Chapter 3

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" asked Phobos.

"It's not that I don't want you to come," I replied after chewing through the morsel of food in my mouth and swallowing. "It's just that you can't. If you go, mother-in-law will have to follow… and she is in no state to be exposed to war. Especially not when there is a good chance that she'll meet Ragyo Kirin there."

Which was a very real possibility as all the Swayamvar teams had been assigned to the relatively less dangerous assignment of guarding the rear of the fleet against the sneak attack of the Kirin fleet. Over the course of the six months leading up to the war, their details had been investigated clearly. We knew the people they could field, their strengths and their weaknesses. We had enough time to prepare strategies aimed at avoiding the former and exploiting the latter.

In short, we were much better prepared to take on the Kirins than the unknown forces of the Shogunate. Thus, compared to the advance fleet, the rear guard was a much more secure posting. After all, while exposing their young talents to danger for the sake of their growth was all well and good, sending them on a near-suicidal mission was putting the cart before the horse.

"Ya Phi-Phi, your mother needs you to cast your magic on her twice a day and the effects are tenuous at best. A strong enough emotional shock and Vita might sink her roots into her again." Deimos chimed in to convince Phobos.

Laying down her cutlery Phobos sank back into her chair with a sigh. "I know… I know, but that doesn't make this any easier."

She looked up at me, frustration clear in her beautiful yellow eyes. "This is the second time now that I have had to stay back when you go off to face danger. The first time, at the Second Forbidden Zone, I could understand. The team needed to be kept as small as possible to avoid discovery by the ant legion… I would just be a liability. But this time I wouldn't be the only Tier 2 embarking on the ships. In fact, I wouldn't even have the lowest cultivation base, or even be the weakest. I could help you, keep you safe… but no, I still can't go. It's… frustrating."

Ceres, who was sitting beside her, reached out and grabbed her hand under the table. Squeezing it to give her comfort.

"If it's any consolation, I won't be going either," she said.

"What! Why?!" exclaimed Phobos. "If it's on my account, please don't stay back. It'll make me feel more guilty. It'll be one less person to look out for everyone's safety."

Ceres shook her head with a smile. "No, it's not because of that. It's because I think I can be of more use on land than on sea."

She turned to Artemis who had been auditing our conversation silently with an empty plate in front of her, having polished off her dinner with great gusto.

"Sister Artemis and her ability to fly will be much sought after in a naval battle. Especially her area of effect attacks like her Rain of the Feather Swords." She turned to Deimos. "And sister Deimos is a wind mage. We all know how valuable they are at sea. Husband… husband is versatile. Land, sea, in a fight you would want him on your side. Especially since he has proved his value in group warfare with his mass amplification spells and the ability to assist others wind Domains. He can double as a healer and those are always in short supply."

She shook her head. "Me? My element isn't suited for the sea. Not with how windy it'll be with the Demigods tussling over the weather. I can't guarantee that my smoke will affect my enemies or my allies with a veritable gale blowing down my neck.

"Instead, on land I can participate in the logistic side of war. Managing the supply lines, helping orchestrate attacks on the supply lines of the enemy while defending our own, diverting large sections of their resources with much smaller fragments of our own. If done well, we can speed up the war on land. And if we win that, the one on sea will lose all significance. The Shogunate will be forced to beat a hasty retreat."

She looked me in the eye.

"You will be exposed to less danger."

Looking into her limpid brown eyes, I found determination… and something else.

My gaze grew gentle. "And it will be a chance to cross swords against Her… albeit indirectly."

I didn't have to explain who 'Her' referred to. Ceres looked away, flustered.

This time it was Phobos' turn to squeeze her hand.

"I agree," she said with a smile. "I didn't think of it that way. Mother and I will join the Information Bureau and do our best to transmit the most current trends of the enemy to the command tent for you to make your plans. Information can be a weapon in war and I'll do my best to ensure that our side has the sharpest one."

Ceres shot her a grateful look.

"Besides, mother will benefit from this too." Her expression grew a bit melancholy. "Rather than staying confined to her room, working against the Shogunate will keep her mind off father's absence. It'll be much less stressful than participating in the war."

Phobos turned to Deimos, then Artemis and finally to me. "Stay safe, yeah? Promise me that you'll give me a chance to accompany you on your adventures one day."

Taking a deep breath, I let it out. "I promise."

"I'll keep them safe," Artemis echoed solemnly.

And Deimos ruined the heavy mood by tossing a balled-up napkin into Phobos' face.

"Don't be so dramatic, ya. We'll be back in no time and then I'll help Master bully you in bed," she declared before she was cut off with a surprised shriek as a red-faced Phobos shadow-walked her onto the ceiling and let her fall.

Fluttering down like a feather under the assistance of the wind, she had to leap to the side to avoid being captured by one of Phobos' shadow clones. I watched in amusement as the two earliest of my wives engaged in a magically enhanced chase across the room.

The corners of my lips curved upwards into a smile. Well, I guess there was something I had to look forward to at the end of this war.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Deimos who was the closest to it held up her hand for a truce before brushing her hair out of her face and opening it.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise.

I got up from my seat and walked towards the door, curious. Who could it be at this hour? From Deimos' reaction, it appeared to be someone we knew, but at the same time, someone unexpected.

Deimos opened the door wide and invited two men in.

One, a gaunt, dark-haired man with lifeless eyes, and the other, a tall, lean man wearing a lime-green shirt and sporting untidy bangs that covered one of his eyes.

"Master!" I exclaimed. "You're here?"

….

Nurarihyon, the nominal leader of the Shogunate, looked at the boy he had taken in as his apprentice all those years ago and smiled.

"Yes," he said, "I thought you might need some help."