(四) Chapter-Four; Prince of the Western Land

It was several hours after the town of Ryujinsato burnt to the ground. Sakura, Hinatsu, Tetsuya, and Akamaru had only traveled around ten kilometers from where the village used to lay due to Akamaru's injuries forcing him to take it slow. While the shrine maiden carried many questions. Whether it be regarding Akamaru being a humane oni or the oddly shaped scar on Hinatsu's back.

"Mrs. Hayagawa, could we talk alone for a little bit?" She asked suddenly, which caused Hinatsu to turn around and shift her attention.

"Of course, follow me!" Hinatsu commanded while taking the shrine maiden's hand and leading her to a secluded part of the forest.

"Please turn around," Sakura uttered before the other female presented the shrine maiden on her back. She then pulled Hinatsu's hair out of the way, allowing herself to gaze upon the red lotus-shaped burn scar.

"Is it just me, or do I see the Nagayori family crest on your back?" As a feeling of curiosity and shame loomed over Hinatsu, Sakura inquired.

"Now, where did you get such a bizarre scar? Are you somehow connected with Nagayoris?" The shrine maiden questioned.

"Honestly, I did not know I even had that scar until around two weeks ago. And my name is not Hayagawa Saiko; it's actually Nagayori Hinatsu." She spoke while refusing to make eye contact with Sakura. The shrine maiden gasped out of shock.

"That's impossible! Weren't all of the Nagayoris executed during the Nichimoto-jin Revolution? Are you suggesting that story is false?" Sakura said, earning herself a hesitant nod from Hinatsu. It seemed as if her entire worldview was utterly shaken. First, it was the fact that Akamaru was a gentle oni, and now she discovers that there is at least one surviving Nagayori. What was next, she wondered? Hinatsu turned around to face Sakura, whose mind seemed to be outside reality. The shrine maiden gave a ninety-degree bow as if out of respect and reverence. Hinatsu felt confused by such a gesture.

"Mrs. Hayagawa... ...I mean! Mrs. Nagayori, is everything you've told me about yourself false?" Sakura questioned.

"The parts about Akamaru and Tetsuya being my brothers were false, and so was the one about the three of us being trained by our grandfather. One was an oni made to appear human, while another was a kitsune in human form. In fact, neither Akamaru nor Tetsuya are even human. Although, I did see my late mentor as a grandfather to me. Also, the part about me living in isolation for most of my life was true." Hinatsu answered truthfully. Sakura's eyes widened upon her revelation. Although much of it made sense when she thought about it, she was still left with countless questions and minimal answers.

Hinatsu ultimately decided to leave the shrine maiden to her thoughts and look for Tetsuya plus Akamaru. She wandered throughout the forest searching for the two youkai, until eventually finding a two and third-meter tall oni leaning against a tree trunk and a familiar man with a plain yukata.

"Tetsuya, I've told Mrs. Himoame your secret. You can switch back to your original form." Hinatsu announced, earning herself a surprised look from the fox spirit.

"You can't be serious! What else did you tell her?" Tetsuya exclaimed angrily.

"I also told her my own secrets. Since I personally believe she has no ill intent." Hinatsu once said honestly.

"How would you know that? How often have you blindly trusted someone, only for them to betray you!" Tetsuya uttered. Hinatsu stopped to ponder for a moment. It was true that she had blindly trusted others many times before. Still, they were evil youkai who had shape-shifted into a human in those instances. However, the idea of Sakura being anything but human seemed utterly preposterous. Although, to be fair, Tetsuya's motives were clear as water to Hinatsu.

"I understand that all you're trying to do is protect me. But I also know that Mrs. Himoame simply wishes to rescue her brother. Wouldn't you do the same if I were the one captured?" She spoke, earning herself a heavy sigh from the fox spirit. He then transformed back into an eight-tailed kitsune.

"Alright, fine. Have it your way. Once again, she won't live to see another day if she even thinks the wrong things." He said bluntly before Hinatsu nodded her head with a sense of relief.

"Now, will you excuse me? I'm going to look for Mrs. Himoame." Hinatsu spoke right before hearing footsteps nearing the party. Sakura dashed towards them before stopping to catch her breath.

"What a surprise, we were just talking about you," Hinatsu uttered, turning her attention towards the shrine maiden.

"It is no wonder I sneezed on my way here," Sakura commented as her gaze shifted toward the fox spirit.

"I don't think I've ever seen an eight-tailed kitsune, nor did I ever know anyone who has seen one." She uttered in amazement.

"We really should get moving. I know a city near where we can rest and purchase a needle and thread or a new change of clothes for Hinatsu." Tetsuya said as Hinatsu quickly helped Akamaru stand up, and the four of them continued their journey to the city of Itsubakawara.

...

After around five days of traveling, the party of four spotted the city of Itsubakawara ahead of them. By then, Akamaru's wounds had come close to fully recovering, yet they still had ways to go. The four of them previously decided upon Sakura being the one to enter the city and buy the needle and tread, or if she couldn't find those, then a change of clothes. Because she was the only one out of them who was not only human but was also in no clear danger of being captured. Hinatsu then gave her one en to purchase what she needed.

As the shrine maiden made her way toward the city, Hinatsu looked upon her fleeting figure. Then her eyes trailed to the settlement in the distance, with the question, "What lies behind the walls surrounding it? Despair and sorrow, or peace and hope,". Then once several minutes had passed since Sakura left for the city, with some hesitation, Hinatsu ran towards the settlement.

"Hinatsu! What are you doing?" Tetsuya shouted.

"I'm just going to gather the supplies we need to set up camp. I'll be back by sunset." She lied, which the fox spirit did not exactly believe. Although, since the back of her head was facing his direction, it was a little hard for him to tell whether she was telling the truth or lying. Unfortunately, only time would tell whether or not she was speaking the truth.

As Hinatsu dashed towards the city, she noticed a pair of city guards standing at the entrance. She then searched around the walls for a tree, more specifically, one that grew not only in very close proximity to the walls but also a structure from within the city.

Hinatsu was determined to see the world that lay behind the walls. After around fifteen minutes of wondering, she found an enormous broadleaf tree growing beside the wall. A tall building of unclear purpose stood on the other side of the structure. She grabbed one of its low-hanging branches, which was unfortunately unstable. She then grabbed another low-hanging, rather sturdy branch. The back of her feet pressed against the bark as Hinatsu continued to climb up the plant. Eventually, she reached a long, thick stem that lay one and two third meters above the two-meter walls. She latched onto it with both hands, and once Hinatsu dangled from above the walls. She let herself fall the eleven-centimeter height, then swiftly threw herself off the structure.

As much as she wanted to cry out in pain from the impact, she could not allow herself that luxury, for it would draw her unwanted attention. Once Hinatsu regained her composure, she stood against one of the buildings and gazed upon a piece of this new world. Unfortunately, she could barely see the events that unfolded from within the city. Then suddenly, she heard two unfamiliar, masculine voices. Out of sheer curiosity, she followed the voices, carefully not to be spotted by anyone.

Eventually, she found two men arguing in the streets. One of them was clearly a city guard. While the latter appeared to be around the same age as Hinatsu. He wore clothes she had never seen before, which carried an ocean blue color. His skin was pale, much like that of Hinatsu. The stranger's hair was long, dark, and silky, and part of it was worn in a mid-side ponytail while the other part remained down. He also carried a soft complexion, like that of a woman. One of the most notable things about the strange man was that he spoke with a heavy pitch accent, yet he was clearly fluent in Nichimoto's language. He also carried an enormous polearm on his back. It consisted of a bamboo stick with a blade attached to one of its ends.

"What makes you think you have the right to be entering our city without a traveler's pass?" The city guard questioned with irritation.

"You've got it all wrong! I have a traveler's pass! Here, I'll show you." The foreigner said as he pulled out a thin plank of wood and presented it to the guard.

"I can't read it!" The city guard exclaimed.

"Look right here. It's signed by emperor Yonku!" The teenager uttered while pointing towards the signature of the Nichimoto emperor.

"I know a fraud when I see it! Now, someone will get hurt if you don't cooperate with me!" The guard spoke before drawing his blade as if warning the teenager of his potential consequences. With an adrenaline rush, Hinatsu abandoned her hiding place and dashed in front of the foreigner, her katana drawn. The foreigner gazed upon the mysterious girl before him, whose face was barely visible. She held her blade before him, protecting him, a complete stranger to her.

"Who the hell are you! And why are you in my way!" The city guard exclaimed. Hinatsu remained silent, struggling to find the right words to say. She gripped her blade tighter as sweat raced down her head. The guard approached her before she swung her katana, which he countered with his own blade. The foreigner then used this as an opportunity to flee the scene. However, both Hinatsu and the city guard took notice of this. Then the guard violently kicked the young female in the genitalia, causing her to lose balance. He then jabbed her in the back earlobe, which made her faint.

"Comrades, arrest her. I'll search for that nakakuni-jin dog!" He called out to the other city guards, who rushed toward the unconscious girl. Then she confiscated her weapons and all the money she still had stored in a bag before carrying her toward the prison.

...

The sun was setting, yet Hinatsu was nowhere to be found, despite promising to return before dark. Eventually, Tetsuya and Akamaru lost their patience and gathered all of the supplies Hinatsu was supposed to retrieve.

Sakura made her way towards the camp, which the two youkai set up, a single needle and some thread in one hand and ninety-five sen in another hand.

"I'm back with what we need! Now, where is Hinatsu?" Sakura spoke, to which the fox spirit sighed.

"She told me she would return by sunset. Now it's sundown!" Tetsuya explained.

"I've tried searching for her for a little while, yet I haven't seen her since this morning," Akamaru replied, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Mrs. Himoame, do you recall seeing her anywhere?" Tetsuya questioned sternly, to which she shook her head.

"Then the only other place she could be is the nearby city." He said with a heavy sigh. He then sent Sakura to go look for Hinatsu within Itsubakawara. Then killed a tiny finch, took its skull and bone, then used it to shape-shift into a finch. So that he could easily search for Hinatsu. Akamaru had an illusion cast upon him to appear human. So that he could also contribute to finding Hinatsu, just as long as he doesn't hurt himself too badly.

While Sakura was searching every nook and cranny of the city. She came across a male foreigner who stood at around one hundred-eighty centimeters in height, had long hair, blue robes, and a soft complexion. She then proceeded to grab his sleeve, earning his attention.

"What do you want?" He asked, shifting his focus.

"I was wondering if you've seen a female slightly shorter than me, carries two blades, has pale skin like you, wears a red yukata, and has long silky hair?" She spoke.

"Yes, but why are you asking me this?" He uttered; Sakura was appalled by the foreigner's disrespect yet remained calm.

"I'm searching for a friend of mine. Now could you tell me where you last saw her?" She uttered.

"What's in it for me?" He asked, to which Sakura presented him with ninety-five sen, which caused his expression to turn from irritation to interest.

"I'll give this to you only if you help me." She offered, to which the foreigner nodded.

"Follow me! I'll take you to exactly where your friend is!" The foreigner ordered as Sakura began to follow behind him. At the same time, they made their way toward the location of that earlier confrontation.

...

Hinatsu sat behind a crammed, filthy prison cell, her right ankle and neck chained. Suddenly, a prison guard approached her cell with a stern expression.

"You're coming with me!" The guard said before unlocking the cell and grabbing her by the chain. As he dragged her through the prison, Hinatsu felt something she could not shake off. It was like she was being treated as an animal rather than a person.

Eventually, she was pushed to the floor, and the prison guard pressed his foot against her head. Then another prison guard walked towards her. She could tell it was the same man she had encountered earlier that day.

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"Tell me, are you working for that nakakuni-jin? If so, we'll send you back to the west, where you belong. And if you even think about resisting, then we may have to kill you." He spoke coldly. Hinatsu could not utter a word. One part feared the fate that would await her if she remained silent. However, another thought it was best not to voice a single word. After about fifteen minutes, Hinatsu was dragged back to her prison cell, all while she hoped and prayed for someone to come and free her.

Once back inside her cell. Hinatsu sat in a corner, covered her face with her knees, and hugged her legs.

...

Tetsuya flew all over the city of Itsubakawara, watching the events and listening to any conversations the people were having. Unfortunately, most people were already at their homes at this hour. In contrast, most of those still out were prostitutes and city guards.

Then soon, his gaze landed on Sakura, who was following a foreigner. The fox spirit could tell that he was from the land of Xia, or as it is known throughout Nichimoto; Nakakuni. Because he spoke with a very distinct accent and wore clothes from that particular nation. Although, he could sense that another human presence was following the foreigner. However, Tetsuya could not see it.

...

Once Sakura and the foreigner arrived at the scene of that earlier confrontation, they found nothing. The stranger could only presume that she was taken somewhere. Luckily, he had a backup strategy on hand. The foreigner then dragged the shrine maiden to a so-called teahouse. The moment he opened the sliding door, there came a strong smell of tea and alcohol. The sound of human moaning coming from another room was loud and clear.

"We don't serve foreigners. Now get out of here!" One of the female employees spoke, which obviously irritated the foreigner.

"I didn't come here for tea, sake, nor intercourse. I came here to ask whether you know the local prison's location and if you can tell me more about it." He uttered sternly. The foreigner then proceeded to ask those who worked at the establishment, with varying degrees of success. While Sakura stood there and watched, with a feeling of dread for simply being at a place like this.

Eventually, he spoke with a prostitute who regularly sleeps with a man that works at the local prison for money. When he asked her if she knew where the prison was located, she described its whereabouts. The foreigner then took Sakura's hand and rushed towards the prison where Hinatsu was presumably kept.

...

Once the pair found the underground prison, protected by two city guards, the foreigner ordered the shrine maiden to stay behind while he handled the rest. She hesitantly nodded at him, for she knew that she was, in no way, physically strong.

The young male called out to someone in his native language. From a near distance, behind a wall, a being with a white painted mask, black clothing, and a hood aimed a crossbow at one of the city guards. Then before he saw it coming, the arrow was fired toward the city guard, hitting his chest just below the heart. The guard collapsed to the ground, and before his comrade could do anything to help him, the other took an arrow in the left shoulder.

The foreigner pulled the polearm from his back and hit one of the city guards in the head with its bamboo tip. He searched the two unconscious soldiers, quickly finding a key to unlock the front door.

As he crept inside the dark, filthy prison, he carefully searched every nook and cranny for any signs of the shrine maiden's friend. All while he made sure to not draw attention to himself.

...

Hinatsu forgot how much time had passed since being arrested. Although, it seemed as if it was a reasonably long time, for she was growing increasingly drowsy, and her eyes were struggling to remain open.

As if out of nowhere, she heard someone approaching her. At first, she thought it was one of the guards until she spotted the same foreigner from earlier that day. Two sheathed blades lay in his right hand, under his left arm. Hinatsu wondered why this stranger was standing before her cell with a key as if to let her free. After he abandoned her when she tried to help him, despite carrying a spear.

He unlocked her cell, discarded the key, handed Hinatsu her weapons, then proceeded to hold out his hand for her to take.

"Follow me this instant!" The foreigner ordered before Hinatsu hesitantly took his hand. The pair then made their way out of the prison. The moment Hinatsu made it outside and looked upon the moonlit sky, she mentally cursed herself, knowing she did not follow her word.

"Thank you for rescuing me." She spoke as the foreigner let go of her hand.

"I only helped you because your friend bribed me." He replied honestly.

"Speaking of money, where's my money pouch?" Hinatsu asked awkwardly.

"I don't know." He said as Hinatsu once again cursed herself.

When Sakura noticed Hinatsu, she immediately rushed and put her hands over her shoulders.

"Mrs. Hayagawa, are you alright?" She asked, clearly worried.

"I'm fine; I was not hurt much at all," Hinatsu answered honestly.

"That's good to hear." The shrine maiden spoke. Then suddenly, a tiny finch perched on Hinatsu's shoulder. It nuzzled its head into her neck, which caught her off guard. Then the bird flew up and whispered in her ear.

"Tetsuya!" Hinatsu exclaimed, which caught the foreigner's attention.

"Why are you calling it 'Tetsuya'? Are you the bird's owner?" He asked, which caused Hinatsu to rapidly shake her head in response.

"Umm... ...no, it's just that...." Hinatsu felt at a loss for words. Sakura sighed with irritation.

"Anyways, we should get out of here," Sakura stated as Hinatsu and the foreigner followed behind her.

"Why are you coming with us?" The shrine maiden asked.

"It's about as dangerous, if not more so, for me to be here than your friend." He answered.

"If you say so..." Hinatsu spoke, as if not precisely trusting his claims. Once the three made it out of the city, Hinatsu spotted Akamaru, disguised as a human, in the distance. When he noticed the human girl, he ran toward her. However, when the oni reached Hinastu, his disguise had worn off and revealed the menacing creature.

"What the hell is that!" The foreigner spoke as he looked upon the tall, dark red-skinned being. It was like nothing he had ever seen in his home country. He then pulled out his spear and attempted to impale the oni. Luckily, Hinatsu bravely stood in his way. Then as if out of nowhere, an arrow fired in the direction of Akamaru, which he dodged.

"Don't you dare hurt him! This creature is my friend!" She exclaimed. Although the foreigner did not precisely trust her words.

"If I knew a situation like this would occur. Then I would have cast a longer-lasting illusion." Tetsuya said as he shape-shifted into a human.

"Tetsuya!" Hinatsu exclaimed as she dashed to the kitsune's side; the foreigner then watched with confusion. He could tell something was strange about Hinatsu.

"This foreigner rescued me. Also, I'm sorry about disobeying your word and not even staying true to my own words." She uttered.

"I hope you learned your lesson," Tetsuya said simply.

"Anyways, what is your name?" Hinatsu asked the foreigner.

"My name is Qingshang Lingren, thirty-fifth son of Emperor Qingshang Jiang of the Xia Empire." He answered as a masked individual with black clothes came out of hiding.

"Chingushangu Ringuren?" Sakura, Akamaru, and Hinatsu asked in unison, which clearly irritated Lingren.

"Not even close!" He spoke bluntly.

"Qingshang Lingren," Tetsuya said as the foreigner breathed a sigh of relief.

"Please write your name." Sakura requested, to which Lingren nodded his head. Then he wrote the characters on the ground with a twig. They seemed familiar to Hinatsu, Akamaru, and Sakura, yet unfamiliar simultaneously. Tetsuya then took the twig and translated the characters in Lingren's name into something more usual for the rest of the group.

"I see! Your name is Junshigoto Ayato." Hinatsu spoke as Lingren sighed once again. Although, at least one of them spoke his native tongue and even translated his name into something more manageable for Nichimoto natives to pronounce.

"Who is that person?" Sakura asked as she pointed towards the masked being.

"That's Yao Fan, my personal attendant." The foreigner answered.

"How is your name written?" Akamaru asked the masked being, to which he received no response.

"Unfortunately, they're illiterate," Lingren said simply.

"Oh, okay..." The oni uttered awkwardly.

"Anyways, my name is Hayagawa Saiko; my family name is spelled with the characters for early and river, and the given name is spelled with the characters for talented and child. This is Akamaru, spelled with the characters for red and peak. While this is Himoame Sakura, the family name spelled with the characters for divine and rain, the given name spelled with the character for cherry blossom. And last but not least, this is Tetsuya, spelled in hiragana. We are all heading towards the southern capital." Hinatsu introduced them while pointing to each of her companions.

"What a coincidence because Yao and I are also heading there," Lingren said, and just like that. Because Lingren thought he would have a greater chance of surviving the many dangers that awaited him in the land of Nichimoto. Lingren and his attendant, Fan, joined Hinatsu, Sakura, Tetsuya, and Sakura on their journey.

...

Meanwhile, in the city of Itsubakawara, one of the few literate guards filed a report to the central government. The document showed a girl with a red yukata and a lotus-shaped burn scar. And that she was arrested and then escaped prison.

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