Reimian Empire

The priestess ran a finger across her cheek, wiping away a tiny drop of blood from the scratch left by the naginata. To her own surprise, she felt disgust as she looked at the whimpering "countrywoman." In her system of life values, a woman, a Nihon-jin, and a Temple acolyte occupied a very high position, but today's experience showed that such prejudices are not the most reliable system of views. The Muneshige thugs were never particularly wise or intelligent, but they often boasted about their discipline and self-control. Now, this immature wreck, who panicked at the mere glimpse of something, had single-handedly and irrevocably added the Sohei to Aiyano's personal blacklist. Miko had never deluded herself into thinking that they would all complete this mission and escape the palace unscathed, nor did she expect that a random group of people picked up off the street would achieve any success in something they didn't understand, but this journey was taking a decidedly ugly turn. "Hey, you," she hissed through her teeth, kicking Tsukiko. "Don't embarrass yourself and me. Get up. You have a lot to do to atone. Channel your energy in the right direction. Were you taught that? We're moving on, and that's not up for discussion. We still have to destroy the legacy of this rotten imperial filth. When we're done, you can slit your own belly, although it's unlikely that will restore your honor. But until then, you follow orders. Right now, you're not a sword or a spear of Muneshige, but a blade of our squad. Live up to your role."

"You too saw that... creature, even if only for a moment? If that is the source of the evil that has engulfed the Castle, its power is indeed great. But... not limitless. We have a chance to win. We can and must do everything possible for this. Especially since there is no way back. And there hasn't been since we crossed the threshold of this accursed place."

"You're right about that. I can see that you are perfectly aware of our situation. A person loses only when they lose the will to fight. Despite all our misfortunes, there are still enough of us, and our "cohesive" group represents a force sufficient for many achievements.