Chapter 126 Nighttime

Looking to his right, Prince Tsuku asked. "Why are there still lights open at this time?"

Shiru, who was walking down the same mostly empty street, replied. "I think it's the wives, waiting for their husbands who were lost to the fire."

Without saying anything more, Prince Tsuku replied. "I see..."

As they continued to make their way down the street, a faint sobbing could be heard from the house they looked at. It says "Suzuki, please..."

After about an hour, Shiru and Prince Tsuku found themselves at the edge of the capital.

"Where exactly are we going, My Prince?"

"South. Towards the forest."

"Even a simple carrage is bad, yes?"

"I am fine, Shiru. I NOT some spoiled prince. Let's go."

After running down the country side with a good amount of speed, they found themselves at a clearing on the road.

No houses in sight, a singular road surrounded by a large plain of grass, bordered by a forest.

Standing completely still, Prince Tsuku drew his blade.

A fine blade dressed in a shade of silver that perfectly matches that of the full moon up above.

As Shiru stood slightly behind him, completely silent, Prince Tsuku held the blade upright before giving the blade a little tap from his offhand.

After receiving the tap, the blade emmited a song. A humm of cold silver, singing for the silent night.

After the humm penetrated every ear that dared to hear it's sound, Prince Tsuku sheathed his blade, saying. "To the right, a few kilometers into the forest."

"Yes, My Prince."

After heading into the forest to their right, a few hours have passed.

With the moon approaching it's peak, Prince Tsuku and Shiru stopped in the middle of the forest.

"This is where I heard someone. Shiru, stick close and keep an eye out."

"Yes, My Prince."

As they cautiously traversed the forest floor, Shiru tugged on Prince Tsuku's sleeves.

Turning his head, Prince Tsuku asked. "Where did you see-"

But, before he could finish his question, a stab reached for his side, and on the other end of the blade, a familiar face is looking straight at him with a smile.

Pushing on Shiru's wrist, Prince Tsuku managed to come out with only his sleeves receiving a cut.

Drawing his blade and pointing it at his trusted companion, Prince Tsuku asked with a oppresive tone. "Who are you?"

"..."

"Where is she?"

"In front of you."

"Show yourself."

"No."

Taking his eyes off of Shiru for a moment, Prince Tsuku scanned the surrounding area for movement while still being ready with his blade.

"Didn't you hear only single person, My Prince?"

"I also heard that you are a liar and a trickster. Remove her face, I won't hesitate to strike you down even if you didn't."

"I know you want me alive, My Prince... Also, I tend to be a bit shy infront of such a handsome prince such as yourself, Prince Tsuku."

"So be it."

Then, with a powerful dash forwards, Prince Tsuku attacked Shiru with his blade.

Then, when he was about to hit her, a mesh of strings stopped his blade completely.

Retreating and making distance between them, Prince Tsuku watched with a vigilant gaze as Shiru just stood there with grin.

Walking to the side casually, Shiru dropped the blade she used to try and stab Prince Tsuku before reaching for something inside a bush to the side.

Pulling out a weapon, a sword with it's blade in the shape of a cylinder with nine red stripes wrapping into the 'blade', Shiru said. "Forgot about this little thing."

Walking back to her original place, Shiru stood there with the cylindrical sword in her hand.

Prince Tsuku watched as the almost unrecognizable red strings that stopped him, undo themselves before eventually rolling back into the cylindrical sword, fitting nicely into the multiple red stripes that is carved into the 'blade'.

With an arrogant smirk, Shiru asked. "Shall we continue... My Prince?"

As the two prepared their weapons, suddenly, a rustling of leaves came from behind.

It was Shiru, and in her hand, a pitch black blade went for the Shiru that Prince Tsuku was fighting.

Without even bothering to look, the Shiru wielding the cylindrical blade just stood there, allowing the other Shiru to order her blade to go for their neck.

Just as she was about to reach her neck, a line of string stopped Shiru's swing completely.

Seeing her attack fail, Shiru, the one that came from the forest, retreated back to Prince Tsuku's side.

"Shiru, are you okay?"

Without answering, Shiru gestured towards her back, where a small black arrow is embedded, before gesturing towards her mouth, which opened and closed without forming a word, before finally, gesturing with the help of her bloodied fingers, made hand sign for the number three.

"I understand, Shiru."

After taking in the information relayed to him, Prince Tsuku returned his attention to the Shiru infront of him as he also paid attention to their surroundings.

Then, without any reason, a line of string undid itself on Shiru's hair, the one at the front, revealing a head full of pure, white hair that reached all the way down their upper back.

With a tone simultainously filled with respect and arrogance, the white-haired Shiru said with a grin. "Look, we are now matching, My Prince."

Then, an black arrow came from the dense forest, going straight for Prince Tsuku's neck.

Fortunately, Prince Tsuku blocked it with his blade, causing it to sing it's humm once more.

Pointing towards the direction the arrow came from, the white-haired Shiru said. "If you are going to seize the opportunity, make sure it's perfect."

Without any pause, another arrow came from within the forest. This time, it came for the white-haired Shiru's neck.

Unfortunately, another line of string prevented it from doing so. After seeing this, the white-haired Shiru said with a sarcastic tone. "Forgot that was there."

She then turned towards Prince Tsuku and Shiru once more, saying. "Best if we ignore them, let's continue what we started, My Prince, my twin sister. La La La La La~"

The white-haired Shiru continued to make noise until Prince Tsuku's blade stopped humming.

Seeing the meaning in her actions, Prince Tsuku glared at her before giving Shiru a nod, which caused her to give one back.

Then, with synchronized movements, Prince Tsuku and Shiru slowly made their way closer to the white-haired Shiru, while she just stood there with a smile.

Once close enough, Prince Tsuku and Shiru took the opportunity to attack.

But, Shiru, who got closer to the white-haired Shiru, saw her lean back and look at her.

Shiru watched as a pair of scarlet red eyes, who's pupils are in the shape of a four-petalled flower, looked at her with glee before her weapon began emitting a noise.

Then, all of a sudden, five sets of strings began spinning around, causing the Prince Tsuku and Shiru to back away as they parried them.

As the red strings continued to spin around the place, leaving dents into the trunk of trees, cutting off branches, and attacking Prince Tsuku and Shiru, a wave of black arrows also emerged from the forest.

Met with the rotating strings and arrows, Prince Tsuku and Shiru were forced to retreat further as they continued to dodge and block the incoming attacks.

Then, Shiru found herself sinking into the ground. Looking down, she saw the ground underneath her turn to mud.

Although Shiru managed to keep herself afloat she was still being attacked by a barrage of attacks. Attacks that she no longer have the footing to do anything about.

Swinging his blade so hard, Prince Tsuku caused his blade to humm loudly, causing the arrows approaching Shiru to lose some of their accuracy as he blocked the incoming sets of strings.

As Prince Tsuku continued to shield for her, Shiru pulled herself off of the ground, but was then met with a whirlwind of razor sharp leaves.

Unable to block it all completely, Shiru was pelted with leaves as well as Prince Tsuku, both having received a bunch of leaves sticking out of their body and clothes.

Feeling the blood slowly coming out of their bodies as the strings, arrows, leaves, and the occasional mud pit continue to attack them, Prince Tsuku gave Shiru a tap before they both tried to outrun the attacks.

As the white-haired Shiru continued to just stand there, grinning as she continued her attack, Shiru and Prince Tsuku made a break for it, taking in some attacks while doing it.

But after a bit of a struggle, they made it out of the killbox and ran for it.

The white-haired Shiru turned towards their direction, saying. "Don't-"

But before she could finish, a man stood infront of her, and the three other people up in the trees, allowing Prince Tsuku and Shiru to escape.

The man that blocked their path was a muscular man, dressed in rags, a sheathed blade on his side, and a red mask covering his face.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The white-haired Shiru asked.

"..."

"Fine. He gets to live." The white-haired Shiru said as she turned around and left.

The man in the red mask then proceeded to look at the direction of the other three, causing them to leave aswell.

Then, soon after, the man in the red mask left, but not before looking at the direction where Prince Tsuku and Shiru left for.

"..."