Aikyo’s War Camp – The Aftermath of the Ambush

  The battlefield was silent, save for the distant crackling of burning wreckage. Corpses of fallen soldiers littered the valley, both Zankoku and Aikyo alike. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, mixing with the damp earth.

  In the heart of Aikyo’s war camp, Haruka stood alone.

  Her fingers curled around the hilts of Tengoku and Jigoku, her twin blades resting at her sides. Even now, she could still feel it—the rush of power from the battle, the sheer thrill of cutting through her enemies like they were nothing.

  It had felt good.

  But as she turned, her gaze landed on a small, unconscious figure lying on a cot inside the command tent.

  Hana.

  Her sister’s face was pale, her breathing shallow. The healers had done all they could, but her body was still fragile from overusing her power.

  Haruka clenched her fists. She should have been stronger.

  Hime entered the tent, her sharp eyes flicking between Haruka and Hana before settling on their youngest sister.

  “You’re quiet,” she noted, her voice unreadable.

  Haruka didn’t answer.

  Hime sighed, stepping closer. “She’ll be fine, but this can’t keep happening.”

  Haruka scoffed. “And what do you expect me to do? Just stand back and let her die?”

  Hime’s gaze hardened. “No. I expect you to think before you act.”

  The tension between them was suffocating.

  Haruka wanted to scream.

  She had saved them all. She had fought harder than anyone else. And yet, Hime still treated her like a reckless child.

  Her grip on her blades tightened.

  Why wasn’t it enough?

  ---

  Zankoku’s Camp – General Raiga’s Observations

  Far from Aikyo’s war camp, General Raiga sat inside his own command tent, studying a war map.

  One of his officers approached, bowing deeply. “The attack was unsuccessful. We lost many man in the western pass.”

  Raiga didn’t look up. “I know.”

  His officer hesitated. “Shall we prepare for another assault?”

  Raiga finally looked at him, amusement flickering in his dark eyes. “No. We’ve seen what we needed to see.”

  The officer frowned. “Sir?”

  Raiga leaned forward, tapping a specific point on the map—the area where Haruka had fought.

  “Aikyo is still weak. Their tactics are predictable. But…” his voice lowered, a smirk curling at his lips, “…they have a wild card.”

  Haruka.

  The youngest Satō sister was dangerous.

  He had seen it in her eyes—the hunger for power, the thrill of battle.

  And if there was one thing he knew about warriors like that, it was this—they were easy to break.

  ---

  Aikyo Command War Tent - Hana’s Awakening

  Pain.

  That was the first thing Hana felt as she slowly opened her eyes.

  Her body was heavy, her limbs refusing to move. She blinked, her vision blurry, before realizing she was inside a tent.

  A familiar presence sat beside her.

  “You’re awake.”

  Hana turned her head slightly, spotting Hime sitting nearby, arms crossed.

  She tried to speak, but her throat was too dry. Hime, noticing, poured her a cup of water and brought it to her lips.

  Hana drank slowly before whispering, “Did we… win?”

  Hime exhaled. “For now.”

  Hana swallowed hard. “How bad is it?”

  Hime didn’t answer immediately. That silence was enough.

  Aikyo had suffered heavy losses. The battle had taken its toll.

  And once again, Hana had collapsed when it mattered most.

  Her hands curled into weak fists.

  She was supposed to be stronger than this.

  Hime watched her closely before speaking. “You need to rest. You overused your power again.”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Hana closed her eyes. She already knew that.

  She didn’t need Hime to remind her that her own body was failing her.

  She didn’t need anyone to remind her of how useless she was becoming.

  —

  Aikyo’s War Council – The Growing Tensions

  The command tent was filled with voices—heated, desperate, and weary. The recent battle had cost them dearly, and the war was far from over.

  Captain Kenjiro stood at the center of the room, his expression unreadable as he listened to the ongoing arguments.

  “We cannot sustain another battle like this,” one officer said. “Our forces are dwindling.”

  “We should negotiate,” another suggested. “Aikyo cannot afford a prolonged war.”

  At that, Haruka slammed her fist against the table. “Negotiate? With Zankoku? Are you insane?”

  The officer stiffened. “Watch your tone, girl—”

  “Watch your neck,” Haruka growled. “Because I swear, if you suggest surrender again, I’ll cut it myself.”

  Silence fell over the room.

  Hime exhaled sharply. “Enough.”

  Her voice alone was enough to regain order. Even Haruka, though still fuming, backed down.

  Kenjiro finally spoke. “General Raiga will not stop. He is testing us, waiting for an opening.” His eyes darkened. “And if we give him one, Aikyo is finished.”

  There was a long pause before Hime finally said, “Then we do not give him one.”

  Eavesdropping Mitsurugi stood at the edge of the camp, staring into the distance.

  The battle had been a mess. They had lost too many men. This war was consuming everything.

  And in the end, for what?

  He closed his eyes. Did Aikyo even have a future anymore?

  He had spent years serving the Satō family. He had fought for Aikyo’s ideals, for its people. But what if they were already doomed?

  What if there was another way?

  A cold breeze swept through the camp, and he shivered—not from the cold, but from the thought creeping into his mind.

  Zankoku had offered peace once before. Aikyo had refused. And now, they were on the verge of collapse.

  His fingers clenched into fists. If surrender meant survival… could he truly call it betrayal?

  He didn’t know the answer anymore.

  Night had fallen. The camp was still.

  And Mitsurugi was gone.

  Deep in the woods, beyond Aikyo’s borders, he arrived at a hidden location—a meeting place he never should have approached. A figure stepped out from the shadows, the red insignia of Zankoku glinting on his armor.

  “You’re late.”

  Mitsurugi’s heart pounded in his chest. This was treason. He knew it.

  And yet… he did not turn back.

  He swallowed hard. “You said we needed to talk.”

  The Zankoku officer smirked. “That, we do.”

  Mitsurugi exhaled slowly. This was the beginning of something he could never undo.

  —

  War Tent - Night time

  The soft glow of lanterns flickered inside the tent. Hana lay still, her body weak, her breathing even but fragile. She hated this.

  The war was still raging. Haruka and Hime were fighting. And she was… here.

  A useless body resting on a cot.

  Her fingers curled into the thin blanket draped over her. How many times had she collapsed? How many times had she failed?

  She could hear the distant murmurs of soldiers outside.

  “She’s the middle sister, right? The sword mage?”

  “That’s what they say. But she barely fights. Always falls before the battle’s done.”

  “Hime leads. Haruka fights. But her? What does she do?”

  Their voices stabbed deeper than any blade.

  She gritted her teeth, forcing herself up. Her limbs shook, her body protesting, but she would not just lie here.

  She needed to prove them wrong.

  She needed to be stronger. But as she swung her legs over the side of the cot, her body gave out again. She fell to the ground, her breath ragged, her vision blurring.

  She wasn’t strong enough.

  Not yet.

  ---

  Far from the war camp, Haruka stood alone on the training grounds, her twin blades gleaming under the moonlight.

  She exhaled slowly, raising Tengoku and Jigoku.

  Then—she moved. Her sword slashed forward, sending a shockwave that cut through the air, splitting a massive wooden post in two.

  She smiled. Too easy.

  Again. Faster. Stronger.

  She twisted mid-air, her blades carving through the darkness, striking multiple points at once. Her body moved faster than ever before, her strikes sharper, her steps lighter.

  This was what she had always wanted.

  This power.

  But as she stilled, breathing heavily, a voice broke the silence.

  “You’re losing yourself.”

  She turned sharply—Hime stood at the edge of the training grounds, arms crossed.

  Haruka wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’m getting stronger.”

  “At what cost?”

  Haruka’s eyes narrowed. “We need power to win, Hime.”

  “We need control.” Hime stepped closer. “You’re pushing too far. If you let those blades consume you, you won’t be fighting for Aikyo anymore—you’ll be fighting for yourself.”

  Haruka gritted her teeth. “Maybe I should.”

  Hime’s gaze hardened. “That’s not who you are.”

  Haruka scoffed. “Then maybe you don’t know me at all.”

  She turned away, gripping her blades tightly.

  She wasn’t losing herself.

  She was finally finding what it meant to be strong.

  ---

  The Woods - The Betrayal

  Deep in the woods, Mitsurugi walked back toward the Aikyo camp. His heart was heavy. The decision had been made.

  Aikyo could not win this war. Not like this.

  His conversation with the Zankoku officer replayed in his mind.

  “Your people are stubborn, but you are not a fool.”

  “Aikyo does not need to be destroyed. It simply needs to be… restructured.”

  Mitsurugi exhaled, stepping past the camp’s outer guards. This was for the best.

  It had to be.

  Even if it meant betraying the ones who trusted him most.

  ---

  Back in the war tent, Hime sat alone. The battle earlier has been exhausting but she is restless, She stared at the map. Raiga was too patient. He was waiting for something.

  Haruka was growing reckless. Hana was pushing herself past her limits. And somewhere in the shadows, a traitor was moving.

  She didn’t know why, but she could feel it. The war was about to change.

  And not in their favor.