The Hero of Miracles

Cheering applause surrounded Yumi as she returned alone to her home. News reached ahead of her of what she achieved in Nakanoi. It quickly became quite the talk of the town with rumors already being created saying that she single-handedly captured the territory without so much a loss of life. Others claim that she managed to con the whole clan into handing over their army to her. Tales became abundant and grew out of hand.

It wouldn’t be long before nothing that they said held any truth. Yumi wasn’t sure if she should be happy for this degree of distorting attention. It was definitely not something that she was used to getting. In the real world nothing they did garnered any attention and in the fake worlds they remained somewhat similar in obscurity. So it was a new feeling to have attention and accolades.

There came a bit of a warmth to know that those sacrificed allowed for this success. Though a bit troubling, since what would become of her in the real world. Would her modern morals clash or stand against the feudal era ones? They were questions that sometimes poked at her in solitude. Speculation commonly served no purpose other than to produce anxiety. So she tried not to focus on it.

With her horse stopped at the stables of the estate, she dismounted and fought through the crowds wanting to see her. Perhaps obscurity had its merits, she considered. Fighting against the seemingly endless waves, she couldn’t maintain the stamina to keep up.

Yumi relented to the tide and allowed them their time to see her. She wished to see Aya, who had done little more than acknowledge her completion in her return message. It was clearly passed along, but she didn’t know what Aya thought and deeply wished to have been present to see if there was any break in her expression. It would have been worth keeping the message a personal one. And she wouldn’t have to deal with the crowd at the moment.

Chapter 549 – The Hero of Miracles

An untold amount of time passed before they finally released her from the obligations of the hero of the hour. It felt like half the day passed, even though she hoped that hadn’t been the case. She finally made it to the building where Aya waited. ‘Things haven’t changed much at least it seems. Though only being gone a month shouldn’t really have. I hope Yuki and Saki are with Aya…’

Servants welcomed her into Aya’s estate. Thanks to her service in conquering Komagata’s domain, her position was elevated. Lord Matsushima continued to value her, though how long would his usefulness remain for her. The way things were going and being able to return ahead, she could finish shoring up her support. A grim future where she took complete control of Matsushima’s domain would be coming.

Tea was set at the table that Yumi entered and waited for Aya to join. It only took a cup before the door opened again and Aya stepped in. “The Hero of Miracles has returned,” she greeted with a very clearly laced sarcasm. She gracefully walked over to the table and sat across from her starting to pour tea.

“Is that what they’re saying?” She found the title to be far more grandiose than she liked. It had been hours since she arrived and things were getting out of hand. Yumi didn’t even know the full extent things spun out of control for her yet as well.

She smiled a bit pleased to see Yumi unsettled a little with the attention. “It’s a remarkable achievement conquering an entire Lord’s domain without even so much as firing a single shot or swinging a sword. You’ll be the talk of all Japan if you keep this up.”

“Sounds like more than I want.” Yumi sipped a new cup of tea bringing her mask back up.

Aya watched her carefully with an intrigued piercing stare. “A year ago I would have agreed with you. But you’ve got a view that this small little town can’t hold.”

‘I definitely have her attention now more than I ever did.’ The game of personal brinkmanship began between the two women. They both knew and saw more than they allowed the other to know. “I think your sights are broader than mine.”

“I guess we’ll see in the future. This is a dangerous game to play.”

“Indeed. How’s the home front?”

“We’ve been productive in the time that you’ve been away. Though not so far as to be finished given that you’re two months early.”

“Then the west will be yours soon?”

“In another month. Support for the campaign is together.”

“You’ve moved fast since you secured Lord Okamoto.”

“And when will Nagahama and his servant be joining us?”

Yumi figured that she would ask about them. They were her new acquisitions and now that they paid off for her, she wanted to see them even more. “They’re finishing up arrangements. Since we’ve installed Lord Nagahama as the Lord there, he needs to establish his seat and settle the court down.”

“Not more trouble than he can handle I hope?”

“He’s got all the key figures already backing him. The alliance with Lord Matsushima is what’s got them a little worked up, but most of the men are greedy and see the value in the strength it provides.”

“I’m pleased with the results. You made some very bold declarations the last time we talked.”

The cup ran empty again and she set it down. Her mind recalled their last conversation and the tension that wound her up. Facing Aya today felt less stressful, she wasn’t sure if it was from the success that gave her confidence or Aya just being less judgmental of her. Regardless, she could use with less tension in her body for a bit. “Because I knew it would work,” she replied confidently. Confidence was about the only thing that worked on Aya, because she was so used to people folding under her aura. Yumi found that rather pleasing.

“Yes, so it did. Make sure to never stop. Because it’s like a chase. Once you run, it will keep following you to the ends of the earth. It’ll never let you breathe, you can never pause, never hesitate. You keep running ahead. Otherwise…” She placed down her cup, finished as well with a slight punctuated tap to the table. “You’ll die.”

While Yumi maintained her stoic expression, the words from Aya felt more heavy than she was used to hearing. It almost felt like a threat. They both continued to stare at each other as though it was a peaceful day, while beneath the table chaos stirred. The tension that she had been glad that wasn’t present returned with renewed force.

Though there was an oddly different weight to it. This was something that she hadn’t felt from Aya before. It was ominous and almost predatory. Yumi found it difficult to grasp and not the way she knew Aya. Almost as if Aya saw her as a threat. That made her happy, because it was progress. However, being a threat to her this soon also made her life that much more difficult.

All of the future plans that Yumi had put together would be more difficult to carry out under constant guard from her. She anticipated that she would draw Aya’s attention in a serious way at some point. Though not immediately as she would only have a single notable achievement to her record. But the woman found curiosities in things that interested her. She might have hit that trigger for Aya.

“I’ll take that advice to heart.” Yumi looked out towards the window trying to take a break from the atmosphere. “Did you have any further need of me?”

“What is your next plan?”

‘So she assumes I’m not stopping. A good thing I thought about that… It’s like she said, maintaining the momentum.’ She looked back at Aya to answer. “I’m finding I’m working well with those two. There’s the Mawaza and Inaba that I had my eyes on.”

“I’d suggest Inaba first.”

“I was thinking the same thing. They’re currently direct trade partners with Nakanoi and dependent on those exports. With what we claim in Inaba, Mawaza will collapse almost immediately.”

“You’ve got a good eye. I’ll expect more successes from you. Let’s see another miracle.”

“It’s just good intel as you know.” Yumi stood up from the table as the meeting concluded. “But reputations have value.” She departed Aya’s company and freed herself from the difficult mood in the room.

Doing her best to dodge more attention, which was only so successful, she made it back to her personal room. The entire time she didn’t find Yuki or Saki around Aya’s estate. They were no longer bodyguards, but people that she sent on missions. So she wasn’t surprised that they might have been away.

Loneliness started to settle.

It didn’t last for long, Seiji and Nerine returned from the Nakanoi region to join her on her next exploits. Time began to pass quickly for Yumi as she lost herself in keeping pace with Aya's own achievements and reputation that she developed as a creator of miracles. Their fame quickly grew throughout Japan, both feared and respected.

If one of their names was dropped the room fell silent. If a rumor slipped they were in the area, men retreated. Armies collapsed under the tactical genius of Aya with many swearing allegiance rather than fighting. The shadow figure of Yumi, who only fear saw but everyone knew, destroyed clans and stole everything without even being seen. Her trusted subordinates, Seiji and Nerine, became her face and grew in reputation as the sign that she was coming.

As it all eventually went to plan, Aya’s dominance over Japan was complete. Lord Matsushima had long disappeared from the stage and Aya’s banner flew over everything in word at least. Yumi was still a subordinate to Aya and everything that she took belonged to Aya as well.

In terms of numerical claims, they were about even with Japan split in half nearly by the two most powerful women in the country. At a glance it seemed that the people were united. They all felt that way and cheered for the success of their new Empress.

But it wasn’t that simple. It never would be. Had it been, the objective would have been long completed.

No, Yumi and her friends remained in the world still trying to complete Aya’s objective. Yumi had never put a time frame on her plan, but everything was still on plan. It might have been fifteen years since she started the plan and well past her prime for the era that she currently lived, but the plan finally reached its focus.

The longer she spent in the world the more refined the plan became. She had her endgame in mind with Aya. Based on everything she figured out that endgame unfortunately meant the conquest of Japan, a task with an undefined date.

But today, it finally arrived. Yumi sat in the place where it had all began and what became her home. The former Nakanoi estates, now Nagahama Castle. Seiji made a fine leader and head by which she worked through the country. Their first investment to the future had grown profitable and a hub of trade throughout the island nation.

At the seat of their power, Yumi called a secret meeting of her friends. Seated on the floor at the head was Yumi, where Seiji normally would have been. On her left was Seiji and matching her right, Nerine. Across from them was Yuki and Saki. All still friends despite the years and distance.

“It’s been two years since I’ve seen you.”

“Aya keeps us busy,” replied Yuki for both of them.

Yumi had noticed in the later years that Saki had become increasingly stoic. She was never sure what Aya had her doing, but it had changed her and hardened her. While they were all still friends, the woman ceased to look like the girl she knew and had been trained by years ago. The bright side for her was that it would be ending soon. ‘Hopefully the real world would restore Saki some…’

“I’m guessing by your summons that it’s now time?”

She nodded to him and rolled out a map of Japan between them. On the map marked Aya’s castle and their own. Everything that led to this moment put it all on the line. “Today is the day that we declare war on Aya.”