The October wind was filled with silence, and even the sun felt mildly cool. Thousands of Samurai marched silently through the scorched woods, their footsteps resounding with a crackling noise at every stop. When they lifted their feet again, their straw sandals were dyed black with wood ash. Along the way, they sporadically encountered charred human forms, but their identities were no longer discernible. The perilous wildfire had just passed, and the birds and beasts of the mountains, having fled far away, had yet to return. Along the path, only the godlike traces of destruction left a deep reverence in the hearts of mortals.
"Blessings of the Chief Divine! Praise to His Highness!..."
Fervent prayers rose from the ranks of the Samurai, drifting beneath the Royal Banner of Black Wolf.