Chapter Text
Everything was going wrong. That’s what Sara kept telling herself as she helped her soldiers retreat from the battlefield. She had poured so much into this attack but once again had been stopped from pushing any further into Resistance territory.
Everything had been going according to plan at first. She had pushed past the front lines of the enemy with minimal resistance and attempted to strike at the main force while they were weak and starving. Unfortunately, she had pulled the trigger too early and the Resistance had been able to react. Even then, the Shogunate army was pushing forward. She had the enemy general cornered when she showed up. Once again, Sangonomiya Kokomi arrived just in the nick of time to save the day and drive her back. Of course, this time she was deep in enemy territory, and her forces were surrounded.
From there it was a mad retreat where she tried to minimize casualties as much as possible. She carved a path through the enemy to escort her troops to safety, holding strong for an hour as more and more Resistance soldiers arrived to send volley after volley of arrows at her. Right when her last remaining soldier escaped and she was about to retreat herself, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. From there, everything went black.
When she woke up, she expected a lot of what had happened to her. She had been captured by the resistance and had both her weapons and her Vision confiscated. However, instead of being locked in a dungeon, she found herself in a large guest bedroom fit for a noblewoman. She was lying in a massive bed that felt better than anything she had ever slept in, and a nearby window gave her a view of the entirety of Watatsumi Island.
She wasn’t tied down at all, which was what most surprised her. She was just…free to move around as she pleased. So, she got up from the bed and looked around. From the window, she could tell she was in the main shrine. However, the fact guards were standing outside the window looking up at her served to remind her that she was a prisoner there.
She had no idea what was going through Sangonomiya’s head when she put her here. She was one of the most skilled combatants in the Shogunate army. She would be able to fight her way out of here even without a Vision or weapon. So, determined to return to her archon, she made for the door and tried to pull it open.
Of course, it was locked. She expected that much. She prepared to break down the door when she heard a familiar voice from the other side. “General Kujou,” the general of the Watatsumi army said. “I assume you’re awake.”
She knew Gorou from the countless battles. The two had clashed weapons dozens of times, and if anyone on this island was her equal in skill, it was him. She pushed aside her thoughts of escape for the moment and replied, “Yes, I am. Care to explain what’s going on?”
After a brief pause, she heard the sound of the door unlocking, quickly followed by Gorou and two soldiers entering the room. Once inside, he sat down in a free chair and told her, “Sit down. I’m not here to hurt you.”
Not buying it, Sara scoffed, “Yeah, I’m sure the fact you’re treating me so well is just because you’re nice.”
Gorou didn’t take the bait, calmly explaining, “Your current conditions are because of the direct orders of Her Excellency. Whatever you might think is going on, I didn’t have any say in it. I’m just carrying out my orders.”
So, this was Sangonomiya’s idea. She always seemed to have some plan or strategy to get her and her forces out of a sticky situation. It makes sense that she would know some way to take advantage of capturing her. Perhaps she intended to trade her back to the Shogunate in exchange for supplies or an end to the Vision Hunt Decree. She knew that the Tenryou commission would be desperate to get their best general back, so it was certainly possible that could work. Though, this only made her current arrangements more confusing. Why was she being treated so well?
“Even if you didn’t have a say in what happened, your being here means you must know what’s going to happen next. Go ahead. Tell me what your demands are,” She grumbled, turning away from the enemy general.
Gorou scratched the side of his head and revealed, “That’s the thing… There are no demands.”
Sara’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing that. “What!?” she exclaimed, slamming her palm onto the nearby table. She wasn’t angry. It was more that she was confused.
“Her Excellency has decided to not ransom you back to the Shogunate. We’re expecting to receive an offer soon, but she has no intentions to accept them,” Gorou explained.
Furious, Sara complained, “So you just intend to keep me trapped here for the rest of time? I don’t think so…” She readied herself for a fight, raising her fists and entering a battle stance. The two guards seemed harmless enough. She could take them down with little issue. Gorou would prove to be more difficult, but with some luck, she would be able to scrape by.
The guards raised their spears and pointed them at her, while Gorou took his bow off his back. “General Kujou, keep in mind that fighting us here will only result in your living conditions being worsened. It’s better for you to just comply until Her Excellency comes to explain things to you in more detail.”
This managed to get Sara to back down. “Sangonomiya is coming here?” She asked.
Gorou nodded, “Yes. Now that you’re awake she’s going to want to speak with you personally.”
Sara slowly put her fists down, declaring, “Fine. I’ll want to hear from the lady herself. But I promise that I will get out of here and back to the Shogun.” She moved closer to Gorou as she spoke, looking down at the surprisingly short man as she threatened to escape.
Gorou barely reacted, remaining strong in the face of the danger Sara posed. “I’ll let her know you’re awake. Guards are stationed outside of your room on every side. Don’t move.” He clearly wasn’t enthused to be around her, which is what she expected. She watched as he and the other guards left, leaving her alone.