Aftermath

"It would seem Taheiji has failed … what a disappointment."

Atop a cliff, a short man was standing with his arms crossed as he observed the battle in front of him- which was drawing to a close; pondering over the results of the duel.

Who was the man that slew Taheiji? The bandit leader himself was a high-level vision bearer, and the Crowfeather Kaburaya should be the only one he needed to be wary of in the 5th Army that was deployed - there were no other noteworthy figures among its command team.

He was sure he had the names of every powerful vision bearer in Inazuma memorized. They were all figures able to influence the civil war greatly, and he had to take their strength into account in gauging the amount of support and intelligence to provide both sides with - for maximal effect in prolonging the internal strife within Inazuma.

His thoughts were cut short by a trembling voice from behind.

"M-my Lord, I have a report to give." Half kneeling before him, one of the two hooded figures dressed in black cloaks spoke. "The Kanjou Commissioner has already secured the first batch of crystal marrows as per the agreement but ...."

"Speak."

"He is asking for a forty percent increase, and won't release the goods for anything less."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Release the payment to him, we'll soon be making back way more than that. And also, find out the identity of the man who killed Taheiji. Leave no stone unturned. If there is a need, I grant you permission to activate our sleeper cells in Inazuma City."

"Yes, my Lord!" The Fatui Agent stood up and gave a bow, then disappeared amidst a black hole that suddenly appeared where he stood.

"As for you …" the person turned around to face the other hooded figure.

"Contact the other teams stationed in Inazuma. Have them begin at once to secure the area for our delusion factory - discreetly. "

"A-as you command, my Lord!" the hooded subordinate replied respectfully, then disappeared in a similar manner to the first.

"It looks like I will have to contact Snezhnaya for additional reinforcements …"

The corners of the man's lips curled slightly upwards.

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Jason had returned to General Sara's tent in the encampment just as his hands were about to give way. Even though she wasn't heavy, having to carry someone after a tiring battle for such a long distance back was tedious - causing his arms to ache with soreness.

The usage of so many Sun-Breathing Techniques earlier added to his fatigue too. He wondered if it was because of the world being different from the one in demon slayer, or if it was just him simply being still lacking in his physical strength and stamina.

He eyed the general underneath his arm, whose breathing had been getting heavier and heavier the past few minutes - it only added to the allure she had. Jason couldn't deny that the woman she was carrying had a great figure.

General Sara had short indigo hair, complemented perfectly by her golden eyes that were looking away from him; and incredibly well-endowed assets exposed by the tight-fitting attire she wore - that was what caught his eye the most. They were pushing up hard against her clothes as if to signify their grandeur, stirring an urge within him to squeeze down on them.

(T-this is the mighty general of the Shogunate Army. I-I can't be thinking such things! I'll be skewered alive if she found out about my thoughts!)

He laid the general down on her bed, feeling the warmth slip away from his sore muscles.

"I'll go get a doctor to come over."

"W-wait …"

Upon hearing the general call out to him in a muffled soft voice, Jason swallowed hard; turning to face her. Then his eyes and mouth opened wide in shock.

"H-huh?!"

The general was now squirming on her bed, and running one of her hands over her chest. Her legs were slightly spread out, revealing a hint of black clothing in between her white skin that seemed so perfect without a spot of blemish.

"Don't c-call the doctor … ah!"

Jason now understood the reason behind the general's strange behaviour. No wonder she had been acting so weirdly since he first saw her - it was like she was fighting back against something. She probably fell victim to some underhanded method during the fight with Taheiji.

"Please." The general softly begged.

Something twitched in his pants at the moment. He took a deep breath, trying to stamp out his thoughts.

"Roger."

Jason quickened his steps to leave the room. He wasn't sure if he could control himself if he stayed any longer - he could already feel blood rushing to his manhood. If he lost control and actually did something he regretted, he was certain to be done.

Finally stepping out of the commander's tent, he let out a sigh of relief. His attention was then turned towards a lady running over in his direction. It was one of the Shogunate's Army's Doctor - Hiromi.

Hiromi was the only female army doctor that Jason had met so far. The Shogunate Army was mostly dominated by males, and females were uncommon; let alone a lady doctor. She wore spectacles and had glossy black hair that flowed down elegantly.

"How's the general doing?"

"Uh, she's fine."

"Good. I'll be going in to have a look. If you will excu-"

"W-wait!" Jason stretched his hand across the tent's entrance.

"Is something the matter?"

"Well … she does not want to be disturbed."

Hiromi squinted her crystal blue eyes. "Really? The guards in the camp told me the general looked like she was in pretty bad shape when you carried her back."

"I'm telling the truth! The general is currently resting and busy recovering from the … ordeals of battle." Jason gave a lousy excuse without thinking it through.

Strangely, his words had enough weight as Hiromi didn't push any further.

"I suppose uninterrupted rest is also important. Do let me know once she wakes up then. I should still check up on her to make sure she's doing fine." Hiromi nodded. "By the way, I hear that you've defeated the infamous bandit leader?"

"Oh, so you already knew ... I didn't expect the news to travel so fast."

"Are you injured? If you're feeling unwell you can drop by the infirmary anytime." The doctor shot him a playful wink and puffed out her chest, causing her clothes to wrap tightly around it.

"I'm fine!" Jason was flustered. He really couldn't let his guard down; when did the doctor become so flirtatious?

"Fufu. Well, my only intention was to ensure that you are in good health. It's my role as a doctor after all."

"... Much appreciated."

"I'll have to get going now then, there are still plenty of injured soldiers waiting for me to tend to."

"Mhm."

Jason bid the alluring doctor goodbye and then found himself now alone. Just as he was about to take his leave, he heard a loud moan coming out of the tent.

"Ah~"

"..."

He stood blankly; it seemed whatever the general was under the effect of - it hadn't subsided but only got stronger. It was frankly none of his business and he just wanted to leave.

There was no shared history between him and the general. After all, she didn't ask him to stop others from entering her tent. No one would fault him for leaving right now.

But it still didn't feel right exposing the general to the possibility that others might see her in the 'state' she was in. The general's reputation would suffer if word of what happened got out. It definitely wasn't a nice thing to have people gossiping about something like that behind her back, especially for a lady from the prestigious Kujou Clan. It might even harm her image and affect her future marriage prospects as well if she was still single.

He was definitely overthinking. He was ...

Jason let out a sigh. Deciding this would be the last time he helped the general, he sat down crossed leg outside - beginning his 'guard' duty to stop people from entering the commander's tent.

"Seriously … what was I thinking? How did I end up doing guard duty for her. Arghhhh." He planted a palm on his face as he sat down outside the entrance.

(1398 Words)