燃焼[Burning]

Chapter II

Their next battle took them to the Jokyuu War, where the armies of the Retired Emperor Go-Toba and the Hojo clan fought against each other. The surrounding areas consisted mostly of dense forest, making it the perfect situation for a pincer attack. Yuri hopped silently from tree to tree, Midare by her side, scouting the surroundings for any sight of the enemy.

"Midare, do you see anything suspicious?" She tilted her head down to look at the tantou, who was still staring quite intently at a particular patch of forest.

"There!" He whispered, pointing at a distinctive red glow from the opposite mountain. Yuri narrowed her eyes, sliding herself off the tree. The duo withdrew back into the shadows, staying well out of sight from the other humans. They re-emerged into a clearing, where the other members of their party were waiting for their orders.

"Listen up! We'll be splitting into two groups for this mission. Because this environment is more open, tachis and ootachis will take the lead in battle. Shokudaikiri, Hotarumaru. You two will be the leaders for your respective groups." The two swords nodded, getting up and preparing to mobilize. "Midare, Doudanuki. You two will follow Shokudaikiri. Tonbokiri, Ichigo. You guys will follow Hotarumaru. Move out!"

The swords separated from their master, each making their own move to encircle the enemy. Yuri went for a straight path towards the enemy, hoping to stall the enemy for her comrades to take their places. She nocked an arrow in her yumi, readying herself for the impending chaos that would soon erupt all around her. As soon as the Revisionists came into her line of vision, she fired at them, her arrow colliding with the blade of the tachi leading the party. She heard a distinctive rustle off to the side and ducked away before a gleaming tantou was thrust through the enemy's head. Midare pulled away as the tachi dissolved into dust, a wicked grin on his face. The others fell into position, entrapping the enemy within their ranks.

Yuri darted to the side, aiming her yumi at the wakizashi coming at her, piercing its head. She vaguely heard the sounds of combat around her, but it wasn't until Doudanuki practically shrieked as an enemy yari slashed through his armor that she snapped her attention back to her surroundings. Doudanuki's chest heaved with exertion, one arm clinging to the bloody wound on his stomach, the other holding his sword in a defensive position. She sidestepped an enemy coming at her, raising a dagger that had been hidden on her person before flinging it at the yari cornering Doudanuki. She then used an arrow to stab the yari, sending it to the ground with dark ash spiraling from its dissipating body.

The last of the enemies were taken out by the others as Yuri focused her efforts on treating the wounded uchigatana. Once the whirlwind of chaos died down, she let out a sharp sigh of relief. She signaled for Shokudaikiri to help her with Doudanuki while the others took their time to regroup.

"Good job! Let's head back for now." Yuri waited for her members to gather, of course waiting for the injured Doudanuki to join the circle before she transported the entire group back to the Citadel.

They were welcomed back by Kashuu, Hasebe, Yagen, and a smattering of swords who just so happened to be there. Yagen and Shokudaikiri hurried Doudanuki off to the Repair Room before Kashuu spoke.

"So? Did the mission succeed?" He eyed the splotches of blood on Yuri's clothes before looking up to gauge her reaction. She rolled her shoulder tiredly, raising her yumi and quiver off her person and handing it to Hasebe before she replied.

"I'm sure you can see it for yourself... I think I'll take a bath before I go report to the leader. He's been waiting for this victory for ages." She turned on her heel and made a beeline for the open-air baths, leaving Kashuu to warn everyone else not to go in.

Yuri sank herself into the warm water, sighing contentedly. This was one of the few moments in which she could let her mind wander from the strenuous plans of war, the sleepless nights and the fear of losing her swords. She stared up into the sky, foggy with the steam from the hot spring, watching the occasional bird fly over. Her mind began to clear, the adrenaline from the earlier battle finally wearing off. Yuri sighed once more before slowly immersing her head into the water, closing her eyes from the sheer bliss. A few moments passed before she re-emerged, taking a deep breath. She then got out of the spring, wrapping herself with her towel before changing into a fresh set of clothes.