get all of us there?"

"Well, maybe," was the hesitant answer.

"Usagi!" Khassar called and Usagi, who had been about to plunge on the spur of the moment into a desperate action to save Noriyuki, stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is the plan?" Khassar asked and Usagi had to admit that he had no idea.

"Then we should maybe hear the whole story first and then think about one," Khassar proposed.

"Of course, you're right."

"Do you think it's a good idea that these people hear what we have to talk about?" Qu'ral said worriedly and Sanraku frowned.

Usagi sighed. "Sanraku, we will have to discuss certain things which no one must ever know," he told his son. "Can you promise that?"

Sanraku was openly uneasy about this. "Father, you know that I cannot. I've sworn loyalty to my lord."

"Then I must ask you to leave us," Usagi requested.

"Will you help my lord?" Sanraku asked who prayed to the gods that he wouldn't have to fight his own father. That he won't loose another person he had trusted to the black powers of Hikiji.

"I will do whatever is within my powers to protect my friend Lord Noriyuki," Usagi promised earnestly.

"Forgive me," Sanraku asked, "I shouldn't have doubted your motives."

"Don't accuse yourself," Usagi comforted him, "what is happening here must seem strange and irritating to you."

"Yes," Sanraku said quietly, "strange." Then he ordered the samurais to leave the house and led them outside.

Usagis team gathered in the house.

"Shield us," Khassar ordered Hanshiro.

As it has happened with Pau Tai, the world suddenly got very quiet. No sound from outside reached them and no word which they spoke could be heard outside.

Qu'ral spread a few pictures on the ground. He explained that a satellite had shot them.

"Here, you can see the army of the Shogun and of Lord Hikiji. According to the computer, they have almost 90'000 men altogether."

"Hikijis army looks much larger," T'he threw in.

"It is. He has more than 60'000 soldiers at his disposal."

"Already twice as much as the shogun," Usagi said desperately.

"I've looked up a couple of old pictures. Hikiji already won battles when his enemy had 10 times as much soldiers than he had."

"Incredible," one of the Chey brothers said.

"Kusanagi," Khassar replied.

"Probably. It seems that all the time, whole units just switch sides. Sometimes 100 men at once or even more!" Qu'ral went on.

"It would be possible to catch a few deserters and to punish them in public to scare imitators but when the numbers are so large, then he would need a whole army just to prevent desertion," T'he said openly amused.

"There is nothing funny about that," Usagi rebuked him.

"No? Just wait a couple of hundreds of years," T'he replied self-confidently.

"Quiet," Khassar grunted at them. "Go on."

"Here are the pictures from yesterday. A group of riders has been ambushed. Another group comes to their rescue from the opposite direction at full speed."

The pictures were so perfect that the banners were easy to recognize. One could even see single arrows. Disturbed, Usagi searched Noriyuki on the pictures but he couldn't make him out. Maybe the lord wore a helmet.

Qu'ral pointed at one of the riders. "According to the computer, this is Lord Noriyuki."

He showed them more pictures. On one of the last ones, they could see that only five people from Noriyukis group had survived and they rode off between Hikijis men. The computer said that Noriyuki was one of the five.

"Here you can see some of the attackers," Qu'ral said and pointed at a few black-clad figures who had just stepped out of the forest.

"Ninjas," Usagi said, "paid assassins. Probably sent by Hikiji himself so he could "rescue" Noriyuki."

"I don't think so," Khassar objected. "Your Lord Hikiji would have to have some very unusual abilities for that. Here, can you see how far away he still is in the first picture?"

He pointed at the group of riders which rode towards Noriyukis group. "If it had been an ambush by him, then I would have expected him to wait directly behind the bend of the street. Since your culture has no means to transport messages quickly over long distances, it's impossible to achieve the correct timing."

"I agree," Ferdo said. "Here, they arrive in the last possible moment. It's pure luck that they find any survivors at all."

"And that is exactly what irritates me so much," Hanshiro said.

"Why?" Ferdo asked surprised.

"Where was Lord Hikiji going to? Why did he ride so fast? Is it possible that Kusanagi has a finger in the pie?"

"The sword has fingers?" T'he asked amusedly.

"Damn!" Usagi swore. "Sixty men have just been killed! How can you ridicule this?"

"I'm a historian," T'he simply replied. "What do you think how often I have seen pictures like that? If you turn to the history of any race, you will quickly come to the conclusion that they spent all their time with killing each other. And most of the time for reasons that no one even remembers anymore after a few years!"

"The Khullars had a war in which 200'000 soldiers were killed," T'he went on. "The reason for the war was that two rulers had met and one of them wore a white shirt. The other one thought this to be an insult and there was war. A year later, fashion had changed and white shirts were en-vogue."

"What I'm trying to tell is this: It doesn't change anything when we feel bad because of the deaths. They are dead and nothing will change that. We should relax and then concentrate how we can rescue Noriyuki."

T'he was right. Usagi actually felt responsible for the incident. If he had tried to find Noriyuki one day earlier, if he had been able to avoid this farce of a basic training, then he would have been able to save these men.

But he didn't. Once again, he had stumbled around blindly because he hadn't made sure once more that he knew enough early enough. He should have brought a copy of the reports from the TAURUS along, found a way to access the data on the station on the moon. 'Next time,' he promised himself.

Usagi took a deep breath and relaxed.

"Where is Noriyuki now?" he asked.

"In the camp of Lord Hikiji. This is his tent," Qu'ral pointed at one of the many white rectangles on the picture.

"How can we get him out?"

"To get him out alone shouldn't be a big deal," Qu'ral replied, "but what about his men."

"If push comes to shove, we have to leave them behind," Usagi replied calmly.

Qu'ral stared at him. "A few moments ago, you got all excited when T'he made jokes in this situation. And now you propose to sacrifice the last survivors of the massacre?"

"That is different!" Usagi defended himself.

"It is?" Qu'ral asked irritated. "You don't like it when someone cracks jokes while we try to find out what has happened but leaving people to certain death is acceptable for you?"

"I said if push comes to shove! Only when there is no other way! These people are Noriyukis bodyguard. It's their job to die to save the life of their lord," Usagi explained.

"I can't accept this! Under no circumstances, I will leave someone to certain death!" Qu'ral completely rejected the idea.

"What would you do instead?" Usagi asked indignantly. "Should we nine fight against 60'000 and kill countless just to maybe save four more lives?"

"Why do you want to fight all the time? Why don't we try to talk to Lord Hikiji, first? Maybe we can agree upon something. Or we make a good plan which allows us to get them out unnoticed. If everything else fails, then we should at least put some thought into how to increase their chances to survive should we be forced to leave them behind."

"There are so many options that we shouldn't prefer one over the other right from the start," Qu'ral finished.

"Yes, you are right," Usagi admitted, "but I know my fellow countrymen. Therefore, I don't have much hope that we will be able to avoid have to kill anyone."

Qu'ral groaned. "If everyone here thinks along the same lines, then I'm not surprised at all! Maybe no one ever tried a peaceful solution because he knew in advance that it wouldn't work!"

"Enough," Khassar intervened. "No point in arguing about an idea before we have it."

"What will Hikiji do with Noriyuki?" one of the Chey brothers asked.

"Who knows? Maybe our idea of the situation is completely wrong and Lord Noriyuki followed Lord Hikiji on his own accord," T'he argued, who had been looking at some more pictures.

"Never!" Usagi called out. "Lord Noriyuki would rather die than to join the side of Lord Hikiji!"

"And you are absolutely sure about this?" T'he asked casually and Usagi fell for the trap without giving it a second thought: "Of course!"

"Isn't that Lord Hirano who steps into the tent of Lord Hikiji along with Lord Noriyuki?" T'he held out a picture for Usagi.

"What?" Usagi called out and ripped the picture out of T'hes hand. He was right. It was Hirano. Only a few moments ago, Usagi would have bet his life on the fact that neither lord would ever make common cause with Hikiji.

But neither of the lords seems to be a prisoner. There were no guards. There were no ropes. It really looked as if they could go wherever they wanted. Only Noriyukis expression showed strong despise. Usagi hoped that the reason for this was what he thought it to be.

That he wouldn't have to fight against his friends.

Or even worse: At Hikijis side against the shogun.

Usagi put the picture down. "These pictures don't tell us enough," he sighed.

"How about asking someone?" Khassar proposed.

Usagi nodded and went to fetch his son.

When he came back with his son and three other samurai, the pictures were gone. They sat down next to the group.

"Is it possible that Lord Hirano has betrayed us?" Usagi asked directly.

Sanraku and the samurai couldn't look at him and Usagis nightmare became reality.

"How ...?" he asked weakly.

"We don't know," Sanraku replied sadly. "Even people whom we would have entrusted our lives have deserted our cause and now fight side by side with Hikiji."

"Even ..." Sanraku began and trailed off.

"Who?" Usagi asked even if he didn't really wanted to know. "Who else?"

Full of despise, Sanraku began to spit out names. The list was endless. Some didn't tell Usagi anything but others, he knew only too well.

Then Sanraku stopped again but there were more names. When he had enough strength to go on, he said another name: "Miyamoto Himesama."

'My own blood,' Usagi thought more confused then terrified, 'serves my arch-enemy.'

"Miyamoto Gonkuro."

And three more names, Sanraku spoke. Each one an oath to clean the honor of the family with blood.

'My best children,' Usagi wondered. 'None of them would be able for such a deed on their own. What is Kusanagi up to? Why them? Why not Sanraku?'

"Is it possible that they just feigned their betrayal?" he asked but even while he spoke the words, he knew that this wasn't the reason behind this.

"They have led large parts of the troops in the last battle. I really can't say that they spared us in any way. Himesama alone has killed countless of our best fighters with her terrifying technique."

With rage and desperation, Sanraku looked at his father: "We stood eye to eye and I couldn't stop her. She did fend me off easily. When I asked her the same question, she just laughed and rode of to continue her slaughter."

Usagi was sure that there was only a minor detail missing and he would understand. 'But what?'

"Why are you still here," he asked thoughtfully.

"Father?" Sanraku asked confusedly.

"Why didn't you betray us, yet?"

Speechlessly, the son stared at his father.

"Almost my whole family fights the shogun, now," Usagi thought aloud. "It's as if only I and a small group of desperate men try to prevent the disaster."

"You don't want to suggest ...," his son spoke unbelievingly.

"That we should betray the shogun as well?" Usagi shook his head with determination. "No, I don't."

"But still, there must be a reason for this," he went on, "but I just can't put my finger on it."

"I know," Khassar said calmly. Usagi looked at him.

Khassar pointed at Sanraku. "First decide if he should know what you haven't mentioned, yet."

Thoughtfully, Usagi looked at his son. 'Is he ready for this?'

'And more importantly, am I?'

But someday, he would have to tell. Would have to tell his friends and foes that he was the owner of Kusanagi. He asked himself if he should wait until he had to tell or if it was better to share his knowledge when he wanted.

"There is something that you don't know," Usagi began slowly, to get an order into his thoughts.

"Actually, two things."

"The reason why Kusanagi has never been found is that it had been ordered by his last owner to be impossible to find."

"Or better: It should only allow to be found by someone who is worthy to own it."

"And the other thing is that Kusanagi doesn't conquer the land for itself but for its owner."

"For you," Sanraku gasped.

"For me," Usagi confirmed, "the rightful emperor of Japan."

"It makes sense," Khassar filled the ensuing silence. "All people who you deem important are now part of the army which is under Kusanagis control."

"Yes," Usagi laughed dryly. "I would just have to kill Lord Hikiji and a couple of others who are loyal to him. Then I would have an army at my disposel with which I could wipe out the shogunate easily and I would rule."

Sanraku and his companions had put their hands on the handles of their swords but didn't dare to draw them, yet.

"Please, tell me this is not true," his son begged with terrified eyes.

"I assure you," Usagi said seriously, "that I have no ambitions to rule. And I never ordered Kusanagi to conquer the land for me."

"Unfortunately, I have no idea how I could get my neck from the block of the executioner. As I see it, Kusanagi has taken every opportunity from me to avoid the fate which it did choose for me."

"Have you ever thought about just ordering the sword to set things right again?" T'he asked.

Everyone looked at him in surprise. "Well," he went on, "if it thinks you are its owner, it should obey, shouldn't it?"

"It's no use to sit here and discuss something which happens in a distance of 120 ryo from us," Usagi decided.

"Hanshiro, Qu'ral, how many of us can you get north?"

"Three," Hanshiro answered and Qu'ral said the same.

"Then two of us must stay behind," Usagi thought aloud.

"That would include me," T'he said happily. "Battlefields are not my preferred working grounds."

"You want to take Sanraku along, right?" Khassar asked.

"Of course," Usagi nodded. "I don't plan to spend days to explain the people there who I am."

"And T'he and Ferdo come with us," Usagi decided.

"Why?" T'he asked surprised.

"You are a source of useful information and you have noticed errors before anyone else," Usagi explained. He gave a laughed. "And a lord should never be without his advisers."

"Well, if you insist," T'he accepted but he didn't seem to be very happy about this.

"Khassar and I have to go as well," Usagi went on. "That means that two of the Chey brothers must stay behind until tomorrow when the teleporters have recovered, again."

The brothers looked at each other. "Well," one of them said, "wouldn't it be better in that case if we all stayed behind? One blade more or less will probably make little difference if there will be a battle."

"And you would have one transport left in case of an emergency," another added. Despite being with them for a few days, Usagi still couldn't tell one from the other. Even their voices were the same!

"That's reasonable," Khassar agreed.

"Good. Lets go," Usagi decided.

He felt a strange sense of urge. "Sanraku, can we start right now?"

"Certainly," his son agreed immediately, who hadn't been able to understand all of what had been said. "I will give order to ready some horses for us."

"No horses," Usagi said and held him back. Confused, Sanraku stopped next to Hanshiro.

"Qu'ral, you get me there. Hanshiro follows with Sanraku, Khassar and T'he."

"Where to?" Qu'ral asked.

"Somewhere into the camp of the shogun," Usagi replied undecidedly. "Show me the map once more. There must be some open space near his tent."

"Is that clever?" Khassar asked. "If we show up there out of nowhere, that will cause some confusion."

"It will quell any curious questions where our horses are," Usagi said impatiently and ripped the picture out of the hands of Qu'ral.

Usagi pointed at a place in front of the tent. "To here," he decided.

"That close to the shogun? Won't they think that we have come to kill their leader?" Qu'ral asked him to consider while Usagi got more nervous with every breath.

Before Usagi could jump out of his skin, Khassar pointed at a different spot. "Try here," he proposed and Usagi nodded impatiently.

"Quick," he added.

"What is it?" Khassar wondered while Qu'ral concentrated on the picture.

"I don't know," Usagi said hastily, "but we're running out of time." He was almost as nervous as Ferdo, now.

Then the building vanished and a large meadow full of tents appeared. Someone yelled and all eyes were on Usagi while Qu'ral vanished with a loud bang again to fetch Ferdo.

Qu'ral hadn't vanished when Hanshiro appeared with another loud bang with Khassar, T'he and Sanraku. Alarm cries rang, swords were drawn and soldiers readied themselves to fight.

Next part