The Tale Continues (Saiunkoku Monogatari Fanfiction: Ryuuki x Shuurei lemon)

Chapter 46: Enraged Women

Today is a Friday. Seiran sighed. He wondered what kind of insults he would hear Jyuusan tell him again. Sometimes she yells it so loud at him but it is worst when she says it to him sweetly. Once Jyuusan acts all sweet to him, he knew she is about to ask him to do something pathetic so he preferred the loud Jyuusan.

He is walking to the training ground where Jyuusan always trains her army of ladies. He was surprised when he spotted women soldiers rushing in a direction opposite to the training ground. He continued to the training ground and found that Jyuusan nor the soldiers are there. He run to the direction where he saw the lady soldiers are rushing to and followed their tracks. He got suspicious when it led far and deep to the forest.

Then he spotted an area which looked like a camp. He saw the women soldiers fighting against men wearing clothes that have a common mark. Bandits. Some are already tying bandits that had lost. He saw corpses too and realized the aura coming from the ladies. They seem to be enraged and a burning murderous intent is oozing from them. 'They never had that during training, so it this how they change when they are on field?'

He quickly sneaked into the tents and in most of the tents he entered, there are wounded bandits tied in ropes. The knots are perfectly done. And when only one last tent was left that he had not yet checked, he heard Jyuusan's voice from it.

''Hey don't cry. I'm fine don't worry about me. They made me lose consciousness and tied me here that's all. See to it that every one last of them are caught okay,'' Jyuusan said in a gentle voice.

Seiran opened the tent and swords are instantly pointed at him all at once. Some had tears flowing down their cheeks but their eyes are filled with menace. They reluctantly put down their swords when they saw it was him. Then he saw why the women soldiers are all enraged. The general and commander they adored was endangered. His blood instantly boiled at the sight he saw and he gripped his sword tightly with pale knuckles.

''Jyuusan?'' he said in a strained voice. She is lying on an iron bed and each of her wrists and ankles are separately chained on each corner of the bed. The ladies are desperately trying keys to unchain her. Her clothes are in tatters and much of her skin is revealed. Only her undergarments are left and there are kiss marks on her belly, on her throat, and on her legs. But despite the situation, Jyuusan is the only one smiling there. She is trying to comfort the lady soldiers and suppress their bloodlust which was not present during the trainings. The soldiers could end up getting themselves killed if they attacked recklessly out of anger.

There is only one meaning to this. The bandits tried to rape Jyuusan or they could have even raped her already. Seiran trembled in anger as he removed his coat and covered Jyuusan's body. 'How could they do this to Jyuusan?!'

Seeing those, Seiran suddenly exuded bloodlust wanting to annihilate whoever left those marks to Jyuusan's delicate skin. The bloodlust in the room suddenly shoot up. It was Seiran's. ''Was the leader caught?'' Seiran said in a dark voice that echoed his ire. His eyes burned with flames of fury that reflected his murderous intent and his sword is ready to run amok.

''Seiran, please not you too,'' Jyuusan tried to calm him. That in itself made him want to punish those who did this to Jyuusan. Jyuusan just talked to him in a gentle voice. She even called him properly this time and she said 'please'. It tightened his heart in pain. He want his yelling Jyuusan back. It's too painful to hear her talk calmly and even smile when in truth she is the one who is most hurt and angered here. ''I want the one who did that in shreds,'' he said with menace and all the women soldiers inside the tent nodded. Jyuusan gave them a pleading look though.

''I got the key! The leader is the one holding it.'' Someone yelled from outside and run into the tent. She quickly unchained Jyuusan and everyone felt relief at the removal of those chains. Jyuusan tried lifting her arms and it just trembled. She cannot even lift her hand.

''As I thought. Help me wear his coat. I can't move,'' Jyuusan revealed. Seiran's eyes widened at that; he gritted his teeth. He instantly knew that she must have been poisoned or drugged. He went out of the tent to let Jyuusan change. He saw someone getting tied up harshly. He had slap marks on his face and the girls are yelling at him. The rope tied around him looked painfully tight. ''Seiran,'' Jyuusan called to say she's done changing.

Seiran entered and lifted her up without a word. ''What? You are not even going to complain? You'll carry me all the way back,'' Jyuusan said with a smile. It pained Seiran's heart to see this woman smile like that after all that had happened. She's supposed to be insulting him and giving orders. Her smile did not reach her eyes. Deep in her eyes he saw something that made his chest hurt so much and make his lips quiver in anger.

''You're light anyway. I will not even sweat,'' Seiran said in a worried voice. He was not able to hide it despite his expertise in pretending. He is deeply worried at her condition. He saw her twin swords carried by one of her most trusted of the lady soldiers. He is relieved that at least Jyuusan is not wounded but who knows if she is bleeding inside. He did not want to ask what they did to her. He did not want to know. He might really behead them if they had already done what he thinks they could have done. The enraged faces of the women showed that they are all thinking the same thing.

''Still so full of yourself. Don't complain halfway,'' Jyuusan said and turned to her soldiers. ''Did you capture them all?''

''Yes ma'am.'' They all replied.

''Their leader? Where is he?'' she asked and Seiran noted that her voice seemed to turn different when she asked that. They brought the leader in front of her and forced him to stand up so she could see him. ''Now . . . now, sweet guy what did you make me drink?'' Jyuusan asked in a very sweet voice that has a very dark undertone as if saying 'you'll be torn into shreds and burned to ashes if you do not talk.' Even Seiran felt a cold shiver run down his spine at hearing that tone. He looked at Jyuusan and her eyes are blazing with ire.

His hands are trembling in wrath too. He wanted to do something, to really tear this man to shreds if he was the one who left those marks on her body and chained her to the iron bed. He knew that Jyuusan purposefully made him carry her so he would not annihilate this man in an instant. If he did, they would not be able to question him.

The leader nearly collapsed but the ladies held him up. The leader of the bandits revealed that it was a drug to make one unable to move at will. It loses its effect after several hours. They made her drink it in case she wakes while being delivered to that place so she could not fight since they knew she is a military officer.

The lady that brought them the key stood beside Seiran and held Jyuusan's arm. ''Was he or the others really not able to do anything to you before we arrived General? You are still virgin right?'' the girl asked with teary eyes. She must be sixteen or seventeen. She is the youngest in their army and she adores Jyuusan very much. ''If not then I will tear this man to shreds myself!!'' the lady said in rage.

The leader of the bandits trembled. ''I wasn't able to do anything. Spare me,'' he said with a pleading look. ''My followers are not able to do anything too while she's asleep since my orders are to bring her here first. I swear I was not able to do anything.''

The lady pulled up another man who was tied. ''Is that true? You are outside the tent when we came,'' she asked pointing her sword.

''Yes. Please spare me. I did nothing. The leader was supposed to be the one to take her first, so we did nothing. We are to follow later,'' the bandit said in a shaky voice. Seiran's jaw tightened as he gritted his teeth at what he heard. If he is not holding Jyuusan, he would have stabbed those two already.

''So you are about to soil our gorgeous General and commander one after the other you filthy monsters!'' the lady exclaimed in frenzy. The lady soldiers are tightly holding their swords too ready to slash and stab. Her blade pressed to the bandit's throat and it started bleeding. ''What a coward?!'' She changed her mind as the bandit trembled in fear and knocked the bandit unconscious instead.

Next Chapter: Silently Bleeding