Reaper's Eclipse(Language/Violence/Blood)(Alt. Universe)

Chapter 1

480 Years After Verbana's Liberation

Yoshiko stood in the middle of a chamber within a castle, her opponent stood before her and she raised her sword in a defensive position within the Kensei fighting style. The opponent raised his hand and she used time dilation to slow her perception of time, as lightning arced across the fingertips. Yoshiko moved out of the way and looked into the ice blue eyes of her attacker as she threw a fireball back at him, catching the Kitsune in the chest. She raised her shield and advanced towards her opponent who growled and pulled out a pistol, she smirked as this eventuality presented her with an opportunity, she focused her magic into the pistol and solidified the light magic. The opponent looked at the pistol in shock as she rushed him and impaled him through the neck with her sword. The holographic castle chamber dissolved as did the hologram of her opponent as an elderly Cornelis walked in, clapping, "You did well, my daughter."

Yoshiko sheathed her sword, "These weapons and this armor are of Menschilche make, the Verbanans will not accept me as their own." Cornelis nodded, "I know, but... I think it's time for you to meet someone." A male kitsune walked into the room and Yoshiko looked at Cornelis, "I know you wish to become a grandfather before you pass away, but I'm not interested in getting married!" The kitsune placed a hand to his chest, "I am Mamoru Misawa, I was the one that started the Kitsune Civil War before you were born and I am responsible for this entire mess. If it wasn't for me, Yoshiro wouldn't have killed my son and his own brother. His mind wouldn't have fractured the way it did, and events could've taken a better course, maybe he'd still be a frighteningly effective sniper, but he'd do it to protect people instead of harm them."

Cornelis nodded, "Mamoru here was recovered outside of the Kitsune Kingdom, a long time ago." Mamrou sighed, "I've been watching you grow as a warrior, Yoshiko. You've learned the styles of the Leo Menschilche and the Kensei, but you'll need more than that to defeat Yoshiro as he is now." Yoshiko nodded, "Then what will I need to train in." Mamoru walked over towards her and she tensed up, placing her hand on her weapon, "Yoshiro is the man who killed Project Kawal." Yoshiko nodded, "But I was designed to be even more powerful than Kawal was." Mamoru nodded, "Yes, and you rely heavily on your enhanced abilities. However, there is an aspect of combat that you seem to neglect. You're a very smart woman, but you don't try to outwit your opponent. You seem to prefer to fight them straight on, Yoshiro will not give you the same courtesy."

Yoshiko nodded, "I figured if I'm faster and stronger than my opponent, then I'll always win." Mamoru shook his head, "No, there are enemies who can use that against you. Your speed and power would become a hindrance, rather than a help. I will accompany you to Verbana, Yoshiko." Yoshiko looked at Cornelis, "What about Mother and Father?" Mamoru closed his eyes, "Your mother will temporarily stay on Eltirana, it is not safe for her to be on Verbana. As for your father, he doesn't have much longer to live." Yoshiko looked to Cornelis, "Is... this true, Father?" Cornelis nodded, "Yes, however, it is my greatest wish to see that monster destroyed, Yoshiko. I don't want you to mourn for me, until the battle has been won and Verbana is at peace."

Yoshiko nodded and hugged Cornelis, "Father..." Cornelis smiled and hugged back, "Even though creating you was illegal, you were the best thing I ever made." A tear rolled down Yoshiko's cheek, "Thank you, Father." Mamoru looked over, "Yoshiko, take all the time you need, alright. Verbana isn't going anywhere." Yoshiko nodded and broke the hug, looking into Cornelis' eyes, "Father, I thought the Sagittarius Menschilche helped the Leo Menschilche take Verbana almost fifteen hundred years ago..." Cornelis nodded, "My ancestors did help the Leo faction, but a pair of Leo faction Menschilche opened my eyes. Though they had been adopted into the Virgo faction, I recognized their markings. Seth can in a way, be described as one of your parents, as it was his murder that led to Yoshiro's tissue sample being gathered for your creation. Noah would be your uncle in that case, he's the founder of the Serpentarius faction, they will be your allies in this endeavor."

Yoshiko nodded slightly, "So I go to talk to the Serpentarius faction, and then go to Verbana?" Cornelis shook his head, "No, Yoshiko. They will meet you in orbit. There is something I wish to give you, something that I want you to remember me by." Cornelis pulled out a pendant, "Here, wear this around your neck and I will be with you always, my child." Yoshiko took the pendant and placed it around her neck, "Thank you, Father." Cornelis nodded, "You're welcome, my daughter." He placed his hand against her cheek, "I love you, Yoshiko, I always will, no matter what happens." Yoshiko nodded, "I promise to make you proud of me, Father." Cornelis smiled widely, "You don't understand, Yoshiko, you already have. You were always free to choose your own destiny, your own path in life and you chose to fight to protect people against a monster like Yoshiro."

Mamoru spoke up, "I hate to break this up, but we need to head on out." Yoshiko hugged her father one last time and walked over to Mamoru. The two of them walked out of the room and into a hallway as Mamoru spoke up, "Yoshiko, the Verbanans aren't going to trust either of us when we get there, that's why we're taking troops with us, so that we'll have some sort of a military force to fight against Yoshiro and his army." Yoshiko nodded, "I'm familiar with what the Leo faction did to Verbana, and I'm familiar with your history as well, Mamoru. Though it will be a difficult endeavor, we must see it through to the end." Mamoru nodded as they walked into a hangar, which housed a shuttle, "You speak well, Yoshiko, but tell me, are you going to see this through to the end?" Yoshiko didn't answer, she merely stepped onto the shuttle and Mamoru smiled as he climbed in, "You have chosen actions over words, a good choice."

Chapter 3

Kauko looked at the figure that entered into the war room of the Mus castle, "Rogelio Sanez Lorca, what a surprise." Rogelio sighed as he walked over to a chair and sat down, "Lord Kauko, how is Hannu doing?" Kauko shook his head, "He was killed in action a few years ago, Rogelio. Besides, you don't have to call anyone Lord around here, you're no longer a knight and I'm not a king." Rogelio nodded, "I understand, but I have entered the employ of your wife." Kauko sighed, "I was informed, but I still do not wish for you to call me Lord Kauko. Kauko will do fine on its own." Rogelio looked at the map, "I understand, Kauko." Rogelio looked at his hand and Kauko folded his arms with a smile, "You're thinking about something, my friend, what is it?" Rogelio sighed and placed his hand on his forehead, "It's nothing."

Freja spoke up, "You wouldn't say it's nothing unless something was really bothering you, Rogelio. Believe me, I don't feel any better about what we're doing than you do. I was his childhood friend, remember?" Rogelio nodded slightly, "Yeah, but I knew him the best, I was the closest to him... if I couldn't reach him, then he truly has become a monster to be feared or to be hunted down." Kauko nodded, "You think that in a different world, we'd all be friends? That instead of this war we've been fighting for the longest time, we'd fight alongside each other?" Freja sighed and shook her head, "This isn't the time for idealistic talk, Kauko. I know you mean well and you want to improve our morale, but we're honestly fighting a losing battle. Unless we manage to cause some damage to his army, the Mus kingdom will fall in a few years."

Rogelio sighed and placed his hand on his stump, "Well that's bad news... we could retreat over the ocean and try to find a way to take the continent back." Freja shook her head, "Naval battles always end poorly for both sides and no invasion from the sea on either side has been successful. It's gone even more poorly for the resistance fighters than for Yoshiro's forces." Freja looked down as a young woman walked into the room, "My brother... we have to find some way to stop him before he hurts anyone else... even... even if I have to fight him myself." Rogelio looked up at the woman, "Reiko, you know full well that if you fight him, you'll die." Reiko shook her head, "Not true, both he and I are super soldiers and..." Kauko looked at her, "Dammit, Reiko, this isn't a game!"

Reiko frowned and looked away as Rogelio sighed, "Reiko... what Kauko is trying to say is that despite the fact that you picked up your father's super soldier traits, Yoshiro is far better trained than you and you know how well trained and experienced your father was and Yoshiro still killed him with his bare hands." Reiko looked down, "I have to do something... I might not like hurting people, but he's... he's a monster. He doesn't care who he hurts, he doesn't care who dies because of him. He just cares about his power, nothing more, nothing less." Rogelio shook his head, "He cares about you and Minako, he cared about his entire family, except for Akira." Reiko frowned, "So then why did he kill them!?" Rogelio looked up at the ceiling, "He didn't, Reiko. He only killed Akira. Some of his men took this as a sign to kill the rest of his family. The man who killed Kasumi died swiftly."

Reiko looked away, "He still needs to be stopped." Rogelio nodded, "That's what we're trying to do." Freja walked over to Reiko and hugged her, "I know what you're going through and both you and your mother are welcome to stay here as family friends. I promise you that we will stop your brother, no matter the cost to us." Kauko nodded, "As a Paladin, it is my duty to stop him." A Lupine walked into the war room and everyone readied their weapons, "One of his spies!?" The Lupine shook his head, "An escapee, besides, we Lupines are horrible at being spies." The Lupine took a package off his back and placed it on the table with the map on it, "I made this as a gift to her highness, Freja. I hope this will help lay the foundation that will allow you to trust me."

Freja grabbed the package and she felt magic coursing through it, she removed her hand and the Lupine shook his head, "It's alright, I had to use magic to work that particular metal. It's ilma metalli." Freja nodded and opened the package to see what the Lupine said was true, "So, why have you come here?" The Lupine sighed, "First, allow me to introduce myself, I am Killian Jaeger. I'm sure you know of my brother, Lieutenant Walthari Jaeger of the Fifteenth Platoon." Freja nodded slightly, "I know of him, he's called The Butcher by us." Killian nodded, "He's a berserker. The Fifteenth is a platoon of nothing but berserkers, in order to minimize allies killing each other. Walthari doesn't like Yoshiro, but he follows his orders because it brings him battle, it was his suggestion that led me to come here."

Kauko looked at Killian, "Your brother sent you here, knowing full well that the two of you would come into conflict?" Killian sighed, "I'm an exile by Lupine law anyhow, I killed one of the advisors to the king of the Lupines. I made this sword in Mofeta territory, with the hopes that you'd accept me as your blacksmith." Rogelio closed his eye, "There were rumors of a Lupine Blacksmith working away in our kingdom... it looks like they were true. I say we give him a chance, having previously worked with our enemy, I can safely say that he doesn't use Lupines as spies. We'd have to worry about Elves." Freja nodded, "Alright, Killian, but remember, I don't entirely trust you. If we find out later that you are a spy, you will be imprisoned, is that clear?" Killian nodded slightly, "I understand, your highness." Kauko nodded, "Well then, welcome aboard."

Chapter 5

Mamoru stood in the armory of a Menschilche vessel, he took at look at Yoshiko and placed his hand on his chin, "Alright, Yoshiko, I want you to try to punch in that armor." Yoshiko nodded and punched the dummy that had been set up, she not only damaged the dummy severely, but Mamoru noticed the armor joints had been ripped free by the force of her strike alone, "Regular armor just doesn't do it for you, I see..." Mamoru folded his arms and started to think, he soon snapped his fingers, "I got it, we've been developing a special set of power armor that was supposed to be used by the next generation of super soldiers after the Kawal group. I'm pretty sure a set was made for you and is on this ship." Yoshiko nodded and Mamoru looked at the quartermaster, "Hey, do we have any of that power armor?"

The quartermaster nodded and brought out a suit for Yoshiko, "Take off your damaged armor and try this one." Yoshiko nodded slightly and walked over to the power armor. She tore the armor on her body off of herself and sighed, "Being able to safely use forty percent of the total force my muscles can exert at one time is... bothersome, to say the least." Mamoru nodded as he picked up the discarded armor pieces, "Yeah, especially since Kawal was designed to only use twenty and regular people like me can only use ten percent." Yoshiko nodded as she placed on the armor, it felt natural to her and she could immediately feel that it was going to be able to withstand anything that she put it through. She smiled as she placed on the helmet and watched as Mamoru stood out of the way as she threw a few punches at the dummy.

Mamoru nodded, "That's rather impressive, but let's see how well you fare against the living." Yoshiko nodded, "You want me to hold back?" Mamoru shook his head, "Attack me how you want, you'll never cause damage." Yoshiko was confused for a second, but she quickly rushed Mamoru and threw a punch at the same time, only for her to watch Mamoru catch her in her center of gravity and toss her behind him, "That's going to be hell on my back, Yoshiko. But you haven't trained very much against living people, I don't blame you when you can break the neck of a normal man with a single punch." Mamoru stood up and popped his back, before getting into a position to attack, "Regain your composure, Yoshiko, I want you to attack me, again." Yoshiko nodded and stood up, she shook her head and rushed Mamoru again.

This time Mamoru ducked to the side and hooked his foot against her leg, pulling it out from under her and forcing her to hit the ground, "You rely heavily on your strength. You fought a lot of simulations in your time, Yoshiko, but to be fair... I fought in the revolution. I'm an opponent that is a step above what the Menschilche or most Verbanans will throw at you." Yoshiko felt an object press against the back of her neck and she heard Mamoru speak up, "I win, Yoshiko." Yoshiko stood up and attacked Mamoru by grabbing his hand and as she went to pull him in, Mamoru changed the grip on the knife he was holding and placed it up against her throat, "Again, I win." Yoshiko let him go and frowned, "Are you teaching me how to fight or how to cheat?"

Mamoru chuckled as he walked away, "Pay attention and you'll realize I'm teaching you how to survive. Real combat is fatal, Yoshiko. It's not a simulation or some sort of augmented reality training. Honor and rules are fine for games, but out there, you do what you need in order to survive. Even if that means you bring a gun to a swordfight." Yoshiko nodded, "I assume you have a gun on your person?" Mamoru brought out his pistol, "Naturally. It's unloaded, of course. Wouldn't worth using in a sparring match if it was loaded, now would it?" Yoshiko sighed, "What's Verbana like?" Mamoru looked up at the lights of the room they were in, "You'll be able to see soon enough. I just hope that my ex-wife is doing alright. I stopped talking with her around the time I kicked off the civil war..." Yoshiko nodded, "And your ex-wife?"

Mamoru closed his eyes, "Her name is Minako Sano, she got the surname of Miyamae from her in-laws. She's the daughter of Amaterasu, and being the clone of Yoshiro that would..." Yoshiko snapped, "I am not his daughter!" Mamoru shook his head, "I was going to say you're the granddaughter of Amaterasu." Yoshiko felt bad, "Oh, I apologize for snapping like that." Mamoru nodded, "Perfectly understandable. To be fair, I'm the man's cousin. Not exactly thrilled about that." Yoshiko blinked, "How are you, his cousin?" Mamoru shrugged, "Dear old Dad is the brother of Akira's Mother. To be fair, I haven't seen my parents in a long time. To be fair on that point as well, they're also dead. Interestingly enough, Akira and I are related to Minako, albeit very distantly through her aunt." Yoshiko nodded, "So you're a descendant of the deity of war, the sister of Amaterasu?" Mamoru nodded, "Hundreds of generations passed between her and both Akira and I."

Mamoru sighed, "Enough talking about the past, we're above Verbana right now." Yoshiko looked confused, "How do you know that?" Mamoru looked towards the door, "This isn't the first trip I've taken to Verbana. I avoid the continent that we're going to, but I've had dealings in the southern hemisphere in the past under an assumed name and a shapeshifted body." Yoshiko nodded slightly, "So we're going to make contact with the Kitsune?" Mamoru shook his head, "We're going to make contact with the center of the resistance forces, the Mus kingdom. Once we figure out a plan, we're going to move on from there. I don't think that Freja will be excited to see me though." Yoshiko nodded, "Well you did indirectly start this whole mess." Mamoru shook his head, "No, was more referring to the time I broke her great-grandmother's vase..."

Chapter 7

Yoshiro sighed slightly as he reached into the box in which he kept the Imperial Regalia in. He placed his hand on the hilt of the sword, Kusanagi no Tsurugi and took it from the box, placing it in a scabbard he had made himself for it. He grabbed the mirror, Yata no Kagami and placed it against his right arm as a makeshift shield. The moment he grabbed the Jewel, Yasakani no Magatama, power coursed through his veins and he felt himself be purified of the darkness that had taken root in his heart. However, that wasn't the only change, Yoshiro felt his face elongate into a muzzle as his face took a more bestial appearance. He felt eight extra tails sprout from his back and looked back to see the inner three tails glow as well as the outer four with the elements he could harness in this form.

A combination of a green aura with electricity surrounded his middle tail with an electrical aura on the right and a green aura on the left. Next to both of those tails were normal tails, and on the left side was a tail with a red glow and a tail with a white glow, on the right side was a a tail with a blue glow and a tail with a black glow. Yoshiro laughed maniacally as this happened, "Yes, excellent, it still works for me!" Yoshiro looked towards one of the guards in the room who was averting his eyes and Yoshiro laughed, "You do not have to avert your eyes, all are worthy to look upon a mere super soldier, I'm no deity, I'm just a Stormblood using the sun relics to activate my super soldier abilities!" The soldier nodded slightly, "So how long are you going to keep this form?"

Yoshiro looked at the soldier, "Does this form make you uncomfortable?" The soldier nodded slightly, "Seeing you with a golden coloration to your fur and hair, as well as amber eyes is a bit... discomforting, especially since you look so, bestial..." Yoshiro placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder, "We're going to crush the silly rebellion and I'm finally going to own this continent, there will be no more war as long as the continent is united under my rule." The Soldier nodded slightly and Yoshiro looked at him, "You're not a dracoknight, no wonder you're so afraid of me in this form, they're the only ones that have seen me in this form and lived to tell the tale." The soldier gulped slightly, "You're going to..." Yoshiro shook his head, "Turns out, I still have my immunity to psionic abilities in this form, but my magic's unlocked, so..."

The soldier didn't quite understand, "What do you mean, sir?" Yoshiro sighed, "Well, suddenly jumping to ten times the amount of mana you can normally hold in your body sort of causes overloads. The first pair of guards I had in this room... well I had a magical overload and one got caught by a high power fire spell, the other was killed by an ice spell. Real nasty stuff." The soldier nodded, "But you have complete control, right?" Yoshiro gave him a thumbs-up, "Hey, why don't you go take a week off and see your family." The soldier looked at him, worried, "You're not going to keep this form a secret?" Yoshiro shook his head, "Mamoru is a dangerous opponent, but I took this form because of the other super soldier on this planet. Yoshiko may not know it yet, but she was designed to kill me, because some of my former soldiers decided to go killing civilians and I got blamed for it."

The soldier nodded and Yoshiro left the chamber, Walthari was standing there with his arms folded, an axe in one of his hands. Yoshiro arched a brow, "Oh, do you seek a promotion to king? That's not how it works in this kingdom." Walthari motioned towards a box, "I challenged my commanding officer and killed him." Yoshiro could smell what was in the box, "You didn't quite need to bring that here, Walthari." Walthari shrugged, "That box is a bit small to fit his head in, look inside for yourself." Yoshiro motioned with his hand and winds blew, opening the box up, "You speak true, Captain." Walthari saluted, "This was the Company leader, I wish to be promoted to that particular role and lead the Berserkers to victory in our upcoming battles." Yoshiro looked at him, "Oh, you're serious..."

Walthari brandished his axe and Yoshiro chuckled slightly, "That's a terrible idea, I know your innate element, Walthari, and though I can't use your opposite, I've got five others at my disposal." Walthari lowered his axe, "You have a good point, my king." Yoshiro shrugged, "At least you're smart enough to know when you're outmatched. Although I do admire your bravery. Very well, Walthari, you may command the third company." Walthari nodded, "Thank you, sir. When do we move out to attack?" Yoshiro looked at him, "I've given my enemies a week to build up their defenses, because even with that paltry Menschilche force, they will not be able to withstand our superior numbers, even with their new technologies." Walthari nodded, "So who will we attack, the Mofeta or the Mus?" Yoshiro smirked, "Mamoru assumes I'd go after the Mofeta first as they're more vulnerable, but we're going to attack the outlying Mus towns first. Once we capture those, we'll have a staging point to attack the capitol."

Walthari nodded, "Excellent plan, sir." Yoshiro nodded and walked past, he heard many of the servants gasp as he walked towards the throne room and began to wonder how he was going to sit down in his throne, now that he had nine tails instead of one. A maid walked in, "My Lord Yoshiro, may I enter?" Yoshiro nodded slightly, "Can you help me with this issue?" The maid walked over, "Getting rid of your extra tails?" Yoshiro shook his head, "No, I wish to sit in my throne, but with these extra tails, it's... inconvenient." The Maid nodded, "You could just drape the extra tails on each side over the arm rests, they'd be out of your way." Yoshiro nodded, "Thank you. So, what is it that you need?" The maid looked away, "Well, your highness, Lilah left your employ." Yoshiro sighed, "I knew she would, she doesn't like me very much. Oh well." Yoshiro sat down in his throne and rested his head against his fist, he had seven days until he attacked and he couldn't wait.

Chapter 9

Freja looked at the group of Menschilche that were in her throne room, but she looked at the Kitsune who looked like a female version of Yoshiro in particular, "So you traveled for three days to come here to tell me that Yoshiro is going to attack the Mofeta Capitol city?" Rogelio looked at Freja and then at Yoshiko, "If this is true, I must go alert my king." Freja nodded, "I'll send a couple of guards with you." Rogelio smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Don't worry about me, Lady Freja, I'm not the kind of person to go dying on my friends." Freja nodded, "All the same, I would feel more comfortable if you had an escort with you." Rogelio sighed, "Alright, Lady Freja. I'll relent if it makes you feel better." Freja nodded and then looked at Yoshiko in particular, "You are a chil..." Freja didn't get the chance to finish that sentence as Yoshiko cut her off, "I'm merely his clone, I will never call him father."

Freja nodded and Kauko reached for his weapon, but Yoshiko continued on without batting an eye, "Yoshiro represents a great threat to not only the rest of Verbana, but to the entire galaxy as a whole, what's to say that when he takes over the planet, that he'll be satisfied. That's why we've come here to stop him, so that we can prevent him from moving on to taking over more and more galactic territory." Freja nodded slightly, "Kauko, sheathe your weapon." Kauko removed his hand from his weapon as Freja looked at Mamoru, "And you were the one that started the Kitsune Civil War and thus indirectly are responsible for creating the monster that is Yoshiro. What reason are you here for?" Mamoru sighed, "As you said, I brought the current form of Yoshiro into the world, it's my job to take him out of this world, nothing more."

Freja nodded, "And how can you be so certain that he will take over the Mofeta territory." Mamoru placed his hand on his chin, "Simple logistics really, the Mofeta kingdom is a great place for him to place bases as it is naturally fortified from ground invasion, which means that he would bring troops in from the air in order to get around the defenses." Freja sighed, "Tell me, where did he say that he would attack?" Mamoru looked at her, "This very kingdom." Freja and Kauko both facepalmed at the same time and Freja sighed, "Mamoru, you're an idiot. Yoshiro is going to simultaneously attack the outlying towns and villages of this kingdom in order to gain a better footing to attack the capitol. Though since you've been so gracious as to give us this information, you will get to choose which front to direct."

Yoshiko spoke up, "I'm going as well, I was designed in order to kill Yoshiro, this is my life's purpose." Freja nodded, "You will be going as well, if what you say is true, then you will be instrumental in our victory. My spy in Yoshiro's empire has told me that he will be personally joining the battle. He will no doubt be there to seek you out, Yoshiko. However, something troubles me..." Mamoru folded his arms, "No doubt he will be a fully realized Tovenaar Super Soldier." Kauko nodded, "I have not fought him in that form, but many Paladins have died to it. He is abnormally powerful in that form and will be capable of easily killing even the most resilient of soldiers. So I would suggest that the two of you watch your back."

Yoshiko nodded, "That's if he can hit me, I'm even more physically powerful than my predecessor, Kawal." Kauko looked nervous, "That name has horrific connotations around here, I would suggest that you do not use it, ever again." Yoshiko nodded, she knew of the history between the Menschilche and the Verbanans and chose not to press the subject matter, "We have four days before Yoshiro attacks the Mus Kingdom, so we must make preparations before then. Will you accept the help of the Menschilche forces that we have prepared up in orbit in order to defend your kingdom from invasion." Freja looked up at the ceiling of the room and then back down to look Yoshiko in the eye, "No. The Menschilche have caused enough trouble on this planet and we want nothing to do with them in all honesty. The only reason you and Mamoru get to have a part in the upcoming defense is that you're Verbanans."

Mamoru looked at Freja, "Even you must know that you cannot hope to defend your kingdom against a technologically superior foe. Yoshiro's forces have guns and vehicles, while you still have mounts, plate armor and swords. You should know that none of you stand a chance against him and his forces." Kauko folded his arms, "This may be so, but we cannot risk being enslaved by the Menschilche once more." Yoshiko became angry, "So instead, you'll allow yourselves to be executed or even enslaved by one of your own people!?" Kauko looked at her, "Yoshiro is not one of us, and yes, I would rather die than live a slave again. I was born into slavery, I honored my parents sacrifice daily by being a Paladin. They died so that I could have my freedom and I chose the path that I would die if it ensured that I could bring someone their freedom."

Yoshiko sighed, "We're not going to enslave you." Mamoru shook his head, "None of you are going to listen, very well. We'll head to the staging area of our choosing. Hopefully after the defense of the kingdom, you'll listen to us, come on, Yoshiko." Mamoru walked out of the throne room and Yoshiko followed close behind him, "Major, why won't they put aside their pride and accept that they'll need the help of the Menschilche in order to win this war?" Mamoru sighed as he looked back at her, "Simple, many of them still bear the scars of the Verbanan Liberation war. Even if they were not directly affected, they have been indirectly affected. Even Yoshiro is among these people. Hell, I was born a slave and was one of the top Verbanan Commanders in that war." Yoshiko nodded, "So you'll lead us to victory." Mamoru smiled slightly, "Or die trying."

Chapter 11

Yoshiro watched as Rogelio finally came to, "Ah, I see that you're awake. Normally, you would've been executed by now, but considering who you were to me and the fact that you made a mistake, I'm going to allow you another chance. This is your final chance, Rogelio. I do not wish to kill you." Rogelio spat in Yoshiro's face and spoke in his native tongue, "Vete a la mierda, pedazo de mierda. Nunca te acepto como mi emperador. Mátame si es necesario, pero recuerdo que me muera mártir!" Yoshiro looked at him and frowned as he wiped off his face, "Are those the words you truly choose?" Rogelio looked at him, defiantly, "Yes. I will die a martyr!" Yoshiro sighed and stood up, "I give you a chance to avoid your fate, do you know that you are a traitor and you will die a traitor?" Rogelio laughed, "Yeah, at least I die with my morals."

Yoshiro closed his eyes and pointed to a window, "She has never seen an ally die before her eyes." Rogelio looked at Yoshiko and then back at Yoshiro, "You dirty..." Yoshiro narrowed his eyes, "She is not a hostage, she is a prisoner. But she is the reason why I am giving you this chance, even now, Rogelio." Rogelio sighed, "Puede tener su oportunidad y meter por el culo!" Yoshiro shook his head, "Defiant to the end. Very well then." Yoshiro removed his sword from his belt and tossed it to Rogelio, "Take my blade and die on your feet." Rogelio picked up the sword and drew it from its scabbard, he looked at his own reflection in the blade and sighed. He entered a ready position, not sure of what this form of Yoshiro's could bring, but he did know one thing, Yoshiro had the advantage.

Rogelio moved in a step and swung the sword at Yoshiro, who moved out of the way and drew his pistol, "I'm sorry." Yoshiro shot Rogelio in the head, killing him fairly instantly. Yoshiro sighed as he picked up his sword and placed it back in the scabbard that Rogelio had discarded. As he placed it on his belt, he turned to the window where he saw Yoshiko struggle against the bonds that he had placed on her by his magic knights. She screamed at him, "Murderer! Pscyhopath!" Yoshiro walked out of the room and over to the door of her room, "Let me in." The soldier looked at him, "Sir, with all due respect." Yoshiro sighed and moved his darkness and water tails, "If she tries anything, I can use magic to hurt her. She can't really do much to me." The soldier nodded and opened the door, "Alright, sir."

Yoshiro walked into the room and he watched as Yoshiko continued to rage against her bonds. He sighed as he shook his head, "You're not going to escape, and you're going to wind up killing yourself if you keep doing that, which would be detrimental to my plans." Yoshiko looked at him, "So you're not into that kind of thing?" Yoshiro was appalled that she would even suggest such a think, "What in the actual fuck!?" Yoshiko smiled cruelly, "You're going to try it why I'm alive aren't you? That would be a big mistake you know." Yoshiro looked at her and took a step back, unable to show his disgust, "Oh my goodness, Yoshiko, you're my clone, that's absolutely fucking disgusting and you know it! How could you even suggest that I'd do such a thing!" Yoshiro felt nauseous at her accusation, "I'm a conqueror, not a monster!"

Yoshiko looked at him, "So then I guess you're going to torture me for information." Yoshiro looked at her and sighed, "The more you open your mouth, the more I wonder what propaganda that you've been fed. Listen to me, Yoshiko and listen to me well, you are a messenger, the only thing I want to know is why Mamoru is on the planet." Yoshiko looked at him, "I will not reveal that information." Yoshiro folded his arms, "Well then, let me guess why he's on the planet." Yoshiko frowned, "You wouldn't figure it out anyway." Yoshiro smiled slightly, "Mamoru is here to kill me, plain and simple. You were designed to kill me and he sees you as something that can and will rob him of his greatest desire." Yoshiko looked at him, "You don't know anything about Mamoru!" Yoshiro's smile grew, "Oh, but I do, Yoshiko, I do."

Yoshiko shook her head, "Mamoru is an honorable man!" Yoshiro unfolded his arms and pointed at her, "You are so inexperienced. I've seen men obsessed with revenge, I'm one of them. A little history lesson, Yoshiko, what happened four hundred and fifteen years ago?" Yoshiko looked up at him, "Nothing significant happened." Yoshiro shook his head, "The Kitsune Civil War happened, I accidentally killed my brother and my half-brother during that war and Mamoru started the damn thing!" Yoshiro laughed as he continued, "Aiko and Takeshi, both of them tried to fight against me, but... well. Both of them ended up dead..." Yoshiko looked at him, "You have a history of killing your family." Yoshiro shook his head, "I never killed my twin sister, just like I didn't kill my mother." Yoshiro leaned in and coldly spoke, "I brutally executed the people responsible for such an act."

Yoshiko looked away, "You're bluffing, Minako wouldn't die like that." Yoshiro shook his head, "I sent her body back to the Kitsune kingdom, and told the soldiers that if anything happens to it, I'll kill them myself. But I digress, like I said, you're a messenger. There's an old Menschilche installation in the northern sea. If Mamoru decides to come alone, he will find no resistance. If you idiots try to send even one more person with him, Mamoru will be captured and the other people will be shot." Yoshiko looked at him, "Why?" Yoshiro smiled, "To put it simply, I wish Mamoru dead and he wishes me dead. He's just using you to further his goals, kid. So, if you impudent rebels will agree to a ceasefire for about two weeks to allow Mamoru to get there, that'd be wonderful. Because if not, I will attack the Mus capitol with all I got. It's Freja's choice." Yoshiko looked out the window, "Fine, I'll pass it on, but what's in it for me."

Yoshiro looked at her with a smirk, "If Mamoru wins, the war's over. My empire will collapse in on itself and all will be free for the Menschilche to swoop in and conquer once again, enslaving the Verbanan peoples yet again. If Mamoru loses, you get your shot at killing me and if you win... my empire will collapse and all will be free for the Menschilche to swoop in and enslave the Verbanan peoples once again." Yoshiko looked at him, "You lie!" Yoshiro laughed, "Verbana is very resource rich and we're an excellent people for them to use in their work camps. Do you honestly think that they would ignore this fact just because they got booted off this planet centuries ago?" Yoshiko growled and Yoshiro turned around, "Think on that for a while, I'm heading out." Yoshiro left the room, leaving Yoshiko to her own thoughts.

Chapter 13

Yoshiko sat in the cell when suddenly the wall was broken down by a draconic fist. Yoshiko turned her head and expected to see her death, she caught the scent of a Lupine as the Lupine climbed down from the Dragon. She heard a voice speak in a language she didn't recognize, "Julius, ich werde auf dieser Kitsune zu prüfen." Yoshiko sighed, "So you're here to execute me?" The Lupine shook her head, "Ich bin Imma, häufiger unter dem Reich als der Schwarze Ritter bekannt." Yoshiko shook her head, "I do not understand what you are saying." Imma spoke up as she removed her helmet, "I'm known as the Black Knight around Yoshiro's empire. I was never loyal to him, unlike Walthari and Killian. Though it was I that helped Killian escape from the empire that Yoshiro had formed." The Dragon spoke up, "Jaciv tepohaic wer gazziz di wer irlym di sia xiekivi."

Imma nodded, "Yes, Julius, she does smell of the Menschilche, but unfortunately we don't have any choice. It looks like you're being held by magical bonds, hmmm..." Imma looked over at Julius, "I'm going to need a better tool than the one I have, preferably one that was blessed by Amaterasu." Julius reached into a pouch and pulled out a knife that had a visible golden aura surrounding it, "Tenpiswo." Imma took it and walked around to the back of the chair Yoshiko was tied to, "Don't move. You are still merely the enemy of our enemy and if you try anything, this won't be a rescue, this will be your end. Am I clear?" Yoshiko nodded and stayed still as Imma wanted her to. Imma swiftly cut through the dark elemental bonds that tied Yoshiko's hands together and she sighed slightly, "You're free, so what are you going to do now?"

Yoshiko turned to look at her, "I'm going to go regroup with the Resistance now that the Major is dead. I may not have experience, but I was designed to kill Yoshiro." Imma nodded slightly, "Julius, how do you feel about joining with the resistance forces?" Julius spoke up, "Coi xurwkic ve nurescho. Riluoh yth tir ti tepoha tikil mahtelii." Yoshiko looked at the Dragon, "I've only heard of these creatures in Menschilche history. My history always painted the Draconic peoples in a negative light, but seeing one up close... it's so majestic." Imma looked at her, "Julius is a male Dragon and he would prefer you to use the appropriate pronoun rather than calling him an it." Yoshiko nodded, "I apologize, Julius." Imma nodded and walked out, "Come, Yoshiko, we're going to go join with the resistance, even if Julius isn't entirely happy about it."

Yoshiko nodded and followed Imma out of the building and Imma helped her onto Julius' back. Imma climbed onto the back of Julius after Yoshiko was on, and grabbed the reins that Julius carried with her free hand, "Hold onto me, Yoshiko." Yoshiko nodded and wrapped her arms around Imma's waist as Imma put her helmet back on and nodded. Julius took off into the skies and Yoshiko got to see the region she was in from above, "When we're up here... everything looks so serene." Imma nodded, "Flying is always relaxing, however, the skies have seen their share of bloodshed in the past. There's currently a battle raging on about thirty-five kilometers to the northwest of us." Yoshiko blinked, "That's Mofeta territory!" Imma nodded, "Yeah, we disengaged from that battle a while ago when we heard that Yoshiro was around here. Julius and I thought it would be an easy way to commit regicide."

Yoshiko wasn't familiar with the term, "What's regicide?" Imma chuckled to herself, before answering, "It's a killing of the a royal, usually the king of a nation." Yoshiko nodded, "So, Imma, has any nation escaped an invasion by Yoshiro's forces?" Imma nodded, "The Fennikkusu nation fell in line, seeing that they wouldn't be able to win against Yoshiro's forces. My people... well..." Yoshiko tilted her head, "What about your people?" Imma's free hand balled into a fist, "Bruno was a great king and he was to be my husband. Yoshiro killed him and then threw his match against one of his loyalists. I was exiled from my people and I took up the Black Knight. There's a member of my people in particular that I've been trying to hunt down." Yoshiko nodded, "Is it Killian?" Imma shook her head, "Walthari Jaeger, known as The Butcher."

Yoshiko nodded, "I've heard of his deeds, do you honestly believe that you'll be able to kill him?" Imma sighed, "My weapons are made of ilma metalli, and my armor is made of painted over maa metalli. Maa metalli is better suited for armor, being heavier than iron or steel, but also more sturdy and better suited for absorbing hits. Ilma metalli is lighter and is great for things like chain mail, but really excels when used to make a sword or a spear tip. Being lighter than iron or steel, but having slightly less durability than maa metalli, it increases the force of these weapons greatly." Yoshiko nodded, she knew a fair bit about the four unique metals found in the Verbanan system and a few other star systems, but she didn't quite know that they were used in war like Imma was using, "That's interesting."

Imma nodded slightly, "So tell me, aside from being created to kill him, why do you want to kill Yoshiro?" Yoshiko looked down, "He's a monster." Imma shook her head, "He's not. Every single person he's killed or ordered the death of was a military combatant at one point. He's never killed or ordered the death of a civilian. What he is... is a conqueror and he doesn't care who he rolls over to expand his empire." Yoshiko was in disbelief, "So he was telling the truth?" Imma nodded, "I've been watching his every move and accessing the spy network that the resistance movement had set up. That's why I came here to try to kill him, but the slippery son of a bitch eluded me again." Yoshiko frowned, "He killed my ally in front of me." Imma sighed, "Welcome to war, Yoshiko, you won't find a worse hell in the world of the living."

Chapter 15

Julius landed within Draconic territory, he looked around as Imma and Killian slid off his back, "Imma and Killian will be leaving, you stay with me, Yoshiko." Yoshiko nodded as she sat on the back of the Dragon. She was raised to hate the dragons, but seeing them all here, all the stories that she was told were wrong. The Dragons were a majestic species that worked together and lived in harmony with each other. Julius walked into a cave, "Great-grandfather, I'm back." The voice of another dragon spoke up, "Wux dronilnr creolnali de wer Menschilche, Julius." Julius nodded, "She is a clone of Yoshiro, great-grandfather, perhaps she could be the key to free this planet once and for all." The dragon walked into the light, to reveal himself to be much larger than Julius was, "Yoshiro is the only thing keeping the Menschilche from attacking the planet. The only other thing that could do so would be if we could get assistance from my sister."

Yoshiko slid off Julius' back, "Sir, with all due respect, do you really mean that the Menschilche are going to try to enslave the people of this world once more?" Bahamut nodded, "I am not surprised that they didn't tell you this. You were a tool to preform an assassination, nothing more, nothing less." Yoshiko looked down and watched as a claw approached her from below. She jumped out of the way as Bahamut laughed, "I will not hurt you, young Kitsune, I was merely going to lift your chin so that you and I could see eye to eye." Yoshiko nodded and looked at Bahamut's face, "Can you take a form that would be easier to make eye contact with?" Bahamut quick shifted into a humanoid form, "I forget sometimes that you mammals get discomforted if you look up for too long."

Bahamut walked over to her, "Come with me, Clone of Yoshiro." Yoshiko nodded, "It's Yoshiko." Bahamut nodded slightly as he led her into his private chamber, "This way, no one else can hear our conversation." Yoshiko frowned slightly, "What do you mean, Bahamut?" Bahamut sighed, "I taught my faction of the Dragons to stay out of Verbanan affairs, to let the Verbanans fend for themselves. I've known that Yoshiro was a threat for a long time, but with the Menschilche active in this sector, there is no doubt that Tiamat has taken notice. The Eltiranans will be swift to attack their forces in orbit. I know that it's not something you wish to hear, but it's the truth of what is going to happen..." Yoshiko looked down slightly, "I'm aware, sir." Bahamut placed his hand on her shoulder, "Look, it won't be easy for me to convince my people to get involved."

Yoshiko looked away, "And what will that solve, you people weren't built to murder people. You people weren't designed to kill people, I was. That's all I'll ever be... a Menschilche weapon." Bahamut shook his head, "I don't see a weapon in front of me, I see a woman who makes her own choices in life. A woman who chose to walk down this path and make the choices to come here. You're welcome to join my kingdom if you would like." Yoshiko looked in his eyes, "The Menschilche and Dragons are enemies, though..." Bahamut folded his arms and laughed, "They perceive us to be their enemy, because they need an enemy. We Dragons never wanted war with them, we came in peace and extended our hand in friendship. However, though you were created by them, doesn't mean that we are enemies."

Yoshiko turned around to look at the door and Bahamut quick shifted back to his normal state. Yoshiko felt a hand close around her and she struggled as Bahamut lifted her to his level, "Yoshiko, you have a choice. You always had a choice and you will always have a choice. The Menschilche see you as nothing more than a tool to be used to further their own aims and then discard. Yoshiro's empire sees you as a threat, and I know that you have made enemies of the resistance forces. You have no allies at the moment, are you really going to be dead set on trying to declare us your enemies?" Yoshiko sighed, "Just, do what you're going to do and get it over with?" Bahamut sighed and placed her on the table, "Listen, I'm an ancient Dragon Deity. If I wanted to hurt you, you'd not be here right now... so please, listen."

Yoshiko folded her arms and looked up at the ceiling, "I heard stories about you from the Menschilche... but you seem different from those stories." Bahamut nodded slightly, "A person has many facets to their personality, just because I can be cold at times, doesn't mean that I don't know how to be caring. Do you want to know the reason why I'm like this towards you?" Yoshiko nodded, "Sure." Bahamut sighed, "Back during the war, the Menschilche kept creating super soldier projects to destroy us. I encountered many of these super soldiers and at first, I killed them. But one day, I saw a group of them stand there in fear of me. They were people like you or I... and I couldn't think of them as mere weapons anymore. At that moment, I spared them, but later would find out that they were executed by the Menschilche..."

Yoshiko frowned, "So when I'm done killing Yoshiro?" Bahamut looked at a bookshelf, "Without the protection of the Dragons, the Menschilche will consider you extremely dangerous and try to execute you." He reached into the bookshelf and pulled out a datapad, "Here, you can read the contents of this. It'll tell you everything that you need to know about what happened during the war. The Menschilche love to redact things to make themselves look good, but I personally made sure that all of this is the truth." Yoshiko nodded slightly as she took it, "So when are you expecting my answer?" Bahamut picked her up and placed her on the floor, "Yoshiko, whenever you are ready, you will be able to give me your answer. However, the only way you're reaching Yoshiro is with draconic technology, as the Menschilche consider you a traitor at the moment." Yoshiko nodded, "Then... I'll stay for a while and learn about the truth..."

Chapter 17

Yoshiko looked around, night was starting to fall, but she was looking for one person in particular, Amaterasu herself. As she walked past a building, she felt a hand grab her, "I hear that my mother told you about me." Yoshiko turned around to look the deity in the eye and nodded. Amaterasu sighed, "Come into my temporary home here, I mean you are family after all." Yoshiko growled, "I am not his..." Amaterasu shook her head, "You are his clone, technically you are the daughter of my daughter and her husband... both of which are now dead because of the empire that my grandson had decided to forge." Yoshiko nodded slightly, "What about my mother?" Amaterasu shook her head, "That much I cannot say, only Mom knows if she is alive or not, but considering the facts of what have transpired. I'm sorry that I cannot give you hope that she may still be alive."

Yoshiko looked down and Amaterasu hugged her, "Listen, if she's alive, I promise to do whatever I can to bring her to you. Understand?" Yoshiko nodded, she still felt sad. Amaterasu smiled softly, "Come on, let's get you inside, it's going to rain and you don't want to get sick before you have to fight Yoshiro, do you?" Yoshiko shook her head and allowed Amaterasu to take her into a house, "Thank you. Your mother, Emiko, told me that you could tell me more about my opponent." Amaterasu nodded and sat her down at a table, "You are the successor to Project Kawal. However, Yoshiro was able to kill Kawal in melee combat. Are you sure that you would even be able to defeat him?" Yoshiko looked down at the table, "No, I'm not, Amaterasu, I'm sorry." Amaterasu nodded slightly, "It's natural to have doubts."

Amaterasu walked into the kitchen and returned with a couple of cups of tea, "Tell me, why do you wish to put an end to his suffering?" Yoshiko looked at her, "Wait, suffering?" Amaterasu nodded slightly, "Yes, it's easier to start from the beginning. When Yoshiro was just ninety-four years old... his father's cousin, Mamoru, took over the Kitsune Kingdom and started the Kitsune Civil War. After a year of fighting, he vowed to take the final rescue operation into his own hands, he was going to rescue his little brother and stop his half-brother from trying to hurt anyone else. He took aim... and let his arrow fly. When the arrow hit... he had killed both his little brother and his half-brother. This has affected him for his entire life and he has never once forgotten what the pain was like. This turned into aggression which caused him to lash out at people who would be his friends."

Yoshiko sipped at her tea as Amaterasu continued, "Then my father had to go and screw everything up. He claimed that Yoshiro was a deathblood, and tried to kill him. Yoshiro is a sunblood, of course. You probably already knew that. But I watched what had happened that day, Yoshiro didn't intend to go in there and kill anyone. However, when he had been put into a situation where he was forced to survive, he acted as anyone else would. Though he killed my father, I do not blame him for what he did. Dad was going to kill him and was going to be wrong doing it. I stayed with Yoshiro, hoping that I could make him see the light, that I could mend his wounded heart, but alas, I could do nothing on my own. So I hoped to calm him by handing him the regalia."

Yoshiko looked at her, "The sword, Kusanagi no Tsurugi; the mirror, Yata no Kagami; and the jewel, Yasakani no Magatama. You tried to give him valor, wisdom, and benevolence, however you were unsuccessful." Amaterasu shook her head, "No, they worked and quelled his rage, however, they also unlocked that form you saw him in. He became far more powerful, he's no longer a mere holy blood. He's a demi-deity in terms of power, and a powerful one at that. His focus from that point forward became less of bloodshed and revenge and more conquering the entire planet in order to unify it under a single banner. He truly believes that if he does this, the wars and conflicts will stop. Unfortunately for him, that's not how things work." Yoshiko nodded slightly, "So the reason he's doing this?" Amaterasu closed her eyes, "It's because he hurts deeply inside."

Amaterasu opened her eyes as she stood up and walked over to the window as the rain started to fall, "Yoshiro's heart was forever torn asunder. Yasakani no Magatama can only repair so much. But the only way for his suffering to end is death, and he knows it as well. However, he believes himself a monster and monsters cannot commit suicide, they must be slain. Though he will never tell you this himself, he told me to pass this message onto you, Yoshiko. He wants you to be the one to do it, but he wants you to do it as a Verbanan, not as a Menschilche bioweapon." Yoshiko looked into her tea, "I... don't know what to say to that. I want to be a Verbanan, I truly do, but I don't know how. I lived my entire life as part of the Menschilche Imperium."

Amaterasu nodded, "I understand how you feel about it. I'm not asking you to answer immediately. Mother will refuse to let you go until you prove yourself to her. However, I don't normally do this, but I saw how you instinctively reach for that sword of yours when my mother was angering you." Amaterasu walked over to Yoshiko, "Give me your left hand." Yoshiko nodded and placed her left hand in Amaterasu's hand. Amaterasu placed her other hand on the back of Yoshiko's hand and channeled magic into it, "By my own authority, I name you a Kensei Initiate." Yoshiko felt a burning sensation, but Amaterasu kept her grip on Yoshiko's hand. When Amaterasu pulled her hands away, Yoshiko looked at the back of her left hand and noticed a new pattern on her hand. The symbol of Amaterasu, a golden rising sun now adorned her hand. Amaterasu smiled slightly, "Welcome to being a Verbanan, Yoshiko."