A Century of War

The nine siblings knew they needed to act quickly to avoid attracting more of the Shogunate. In a blur, Rokuko darted behind the boy and struck the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. She caught him before he could fall down the stairs.

Hoshiyo's mind raced. The presence of a child complicated things far beyond what they had anticipated. She frowned and rubbed her head, realizing that the boy could be their undoing. Leaving him to starve wasn't an option—he'd seen their faces. They could potentially trade their lives for his.

The decision weighed heavily on Hoshiyo. She had to choose a path she never thought she would face, and everything depended on her next move. She considered the options: leave the boy somewhere far away, or worse, silence him forever. But she couldn't bear the thought of being labeled a monster.

She finally said, "Place him on a horse and let it ride wherever it pleases until the Shogunate finds him."

Rei smiled and said, "Now that's a plan I can accept."

Rokuko lifted the boy in her arms and carried him through the crowd of her sisters, who watched him sleep.

Everyone watched as Rokuko carried the little boy through the gate to the stables. She placed him gently on a saddle and urged the horse forward. The horse trotted away, passing through the second gate and down the empty path toward the village, where, hopefully, someone would find him and take care of him or return him to the royal family where he belonged.

Above the sisters, on the rooftops, a wolf with black fur shimmering in the sun appeared. Her eyes were as red as blood. She growled and bared her teeth at the soldiers below. Eight other Kami, including Amaterasu, appeared beside her on the rooftop.

"What happened here?" the Kami of Stars demanded.

Hoshiyo's eyes glittered brightly as she replied, "Mother, you're okay."

"Why did you kill Lady Gekkoin? You've begun a fight you cannot finish alone," her mother asked.

Hoshiyo crossed her arms and replied, "It was an accident."

Seiko stepped forward and argued, "It wasn't an accident. I did it to save your life."

Seiko and Hoshiyo continued to argue about whether they had done the right thing by killing Lady Gekkoin. On the rooftop, their mother groaned and said, "You've made your decision. Now, you cannot undo it. You will be at war with the Shogun for centuries. Are you prepared for that?"

Hoshiyo gently pushed her sisters aside to ascend the blood-stained staircase. She nodded and declared, "You created me to save the world, but I want to unite the world to create lasting peace. If defeating the Shogun is what it takes, I will do so at any cost."

The Kami of Stars nodded and asked, "Is that how you all feel?"

Rei smirked, crossed her arms, and said, "I'm not particularly fond of killing, but if it means protecting our future, I'm more than willing to help."

Takeko leaped into Hoshiyo's arms, giving her a strong bear hug. She said, "I would follow Hoshiyo to the ends of the earth. We've been through so much together, and all I want is to keep fighting by my sister's side."

Ceres stepped up to stand by the others. She reached out to Motoko with a smile, waving her over. Motoko hesitated at first but then took her sister's hand, feeling the warmth of Ceres's palm. Ceres raised her head to the Kami and said, "The Yokai need us now more than ever. Motoko and I will join the fight to keep them safe from humans and call upon them when needed. Our spellcasting will be invaluable to the team and the Yokai."

Motoko nodded and added, "Ceres and I make a good team, Mother. Our goals align perfectly with Hoshiyo's and yours."

Seiko gave a thumbs-up to the Kami, chuckling. "We've only just begun, so there's no quitting now. I'm not going anywhere, right, Yoko?" She quickly grabbed Yoko's wrist, pulling her beside the other sisters. Yoko whimpered, clinging to Seiko as her life depended on it. She quietly said, "I don't want to be alone, so I'll follow. Hayato would also be happy to support our cause. He did forge our swords, after all. I don't have much of a choice."

Rokuko and Utaku stepped forward with silent determination. Together, they had spent days preparing for anything that lay ahead. The sisters united in their dedication to the cause, refused to back down. The Kami on the roof exchanged glances as if communicating telepathically. The sisters waited in patient silence.

Amaterasu stepped forward, ears perked and hands raised. "These humans you created in a lab—how long do you believe they can live?"

The Kami of Stars nodded and replied, "According to my father's research, they can live for up to a century. If they continue the line of warriors for generations, we might be able to achieve our goal."

Amaterasu smiled and said, "They can pass down their skills to their children and grandchildren until we find a way to save the humans from themselves. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

The Kami of Stars smirked, tilting her head toward the sun. "I'm not afraid of a little hard work."

In the distance, clashing armor echoed off the stone walls through the gates of the Shogunate household. The Kami raised their heads and perked their ears, listening to the approaching soldiers. Hoshiyo and the others turned around, aware this could be the end.

Ceres scoffed, clenched her fist, and said, "We should have left after releasing the kid."

"No," Hoshiyo replied. "They would have found us no matter where we ran. I promise."

"At least we have the Kami with us," Ceres said.

The Kami of Stars watched as the other Kami began to walk away, vanishing into thin air from the rooftops. She said, "As Kami, we do not fight those who worship us. But you were born to fight for us. You challenged the Shogunate; now it's your turn to face them head-on."

Hoshiyo turned to face her mother on the roof. She raised her arms defensively and said, "How can we fight with only the nine of us? We are not prepared for this battle."

Just before the Kami faded, her mother smiled warmly and said, "No, you won't. You will never be alone. Look around you, my daughters."

Hoshiyo frowned and glanced to her left, where a woman with ivory skin and black eyes stood ready for battle. She wore a dark red hakama and a white hitatare, her average build betraying the strength within. The woman leaned casually against the wall, a knowing smirk on her face.

Hoshiyo whispered, "Do I know you? You look so familiar."

Rei approached slowly, the scent of the warm sun and island plants triggering a memory. She asked, "Kuzunoha, is that you?"

"In the flesh," Kuzunoha replied, patting Rei on the head. "Did you forget I can take human form?"

"What are you doing here?" Rei asked.

Kuzunoha laughed and said, "What do you mean? I wouldn't miss this for the world." She handed Rei a roll of gauze. "We fight the good fight in triage."

"No one is hurt yet," Rei said.

Kuzunoha shook her head and gently pulled Rei away from the battlefield. "We don't wait for someone to get hurt."

The two hurried off while the others stayed behind, discovering another newcomer: a skinny, middle-aged woman with limestone skin and pink eyes. Her long brown hair, cascading in gentle curls, waved in the wind. She dropped duffel bags before the sisters and said, "Hurry, take these."

"Who are you?" Hoshiyo asked, recognizing the duffel bags. "How did you find those? They were at the house down the road."

"My name is Katsuko," the woman replied. "I worked hard to teach Utaku my skills as a master weaver of armor and the finest yukata. Now, enough with introductions. Hurry. These woven materials are difficult to tie on at a moment's notice."

Utaku quickly pulled out their armor; each set was uniquely colored for the individual who would wear them. She tossed the black woven armor with red rope to Hoshiyo and said, "Tie them on quickly."

Hoshiyo nodded, fastening each pad of her samurai armor from ankle to head, then helped her siblings do the same. Despite not fighting directly, Rei donned her blue armor adorned with multiple yellow crescent moons. She glowed as bright as the moon shining on them.

"That looks incredible on you," Hoshiyo said.

Rei looked back at Hoshiyo, who wore a similar pattern adorned with stars and said, "Our armor is all more or less the same. I hope it will serve us well. I don't like how heavy it is."

Hoshiyo sighed. "Yeah, we need to increase our strength and stamina."

Rei chuckled, watching the others struggle with their armor. "I believe we need more than that."

Down the line, she noticed Takeko tying her bright yellow woven armor from bottom to top, struggling with her arm guards. Rei stepped in to help.

Hoshiyo joined them and asked, "Hey, Takeko. How are you doing?"

Takeko took a deep breath, looking up at the sun. "I'll be okay when this is over. I hate conflict more than anything."

"I agree," Hoshiyo said.

Beside them, Ceres finished tying her dark purple armor adorned with paper streamers resembling lightning bolts tied over ropes on her body. Motoko worked silently alongside her, donning the finest rare shades of pink the country had to offer. Both sisters, though dressed for battle, were unhappy about fighting again. An eerie silence settled among the sisters as the Shogunate approached closer.

Hoshiyo noticed Seiko trying to hold it together for Yoko, who was shaking in her armor. They were so close that if one ran, the other would follow. Yoko would go through any battlefield with Seiko. Seiko wore light grey samurai armor to blend in with the light-toned palace walls, while Yoko had a teal tint, matching her curly brown hair waving elegantly in the wind with the leaves.

Hoshiyo whispered, "I'm worried about those two. Can you keep an eye on them for me, Takeko?"

"Yeah, I understand," Takeko replied. "They seem more fearful now than before. Why do you think that is?"

"The adrenaline wore off, and now they fear for their lives. We have to make sure they make it through tonight," Hoshiyo said.

Takeko nodded. "Rei and I will do our best to save them together."

"I will do my best," Rei replied, walking back to her triage station where her Sensei waited.

Hoshiyo nodded, silently watching as Rokuko donned light purple armor and Utaku icy white with a hint of blue to match her eyes. Almost everyone was prepared. Katsuko had never been more proud of her work. She stepped behind the nine sisters and said, "Remember what I taught you, Utaku. We only truly live once, so weave your way to victory."

Utaku nodded without speaking. Her master understood her quiet nature and never pressured her to say anything.

The soldiers burst through the front gates of Lady Gekkoin's home. Hayato leaped over the walls, shirtless, his golden skin tones gleaming in the sunlight. He wore only his black hakama and carried a woven basket of swords. He landed on the gravel, facing the large gates ahead with his deep purple eyes.

Yoko pushed through the crowd of armored soldiers to give her Senhug. Her Senseishe wasn't shaking, so she cheered, "Hayato, you came!"

"The Kami called us, and we came as quickly as possible. I wouldn't leave you all empty-handed," Hayato said, pulling out swords, staff, and war fans.

First, he bowed and handed Hoshiyo a mighty black katana with a shuriken as a hand guard. Hoshiyo gripped the blade's handle, swung it before her, and smiled. She said, "Thank you, Hayato. You didn't have to do this for us, but here you are. I don't know how to repay you."

Hayato shook his head. "No need to repay me as long as I continue to have Yoko as my student."

Hoshiyo chuckled. "I can make that work."

When Rei returned from her triage station, she asked, "What is happening here?"

Yoko smirked and replied, "Hey, Rei. Thanks for joining us again. My Sensei and I contributed to the cause and forged weapons. Learning to use them properly will take time, but at least we have them to defend ourselves."