Yuto heaved a big sigh. Explaining the occurrences happened all these past five years would not be easy. There were too many things he wanted to forget, but he had to reveal it again to his friend since everything related to each other…

“What do you mean General Shida died protecting Ryosuke?” Yuri probed further.

… and a night would not be enough to explain it all.

“Listen, Chii. It’s too much to explain all things tonight. I’ll tell you part by part. After all, you will stay in Hakumei at least until Ryuusei’s contingent depart, right?”

“That’s my initial plan, but if I can find a clear news about Ryosuke faster, and there is a way, I would like to return to Ryuusei as soon as possible,” Yuri said with serious tone that alerted him.

“If you’re here, who is guarding Mirai and Ainosuke?” he asked, just realizing this.

“There is Umika, and the neighborhood is peaceful and relatively safe, but I can’t be careless.”

He let out a relief sigh.

“Fine, then,” Yuri beat him from resuming the talk. “Tell me what happened after I left for Ryuusei.”

He recalled his memories. “We proceeded to the capital, had small battles, and eventually met with the main troops of Okamoto at the beginning of autumn.”

He leaned his back on the couch as his tiredness after working today started to weigh his shoulder down. He closed his eyes, imagining all the scenes happened years ago, then continued his explanation.

“Really, Chii, Ryosuke is blessed with so much luck,” he remarked. “I wouldn’t be able even just to imagine it if I didn’t see it by myself, Chii… how Ryosuke had to struggle with death and life. The poison case that led to his fake death was not the only case almost ripped his life. Ever since the start of the battle, he has played with his death, but fortunately he could evade it.”

“Was Ryosuke hurt in the battle?”

“Yes,” a particular scene replayed in his mind as he talked. “At the mid of the second month of the battle, Ryosuke was badly injured. No, not only injured. It was more like he lives with a borrowed life. That time, he scared me to death. His heart even had stopped beating for about two or three seconds before it returned with weak thumps.”

He caught the surprise in Yuri’s face changed into grim, “What kind of wound could make such impact on Ryosuke?”

“A deep slash on the back. Again, it was so lucky his spine did not break, but he lost so much blood. He was unconscious for three days before resuming to work.”

Noticing Yuri’s disbelief look, he added, “You know how stubborn Ryosuke is, right? Even on his bed, he demanded to be involved in the battle.”

Yuri nodded, “Then what happen with the troops?”

“Our army was forced to retreat, but Okamoto did not stop pushing us and kept moving forward. If not for the arrival of the south battalion and Yuya’s, we could have lost too many soldiers to stand the battle.”

“Wait,” Yuri interrupted him. “Shouldn’t Yuya be in the border? And why South battalion arrived late?”

“There was a missed-out. Shinsaku had predicted our move from the south that he placed the mercenaries to ambush them,” his jaw tightened as he remembered something. “If not for the traitor in our force, we wouldn’t lose so many people. Just with such information Shinsaku could read our moves… he was indeed remarkable.”

“Traitor? Who?”

He shook his head a bit to push his anger aside whenever he remembered this part, “Just someone who informed Shinsaku about our force. We had taken care of it. You don’t need to worry about it now.”

Yuri frowned, unsatisfied with his answer, but he immediately resumed his story, “After that, Ryosuke could not proceed to lead the force directly for almost two months, and since Yuya was present, he took the lead in the battle field on Ryosuke’s behalf while in the commander tent, Ryosuke kept working. Little by little our force could push Okamoto, but they were still too strong to be defeated.”

“In the middle of the fourth month, a big change happened. That time Ryosuke had regained his strength and returned to the battlefield, but oddly, he did not take the lead from Yuya. It turned out he had a mission, and that was to kill Shinsaku by himself. Eventually he succeeded by using his archery skill. Only after that he restored his position as the leader of our troops. And at the end of the fourth month, exactly at the beginning of the winter’s second month, the battle ended with our victory.”

“Winter’s second month…,” Yuri trailed.

“What of it?”

Yuri shook his head, and gave him a small smile, “Ainosuke was born on the fifth week of winter, too.”

“Such a nice coincidence happened, ne.” He remarked, smiling subtly.

“Anyway, it was too quick to defeat Okamoto only in two weeks after Shinsaku was killed, wasn’t it?” Yuri probed more.

“You’re right, Chii. Even with Shinsaku fell, there were still Kota and his generals that made Okamoto troops stayed strong. The reason we won the battle was because… Kota turned himself in to us.”

He retold the story while replaying it in his mind.

It was in the middle of battle. The third week of winter’s first month. It was almost midnight, and Ryosuke was gathering all the battalion’s leaders; all the higher ranks were present: Ryosuke, General Shida, Yuya, Haruna, him, Yuma, General Nakayama and even Keito; when a guard reported that Okamoto Kota demanded to see Ryosuke. They were taken aback. Kota was the leader of Okamoto after his father died, and for the man came to an enemy headquarter, it was suicidal.

When eventually they faced Kota, he refused to talk unless he saw Suzuka. Thus Suzuka was summoned to the commander tent. When she arrived, she was taken aback as she saw a figure that should not be there.

“Onii-san?” Suzuka muttered softly, tears welling up.

Kota gave her a gentle smile before turning to the other side, leaving his sister speechless.

“You have seen your sister,” Ryosuke said. “So, speak up. What do you want that you risk your life to come here?”

Instead of answering, Kota walked towards Suzuka, then guided her to sit on the side chair. All eyes were on them.

“Onii-san?” Suzuka muttered in wonder.

Again, Kota only gave her a tender smile before turning around to face Ryosuke. “I want to make a deal.”

“What deal?”

“I want to offer another take-and-give for you, Ryosuke,” Kota spoke without hesitation. “But I want to talk just with you, without your bunch of minions.”

“We won’t leave our leader only with enemy,” he was the first to react.

Ryosuke held up a hand and he went silent. “Fine. You all can go.”

“But…,” he again reacted.

“He can stay,” Kota suddenly said.

Ryosuke instructed his minions, except him, for the second time to leave the tent and they complied. After that, Kota started to speak, this time there was a hostile in his voice, “I can’t believe you abandon Suzuka after what she sacrificed for you, Yuto. But I’m glad; this way she will have a chance with a better man than you.”

He frowned but did not utter a counter.

“I thought it’s me you want to talk with,” Ryosuke interrupted. “Not Yuto.”

“Oh, pardon, I guess I was just carried away,” Kota smiled his business smile. “Well, let’s get to the point.”

Kota paused for awhile before he said the shocking line, “I offer you myself.”

Ryosuke narrowed his eyes while Suzuka was leaving agape. He watched from the sidelines.

“What is your price then?” Ryosuke said after a time.

“A fair judgment for my people,” Kota answered. “Your ancestor’s law generalizes the punishment over all people in a case of treachery. I want you to change that.”

“That’s the first thing I plan to do once I claim the throne,” Ryosuke replied. “State your other price.”

“That’s my only demand. I want your assurance that you’ll keep your words. Leave the babies and the children. For the women and the men, give them the fair trials,” Kota said more, and after a second added, “And keep our first deal. Take care of Suzuka.”

Suzuka widened her eyes at this, “Onii-san.” He could see her muttered.

Ryosuke mulled over the offer for a time then replied, “Your submission won’t assure victory on my side, and I’m not that desperate to accept your proposal. But, tell me your reason for offering this deal.”

He knew Ryosuke was just taunting Kota. Anyone knew losing a leader would be a great loss that even could result the destruction of the said force.

Kota snorted, “Well, I don’t have to tell you, either. But if you need a reason, I’ll give you one. I refuse to be like you, Ryosuke. I refuse to yield to my fate.”

He could not comprehend Kota’s words, but Ryosuke seemed otherwise. He