"What do I get?" Rei asked.
Hayato pulled out a long spear with a sharp, short, curved blade designed to strike like a sword rather than stab like a spear. He said, "I'm giving you a naginata. These are considered preferable weapons for strong royal women such as yourself."
Yoko clapped her hands and added, "So if you're trapped in the corner of a room protecting an injured person, you can use that to defend them and yourself."
"I see," Rei replied with a grin as she picked up her naginata. "I guess I don't have much choice in the matter."
"That weapon is considerably lighter than mine," Hoshiyo said.
"My turn!" Takeko cheered.
Hayato reached into his basket and took out steel claws, sharp like daggers, designed to be held between the fingers and palms. "These are tekko-kagi, meant for close combat fighting. You'll also need to learn martial arts to use them effectively."
Takeko's eyes widened and sparkled at the sight of the shimmering claws. She squealed and snatched them from his hands with sheer force. "Thank you so much. I'll take good care of them."
Besides them, Hayato handed Ceres a Gohei staff decorated with two pieces of paper folded to resemble thunderbolts. He extended the staff, transforming it into a bow.
Ceres accepted the staff and remarked, "Well, I guess we don't need the weapons we brought here anymore."
"Incredible," Motoko breathed, at a loss for words.
Her Ōnusa staff, adorned with paper-knotted streamers, transformed into a mighty bow. Hayato's arrows were Kabura-ya, capable of piercing through any enemy, even Yokai.
The twins danced gracefully around each other, their movements fluid and elegant like water flowing in the chaos of the sea. It was the happiest they had been in a long time.
Before Hayato could reach for the next weapon he had crafted, he noticed two girls running toward him in the distance. He looked up to see Seiko pulling Yoko by her wrist.
Hoshiyo yelled, "Hey, slow down. The weapons aren't going anywhere."
Seiko smirked and said, "We don't want to be the last ones supplied by the great Hayato. Long time no see, friend."
"It's good to see you two are still doing well," Hayato replied, rummaging through his basket. "I understand Yoko isn't one for hand-to-hand combat. Since you work closely together, I've paired Seiko with a sickle for close combat and hand-crafted a Kiseru for Yoko. With this pipe, she can smoke out the enemy and confuse them from a safe distance."
Yoko graciously accepted the gift and said, "You didn't have to do that for me, Sensei. I'm grateful for learning to fight with a Katana just fine."
Hayato nodded and replied, "You've done well with the Katanas, but it's best to fight with what you're most comfortable with and to work as a team to achieve the same goal. Trust me, the time will come, and I believe you'll love this gift."
"Thank you," Yoko replied.
Seiko and Yoko bowed respectfully to Hayato before admiring their new weapons and discussing battle strategy. They walked away, passing Rokuko and Utaku, who quietly and patiently waited for their turn. The two stood a few feet away, watching Hayato pull out the remaining small but powerful weapons. First, he removed a hooked dagger attached to a rope with a ring-shaped weight at the end. The double-edged dagger could be used for stabbing while the ring swung overhead to distract enemies. He handed it to Rokuko and said, "Here, I have your kyoketsu-shoge. Take good care of it."
Rokuko nodded gratefully and moved aside so Utaku could receive her weapon. She touched all the metal parts in awe.
Hoshiyo looked at the hooked dagger and said, "That must be difficult to master. I can't wait to see it in action."
"You will soon," Hayato replied. He noticed the second gate was almost breached and realized the others could not hold them back much longer.
"They're almost here," Hoshiyo said.
Hayato pulled out two Gunbai, war fans that could slice through enemies with their sharp edges. He handed them to Utaku and said, "Take good care of these. I must go now."
Hoshiyo gasped, concerned. "Where are you going?"
From the sheath on his hip, Hayato gracefully removed his sword. "We've been fighting the Shogunate while you prepared."
"Who is 'we'?" Hoshiyo asked.
Hayato approached the entrance gate before it was breached and yelled, "We call ourselves The Masters of The Nine Kami Daughters."
He led the charge alongside other warriors. Kuzunoha stayed back to heal the wounded with her pupil while Katsuko leaped into the fray, holding long needles between her fingertips to strike through the Shogunate soldiers. She moved incredibly fast enough to jump onto her shoulders and attack from above.
"Incredible; how is she that fast?" Hoshiyo asked.
Utaku smirked and whispered, "Trauma makes you stronger. She's fast because she refused to give up."
Hoshiyo glanced at her with wide eyes, then grinned. "Well, at least now I know how to get you talking more."
Two onmyōji appeared out of thin air, startling Hoshiyo and Utaku. Hoshiyo stepped back, observing that one was female and the other male, both clad in Shinto ritual uniforms. They moved in perfect sync, joining the fight like Ceres and Motoko once did, leading Hoshiyo to conclude that they had trained the twins together.
Hoshiyo noticed their warm ivory skin and bright orange eyes. The siblings had dirty blonde hair tied beneath ritual black hats, moving with precise grace as they fought for peace. Despite their delicate features and light muscular build, she was impressed by their strength.
"I wonder who trained them?" Hoshiyo whispered.
Ceres struck her staff on the ground twice and said, "Abe and Hotaru are lethal warriors specialized in Yokai, but they've never faced humans. Today is their first time fighting humans for their survival and the Yokai's."
"How did we manage to find these people?" Hoshiyo replied, awed by her sister's remarkable work. Her excitement was palpable, but the fight would only end when the Shogunate forces were nearly depleted.
"Seiko, I'm here!" a man yelled atop the stone walls. He rolled down to the dirt path and tossed Seiko a Japanese firearm.
Seiko chuckled, "Hey, old man Kenzo! Long time no see. Where have you been?"
"Making you a firearm worth fighting with," Kenzo replied.
Seiko looked around, asking, "Did you bring one for everyone?"
"No time for that. We must fight," Kenzo shouted. He joined the fray as the twins pushed through the ranks. Shooting a gun on a battlefield of comrades and Shogunate soldiers proved difficult. The smell of gunpowder filled the air with each shot and the cries of horses added to the chaos. Some horses galloped to safety while others fell and died, creating a horrid, gruesome scene even for Hoshiyo.
"Hey," Rokuko shouted, pointing to a man standing like a flamingo on a rock with one leg up. She recognized her master's bulky build and ivory skin tone. His sharp, dark orange eyes stared directly at her, and his shiny bald head shimmered in the rising moon's light.
Hoshiyo squinted at the man on the rock and asked, "Is that your martial arts master?"
"Correct. He is the most talented in the region, maybe even all of Japan," Rokuko replied.
"That doesn't matter now," Hoshiyo replied, carefully unsheathing her katana. "Prepare for battle. They can't hold out much longer."
Her sisters nodded and stepped forward, positioning themselves behind their skilled masters who fought valiantly to protect them.
A man on horseback charged through with deadly intent. His eyes locked onto Hoshiyo, then shifted to Lady Gekkoin's lifeless body on the staircase. The samurai growled, "Who are you?"
Hoshiyo smirked, recalling the Kami's words about future generations of warriors. She declared, "We are the Generations of Kami Warriors. We're here to stop you from making a grave mistake."
"You dare challenge the Shogunate?" the samurai retorted. "You don't understand who you're up against."
"Funny, I was going to say the same thing," Hoshiyo replied, smirking as she slowly raised her katana, its edge aimed at the samurai's head. "Everyone, fight like the future depends on it."
With a fierce roar, she led her sisters forward. The samurai on horseback charged like a stampede of rhinos, but Hoshiyo met them head-on. Her sword clashed with the Shogunate forces, each strike fierce and unyielding. Death loomed close, but she faced it without fear, her bravery cutting through the chaos like her blade through flesh and bone.
Beside her, Utaku swung her war fans, slicing through katanas and arrows with swift wrist motions. The fans, thin as aluminum foil but sharp as katanas, cut through limbs in seconds as she twisted and turned despite having no prior training.
Katsuko licked the poisonous needles between her knuckles, unaffected by the venom. She shouted, "That's it, good girl! Send them back to the underworld from which they came."
Hoshiyo watched the Shogunate swarm through the gate like wild animals, refusing to accept their fate. Rokuko's kyoketsu-shoge could slice through up to six samurai simultaneously, but it wasn't enough against the endless onslaught.
"Where are they all coming from?" Hoshiyo panicked.
Takeko, slashing through their ranks with iron claws, yelled, "I can't see what's going on. We're almost surrounded, Hoshiyo. What are we going to do?"
Hoshiyo, her mind racing, knew they had to hold their ground. She took a deep breath, focused on the fight ahead, and was determined to lead her sisters through the chaos.
Seiko and her master, Kenzo, climbed the walls to get a better view of the battle below. They fired through several magazines before realizing they had left themselves exposed. Arrows struck them, knocking them off the walls. Rei rushed through the battlefield to rescue them, dragging them to triage while Yoko and Hayato shielded them from further harm.
Yoko knew that her Sensei could no longer endure such battles in his fragile state after the incident in the Land of Swords. His stamina had wilted away after a brief encounter with the black fog. She felt a deep need to protect him, especially after spending only a few weeks training with him. The frenzy of motion around her blurred Hoshiyo's vision. Samurai swords clashed in a whirlwind of steel. Katsuko's poisoned needles zipped past Hoshiyo's face, finding their marks in the throats of the Shogunate soldiers, bringing them down swiftly. Her precision in throwing was unparalleled.
Unexpectedly, Hoshiyo dropped into a split, slamming her palm against the ground. In a fluid motion, she spun and tripped the Samurai around her, her Katana slicing through flesh and bone as she moved. Panting heavily, she smirked and muttered, "I might just be able to pull this off, but I can't keep this up forever."
From her vantage point on the ground, Hoshiyo caught a glimpse of Takeko maneuvering swiftly on her hands and knees beneath the Samurai's feet, slicing through calves and thighs with her claws. The element of surprise from below made her attacks devastatingly effective. Hoshiyo marveled at Takeko's agility and unwavering stamina. She stood up, sweat dripping from her brow, and lowered her guard. She observed Juro darting past her, seizing a Samurai by the right upper arm with his left hand and hurling the man over his shoulder with force. Meanwhile, Rokuko drove her elbow into their chest. Seeing her sisters finding masters who complimented their skills well, she couldn't help but feel envy. The crowd was overwhelming; Hoshiyo could barely see anyone familiar. Sweat poured from places she never thought possible as she held her katana for an eternity. Her arms weakened and dropped, and she took a breath, saying, "We need more help. I can't take much more of this."
A katana whipped toward her, but Rokuko dodged the attack and said, "Hey, stay focused."
Beside them, Juro used the straw padding on his arms to shield himself from swords while he countered with his martial arts. Frowning, he said, "If you give up now, so do your comrades."
Hoshiyo clenched her fists and whimpered, "We were never trained for this. They were right about us. How can we stand against an army with less than twenty humans on our side? We can't do this." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut, overwhelmed by self-doubt and fear.
Suddenly, a gentle bell rang across the battlefield, catching her attention. Four figures appeared before Hoshiyo, slamming their staffs into the dirt. Ceres and Motoko chanted and tolled their bells to push back the enemy, along with Abe and Hotaru, who performed a glowing dance.
Hoshiyo looked up at them, frowning, and asked, "What are you doing?"
"You wanted help," Ceres replied.
"You've got it," Motoko added. "Nue, help us."
A giant beast the size of a lion appeared from the sky, roaring fiercely. With the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the tail of a snake, and the limbs of a tiger, the Yokai charged through the enemy ranks, slicing with its razor-sharp claws. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope shone brightly at the end of the Torii gate as they felt the strength of a thousand men supporting them.