Samurai in the Time Rift 7.2b

"Lord, we are down to forty five including the freed slaves." A samurai reported to the Lord. It was heard that the Second Column was down to two hundred, but on seeing the opposite they saw equal numbers stood there. On the battle field among the trees, were a dozen Ryu and Dragons of the Hibagon, with the rest of wounded and dead.

Then the surprise came, as Lord Yurt rejoined the rebels with its warriors of five hundred. Then the most biggest surprise was the appearance of Leader Jedi with the return of the Nihonzaru from the border. They are in alliance with the rebels.

Lord Yurt and Leader Jedi marched forth and challenged to meet Rini.

"Lord Noriake, I think its time for your warriors to leave. With Leader Jedi on the side of the rebel, this war is over." Leader Rini commented. "I would be sacrificed to spare my warriors. If you stayed on, I cannot assure you of your safety. Soon they would marched to the City and Lord Setra would be forced to stepped down."

"Leader Rini, you meant after all the planning, we have lost to the rebels." Taisa Mori protested hard, but Lord Noriake pulled the samurai back.

"Rini is right. We are on the losing side, and its honorable for us to withdraw. This is no more our fight but theirs now." Lord Noriake told the samurai off.

"Honor, my Lord. Its to stay here and fight to the last man. We cannot retreat; we would be considered as cowards." Taisa Mori protested again.

"True, that is the real honor in our land, but here we fight to survive. We would leave the battle now, but the war with them would continue in us." Lord Noriake pulled the samurai away and the surviving warriors of the men marched off.

"Taisa Mori, if there is any of yours who are alive on the battlefield, I would have them killed with less pain." Rini told the samurai who was led away.

Taisa Mori confronted the Lord on the withdrawal from the battlefield. They were back at the forest campsite with the survivors; half their numbers had died in the last battle. Among Taisa group, only five of them survived; Taisa, Gunso,  Teishin, Bento and Sun. Edo and three others of the farmers still stood there, but the rest are the eight freed slaves and ten Lord Noriake' samurai. Then he looked at the armor sitting back on its pedestal; gleaming and not moving like before. It was carried on the pallenquin like a idol of worship and then paraded around before bringing it back.

"You could had used the armor but you withdrew. You told me so that it was worth a thousand warriors." Taisa Mori sighed and looked at the Lord. "You pulled back even before we could try..."

"Taisa Mori, you are my guest. You do not know about the armor, the Nihonzaru and even my warriors." Lord Noriake replied back to the Taisa. "I did not withdraw to be a coward, but to fight another day. That battle was the only one which the Nihonzaru fought among themselves. It was our first battle that we cannot win but we had the chance to reduce the enemies."

"We did that today." Lord Noriake continue on. "And anger them to come here. They would come and destroy all that you had."

"Your armor may had reduced the odds then, but you left them strong."Taisa Mori protested again.

"Taisa Mori, the armor does not work. Not anymore." Lord Noriake commented. "The armor died early in the last battle. It may fight for another a short time, but may not anymore after that."

"I did want them to come here. I have the bomb as you knew about. It would be used when they arrived, but you must take my people away. Lead my people to the new land." Lord Noriake continued on his words. "There was another secret not shared to you."

"There is another way out of the land. This amulet opens that door. The place is called Tengoku ( heaven in Japanese. ). In there, there is the door named Rakuen; the doorway to Heaven." Lord Noriake reached for the amulet. "It would lead you there when you hold the amulet."

Taisa Mori shook his head. This was not what he had envisage when he came here. Now he was a bind; he came with twenty over warriors and now he may had to lead more of them based on an amulet that he knows nothing.

"No, I can't do it. Not without you." Taisa Mori bowed his head.

"Taisa Mori, I am your current Lord. Serve me as a samurai. Take the people with you and survived on this land. Find them Tengoku." Lord Noriake commanded the samurai. He handed over the amulet to Taisa Mori and instructed him to follow the glow to the place he had mentioned.

"Above all, take my daughter, Ayuse. She deserved a better life than here." Lord Noriake sighed.

"My Lord, what about you?" Taisa Mori asked.

"I would do the honorable deed. Be far from here by sunrise." Lord Noriake ordered.