Yumi had been horse riding all the way to Gakido. Land of the Yokai. Until she saw a Tanuki dashing over to her stopping in front of her. "My lady? Why are you here?"
Yumi didn't speak until she pulled out her sword. And pointed it to the Tanuki. "Who are you?"
"Ah!" The Tanuki raised its little arms. "M-My lady, It is I, Taka. Right hand of Nuraihyon."
Yumi's eyes widened. But she scrunched up. "Take me to your leader. My friend is in bad shape."
"Ha… Follow me, my lady." He dashes. And she continues in horse ride. She looks down at Sugi who's half dead. "Come on. Just a little further, my friend."
Few moments later.
The ronin and the Yokai are sparring. Fairly of course. Though most of the ronin are getting beaten as the Jorogumo slaps someone so hard they incapacitate the Ronin.
Nuraihyon yells. "Hey! We do not spar like that!" The Jorogumo snarls at him. And he points at her. "Watch who you snarl to, young lady."
Meanwhile. Yoshio looks at his soldier with wide eyes. "Thank you." He muttered.
"My lords!" Taka called out as him and the girls arrived. "Lady Tachibana is here."
Everyone gasps. While Yumi slowly gets off her horse. "A Samurai?" Yoshio tilted his head.
Yumi sheathed her sword as she turned her head to face Yoshio. "Yes. Is there a problem?"
Yoshio saw the body lying on top of the horse. And his eyes widened as he snapped "Sugi… What did you to her?" The other Ronin did the same. While Nuraihyon was hesitant. Nobody had made a move other then preparing for it.
Yumi stayed calm. Not a hand on her sheathe. "I did not do anything." She claimed.
Yoshio hissed. "You know… Samurai, from clans rooted from the gods. are not friends with the Ronin. Neither the Yokai."
Yumi clenched her fist. "Listen…I do not want to fight."
"What my family did does not make me who I am. If the Yokai and the Ronin are together, we are taking down the sun goddess, yes?"
No one spoke. Except Yoshio. "Who is we?" So She continued. "Sugi will live if you treat her. The twins Raijin and Fujin ambushed us. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here."
Yoshio put his head down. Leaving the Katana in its sheathe. Putting his hand up so his men copy. While some of the smaller Yokai went to the horse and picked up Sugi's body.
Nuraihyon bowed to Yumi. So did the other Yokai. Before he walked away. "Let her in."
Yumi pet her horse with a little smile on her face. Before walking forward. But before anything.
In a strike of thunder. Susanoo appeared. This time. In his all black samurai armor. With a scarf cape on. And a samurai helmet that compliments his mask. She snapped back to look at him. "Susanoo."
"Yumi." He called out to her. There was a long pause as she looked up at him. And then suddenly hugged her. Surprising her.
He pulled her back. Putting his hands on her shoulders. "You are okay. Did you get the others?"
Yumi scrunched confused. "How did you—"
"That does not matter." He corrected her. "Tell me, what've you done?"
Yumi and Susanoo were lying on the side of the castle just before entering.
"Interesting." The god said, drinking from his gourd. "You killed one of the twins, heard that the other is nowhere near Amaterasu's hand."
Yumi ran a hand through her hair. "We have everyone. What do we do now?"
He stood up. "Now…" he turns around and looks down at her. we must go to war against the goddess."
She looked up at him as she was squatting. "You are joining us, yes?" He hesitated. You can see the breath through the mask. "I… don't know."
Yumi narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
He crossed his arms. Putting his hand on his chin. "I just… don't know. Too many risks."
"Risks you put me to take?" She got up. But Susanoo didn't answer as he turned his back on her. "Yumi—"
She puts her hand on his back. "I demand an answer!" She snaps him front of her. And although he's wearing mask. You can see his concern. "Yumi… you should not fight."
Yumi squinted. "Why is that?"
He put his head down. "There is… A lot you do not know about me." She took a breath to let the wind blow. Yumi Looking attentive to his words.
"I had a wife and kid. Kushinada-hime. And Yashimajinumi, when I tried to rebel against her… while I tried to fight her with my honor. She was not there. She had killed them… Behind my back."
Yumi seemed shocked to know this truth. "Wow… I… apologize. But what does this have to do with anything? What are you trying to say?"
Susanoo put a hand on her shoulder. "I have been grieving." He told her. "And unlike my son who was too young to succeed through my mission. You're doing this… for me."
"What I'm trying to say is. I can't lose you too."
Yumi seemed almost baffled by his words. "…what? I'm sorry, but I can never replace your son. You can only show him how you dealt with his lost."
"Hmph." Susanoo turned around. "Be careful. You do not want to be in my sons place." Thunder stuck as he disappeared. Yumi took a deep breath as she looked down. And looked back up.
## Legions of the Gods: Fabrics of Tsukinoshima
Yumi rode at a breakneck pace, driving her mount across the jagged, mist-shrouded border of Gakido—the treacherous Land of the Yokai. The heavy scent of sulfur and old magic hung thick in the air.
Suddenly, a small, furry blur dashed out from the thicket, skidding to a sharp halt right in front of her horse's hooves.
"My lady! Why are you here?" the creature squeaked.
Yumi didn't say a word. In one fluid motion, she drew her katana and leveled the gleaming steel directly at the creature's throat. "Who are you?"
"Ah!" The Tanuki instantly threw its tiny arms into the air, trembling. "M-My lady, it is I, Taka! The right hand of Lord Nurarihyon!"
Yumi's eyes widened slightly, the recognition cutting through her defensive haze. She lowered the blade but kept her expression fiercely serious. "Take me to your leader immediately. My friend is in terrible shape."
"Understood... Follow me, my lady!" Taka barked, spinning on his heel and dashing off on all fours.
Yumi urged her horse back into a gallop, keeping up with the swift guide. She cast a desperate glance down at Sugi, who hung limp across the saddle, barely clinging to life. "Come on," Yumi whispered fiercely. "Just a little further, my friend."
A few moments later, deep within a secluded dojo hidden by ancient bamboo forests, a tense scene was unfolding. The ronin and the Yokai were engaged in a joint sparring session—or at least, attempting to. The training was far from balanced. Most of the human ronin were being utterly overwhelmed.
With a sickening crack, the massive Jorogumo swiped a heavy, armored leg across the courtyard, slapping a ronin so violently that he flew across the dirt and lay completely incapacitated.
"Hey!" Nurarihyon bellowed, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "We do not spar like that!"
The Jorogumo perched on the roofline, baring her fangs and letting out a vicious snarl directly at him.
Nurarihyon raised a stern finger, his scarred, mismatched eyes narrowing. "Watch who you snarl at, young lady."
Nearby, Yoshio knelt beside his wounded soldier, letting out a heavy sigh. "Thank you," he muttered to the medic tending the man's bruises.
"My lords!" Taka's voice pierced the courtyard as he burst through the gates, the horse close behind him. "Lady Tachibana has arrived!"
A collective gasp rippled through the gathered warriors. The ronin instantly tensed, their hands dropping to their hilts as Yumi smoothly dismounted.
"A Samurai?" Yoshio muttered, tilting his head with deep skepticism.
Yumi cleanly sheathed her sword, turning her head to face him with cold, unyielding defiance. "Yes. Is there a problem?"
Yoshio's eyes swept over her, but they froze the moment he noticed the blood-soaked body slung over the horse. His face contorted with sudden rage. "Sugi… What did you do to her?!"
Instantly, the surrounding ronin drew their weapons, the steel ringing out in the quiet courtyard. The Yokai grew restless, shifting into aggressive stances. Nobody made a move to strike just yet, but the air was thick with deadly intent.
Yumi remained perfectly calm. She did not reach for her hilt, nor did she flinch at the blades pointed her way. "I did not do anything to her," she stated firmly.
Yoshio hissed, stepping forward. "You must know… Samurai from clans rooted in the heavens are no friends to the Ronin. And they are certainly no friends to the Yokai."
Yumi clenched her fist, her voice rising to carry over the hostile murmurs. "Listen to me… I do not want to fight you. What my family did in the past does not define who I am today. If the Yokai and the Ronin have truly united, then we share the exact same goal—taking down the sun goddess. Yes?"
Silence fell over the courtyard. No one dared to answer until Yoshio stepped entirely into the light, his gaze hard. "'We'?"
"Sugi will live if your healers treat her immediately," Yumi countered, pointing toward her horse. "The twin gods, Raijin and Fujin, ambushed us. If it wasn't for Sugi's sacrifice, I wouldn't be standing here right now."
Yoshio stared at her for a long, agonizing moment. Slowly, he lowered his head, his hand leaving his hilt. He raised a single palm, signaling his men to stand down. Seeing the gesture, several of the smaller, agile Yokai scurried over to the horse, carefully lifting Sugi's limp body from the saddle to rush her inside.
Lord Nurarihyon stepped forward and offered Yumi a deep, respectful bow. Around him, the rest of the Yokai followed their master's lead, bowing in unison.
"Let her in," Nurarihyon commanded softly, turning to guide the way.
Yumi let out a quiet breath, gently patting the neck of her horse with a faint, relieved smile. She stepped forward to follow the leaders—but before her boot could clear the threshold, the sky split open.
With a deafening crash of thunder and a blinding flash of blue lightning, a towering figure materialized out of thin air.
It was Susanoo. This time, he was clad in a terrifying set of midnight-black samurai armor, a dark scarf flowing behind him like a cape, and a menacing helmet that perfectly complemented his scowling mask.
Yumi snapped her head back, her eyes widening. "Susanoo."
"Yumi," the storm god rumbled.
There was a tense, heavy pause as she looked up at his imposing figure. Then, completely shattering her expectations, Susanoo stepped forward and pulled her into a sudden, tight embrace. Taken aback, Yumi stood frozen for a second before he pulled back, keeping his heavy, armored hands firmly on her shoulders.
"You are unharmed," he said, his voice laced with relief. "Did you manage to eliminate the others?"
Yumi scrunched her face in utter confusion, pulling slightly away from his grip. "How did you—"
"That does not matter right now," he interrupted swiftly, his tone turning sharp and clinical. "Tell me, what have you accomplished?"
An hour later, Yumi and Susanoo sat along the secluded outer stone wall of the dojo, away from the prying eyes of the rebel army.
"Interesting," Susanoo muttered, taking a long drag from his sake gourd. "You managed to slay one of the twins, and the other has fled, entirely out of Amaterasu's immediate reach."
Yumi ran a tired hand through her hair, looking out over the misty horizon. "We have everyone assembled now. The Ronin, the Yokai, and us. What do we do next?"
Susanoo rose smoothly to his feet. He turned around, his dark silhouette towering over her as she remained squatting against the wall. "Now… we must go to war against the goddess."
Yumi looked up at him, her gaze piercing. "You are joining us on the front lines, yes?"
Susanoo hesitated. Through the heavy grates of his mask, she could see the visible condensation of a troubled breath. "I… I do not know."
Yumi's eyes narrowed instantly. She stood up to face him. "What do you mean, you don't know?"
He crossed his arms, resting a gauntleted hand against his chin in deep thought. "I simply do not know, Yumi. There are too many risks involved."
"Risks that *you* forced me to take?" she snapped, her frustration boiling over.
Susanoo turned his back to her, looking away. "Yumi—"
Refusing to be dismissed, Yumi slammed her hand against his armored back, gripping the plating and violently spinning him back around to face her. "I demand an answer!"
Though his face was completely obscured by the mask, the sudden, heavy drop in his posture betrayed his profound concern. "Yumi… you should not be fighting this fight."
Yumi squinted, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Why is that?"
The god of storms lowered his head, the grand weight of the heavens seeming to press down on his shoulders. "There is… a great deal you do not know about my past."
He paused, letting the heavy wind howl through the bamboo forest, carrying away the distant sounds of the dojo. Yumi stood perfectly still, listening intently to his words.
"I had a wife and a child," Susanoo confessed, his voice heavy with ancient grief. "Kushinada-hime and my son, Yashimajinumi. Years ago, when I first attempted to rebel against Amaterasu… back when I still tried to fight her with conventional honor… she circumvented me. She was not on the battlefield. She had gone behind my back… and she slaughtered them both."
Yumi reeled, a cold shock washing over her as the horrific truth settled in. "Wow… I… I am so sorry. But what does a tragedy from your past have to do with this war? What are you trying to say to me?"
Susanoo placed a heavy, trembling hand back on her shoulder, his mask inches from her face. "I have spent lifetimes grieving," he whispered. "And unlike my son, who was far too young to ever succeed or carry out my mission… you are doing this. You are standing where he should have stood. You are doing this for me."
He tightened his grip slightly. "What I am trying to say, Yumi… is that I cannot bear to lose you, too."
Yumi blinked, completely baffled, a bitter laugh nearly escaping her lips. "…What? I am sorry, Susanoo, but I can never replace your son. And you cannot use me to fill his void. You can only show his memory honor by how you handle his loss."
"Hmph." Susanoo pulled his hand back, turning away from her as the air began to crackle with violent static electricity. "Be careful, Tachibana. You do not want to end up in my son's place."
A blinding bolt of lightning struck the stone wall with a concussive roar, and in a fraction of a second, the storm god vanished into thin air.
Yumi took a deep, steadying breath, letting the smoke from the lightning strike clear. She looked down at her clenched fists, processing his warning, before raising her gaze back to the dark clouds swirling over Gakido.