One of the guardsmen left the group to set up watch at the rim of the clearing, though it wasn’t exactly clear what he intended to look out for. The company’s journey out of the capital had been decidedly uneventful, and anyone attempting thievery while still this close to the imperial city might as well have been attempting suicide.

A tall man - taller than Oshiro even - the guard seemed as enthusiastic about keeping watch as a soldier could possibly be. He was a somewhat recent enlistment in the emperor’s forces, judging from his demeanor; not nervous, but perhaps overly stoic. Nobu Kimura was his name, and he regarded his position of “Questionably useful Watchman” as a high privilege. It was surprising that someone of such low seniority as himself had been assigned to this quest of considerable political importance, but the young soldier knew better than to question the decision. The higher-ups always had their reasons for everything; if those reasons included giving Kimura a chance at glory and renown this early on in his career, he would take it.

Come to think of it, however, Kimura’s participation was hardly the only odd thing about this mission. Where was the huge escort, where was the fanfare? Here were Daiki Oshiro and Umiko Ryuujin, names that were not thrown around lightly in the palace grounds, embarking on a quest to retrieve the sun. Kimura would have expected the entire population of the capital to come out and see them off, but not a single citizen had treated the occasion as anything more than a regular day. Sure, a tinge of secrecy coloured the whole ordeal, but it’s not like their departure had been particularly furtive. The issue puzzled him.

---

The timid glow of a budding flame greeted Hideki and Mocharatte as they returned, a small spark ignited by a guardsman's tinderbox and tended to by Yoko. The elderly woman worked with the young princess to quickly integrate the newly arrived wood into the flame, and soon the whole clearing was ablaze with firelight. Satisfied with her work, Yoko scooted off to find Oshiro and ask him if it was alright if she played her flute. The samurai captain agreed with an uncomfortably stern chuckle; seeing as how the group just ignited a fire, anyone passing by the area already knew they were there. A little music couldn’t hurt.

Entirely unphased by the judgement implied by Oshiro’s response, Yoko dusted off the tip of her walking staff and lifted the other end to her mouth. Sounds of traditional Songese folk music soon diffused into the night air, the emerald glow of the flute’s ornamentation melding itself to the firelight. One of the guards - the owner of the tinderbox - began mouthing the lyrics of Yoko’s melodies as he hauled logs and rocks around the fire, arranging them to serve as makeshift benches and stools. A second guardsman heaved a large pot and its accompanying supporting structure onto the fire, and a short time after Chouko and Hitomi returned with the water, the aroma of a hearty stew had joined the feast for the senses that now surrounded the campground.

Yoko was enjoying herself greatly at this point, the pains of age having been lost to the music and the warmth of the fire. It seemed to her that the flute shone even more brightly this night, and that perhaps she would finally learn the intended purpose of the gleaming light it dispersed, but the music stopped as Oshiro made a harsh shushing gesture. As the sounds faded and only the crackling of the fire remained, it became clear that the source of the additional light wasn’t Yoko’s flute; the sky itself was slowly shedding its permanent deep blue for an ever-brightening cyan. Expressions of wonder and hope began to form on the guardsmen’s faces, but they were dashed to pieces as blinding turquoise streaks shot across the sky. The dark returned, and silenced reigned over the campsite for a few moments.

Then the ground shook.

It wasn’t quite an earthquake - Yoko had lived through too many to confuse the two sensations - but the earth’s trembling nonetheless made it difficult to stand for more than a few seconds at a time. What felt like an eternity passed before the tremors ceased, though judging from the amount of wood that the fire had consumed, the vibrations couldn’t have gone on for more than a minute. The ensuing silence was broken by Kimura.

“Captain! I see bright lights in the field yonder!”

Oshiro put his fingers to his brow, sighed, and spoke. “Go and have a look, Ryuujin-san. Take those willing to go with you, and be back before the stew cools.” Directing his gaze to the relic holders, he asked if everyone was alright.

Mocharatte was standing and tending the fire when the earth began to quake, and almost fell in before the dragon steadied her. She placed her hand on ryuu's head and eyed Hideki.

This character building moment brought to you by Shrappy, eh? Inc.

***

Chouko lead the way to the stream, still nursing the bump on her head from the tumble she had taken dismounting her horse. The girl was thrilled that the pretty lady had asked her to be her partner on this short trek to fetch water for the camp, but she was much too nervous to initiate a conversation. The pair walked in silence for some time, the courtier bearing the lamp, and the peasant walking a few steps ahead.

When they were far enough from the camp that there was no risk of being overheard, Hitomi spoke. “So, how are you holding up, Sasaki-chan?”

Chouko was taken aback by the noblewoman’s sudden concern for her, but she was elated for it. “Huh?”, she answered, forgetting her manners. “I’m doin’ great, Ona-sama. My head hurts a bit, though,” she added, rubbing her temple.

"Ah, that's a shame." Hitomi replied, looking over at the girl as if to examine her injury. After a second, she gave a knowing smile and continued. "Oh, that's a lovely hair stick. Is that your relic?"

“Oh, this?”, answered Chouko, taking the object in question out of her hair to admire it in the moonlight. “This’s my lucky hair stick. Pretty, ain’t it? My papa gave it to me.” She sighed, her eyes turning heavenward. “He’s worried I ain’t never gonna get married.” Tying her hair back in place, she asked: “What’s a relic?”

Hitomi gazed at the girl in stunned silence, then closed her eyes for a moment before speaking. "Well, I suppose you should know. Relics are mythical objects with powerful and mysterious properties. It's the reason we commoners were all summoned to make this journey. Hair sticks usually come in pairs. Do you know why your father might have only given you one?"

“Wow…” was about the only thing Chouko could think to answer on the spot. Did that mean that all the people she was travelling with had magical powers? How amazing! “Do you... do you have a powerful treasure, Ona-sama?", queried the wide-eyed girl, having, in her awe, completely forgotten the second half of the question. The calligrapher sighed and avoided meeting Chouko's eyes. Her tone shifted. "It's rude not to pay attention when somebody is talking to you, child. Of course I have a relic, and if you'd look beyond the tip of your nose, you'd realize that you must as well."

This sudden change in demeanor caught Chouko completely off guard. Terrified that she might somehow have offended her new friend, she spoke through quivering lips. “Huh? I… uh. There was only one hairstick in the case…” She sniffed, trying in vain to hold back tears. “Sorry, Ona-sama.” This was not how she had imagined their water errand would go.

"It's not my concern." Hitomi shrugged, neglecting to acknowledge the girls apology. "But there might be more to that hair stick than you know. You should take good care of it, in case I or anybody else on this forsaken trip decides they want it for themselves."

"Well my papa gave it to me, Ona-sama,” Chouko replied, determination in her voice. “I ain't just gonna let someone take it." She wiped her eyes, a smile returning to her lips. "'Sides, I can run faster n' anyone in the whole world!"

"That's the spirit," Hitomi muttered disinterestedly as she raised her lantern. "I think I see the river up ahead. That walk left me so tired, though. I don't know if I'll be able to carry so much water all the way back~." She pressed a hand to her forehead, her more amicable demeanor returning.

“How rude!”, Chouko exclaimed, all thoughts of her imagined offenses evaporating at this chance for redemption. “I forgot all about your weakness! Please forgive me, Ona-sama. I can carry enough for the both of us, don'tcha worry."

Half surprised that her ploy had succeeded, and half disappointed that her ploy had succeeded, Hitomi looked on as Chouko went to work. She tried to make sure the lantern was giving the girl enough light, but she didn't try that hard.

***

Upon arriving back at camp, Hitomi immediately located the rock she'd found earlier and had a seat. It was surprising that nobody else had taken it; It was a very good rock. With a groan, the calligrapher leaned forward and rested her head in her hands. She'd managed to get by doing minimal work, which was great, but it was only a matter of time before she would have to get her hands dirty. It was true that she had been doing odd jobs to get by for the past year, but it was her relic that had done all the work, and she wasn't about to waste any characters on menial tasks unless there was payment involved.

More pressing was the issue of Chouko. Hitomi had somehow managed not to antagonize the girl, and while this ran counter to her original intentions, it was probably for the best. She was still annoying, sure, but she had displayed a naive sincerity that seemed to indicate her remarks at the palace had, in fact, not been intended as an insult. Either that or she was putting on quite an act. In either case, there was no benefit to picking a fight with her. For now, Chouko would be treated like the rest of the plebs rather than a particularly boorish pleb. There was a marginal difference there, yes.

Hitomi gripped her shoulders tightly and quivered as she was suddenly hit by the chill. She looked downhill at the campfire the group had started several yards away, most of them gathered around it. The cold night air carried the faint whistling of a flute mingled with the aroma of boiling vegetables, hinting at the beginnings of a stew. It suddenly ocurred to her why somebody might not want this particular rock. She wasn't about to move, though. Instead, she propped up the lantern, got out her supplies and began to practice her calligraphy.

The calligrapher was busy wrestling with the lantern to get the light at a good angle when she noticed her paper beginning to glow brighter. This, combined with the sudden hush that had fallen over the camp, prompted her to investigate. The investigation last abouted the amount it would take for one to look upward. The sky was becoming brighter. Hitomi jumped to her feet, spilling the ink she had prepared, but in her excitement she hardly noticed. She wouldn't have to make this damned journey after all! As the source of the light revealed itself, however, excitement quickly gave way to disappointment, which just as rapidly gave way to astonishment.

Hitomi made a beeline for the gathering around the campfire, but almost immediately went sprawling as the ground shook beneath her. Undeterred, she picked herself back up and arrived just in time to hear Oshiro speak.

"Great! Couldn't be better. I'll go." She panted, looking quite a mess with her front covered in dirt and a sizeable ink stain on the hem of her kimono.

Boring.

Yep, the fields of Kyuriko this close to the capital would be truly be deserving of a whole paragraph of that one word. She didn't even bother keeping alert, and couldn't do much during the few seconds Chouko tried to talk to her every minute but give her an apathetic stare. At least Daiki was quick enough on the draw to answer the girl every time she'd ask him a question. The same question. Over and over. Heck, it was kind of disconcerting when she stopped asking it and fell asleep, but it couldn't be helped.

It was soon after the crickets started chirping Daiki ordered the group to stop. It was agreed around the palace this is when night watches started, but to rest so soon and to ask what jobs people wanted? He was out of his element, clearly trying too hard to cater to these civilians.

"Man, oh, man, if we're calling jobs then I wish we had some fish heads. I make a mean fish head stew, just ask Daiki here, he knows." Umiko beamed.

"A mean stew?" The samurai thought aloud. "Yes... certainly not a kind stew- Wouldn't you rather help keep watch?"

With a wordless glare Umiko hoisted herself into a tree with her scarf. Like with the ride so far she didn't bother actually keeping watch, not while everyone else was still up and awake at least, but instead watched the scenes unfold below. As unfriendly everyone seem to want to be to each other, they sure rallied together around food and fire, and a bit of song. Well most, the fancy girl, Hitomi, stayed off away from the group finding herself the same rock before, and after preforming her self appointed task. Loosely interpreted. For all the intel they gathered, no one ever figured out her relic, perhaps it was something that protected her from the cold by making her cold. Perhaps they were mistaken and she didn't have a relic, honestly a real life witch would be just as useful.

It was in this contemplation she found herself feeling for the girl, seeing the light inside her shining outwards. No, that light, that light was coming from the sky. The sun? No, the crickets were chirping, the sun didn't raise at night. Unless it decided it would start, wouldn't be the only odd thing it did in recent times. But no it wasn't the sun. Whatever happened came and went too fast, and came down nearby. Shooting stars were one thing but they didn't often crash to the ground.

On being called the ninja returned from her tree twice as fast as she had originally retreated into it. Daiki seemed less concerned and more aggravated that so soon the party would face a strange delay, so the edge Umiko originally felt soon diminished enough she didn't think much about letting Hitomi or any of the others come with, though as she was about to crest the waiting hill the feeling returned in force.

Very few of the flames still burned their ghostly color, cooling to a deeper purple or in most cases red. Their ethereal forms danced around large charged rocks, oblong and craggy, and... moving? In fact from each stone long spindles unbound themselves chipping away at the shell of goat sized insects. The largest fractures showed the interiors, almost gem-like in appearance, they couldn't be, as they pulsed like hearts, letting off waves of heat every thump. But it wasn't the mere sight of them that seemed the most of as one seemingly spotted the humans and began to emit a low, echoing hum, that each creature created in turn as they turned to the group to and began to hop and crawl their direction.

Kaguya had changed into his armor before the party had left the palace. He had gotten used to wearing his armor at all times back during his wandering years so any discomfort he may have felt during the long ride was negligible. once the party had arrived at the clearing he assisted in starting the fire. With that completed he settled down on his knees at the edge of the clearing away from the others and began meditating.
He was suddenly torn from his thoughts by a great rumbling in the ground which nearly tipped him over. He looked around quickly, his hand on the hilt of his katana, but he saw no danger. He noticed that tea-chan had fallen over herself and had spilled ink over herself. He suppressed a chuckle and walked over to her. By the time he reached her she had gotten herself up.
He placed a hand on her shoulder intending to ensure she was ok, when the sentry cried out. He quickly rushed to the crest of the hill and found ninja-kun. He looked out and saw monsters approaching and tea-chan arrived behind him.
Hmm, thats new.
Speaking aloud he said "So do either of you know what those things are." he inquired as he began trying to formulate a plan of attack. "There are alot of them and this position isnt very defensible."

"They're late." The monk sighed. "Unless they have been accosted along the way. But, no, the Imperial Highway should be safe enough."

Oniwakamaru had heard His Imperial Majesty's summons but alas. They had been scouring the south of Shikame for him. Given the size of the forest and his wandering, a considerable amount of effort had to be expended to find him. Thankfully the messenger had been well informed in the event that Oniwakamaru was unable to make the journey in time for the summons. Instead, he had proposed to meet with His Imperial Majesty's servants along the way. They would be heading west, either through one of the Imperial Highways or the mountain pass. Given that they were no doubt courtiers he bet that they would be taking the highway.

He was half honoured and half troubled by His Imperial Majesty's decree however. Local lords had turned to him for help every so often but this was recognition beyond his station. That he was being called upon by His Imperial Majesty brought with it a responsibility to resolve a crisis on a scale he had never experienced before. The price for failure would undoubtedly be steep. His musings were interrupted as the twinkling of the stars above was given a new addition. It was brief and Oniwakamaru would almost certainly have imagined it once they had disappeared if not for the ground shaking. That was no natural earthquake. He took a moment to fortify himself.

The pace was faster than a walk but slower than a run. He had eaten and rested well. While the road was clearly marked, the quake was a foreboding portent. If memory served, the road would pass through some woodland. The boughs' cover could only aid those hid in it, whether they held evil in their hearts or not. As he approached a low unsettling hum echoed through the woods. His pace quickened as he picked his way through the dark.

Up ahead he could see a gathering of floating lights. The light was unnatural. Clustered around shards of rock, it suggested the form of a spider albeit one made of rock. They moved with a purpose away from him so he assumed that they could not see him. Oniwakamaru would have stayed back and observed further had he not seen other people on the opposite of the impact site. He could barely make out their features but at this rate they would die as gawking bystanders.

"The village's lights play out behind me," he intoned, "In front of me is an empty wasteland."

Oniwakamaru burst from the treeline, a sutra on his breath,

"There are no miracles or signs,"

His yari had been unsheathed as he picked up speed.

"I gather my unwavering spirit,"

He aimed for the one closest to him.

"And step forth in to the darkness."

And he crashed in to it like a wave.

With the firewood in tow, Hideki returned along with the girl and her dragon. Soon enough the fire was roaring, stew was cooking, and the old woman was playing an elegant melody on her flute. Hideki was almost enjoying himself, if he allowed himself to forget everything else about his circumstances. It was comfortable by the fire. Just as he relaxed and noted to himself that the first day of their journey had been boring and uneventful, he became aware of a strange, unnatural light.

He mentally scolded himself for thinking that things could've possibly gone that well and, as if to support his point, the earth shook. The tremors went on for so long he thought it might be endless, struggling to keep from falling over entirely, and just as suddenly they stopped. He looked over to the girl with the dragon to find she was already looking at him, and gave a brief nod to show he was alright. Then, noticing a few members of their party had already started going ahead to investigate, he sprang up to follow after them.

Hideki reached the crest of the hill just in time to hear the man in armor ask for any ideas and walked up to stand to his side. He narrowed his eyes, trying to wrap his head around the strange rock-insect-creatures before them. Calculating how long it would take for the pack to arrive--though for all he knew they might suddenly break into a sprint once they were closer--Hideki wasn't sure how much time they had for detailed strategizing, or if there was any real strategy to come up with.

He was considering just taking a shot at one of the creatures at the front of the pack when he noticed movement in the distance. After squinting curiously, halting just as he had taken the Straight Arrow out of his quiver, he realized some madman had started attacking from behind the pack.

This development was so unexpected Hideki momentarily looked confused, eyebrows furrowed, though this soon faded back into his accustomed neutrality. Gesturing towards the man in the distance, as he wasn't sure if the others had seen him yet, he remarked, "It seems whoever that man is has already got a headstart on us." Briefly, he considered whether they should just let the new arrival take on the creatures by himself, but he doubted that that proposal would catch on. Ah, well. Whatever decision his... allies came to, Hideki would hang behind regardless.

Still holding the Straight Arrow and his bow, he decided to hold off for now. While there wasn't a risk of him hitting the stranger, he thought he might observe and judge whether or not his arrows would actually be of any use first before he wasted one.

The girl followed Hideki towards the light, and froze when she saw the spider creatures. One noticed her and began to come closer. Her knees failed her and she recoiled in disgust and fear as it crawled closer. She drew her shortsword with an unsteady hand and waved it about, but before it got within striking range, Ryuu-chan stomped on it and crushed the crystal with its mouth. She rushed forward and threw her arms around the dragons neck while catching her breath.

“Uuuuuwwwaaa!”

What a delicious-smelling stew! Chouko could hardly keep her eyes off it. More than once she had approached her finger to steal a sample, only for her hand to meet a firm slap by the soldier in charge of the cooking. Eventually (once her fingers had grown numb) she tired of this game, and, swiping a daifuku from her pack, withdrew to rest against a log downwind from the pot. The sweet aroma of boiling veggies filling her nostrils and a delicious treat in hand to whet her appetite, she dozed off.

She had not yet enjoyed three minutes of sailing across cherry blossom skies laden with clouds made of red bean buns atop a daikon dragon before her dream was interrupted by the tremor. She awoke with a start, just in time to see most of the others take off towards a nearby hill from behind which was emanating an otherworldly glow.

Immediately Harida’s number one messenger was on her feat, ready to follo- no, hold on. She had something more important to do. Immediately after triple-checking the stew pot to make absolutely certain that it was well-secured and could not possibly fall over should there be another tremor, Chouko was on her feat, dashing towards the crest of the hill where the others had gathered. She came to a sliding stop, narrowly avoiding a second collision with the long-haired woman (phew!) and gawked at what she saw.

Without the slightest care for subtlety, she belted: “What th’heck’r those?!”

After voicing her intention to investigate the lights, Hitomi suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder. With a yelp, she spun around and lashed out, her strike finding purchase on Kaguya's outstretched arm and knocking it aside. When she recognized him, her startled expression shifted to one of embarassment. For a few brief moments, she said nothing, avoiding eye contact with the man. She only broke the silence when she saw Umiko stalk off, bowing and muttering a quick apology before shuffling uncomfortably after the ninja. She wiped the dirt from her clothes as she walked.

Hitomi arrived at the top of the hill with the rest of the scouting party, taking in the sight before them. "S-sugoi!" She cried almost involuntarily as the glowing meteorites took on insectoid forms and began to approach the group. She had never read about anything like this before. She did little more than stand there and admire the crystalline creatures as they drew nearer, trying to take in every detail. The buzz of chatter began to emanate from those who had gathered. Kaguya attempted to solicit ideas for a battle strategy, while Chouko loudly and obnoxiously voiced her befuddlement.

"It seems whoever that man is has already got a headstart on us."

This got Hitomi's attention. She squinted, scanning the field for the person Hideki had pointed out. Sure enough, a man with a spear was charging one of the creatures from the opposite end of the clearing, his body illuminated by its red glow. Just then, she heard a loud noise and looked over to see Mocharatte's dragon attacking another one. The calligrapher snapped out of her trance, realizing that combat had already begun. She would have to act quickly. She reached into her satchel and withdrew a blank scroll. Then, with a single quick motion, she retrieved a brush and uncapped a bottle of pre-mixed ink. Immediately, she went to work, dipping the brush in the ink and rapidly making strokes on the paper. Five seconds passed. Then ten. Then thirty. Still, Hitomi continued to write.

What is that fool doing Kaguya thought as he watched the man on the far side of the swarm attack. We had better get in there before he kills himself
"Ok you hmm archer" Kaguya said as he tried to remember the mans name and failed. "You stay and hold this hill with your bow. Any that get passed me or try to flank us you take down. Ninja-sama either try to get around to their flank and attack them from their or hold the hill with archer-sama. Hitomi....." kaguya just now noticed that the girl was furiously writing on her scroll,".....just keep doing whatever youre doing."

Not waiting for a response, Kaguya charged towards the approaching swarm, his hand on the hilt of his katana. Once one got close enough to him, he prepared to strike. Dodging under swinging appendages, he drew his sword, sliced along the creatures thorax, and moved from under it in a single flurry of movements.

Chouko closed her eyes and furrowed her brow, ready to focus. No one had answered her question, but it was clear that, whatever these rock bugs were, they were bad news. They would have to work together to overcome them. Thankfully, the man in the scary mask had quickly taken charge, issuing commands to everyone in preparation for battle. Chouko awaited her orders, ready to obey. Then she waited some more. Finally, her impatience getting the better of her, she cracked an eye open.

And there he was, her masked commander, already engaged in battle. Had he… forgotten about Harida’s number one messenger? No, that was unlikely. He probably wanted her to stay behind so she could relay a message back to the camp. Or maybe the Emperor!



...still, it wouldn’t hurt to check. Eager to be of use, she shouted after him: “Hey! Mempo-sama! What should I do?!”

Hitomi continued to frantically make marks on the paper with no sign of slowing or stopping, though she looked up from the scroll to see the rock bugs every couple of seconds. She didn't register Kaguya's command to keep doing whatever she was doing; She was too busy continuing to do whatever she was doing.

This was it. A commotion. An opportunity. Mistreat him? Shove him? Unacceptable.
They’d never see him again, much less lay finger on him. He’d be gone.

A shadow followed Umiko out of the firelight, careful to blend into the gaggle of incompetents marching up the hill. Before anyone had noticed that he had joined the group, however, he left it, fading into the forest, slipping into the night.

---

A few moments of coughing and patting the dust from her kimono was enough for Yoko to feel good as new, and she made sure to assure Oshiro of such. As the company bustled to life in response to the report from the far-off guardsman, Yoko remarked with a lonely disappointment that she was apparently the only one of her fellow relic holders who had elected to stay behind. She was as curious about this development as anyone else and would have loved nothing more than to join the investigation group, but she couldn’t run the risk of bogging them down. Not yet. After all, she was in large part responsible for their company opting to travel the plains of Shikame. It wouldn’t do to aggravate any of them with her slowness any more than she already had. In any case, someone had to tend to the fire.

---

Though he didn’t hear Oshiro speak, Kimura knew that the captain had given the word as soon as the guardsman saw the band of people rushing towards him. He filed in behind the group once they reached his position, drawing his katana, fingers firm on the grip. He wasn’t sure what the lights were or what they meant, but he’d be ready to defend his charges should there be any sign of danger.

He was the last to crest the hill, and a multitude of events had already taken place by the time he did.

---

The insect crumbled to shards of rock and purple gemstone under the weight of Mocharatte’s dragon, its life ending nearly as soon as the encounter began. As the girl wrapped her arms around her companion’s neck, however, blood began to pool at the edges of Ryuu-chan’s mouth. It wasn’t the wine-coloured liquid that now littered the floor - remnants of the rock-bug’s life - but a much fiercer hue; this was the blood of the dragon itself. In its haste to defend the princess, Ryuu-chan had quickly slain the arthropodic threat, but at the cost of crystalline insect splinters lodging themselves deep into the dragon’s jaws.

Across the battlefield, the mass of stone and sinew that found itself on an unfortunate collision course with Oniwakamaru’s spear was no match for the prepared force of the strike. Though the insect’s outer shell gave more resistance than the monk had initially anticipated, the creature’s innards offered none at all, the weapon quickly working past the gem-like substance and finding purchase in the earth itself. Before Oniwakamaru could retrieve the shaft from its new resting place, however, a second bug had taken notice of him, its ethereal eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Circling around to the monk’s flank, the giant arthropod lunged at his mantle, clawing and gnashing at the hide.

Racing towards the ascetic, Kaguya and his blade made quick work of the crawling obstacle in their path. The creature’s rocky exoskeleton split neatly in two as the katana rendered stone from gemstone, the insect’s body shattering as it impacted the ground. It wouldn’t be long before the ancient samurai reached Oniwakamaru. From where he stood, Kimura saw that Kaguya’s endeavor had not only split its target in half, but that it had split the insect swarm as well. A half dozen arthropods now circled around the monk, while another eight or so were heading towards Umiko and the other relic holders. Two in particular had outraced the main group, followed closely by a third. All of them were headed straight for Hitomi.