Battle of Great Climb: Siege Of Kyuden Agasha, day 5, Battles won and lost.
 

It was after midnight when the lion began to organize an assult on the shugenja blockade of the library.

Raiden had gathered the forces from the southern barracks and those from the house of healing still able to fight. Raiden looked at Togashi Katsu to his left, then looked to the Tonbo family to his right. He ordered a charge on the entrance to the city. He world retake the labyrynth and without reinforcements the lion in the city would be easilly picked off.


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Tsanuri entered the hospital tent and visited her cousin.

"Keiko-chan," She said as she looked at the unconcious lioness. "You may have won the battle for us."

Keiko peeked her eyes open, glancing at who was standing over her.

"Tsanuri!" She jumped out of her bed, wincing a bit from her wound, "How did-? When-?" for the first time Keiko seemed speechless, "How did you escape the Dragons?" She said, happy to see her cousin again.

"That is a story for another day. By the best estimation the city will be ours by tommorrow."


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Raiden rushed forward with the charge.

"All right, whole lot of you, listen up!"

The novice shugenja, some of whom were visibly shuddering with the tension of the situation, jerked to attention as Kenren spoke. Behind them, their more experienced yojimbo grunted as "that damn upstart Phoenix" turned to face them.

"Lord Yama has placed the defense of the library in our care. But we cannot employ our preferred spells freely - this is a library, after all, and it would not do to have it in flames and the Lions dead. Thus -"

"Phoenix-sama, what do you suggest if our shugenja can't use their spells, hmmm?" The speaker was a young Dragon bushi, and even from a distance Kenren could feel the raw aggression radiating off him like a fireplace.

"I never said they couldn't use their spells - but they smust take the utmost care in their use. The shugenja would be best served empowering their yojimbo with their magic and sapping the strength of their enemies."

At this the Dragon shugenja nodded. The Dragon fumed, but remained quiet."

"You, Dragon bushi who addressed me. What is your name?"

"I am Mirumoto Hayashi, Phoenix!"

He spat that last word like a mouthful of bad sake.

"Hayashi-san. If you would be so kind as to step before me..."

"Why should I do anything you say, Ph-"

"Mirumoto Hayashi! Do not let my politeness delude you into thinking that I am not giving you an order, by the authority of Lord Mirumoto Raiden and Agasha Yama!"

Grudgingly the bushi stepped before him. Kenren laid a hand on him...

...and the world was black, save for the raging fire in Hayashi's being. Currently it was locked within his Root of Valor, at his groin. Kenren's mind tensed, and he felt the chakra pathways within the man opening, the fire filling his being...

... and when Kenren opened his eyes, Hayashi was taring at himself in quite open amazement.

"What have you done, Phoenix-sama? I feel... I feel like somebody lifted a veil from over my world. I can see... think, act better and faster..."

"I am no ordinary shugenja. I am an Ishi, and this is what I mean by empowering one's yojimbo. The rest of you! You will not be able to do what I have done, but you can aid your protectors in your own way. Go to it!"

As the shugenja began chanting their spells, Hayashi turned to Kenren with newfound respect.

"Phoenix-sama, I-"

"Explanations are not necessary. Only your service. You have been given strength for a good reason. Use power for the right things."

Raiden spun in the way Mirumoto-shiryo had taught him cleaving many foes in one strike. He followed up with another wide cleaving blow. He moved through the lion like a terrible wind driven fire.

Taken's leg was bandaged, but he was still forced to favor it, even as he entered into combat alongside Mirumoto Raiden, holding the banner aloft in his off hand, with his katana drawn in the other. The heaviest part of the battle surged around, and then beyond him, as he was forced to move at a slower pace than the other soldiers. Soon he found himself in territory he wasn't used to--just behind the friendly lines. Battle still reached him easily, but it was odd to him not to be on the front.

There was no shortage of action, however.

Bearing the banner made Taken into somewhat of a living moving target, as the opponents sought the honor that would come from stealing that banner. Further, between his injured leg, and the hassle of holding it, Taken was far from being at the top of his game. Fortunately, however, he did not need to be.

The lions were hardly any match for him, even hindered so strongly. They came at him, and they fell. However, his normal speed was hampered considerably from the wound and the banner, and so he had trouble avoiding their blows as well as he normally did.

During the course of the battle he was unable to escape a yari thrust toward his stomach, completely, and suffered a shallow slice across his ribs, and a katana made it's way to a similiar blow on his arm, shaving off just a small amount of flesh. Both men died for their attacks, however.

Raiden devastated the Lion like a whirlwind. He received a few minor wounds but more Lion fell to Raiden's sword. He was the tip of a wedge formation.His troops now had successfully cut the Lion in the city off from their reinforcements.

"Taken-san hunt the Lion in the city!" Raiden ordered. He smashed the hilt of his katana into the mempo of a lion. The mempo shattered and the force of the blow snapped the lion's neck. Raiden then leapt for ward swords over head He brought the blades down on the matsu in front of him cleaving her arms off, he continued his strike sweeping his blades behind him. Taking the legs from many lions.

The bushi had had spells cast on them, the shugenja were in the proper frame of mind.

Perfect. Or at least, as close to perfect as they'd get without a regiment of master swordsmen to back them up.

Kenren reviewed the defensive positions in his mind, shifting men around for a more flexible formation.

Katsu, now with the power of crab on his back, charged foward into battle next to the Dragon force. Not wanting a weapon, he instead threw fists into the frey. He couldn't see it, but he could feel a sword cutting into his back, leaving a dull pain, but nothing that he couldn't handle.

However, something in the corner of his eye made him cringe. He saw a fellow Togashi in battle with a Lion get attacked from behind, falling to his knees only to be risen up to the eternal world. Something in Katsu swelled, an anger that he never knew he had as he began charging at the warrior, bent on vengance.

OOC: (I don't know the technical terms, but I'm going with "Be prepared to dig two graves" status effect, or something of the like.

Asijin leapt into battle beside Raiden. He admired the noble technique of the young dragon, He tried to dodge as best he could but took several wounds. his blade cutting down as many lion as he could. His son faired much better. Having learned some of Raiden's style from watching the general fight. He was able to dodge attacks and strike with his yari.

His mother cast spells to aid her husband and son.