Samurai In the Time Rift 7.2

7.2

The scout came back with the report the next day; a number of them are dead or wounded, and Lord Yurt have withdrawn his support. It was reported that Lord Yurt commented that if the Ryu supported Lord Setra, then this rebellion was doomed to failed. It almost caused a fight among them, but Keo had stepped in and averted the internal conflict. Then Lord Yurt had recalled his warriors back to their original posts. That left only Lord Meno who had lost fifty of his warriors to death or wounded. The Hibagon have lost twenty of their warriors with half their dragons missing or maimed.

"They are demoralized and we would hit them today." Lord Noriake told Rini.

The lined up of the defenders of Chimera City marched towards the rebels, which was down to half their strength. They faced off each across a field length over a break in the forest with few trees separating them. Half the The Nihonzaru have taken to the trees so that they can swinged over on the branches, but the Hibagon have remained on the ground.  The defending army have stayed close the dense forest trees and bishes as if to hide their numbers but both sides are playing it safe; neither wants to move forth.

But unknown to the rebels, Gunso Mita and Bento was stalking at the rear of the rebels with their babysit creature. They crawled as close to the rebel flank and released the creature. But it won't move; it was trying to followed the Gunso.

"Bah! The Ryu won't go." Just as Gunso cursed at the creature, Bento Bento took up his arrow and pierced it onto the creature's back causing it to shrieked out in pain. It then ran off into the forest towards the rebel positions.

"I must remember never to be you blood kin. You are a back stabber." Gunso made the snide remark on the Hohei. They both laughed, but soon they were shaken by the sounds of the roar of the Ryu in the forest. Bento reached for the whistling arrow and released it into the air. It alerted both sides, but only Taisa knew the message.

"Withdraw the warriors." Taisa told the Lord, who was earlier advised on the strategy. The defending warriors withdrew back in and soon the line of warriors was missing to the rebels. It was Senior Leader Tut who interpreted the whistling and the roar of the Ryu.

But it was too late. The young wounded Ryu had reached the rebels lineup and with its wounded back, it saw the Nihonzaru as more threats. It shrieked out in alarm and one of the Hibagon grabbed hold of the small creature.

"Don't...." Senior Leader Tut shouted as it rushed towards the Hibagon warrior but it was too late. Another Hibagon had grabbed the small Ryu by it left limb and pulled it off. The first Hibagon had tossed the wounded creature over its head with the blood spewing out over the Hibagon warriors. The group around the wounded Rye, roared out their cries of approval on being bathed by the blood. Senior Leader Tut stopped in its track and stared at the Hibagon which were now kicking the dead young Ryu at the ground.

"Sound the withdrawal!" Senior Leader Tut shouted out. The Nihonzaru saw the murder of the young Ryu had began to chattered and swung for the deeper forest but it was too late. The forest trembled at the sound of the creatures that charged through the trees. There was One Eyed Ryu and its pack; all seething with anger. It was not only one pack but three more of these similar packs came rushing through.

"Run, Tut." Lord Meno had warned the Hibagon but the charged of the adults Ryu had reached the warriors. The Lord of the rebels faction was soon bitten on the left shoulder and had its body tore apart.

Senior Leader Tut rallied the Hibagon to retreat but the overwhelming rush by the Ryu packs came aroused by the blood and then the call of its young. The Nihonzaru had escaped with their swinging skills for fast departure but not the Hibagon.

Taisa counted ten Kaiju Ryu with twenty three adults and two dozens of various growing ones but equally ferocious. A Kaiju Ryu charged at the Hibagon on their rides scattering the group. The dragon on the scent of the blood and anger caused by the Ryu, ran riot again with their charges. As the dragons went on a sprees of chomping, the Kaiju Ryu added to the mayhem with their wild biting and stamping at every turn despite the hammering and cuts on their body frame. Their thick hides protected the Kaiju Ryu but eventually it was tore through by the constant hammering and slashes by the Hibagon larger weapons.

But it was not all the time the Ryu winning as the Hibagon are also formidable foes which used their numbers to bring down the creatures. An adult Ryu was sent down with a thundering blow of the hammer by Senior Leader Tut who leapt high to deliver the deadly blow. Once the Ryu was on the ground, the Hibagon was jumping on it with their deadly blows. For each Ryu brought down, about twenty of Hibagon or Nihonzaru were wounded or dead.

There were fourteen Ryu which had gone down when the Hibagon heard the uncanny sound streaking across the sky. When they turned their sight to the source of the arrow, they were greeted by the war cries of the defending army.

"For freedom!" Lord Noriake shouted out to rally his warriors while Rini shrieked out to the Nihonzaru of the Second Column. The defending warriors had marked their face with red dye to distinguished themselves from the others, charged into the scattered army of the rebels. The Ryu saw the oncoming warriors as reinforcement and retreated back into the forest leaving only One Eyed Ryu still fighting then with its body covered with wounds. It knew only that needed to take more of these killers with it that day.

The force of the defending army crashed into the battle; Hibagon and rebelling Nihonzaru are killed by the Second Column.

"Die, vermin!" Taisa Mori was enraged with the pent up of the last days as he swung the katana offered to him by the Lord. He slashed the Nihonzaru in the chest before moving on to the next one; evading the slashing daggers wielded by the Nihonzaru. He side stepped a Hibagon who had fallen on the back near his feet. He thrust the katana in a reversed stab into the Hibagon face while the other Nihonzaru jumped on its chest with their daggers. He ran forth when he saw the Gunso cornered by a Hibagon wielding the hammer.

"Hai!" Taisa Mori slashed out with the katana on the back of the knee, causing the Hibagon to dropped forward, while he swung the katana in an arc to cut into the left shoulder. Gunso Mita on given the opening, thrust the yari into the Hibagon face, and pushed with the body to toppled the Hibagon backwards on its haunches.

"We are a pair, Taisa." Gunso Mita smiled at the leader who just nodded and ran off to find another battle. Gunso spied the ronin turned farmer, Edo-san was fighting with the naginata against three Nihonzaru. He rushed forth with the yari to skewer one of the trio and swung the creature against the other two.

"Take your friend, Nihonzaru Yomi!" Gunso Mita hurled the dead creature on the yari towards the tree trunk. Meanwhile Edo had swung his naginata on the attacker on the right leaving the left one to flee away.

"Gunso, pick your own battles!" Edo shouted out and charged forward to assist some freed slaves in their fight.

"Unappreciative farmer", Gunso muttered and focused on the next battle to join in. He would had been killed if not for Bento who was on the tree sighting the targets with the Mongol bow. The arrow pierced the Nihonzaru in the back fo the neck, and dropped at the back of Gunso.

Gunso who had turned around; saw the dead Nihonzaru, smiled at the archer. He then rushed forth to fight alongside the freed slaves. He saw One Eyed Kaiju still fighting before it retreated off into the forest.

"I doubt Gunso ever said thanks." Bento spoke to his companion, Sun who was releasing the arrows on the fleeing Nihonzaru. He had counted fifty and his quiver of arrows was running low.

"Never needed when there are us around." Sun leap off the tree and drew his katana. He seldom demonstrate his skills with it but that day was a good event. He rushed forth on his feet and swung the katana in swinging arc to slashed at the rebels Nihonzaru. His wild slashes were without precision as limbs and necks sprew blood.

"Showoff!" Bento commented on seeing the antics of his comrade but soon his concern was on the reinforcement of the fleeing Nihonzaru led by Keo. The rebel leader had rallied the warriors and was forming a counter attack.

"Rebels!" Bento shouted and remembered the agreed signal. He picked up the whistling arrow and shot it up. If the whistling arrow goes up during the battle, that was their call to retreat and regroup.

"Back, warriors." Lord Noriake called out on hearing the whistle. So did Taisa Mori as he pulled back with the katana defending the retreat.

"To the trees." The call was heard by many and they obeyed. Soon the bloodied battlefield was cleared with both sides re-grouping and counting their numbers.