The mighty Citadel of Amonkai stood tall against the crimson horizon, its towering walls reflecting the setting sun’s final rays. As Lima and Imei rode through the main gates, the guards saluted, their disciplined stance betraying the tension in the air. The two dismounted, dragging their captive behind them, his hands tightly bound with thick ropes. They threw him onto the cold, hard ground before the station of Captain Shibukawa Daisetsu, the leader of the Amonkai garrison.

  The captain, a rugged man in his forties with graying temples, looked at the prisoner, then at the two young men, raising an eyebrow.

  "You two? How in the world did you pull this off?" he asked, arms crossed.

  Lima dusted off his tunic and smirked. "Oh, you know, just a bit of clever maneuvering... and an accidental headbutt into a tree."

  Imei rolled his eyes. "Lima here has a talent for making an escape look like an accident. He took out a soldier and didn’t even know he did it."

  Daisetsu chuckled. "Sounds like the stories of old fools who stumble into fortune."

  "Oi, I'm right here!" Lima protested, making Imei snicker.

  The Interrogation

  The prisoner was dragged into the dimly lit cell beneath the station, the damp air carrying the scent of sweat and old blood. Daisetsu walked with Lima and Imei through the narrow stone corridor.

  "We've caught several of these rats before," the captain muttered. "Yet the rumors keep spreading. Some say the Great Council of Tanna has been suspended for no reason."

  Imei arched a brow but remained silent.

  Lima, however, scoffed. "And what about the King? Does he know anything about this mess?"

  Daisetsu stopped abruptly and lowered his voice. "Every king has secrets, but between us…" He looked around to make sure no one else was listening.

  "The Great Council doesn’t really matter."

  Imei nearly choked. "That’s ridiculous!"

  Daisetsu hushed him. "Listen, boy. There’s something bigger at play here. Have you ever heard of the Hidden Ones?"

  Lima turned to Imei, confused. "What’s he talking about?"

  Imei’s expression hardened. "My grandfather spoke of them once. Shadows among men… their presence only known when it’s too late."

  Daisetsu nodded grimly. "And yet no one seems alarmed by the sudden appearance of an army near Shuri."

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  The Ride Through the Hills of Tatsuya

  Meanwhile, under the orange hues of dusk, Lord Kanzaki of Nakazawa rode swiftly with his men, his black cape fluttering behind him. Beside him rode Kofi, his mind swirling with thoughts as he analyzed the unfolding crisis.

  "Did he really need to come along?" Kanzaki’s aide muttered.

  Kanzaki smirked. "This may be the last time we get to talk freely."

  The aide hesitated. "But my lord… most of the lords are being kept in Shuri."

  Kofi’s gaze sharpened. "Deception."

  Kanzaki glanced at him approvingly. "Nicely said, warabe Kofi."

  As they approached the Hill of Tatsuya, they halted. Before them, spread across the valley, was a staggering force—between 20,000 and 30,000 troops stationed at strategic points.

  The aide sighed. "Another army. Around 30,000 men, my lord."

  Kanzaki cracked a joke. "That’s 30,000 mouths to feed. I’d rather be a rice farmer."

  His men chuckled, except Kofi, whose serious expression remained unchanged.

  Kanzaki studied him. "Thinking hard again, boy?"

  Kofi’s mind raced. The leaders are trapped in Shuri. An army blocks the only way in. This… this is a coup.

  Kanzaki interrupted his thoughts with a metaphor. "It’s like emptying a bag of rice into a granary before it reaches its buyer. When the people who paid for it open the sack, they find nothing but husks."

  A realization hit Kofi like a thunderbolt.

  "They that refused to buy in," Kanzaki continued, "are labeled traitors and eliminated."

  Kofi stiffened. Was the old man referring to himself?

  The Vanishing Prisoner

  Back at the Amonkai Citadel, Daisetsu, Lima, and Imei entered the cell. The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows on the damp stone walls.

  Lima peeked inside and let out a nervous chuckle. "Well… this is awkward."

  Imei groaned. "He’s gone, isn’t he?"

  The cell was empty.

  Daisetsu’s sweat turned cold. "Prisoner escaped! Someone track him!"

  No one answered. The entire lower level was eerily silent. The three men rushed back to the main hall, where a crowd had gathered, whispers of panic spreading like wildfire.

  Then a carriage arrived.

  Lima squinted at the driver. "Wait a minute… I know that guy."

  The driver was Aranawa, a young guard from the 2nd Round of the Shuri Council.

  He dismounted and opened the carriage door. From inside, a woman stepped out.

  The moment Imei and Daisetsu saw her, they bowed. Lima followed suit, whispering, "Who is she?"

  Imei’s face was pale. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple. "That is Princess Asuna."

  Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves grew louder.

  A soldier rushed forward, announcing, "Lord Kanzaki of Nakazawa has arrived!"

  Lima turned and saw the banners of the Hakken Shikikan waving high. Kanzaki’s men rode in, their polished armor gleaming under the setting sun.

  As Kanzaki dismounted, his sharp eyes immediately fell upon the princess.

  "Well, well," he said, smirking. "Look who we have here."

  Asuna ran forward and embraced him. "Uncle! It’s good to see you well."

  They both laughed before she turned to another familiar face.

  "Soji-kun, you’re always so serious."

  Soji, Kanzaki’s stern and disciplined retainer, gave her a deep bow, his expression unreadable. "It is an honor, my lady."

  Meanwhile, Lima and Imei stood frozen.

  Soji frowned at their staring. "What are you looking at?"

  Lima pointed at a familiar rider. His jaw nearly hit the floor. "Is that Kofi? Our Kofi?"

  Kofi rode in, his expression determined.

  But more stunned than anyone else was Princess Asuna—her eyes locked onto Kofi as if she were enchanted.

  The tension in the air grew thick.

  And as night fell upon Amonkai, the storm of war loomed ever closer.