Ryo Gaiden

In the northeast, a vast valley was bathed in blood. The Yuiken village was launching its first attack. Endo Naizen and Hirabayashi Ryo stood side by side on top of a hill, observing the chaos on the battlefield with their strategists when a messenger arrived.

"Lord Endo and Lord Hirabayashi, Dokuro Namboku's team has returned severely injured, and it appears they failed to make contact with the other tribes. They said they'd provide a detailed report specifically to you."

Endo Naizen immediately rose from his seat. They were inside a tent with a table and a few chairs, and currently, there were only three people present. "What? Severely injured? Dokuro must have encountered someone quite powerful. It might be more important to return to the village and learn the details than to sit here watching this battle unfold."

Hirabayashi remained calm. "Relax, Naizen. You used to enjoy these battles more; perhaps they've lost their appeal to you. If they're alive, there's no rush; us directly leading the battle will end it sooner."

Endo slammed his hands on the table. "Perhaps other tribes are preparing to march against us; we should know and prepare for that... Anyway, you can manage this battle without me. I'll find out what's happening and report back to you—" He was cut off suddenly by a voice outside the tent. "Lord, another messenger has arrived with a personal message for you." Hirabayashi stood up as well. "Send him in!"

The messenger who entered was out of breath—a young boy with brown hair plastered to his face from sweat. "My lords… ah… I'm tired. Forgive me, my lord..." Endo shouted sharply at him, "Speak up already!"

"Kinjo Kohei has returned to the village, and they're all gravely injured. Lord Kinjo plans to report the details—" He stopped as he noticed Hirabayashi raising his hand. "That's enough. Let's go, Endo. Have the strategists wait here to win this battle; it seems matters are more serious than we thought. We can't open a new front without securing this one, and we don't have enough men."

Endo grinned. "If you'd listened from the start, we'd already be on our way by now. Anyway, you two go to the Jun Tribe—head directly east, and you'll reach it by afternoon. Take any necessary supplies from this tent; it's time you repay your debt to Endo Naizen. Repay it by assisting the village and inviting the tribe leader and their key warriors to the village. Deliver this message."

Endo and Hirabayashi quickly set off. They reached the village before nightfall and arrived promptly in front of the makeshift hospital, a new facility required to tend to the wounded due to the active conflict. It was a large, two-story stone structure, resilient to fire and difficult to demolish, though its exterior was simple and functional. The guards saluted them at the entrance. "They're on the second floor, in the room with the critical patients." Endo nodded and went upstairs. Upon entering, they saw six beds lined up, with three nurses and one doctor tending to the wounded. "Doctor Hanzo, give us a report on their condition." Hanzo, looking exhausted, with blue eyes and short blonde hair, responded with a serious expression. Despite being in his thirties, his face was worn, showing the toll of countless deaths he had witnessed—a once handsome man, now visibly impacted.

"As for Team Namboku... Naka Haruko had lost a lot of blood, but her condition has been stabilized, and her wounds have been stitched. I don't expect any complications. Shima Shizue is another matter; her arm was nearly shattered, fighting with it broken. We did all we could, but it might never regain full function—in the worst case, she could lose it entirely. She also has internal bleeding and a skull fracture. It's a miracle she made it here conscious; her body is covered with bruises, and her right eye is so swollen it's nearly bursting. As for Dokuro, he only has fractures in his wrists and a few bruises."

"Regarding Team Kohei, things seem even worse. Kida Saya has skull fractures and suffered a severe brain injury. I couldn't detect any other issues with my energy sense, but she's likely to remain unconscious for a long time, all from a single blow with no chance to defend herself. Yahiro Ryuko, on the other hand, has broken wrists and significant blood loss, which may result in long-term vision problems. Lastly, Kinjo Kohei—his ribs are broken, with one puncturing his lung. We need to operate, remove the fragment, and stitch his lung."

Hirabayashi growled, "Then what are you waiting for? Do it!" Endo placed a calming hand on Hirabayashi's shoulder. Yahiro, semi-conscious, mumbled in a hoarse voice, staring blankly, "It was someone… with a mask... marked with three... very strong… could easily defeat both of you..."

Endo and Hirabayashi were taken aback, as they considered themselves powerful—even invincible when fighting side by side. "Who could be that strong? Do you know anything else?"

Yahiro swallowed, wincing from the burning sensation in his eyes, then closed them tightly. "Kagayaku Chi… they call themselves that. An-" Doctor Hanzo stepped in abruptly. "Rest now, Yahiro. You've shared enough information; leave the rest for later. If you're not patients, the two of you should leave; this is my area of expertise."

Endo and Hirabayashi were promptly ushered out. "We need to discuss this with the others."

Hirabayashi nodded. "Let's talk to Dokuro as well and hear his side. It seems unlikely they both encountered the same person."

Endo thought of the masked figures Kamiya had mentioned. "Kamiya told me a few masked people had attacked him, Yasue, and Sato. Could there be a connection?"

"Who were they?" Hirabayashi asked, frowning in thought. "Wait, what were their numbers?"

Endo tried to recall, "Ah, no, they didn't have numbers. They wore masks of a cat, a fox, and a tiger."

As they walked down the corridor toward the stairs, Hirabayashi's expression shifted. "Tiger!?" he repeated, to which Endo nodded. "Yes, why?"

Memories of the battle between Sato and his wife, Miki Ryo, came flooding back to Hirabayashi's mind, recalling Miki's cry of "Tiger!" as she was sealed. "I don't know who it was, but that's what Miki shouted during the seal."

Endo dismissed the idea of a connection, thinking it unlikely—some had numbers, others animals; there didn't seem to be any correlation. Kamiya had mentioned they were city dwellers, likely agents from the nearby city of Iori. He couldn't see how Miki might be involved. "That's what Miki said? So she has a connection to them? Why did she fight Sato, and why did Sato seal himself with her? It's not like he couldn't defeat his own wife."

Hirabayashi, slightly saddened, replied as they descended the stairs. "I'm not sure, but if she was connected to them, the reason for the fight seems clear. Sato likely didn't want to hurt her out of love, and the seal was his way of avoiding death. From what I know, Sato developed that sealing technique to stop his own power if he ever lost control. When the seal is used, the user's natural energy combines with their life force, allowing them to survive even severe injuries. But once the seal is lifted, Sato might die from the damage, or he could be saved if someone intervenes. Miki, on the other hand, would regain full consciousness without any injuries."

Endo felt he was starting to piece things together. "Got it. We'll need to be careful if we find a way to lift the seal."

As they neared the exit, they heard Dokuro's voice from the staircase. "Lord Endo, wait, I'll give you my report."

Seeing Dokuro up and walking, Endo smiled. Despite all the battles, Dokuro still wore his mask. "Resting is more important, my child, but since you're up, let's hear it."

Despite his look of defiance, it was obvious Dokuro was in pain. "I can stand, and my teammates are in worse shape. Forgive me; as a leader, I failed."

Endo shook his head. "No, you succeeded by bringing them here alive. Now, tell me what happened."

Dokuro managed a faint smile, genuinely relieved that his comrades had survived. "We encountered a masked man and two wooden puppets. Naka and Shima fought the puppets head-on and defeated them but suffered heavy physical damage, indicating that the puppets were very strong. As for the masked man, he was Number Five and seemed to teleport; I don't think he could go far, but he teleported multiple times in quick succession. I'm sure it wasn't Naru Toki—I've spoken to him several times—but it could be someone from his clan. The technique was similar. I think it could be someone I once thought dead."

Endo interrupted impatiently, "Who? Who could it be?"

Dokuro smiled faintly, as if he'd intended to say it all along. "I believe it might be Minamoto Toki. We never saw the puppeteer, who was likely observing from afar."

Hirabayashi rubbed his temples, "Alright, we'll consider the implications of this. If it's Minamoto , we need new plans; if it's not, there's still much we don't know."

Endo agreed, nodding solemnly as he glanced at the darkening sky. "Agreed. We'll be ready for whoever stands against us."

Dokuro smiled slightly, answering as if he'd intended to say it all along, "I think it might be Minamoto Toki. We never actually saw the person controlling the puppets; they must have been somewhere farther away."

Hirabayashi scratched his chin, lost in thought. "Minamoto Toki… that name sounds familiar."

Endo couldn't fully remember either. "It sounds familiar to me too. I know Naru, but for some reason, I can't place Minamoto ."

Dokuro quickly interrupted their thoughts. "From what I know, he was supposedly killed by Sato, but others say it was Kamiya, and some claim Yasue also helped. I'm not sure—everyone seems to have a different story, so it's uncertain who actually killed him. I also know he died about seven years ago, around the time the war began, which makes it nearly impossible to get the full truth unless we ask those directly involved."

Endo's mood soured at the mention, as he finally remembered Minamoto . Yasue had accused him of poisoning Kamiya's wife, Watase Naizen—a secret known only to Kamiya, Yasue, and Endo himself. Keeping his silence, he simply said, "Yes, we won't know unless we ask. That's enough for now; you should rest, Dokuro." Hirabayashi agreed, adding, "Yes, rest up. Once Kinjo is able, we'll continue discussing anything else that's missing, and we can wait for Kamiya as well."

Dokuro felt relieved, having successfully given his report. Now he could finally rest properly, though he was still uneasy. Such powerful individuals—and the near-destruction of Team Kohei—was terrifying. Besides the tribes they'd soon fight, they had other enemies actively working against the village's goals. With these thoughts, Dokuro returned to the hospital.

"Let's speak to the council, Hirabayashi," Endo said. "In the meantime, we should strengthen our defenses until Kamiya returns. When the Jun Tribe arrives, we'll assign part of our main force to defense and direct the newcomers to the front line. I think we can persuade them to join us."

Hirabayashi found this a bit amusing, seeing how a man once so obsessed with battle was now dealing in politics. "It seems like you're better suited for these political matters than for fighting."

Exchanging light jabs at each other, they headed toward the newly built central building, a four-story structure that gradually narrowed as it rose. This building would one day serve as the headquarters for the village leader on the top floor, while the other floors would be designated for administrative tasks and hosting the council.