Persona BLEACHED Legends: The Moon Thief

Persona BLEACHED Legends: The Moon Thief
Fate encompasses 
The most noble of heroes 
Within its dagger
---
There's always some speck of truth in every fairy tale.
That's what my mom told me, anyway. For every fantastic legend of knights slaying dragons, mermaids falling in love and lions pushing other lions off of cliffs, there's something in the writer's life that influenced it. Stand-ins and metaphors existing to keep the kids entertained and the parents thinking.
My family's story is no different. I remember the day my mom and my pops brought it home, newly published and hand-drawn by my auntie. 'The Captain and the Cat Thief'. One of Korea's most enduring folk tales.
Once upon a time, there was a dashing master thief named Lee Moon-bin. He stole from the corrupt wealthy and gave to those who needed it. His two childhood friends were the captain of the Royal Guard, and a lady-in-waiting for the princess of the Joseon Dynasty. 
Moon's prideful, honorable friend chose loyalty to the king over the life of his best friend, and the two fought for the heart of their lady friend. Moon won, and the two lived happily ever after. It's a cute piece about being loyal to your friends and not judging people based on what they do to live. A favorite of bedtimes everywhere.
'But listen here, kitten.' my pops says. 'It wasn't just a fairy tale. Moon was a real man. And the ending wasn't so happy.'
Moon's friend died by his hand, killed by a dagger laced with a lethal poison. He became Korea's most wanted criminal. And so he fled. What he didn't know was that his beloved was carrying the child whose bloodline would eventually lead to me. All that was known to my pops was that Moon fled to Japan, while the Empire was busy invading Korea. So in my three years I spent in Japan, I dug into every history text I could find. Anything that mentioned a mysterious thief from overseas.
I hit paydirt eventually.
Our story begins where the fairy tale ends. The story of the first of the Kit clan of thieves.
---
1593
Busan, the Korean Peninsula.
The war is at a standstill. The invading imperial army from across the sea began by overwhelming the kingdom's most vital port city, but since then, neither side has been able to claim a strong foothold in this war. Yet the Great Unifier, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, continues to move troops in an attempt to push the needle onto the side of the imperials.
Once, this port was a hub for trade with the Japanese, and many from the empire had settled here as a result. That all changed a year ago, when Japanese troops led by Sō Yoshitoshi sacked the port and slaughtered thousands inside the city. Korean bows and arrows proved no match for Japanese gunpowder weaponry. This was now the empire's gateway into the rest of the peninsula.
Stepping inside the walls as a Korean was tantamount to a death sentence.
Sailors were moving supplies off of their boats, all of them with swords at their sides.
"Do we really need this much protection here? Anyone trying to take back the city is asking for a quick death." one sailor questioned.
"Not just that, the king is busy dealing with his own set of problems. The Captain of his guard was killed not that long ago. And it wasn't even one of our men!" another stated.
"A king so preoccupied with personal strife that he can't manage a war effort won't be on the throne for long. This fight is as good as won."
As much as they believed otherwise, another fight was already approaching them.
As one sailor moved a barrel of supplies, he spotted something on the ground. It looked like a block, wrapped completely in reeds. He put down the barrel and picked the strange object up. "Hey, what do you think this is?"
Another sailor walked over, taking the block and giving it a look. "Feels like sand, almost. And it smells like--"
The answer became clear in moments--though they would be these men's very last.
A single object fell from above. An arrow, its head coated with flame, pierced the strange block. Almost instantly, it exploded in a cloud of smoke. All that could be seen of the man holding it were his hands, lying on the ground, smoldering.
"It's an ambush! Arms at the ready!" one sailor ordered.
The men brandished their weapons. Visibility continued to worsen as the smoke began to spread. As mayhem ensued, more arrows began to fly out from the cloud, striking the sailors in their exposed necks, and they began to fall one-by-one. One of the sailors noticed a shadow, moving through the smoke.
"Show yourself, coward! Die with some semblance of honor--"
The sailor's legs buckled beneath him, as they were both cut. He found himself with a long dagger pressed against his neck.
"Honor."
The blade swiped, and the sailor's neck became a fountain of blood as he collapsed.
"You Nipponese, always spouting about 'honor'. You don't know the meaning of that word."
The man holding the dagger wore a black, cloth hood over his head, his entire body save for his face covered in black leather armor, along with black socks and sandals. His hair was messy and black, reaching down to his shoulders, and he had prominent beard stubble on his face.
Distinct amongst all this darkness were his eyes, which were a striking shade of pink. 
"And you left me an entire boat filled with supplies. How gracious you conquering swine are." Moon spat on his opponent's body.
He overheard a commotion coming from the walls. "And that is my cue to exit."
He leapt onto the boat, quickly opening the sails. In the distance, soldiers with swords and muskets began emerging from the walls.
"All I need is a few seconds." Moon tipped over a barrel, kicking it and causing it to roll off of the ship and onto the docks. He readied an arrow, then fired it. The tip of the projectile scraped against the barrel, causing a spark. That was enough for the explosive-filled container to light up, sending wooden planks flying into the air and creating an even bigger cloud of smoke. The oncoming crowd of armed men were knocked over by the shock.
By the time they'd collected themselves and the smoke cleared out, Moon, and the ship, were gone.
"Dastard!" the force's general cursed.
"Who or what was that?"
"Could that have been a kamaitachi?"
"A wind devil, here? Is this land more cursed than we first believed?"
"That was no wind devil, fools." the general chastised. "That man with those eyes...it is said that the monarch's right hand man was slain by a man with eyes of pink. And now, one such rogue appears to make off with one of our vessels."
"But if he murdered one of the king's men, that would make him an enemy of Joseon, would it not? Why would he slaughter our men when he could align himself with us?"
"It would appear...that he has no intention of doing any such thing. That man is an ally to neither Joseon, nor to our glorious empire. And if he arrives on our shores, with one of our vessels, then he will be shown no mercy. He will not last a minute on Imperial soil." 
The general looked out towards the sea. "Enjoy this momentary respite while you can, pink-eyed kamaitachi..."
---
Safe from danger, Moon plopped onto his back, letting out a sigh. "Can't believe that actually worked. I was sure I was done for. Not that I could complain about a violent end."
A memory played out in his head. Cutting the arm of his best friend, his sworn brother. Watching as he began to writhe in agony, as the poison that coated his dagger seeped through Geong's body, until he was no more.
"I wish you could've seen it my way, Geong. Now look at where we are. And now Jun..."
Moon stood up. "No. Now it's ancient history. For all I know, I could be sailing to my death. Time to make sure that doesn't happen."
He took a rolled-up parchment out of his pocket. It was a map of the Peninsula, the Empire, and the sea between the two.
Moon looked annoyed. "I thought reading these things would be easier but I can't make out a damn thing. How do I know where I'm supposed to turn?"
He thought back to what Jun had told him before he fled. "(Sail until you reach the mainland of Nippon. The island between us is called Tsushima. That is where the Imperial navy is stationed. Stay away unless you want a swift and painful end. Get to the mainland. Fade into the shadows. And live. Above all else, you have to live...)"
"....." "(A life without you, Jun...deep inside enemy territory, constantly in danger...what kind of life is that?)" he thought.
---
After hours of sailing, Moon's boat eventually arrived within sight of the Japanese mainland. In the distance was the merchant city of Hakata.
"Not much longer now. Now where to--oh, great."
Visible on the shore was a group of soldiers, waving him down. Amongst them was a man in dull red armor and mask, wielding a katana.
"So there's not a part of this land that's not infested with warlords? That's going to make things complicated."
The samurai and his five comrades boarded a pair of smaller boats, and began rowing towards Moon's vessel.
"'Step onto Tsushima and you'll die within minutes'. I may not even *make* it onto dry land here."
He moved away from the steering mechanism. Not long after, the soldiers arrived, and boarded the ship. They searched above and below deck.
"There was clearly someone here...where could they have gone?" one soldier asked.
"Maybe he jumped overboard?" another surmised.
"We would have noticed if he had. He didn't look like one of our men from what I could see..."
One of the soldiers approached a barrel. He readied his musket, before quickly opening the container and pointing his weapon. There was nothing--no one--to be found inside.
"Is this some kind of madness? Were we witness to some kind of ghost?"
The samurai looked around. "Keep searching. He must be here somewhere, lest we've all succumbed to some kind of disease of the mind."
The men continued to look through the ship. As they began to come to the conclusion that they had all simultaneously gone mad, Moon emerged from the ocean and onto the shore. "Enjoy your supplies, dogs of the empire." he said as he panted.
Dripping wet, Moon moved unseen into the forest. Once he had reached a spot he felt would go unseen, he started a fire, maintaining it with leaves and branches. He removed his soggy clothing, leaving his garments on a rock to dry out. Now in nothing save for his undergarments, he sat by the fire.
"(What an existence this is going to be. Naked by a makeshift fire, amongst sticks and dirt. Geong must be laughing at the sight of this. A vagabond lifestyle with no moment of peace to be had. Starvation, disease, a Nipponese execution...my end will be just as unpleasant.)"
Images filled Moon's head, of more innocent times. Of the days when he, Geong and Jun played together on the hills of Seoul. Though hard to believe now, there was a time when the three were inseparable. The flow of time had shifted him and Geong apart. Though they shared the same noble ideals, Moon could never serve the throne. His family had not been blessed by royalty the way that Geong's and Jun's had. Poverty had driven him down the path of the rogue. His sworn brother's path, in direct opposition to his own, had concluded at the end of Moon's dagger. The very same weapon he still yet carried.
Hours passed. Memories from days of yore flowed. They were all he really had left. With his garb dried out, he put them back on. His darker appearance would be well-suited now that night was near. "Time to go."
Hakata was only a short distance away. His plan was to stick to the darkness for as long as was allowed, and disappear somewhere neither the kingdom nor the empire could ever find him. His past, and this miserable war, would no longer hang over him.
Fate, that most cutting of blades, had different plans for Lee Moon-bin.
As he neared the edge of the forest, he began to hear voices. He stayed out of sight, looking on at what was playing out before him.
Three men wielding swords were interrogating another man, a bald soldier wearing magenta-colored leather armor. He was on his knees, with his eyes closed.
"Where did you get that boat?! What happened to the men on board?! Did you slaughter them?!" the lead soldier demanded.
"What's a Ming like you doing in our lands, anyway? Here to offer aid to your friends in the kingdom?" another soldier questioned.
"(They think that man is the one that was on the boat? He doesn't even look anything like me. Maybe loss of sight is the worse issue for these people.)" Moon thought. "(That man hasn't moved or flinched at all. Even with swords pointed at him. And that armor is distinctly Chinese. Why is he down here?)"
"Admit your crimes, you treacherous Ming!" the commander demanded.
"I will not." the man on his knees responded.
"What did you say?!"
The man opened his eyes, piercing as they were. "I said I will not, for I have committed no crimes. What proof do you have, aside from my not being of Nippon?"
"What other proof do we need? What other purpose do you have for being here?"
"There is no need to answer that question."
"Answer, or your life is forfeit!"
"(He really doesn't know what kind of trouble he's in.)" Moon thought. His hand moved to his sheathed dagger, almost by instinct. "(Oh, no. No. This is none of my business. Except...I was the one on that boat. They would be executing him for something I did. Come on, Moon, stay in the shadows. Nothing good could come from intervening.)"
"(You are an animal.)"
"...!" Moon recalled Geong's words.
"(An unruly beast who threatens our peace is no friend of mine. You will exit this world the way you entered it: pitifully, in the dirt and grime. I will not permit you to drag Jun down with you. An ignoble soul as yours has no right to live.)"
"....." Moon fell silent. "Damn it all."
Outside the forest, the commander grew impatient. "So, your wish is to die."
"There you are putting words into my mouth. I merely wish to be left in peace." their prisoner replied.
"If that is your desire..." The commander raised his sword up high. "Then have a peaceful slumber!"
Before he could bring the sword down, an object flew out from the forest. It struck the commander in his exposed neck. "Glkkkk..."
"Who the--?!" one soldier exclaimed.
As the commander fell, their prisoner grabbed the sword from his hands, swiping at both soldiers in a single motion. Both men collapsed in a torrent of blood. 
The prisoner became alerted by a sound from the trees. Moon emerged with his hands raised. "Easy there, friend. I'm just getting my dagger back. Not looking for any trouble."
"So that was you that saved me. Why?"
Moon pulled the dagger out of the commander's neck. "That boat theft they were accusing you of? That was me. I wasn't going to let someone else take the fall for something I did."
"A noble rogue, I see."
"Nothing noble about me, friend."
"Regardless, you have my gratitude." The man walked over to a tree, where a 'wodao' sword was placed. He sheathed it, and returned it to his side. "That armor you wear is not Imperial. You are of Korea, are you not?"
"I was. And I take it from what I was hearing that you're from China. Why are you here?"
"For reasons similar to your own, I would imagine. Troubles from home I wish to escape from."
"You should probably get back to that, then." Moon turned to leave.
"Wait one moment. At least allow me to properly repay you. I have a camp set up nearby, away from prying eyes. You look like you've yet to have a proper meal of late."
"I'm not one to turn down food, but I really have to get going. Where, I don't know. But it's best that you keep away from me."
"On the contrary, I believe this to be a fortuitous meeting. Perhaps there is somewhere safe that I can direct you to."
"Tch...a meal and a safe spot sounds too good to be true. But I have no reason to turn you down. You have your dinner partner, friend."
"Excellent. And what would my partner's name be?"
"My name is Lee Moon-bin."
"Well met, Lee Moon-bin. I am Hua Mudan. There is much for us to discuss. Come along."
Mudan directed Moon into the forest. "(Hands close to your dagger, Moon. Always close.)" the latter thought.
---
At his camp, Mudan had several fish impaled on a stick, held over a fire by more sticks. He removed it, placing a couple of the fish on another stick, which he handed to Moon. "Catch of the day."
"....." Moon stared at the offering.
"Your caution is logical. The flames would have burned away any poisons. If I wanted you dead, I could think of far simpler ways than poisoning my own dinner."
"Hrm. Fair enough." Starving, Moon began heartily eating.
"So, Joseon. What sin led you to flee from your shores?"
"....."
"Ah, I see. Your eyes speak enough. 'Tell me yours first'. Very well. In short...the man betrothed to my daughter died by my hands."
Moon stopped eating. "...come again?"
"My daughter was to be wed to the son of a noble clan. Everything was prearranged years ago, and we were to receive a sizeable dowry in return. Then on the eve of the ceremony, I came across him holding a knife above her head. I cut him down before he had the chance. Now his family seeks my head as payment."
"And your choice of hiding place was a land you were just as likely to be hunted down in?"
"It was not my first choice. I had hoped to take refuge in your homeland. But it would seem Nippon has its own ideas of what's to be done about that. So I had to rearrange my plans."
"And your new plan is...?"
"Your story first, Sir Rogue."
Moon sighed. "Suppose that's a good enough payment for a meal. Back home, I was a thief. I stole mainly from the wealthy. I grew up in poverty, so seeing these fattened nobles filling their coffers off of the backs of those less fortunate never sat well with me. Many castles in my homeland increased their defenses specifically to keep me away. Such was my reputation."
"I doubt that it was thievery that drove you to leave."
"No. No it wasn't. The man that the king conscripted to hunt me down was the captain of his royal guard. Wan Geong-wei. A man I once called my brother."
"And he had no qualms with hunting you?"
Moon shook his head. "Me and Geong grew apart. Our ideals were the same. Our ways of realizing them were not. The only thing that strained our bond further was..." He paused.
"What was it, Sir Rogue?"
"The oldest motivation known to man. Love. We had both been enamored with one of our oldest friends. Kit Jun-yun. She ultimately chose me, and Geong never forgave me for it. All those years of growing tension came to a head one day. He confronted me as I was perusing the royal vaults. A duel ensued, and...well. I'm still here. You can imagine what became of him."
"So you killed your closest friend. Who also happened to be His Majesty's right arm. I can see now why you wound up here. How did you manage to acquire an Imperial ship?"
"I took out its entire crew while it was in port in Busan. The dogs were kind enough to leave me a suitable amount of explosive material. As far as what comes after this...I can't hazard a guess."
"Perhaps I have the answer."
"Right, your second plan. I'm open to ideas, friend."
"Take a look here." Mudan took out a map.
"Maps, my favorite."
"The northernmost island of Nippon is called Hokkaido. It is the domain of a people known as the Ainu. They are no friend of the Empire. They may grant us sanctuary if we explain our plight."
"You see the main problem with this plan, don't you?" Moon pointed at the map. "All this space between us and that island. We would have to go across the entire Empire in order to get there. When word gets out that a couple of foreigners killed Imperial troops, every daimyo is going to be sending every samurai after our heads."
"Precisely why we would be better off traveling together. We stand a better chance as a pair than alone."
"You're overestimating my abilities, friend."
"So the nobility fortified their castles based on your knife-throwing skills alone? Do not understate yourself, Sir Rogue. Would you rather lay down in that field and wait for vengeful soldiers to cut you?" Mudan stuck his sword into the ground. "I need no instruction on combat. There are people here with no love for Lord Toyotomi, or the daimyos that lord over them. They can help us to survive."
"...why are you trusting me? I killed a man that was once my best friend with a poisoned dagger. If Toyotomi sends his best to come and cut us down, am I the one you want at your side to change the outcome?"
"If you are as untrustworthy as you claim, then why am I still breathing? You attacked those fish with the fury of a tiger. You clearly have not eaten in days. You could have killed me, taken my weapons and food, and been on your way. You could have allowed those men to take my life. No skin off of you. Yet you not only saved me, you've instead chosen to hear out my plan to achieve safety. Your current actions speak volumes, Lee Moon-bin. Will you follow me to salvation?"
"...ugh. If I end up stabbing you in the back, don't say you weren't warned." Moon shook Mudan's hand.
"Duly noted."
"So what's the plan from here?"
"For now, we rest. I am sure that the last few days have given you little time to sleep. Come the dawn, we head east. We will have to cross the sea once more, to reach the port of Shimonoseki. From there, we will continue on foot."
"Wouldn't it be less hazardous to simply sail along the coast until we reach the northern island?"
"The sea conditions are far too unpredictable. The Imperial navy will undoubtedly be patrolling the waters, and unlike the land, there will be no place to hide from them. There would be too much risk involved."
"True enough."
The tranquility was ended by the sound of voices.
"Here they are! What happened to them?!"
"They've been slaughtered like animals! Send word to his lordship! The rest of you, search the woods! Find the ratspawn that did this!"
"Looks like our journey is beginning early, friend." Moon said.
"Put out the flames, and quickly. We need to remain in the shadows." Mudan advised.
"The shadows are my ally." Moon fanned out the fire.
With every source of light removed, all that was left for the incoming soldiers was darkness. They proceeded through the forest, their every step snapping twigs and rustling leaves. Each of them had a sword drawn.
One soldier that had strayed too far behind the others became the first to realize how little it helped.
"Hey, did you hear that?" one soldier whispered. Both men looked behind, to find that their comrade had vanished.
"Odori? Where did he--"
They received a prompt answer, as an object fell right next to where they were. The body of their comrade.
"No! How did he--?!" The soldier checked. His ally's throat had been cut. "What happened to his sword?"
That, too, resulted in a quick response. The soldier looked behind him, to find that his other companion, still standing, had a sword sticking straight up out of his head. As if it had been dropped. He ran to his comrade as the latter collapsed in a heap. He began to shiver in fear.
A blade was soon pressed against his throat from behind. "You will do as I say, if you wish to return home." Mudan ordered. 
"Grraaaaaah!" The soldier quickly swung his sword at his attacker, who parried the frenzied strike. Mudan chopped the man in the throat, crippling his breathing.
"Remember that I offered you a way out." Mudan slashed at his chest, ending him.
"Their friends will have heard that. We need to keep moving." Moon called down from his perch on a branch.
"Right you are. Follow me."
"(It'd be a lot easier to pick them off from up here. If only I hadn't left that bow on the boat. This'll have to do for now.)"
The two continued on, using the darkness to shield themselves from sight.
"(Curse it, he's gone too far ahead. I can't see where he's--)" Moon heard a noise. "(Oh, lovely.)"
Mudan had been spotted. Several men with swords surrounded him, one pointed at his face. "Not another step, coward. Sir, we've found him!" one soldier called out.
A man in silver armor appeared on horseback. His dark hair was tied up into a tiny knot. "Well, well, well. A foreign rodent looking to spread plague, I assume?"
"I am but a simple peddler looking for the way to town, my lord." Mudan replied.
"A simple peddler wearing Ming garb? Do not take me for a fool. The fact that you have yet to prostrate yourself before me shows your ignorance of this land, for you are standing before its lord, Kawagami Gōtetsu."
The feudal lord grabbed Mudan's face. "Men of mine turn up dead, a Ming with a sword on his side is walking near the corpses, and I am to believe that you are merely here to sell wares? Do you take me for a fool?"
"No, my lord..." Mudan uttered.
"...but *I* do." Moon appeared suddenly, standing on the horse with one foot on Kawagami's back.
He forcefully pushed the lord off of his horse.
"He's summoned a devil from the woods! Kill them both!" one soldier ordered, right before Moon leapt on him, wrapping his legs around his neck.
"Oh, do be quiet, won't you?" He made a sudden movement, and the soldier fell down limp.
"Graaaagh, my arm!" Kawagami lay on the ground, his left arm dislocated. "Don't just stand there, idiots, kill him!"
One soldier swung his sword at Moon, who ducked out of the way, moving behind and stabbing the assailant in the back of the neck. As he did this, he kicked away another would-be attacker, before removing the knife and parrying another's sword strike. He cut the man's throat, as the previous attacker came back for another go.
With the soldiers distracted, Mudan unsheathed his sword and cut down the man holding him from behind. Another tried to attack, but as he raised his sword arm, Mudan grabbed it, deftly maneuvering behind and twisting the man's arm. He struck the man's neck, eliciting a cracking sound as he collapsed.
At that moment, Moon finished off the last soldier with a stab through the chest.
"I am starting to realize that you are no ordinary thief." Mudan said.
"Nor are you merely an overprotective father." Moon replied.
"Grrr..." Kawagami got to his feet, his left arm dangling, and holding a sword with the right.
"You're really going to try fighting with one useless arm?" Moon questioned.
"I only need the one to kill you vermin. Do you know who I am?! Once news of this atrocity reaches the Toyotomi-sama's ears, his strongest warriors will be at your heels, and then you will know true suffering! I--"
His tirade was cut short by a slash to the throat.
"Tell him yourself. Should you maintain the ability." Moon replied. "And please do make sure to clarify: he can send as many soldiers as he pleases. The Great Phantom Thief will undo them all. Good day."
The pair walked away, as Kawagami lay on his hands and knees, clutching his throat.
"'The Great Phantom Thief'. My, what a glorious title." Mudan said.
"Not the one I chose. But it's the one the people came up with. And I am a people pleaser." Moon replied.
"I will be sure to commit that to memory."
"Don't start teasing me, unless you want this partnership to last a single night."
As they disappeared into the darkness, Kawagami clutched his fist in frustration.
---
After two days of avoiding detection from Imperial troops, the pair arrived at the shores of the Kanmon Strait, the slender body of water separating the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū. On the other side was the port city of Shimonoseki.
On the dock was a single ferry.
"There is our way to the mainland. If you have any lingering doubts, Sir Rogue, now is the time to let them be known." Mudan advised.
"Do I have doubts? Yes, several. But if my only hope of safety is at the end of this road, then I'll be taking it without fear. You'll hear no arguments from me, friend." Moon replied.
"As I expected. There is no turning back once we board that ferry. It is either Hokkaido, or the grave."
"You know how to make a man feel optimistic."
Mudan paid the ferryman, and the two got on the small boat.
Sights and experiences neither man could ever have imagined waited for them on the other side.
---
Osaka Castle. The formidable headquarters of Japan's most powerful man, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The daimyo himself, a middle-aged man with short hair wearing exquisite white robes, sat at the head of his quarters. A messenger was kneeling before him.
"And that is the extent of Lord Kawagami's message."
"I see. Slaughtered without mercy. And his lordship?"
"He has been rendered mute by the attack. Hence his decision to send a written message rather than come to you in person. He apologizes for doing so."
"Tell the man to hold his apologies. I am not so ruthless as to criticize a mute man for not speaking. Do we know where these men are now?"
"No, my lord. Given the length of time since the attack, it's likeliest that they have already crossed over into Honshū. They could be headed in this direction as we speak."
"Hrmmm. 'The Great Phantom Thief'. A murderous Joseon and his equally treacherous Ming companion. What reason they have for being here is of no concern. My responsibility is to our empire. Men as dangerous as them are a threat to our very existence, and must be dealt with swiftly, as an example to their homelands that Nippon will not cower to them."
The daimyo stood up. "Convey this message to my guard."
"Sir? Do you mean the castle guards?"
"No. My *guard*."
The messenger realized. "My lord...*them*? Surely releasing them upon two foreigners is excessive, however skilled they might be--"
"I will take no chances. This situation demands swift and total victory. And they will guarantee it."
The messenger bowed. "It will be done, my lord."
Within hours, the doors to the daimyo's meeting room opened.
Standing before him were thirteen individuals exuding menacing auras. Each wore white cloth haori over black robes. The shadows of the room obscured their appearances, but there was an eerie glow to their eyes.
"Welcome, my Gotei. I have a new objective for you." Toyotomi stated.