The Final Chapter

A Plan For The City

Chapter 10

Ayaka looked Guuji Yae dead in the eyes. The Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine just came here and thought she knew what was going on. But she didn't. Her garments didn't even have tint of blood or dust. All that time she supposedly just gave orders and moved figures on maps. Taking numbers of enemies defeated and fallen soldiers, not once lifting a finger. Or worse she did and took the time to get herself some new clothes. They did not have that time. Ayaka respected the smart and cunning Guuji but right now all she felt pure and utter hatred towards her. Because she had been out there. She saw the terror and destruction all of this caused. While this powerful Guuji just hid in a tent and counted numbers and then had the audacity to talk of the experience she had because of her long life.
Ayato continued with the explanation, while Ayaka left the Kanjou Comission and stepped into the cold rain that had begun again this morning. She didn't need to hear that, she already knew that defending the city yesterday had taken up all their power. It was officially day two of the war and the monsters the enemy brought with them, got to the city by yesterday evening. She, her brother as well as the Yashiro Comissions troups and the Shuumatsuban were able to hold the city for a while but monsters still slipped through the defence and terrorized the city. She knew all that. She had been there. She saw all of it. Guuji Yae arrived a few hours ago and brought troups of the Kanjou Comission with them. Now that the people of Liyue arrived they could give them the soldiers they desperately needed to defend the city. With them they had built a strong defensive wall at unprotected points of the city and lined roofs of still standing houses with troups to be on guard. Wounded soldiers could be replaced now without leaving gaps in the defence, which happened yesterday causing the enemy to enter the city. But Ayaka still felt unease in the air. She could not shake the feeling that something bigger was at play here. The enemy had to be in their ranks too. How would they know of the troup shortage in the first place? A Lawachurl slipping through? No. He had been deliberately sent there. Nobody would send such a powerful monster to a supposedly heavy guarded place like this. If the soldiers hadn't been wounded that Lawachurl would have been dead. So they had a traitor amongst them. But who was in charge of that part...

"Miss Kamisato! A wave of monsters! They're back!", she heard Thoma yell from the distance, disrupting her thought process. Soldiers rushed to the defence line like her brother and Guuji Yae. And herself. Ayaka stood with them at the line while rampant monsters approached. ,,Fire the Cryo bombs!", she heard her brother yell. The catapultes fired the bombs into the distance. "I'll go forward with a troup to extinguish the enemies. The guards stay behind to catch anyone that slips through...", he said and looked around and everyone agreed with the plan. Right as she wanted to burst forward too a hand held her back. Her brother looked at her. "Ayaka... Please stay here at the defence line" "What? No! I am no longer a little girl. I can fight! I did it yesterday! You have to protect me from the seeing bad things in the-" "I know. But I need you here. If we let them get through I need someone here, who knows how the last fight went. Who knows the problem points we had, and the backup plans we made. And that someone is not Guuji Yae. It's you" He smiled his calm smile and she knew he was right. Someone who knew the plans had to stay back so they could be used. "Fine..." She sighed. He nodded and rushed to front of the line. Then it got quiet. Ayaka only heard the Cryo bombs cut through the morning mist and land on the ground or enemies far from her. The silence held up a while but then she heard them coming. "Prepare more bombs. And Hydro bombs too, if the rain stops...", she commanded. A murmur went through the soldiers. Did the soldiers die already? How many enemies were there? In the corner of her eyes she could see the smirk of Guuji Yae. Like she was asking: "And? What are you doing now, Miss Kamisato..." She breathed in. "Everyone concentrate! No need to panic! A few always slip through, just like tonight. So everyone prepare for battle" With those words she drew her sword. Although the soldier didn't seem convinced they prepared themselves to fight. "Remember, we are protecting the defence line, not rushing forward!" Steps were coming closer. Roaring and yelling in the mist. Then they could see their opponents. A hoard of hilichurls and Mitachurls. Too many for them just slipping through. Her and the soldiers began the fight, taking them out one by one. Cryo bombs freezing the bigger enemies around them and easing the fight.

Ayaka stumbled forward. Coughing and breathing heavily. Every step felt like torture after that endlessly long battle. But it wasn't the end of it. They hadn't heard anything from the front troup yet. Hadn't heard anything from her brother. "Brother...", she said and looked over the battlefield. All around her were the bodies of fallen soldiers. Fear began to take a hold on her. No. He can't be. Her eyes tearing up and she started to scream out for him: "Ayatooo! Can you hear me?" Continuing to slowly limp across the scene keeping her ears open to anything. But the rain absorbed all sounds. She sobbed deeply and looked at every body trying to spot his hair, face or uniform. And in an instant her fear changed into grief and sadness, when she spotted him laying on the ground covered in mud. She tried to reach him as fast as she could limping and then falling right next to him. With her remaining strength she turned him on his back and put his hair out of his face. "Ayato, brother can you hear me? Please..." She heard him breathe weakly. "Oh thank the archons, you're alive...", she smiled. "Aya... ka..." His voice was quiet and sounded like he was in pain. "Shhhh... Don’t speak... You need to save your power-", she tried to calm him, but he interrupted her by taking her hand and turning his head to look at her. "T-t...o... a-a..., tr- ai... or", he gasped. His sister looked puzzled down: "Yeah... I thought that too... Did the traitor do this? Who is it?" "T-t... o...", he began and then he stopped. His hand falling down and Ayaka starring at him. Not in grief but in shock. She knew who he meant. Finally she remembered who was in charge of that sector last night. She knew the traitor amongst them.