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The night draped its heavy darkness across the land, as if the heavens themselves had fallen silent.
The stench of iron, sweat, and spices filled the air.
Beyond the checkpoint, the Mongol city swallowed them whole —
a massive sprawl of twisting alleys, crowded bazaars, smoky taverns, and looming towers that cut into the sky like knives.
Thousands of voices clashed at once: merchants haggling, thieves whispering, children laughing, soldiers barking orders.
The ground trembled slightly under the weight of countless boots and hooves.
Ichigo led the group down a narrow, muddy street, their heads bowed, their faces hidden beneath worn trader cloaks. Their hidden weapons rattled faintly inside heavy bags. Each man moved with practiced ease — warriors in the skin of commoners.
When they reached a quiet courtyard near an abandoned fountain, Ichigo stopped.
He turned to them, his voice low and steady:
"We split here. Pairs of two. Blend in. Listen. Watch. Find anything unusual — a secret armory, a hidden force, a whisper of rebellion. Whatever you find… mark it. And remember... no fights unless you have no choice."
Everyone nodded.
Pairings were quickly decided:
Ichigo and Tanjiro
Raiden with Hyro
Rokuro with Matsuya
Nobee (alone)
They vanished into the maze of the city, each swallowed by different streets and crowds.
Ichigo and Tanjiro's Path:
Ichigo and Tanjiro drifted through a weapons market where Mongol blacksmiths hammered brutal new blades — larger, heavier, crueler.
Strange foreign metals glinted in the sunlight.
Ichigo spotted a curious scene:
A man in chains — clearly a samurai — being dragged toward a black fortress at the city's center.
Above the fortress flew a new Mongol banner, marked not with the Khan's symbol — but something darker, older.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed.
"Something's changed here," he muttered to himself.
Raiden and Hyro's Path:
Raiden and Hyro wandered into the merchant quarter, pretending to argue about silk prices.
As they passed a spice shop, Hyro caught a glimpse of a sealed map being smuggled inside a loaf of bread — passed between a cloaked stranger and a hunched old woman.
Raiden's eyes gleamed.
"Underground resistance," he said under his breath.
"Or maybe... spies."
Rokuro and Matsuya's Path:
Rokuro and Matsuya explored the outskirts near the city walls.
There, they found a hidden forge — guarded not by Mongols, but by masked warriors wearing strange, ancient armor from lands far to the west.
"Who the hell are they?" Rokuro whispered.
"Mercenaries," Matsuya guessed grimly.
"The Mongols are hiring outsiders."
Nobee's Path:
Nobee moved silently through the darkened streets, sensing the tension in the air.
The city felt like a powder keg, waiting to explode.
He overheard murmurs from a group of merchants hiding behind a stall:
"The women are gone. They disappeared last night. No one knows where they went."
Nobee's gaze hardened. This was no ordinary occupation. Something deeper was at play.
As the sun began to set, painting the Mongol city in blood-red light,
the seven regrouped at the old fountain.
Each pair had seen a different piece of the puzzle — but together, a horrifying picture began to form.
This wasn't just an occupation.
The Mongols were preparing for something bigger.
Something monstrous.
Ichigo clenched his fists.
"We're running out of time," he said quietly.
In the distance, drums began to beat — low and deep — echoing through the stone streets like the heartbeat of a sleeping giant.
The hunt had begun.
As Ichigo and Tanjiro moved deeper into the Mongol city, something began to feel off. The bustling streets were quieter than they should have been, with the usual hum of activity now tainted by a palpable tension.
The traders, who usually shouted their wares with pride, now whispered and glanced nervously over their shoulders. Some kept their eyes down, avoiding eye contact as they worked, their hands trembling slightly as they handled goods.
"Something's wrong," Tanjiro murmured, his gaze sweeping across the street. "Do you notice it? The fear in their eyes?"
Ichigo nodded, scanning the crowded streets. He could see it too. There was an unease that rippled through the merchants, the beggars, the soldiers. It wasn't just the oppressive heat or the exhaustion of the long day—it was something deeper, darker.
They passed a blacksmith's stall, where the forge burned bright, but the usual sounds of hammer on metal felt strained. The blacksmiths, usually so confident in their craft, worked in hurried, almost frantic movements. Ichigo could feel the weight of the tension building.
"No women," Ichigo muttered, more to himself than Tanjiro. They had passed a dozen shops, all with men working, but not a single woman was in sight. It was unsettling.
"Where are they all?" Tanjiro whispered, his brow furrowing.
Ichigo's gaze flicked over the area once again, his instincts screaming. There were so many blacksmiths—more than usual. Their work seemed almost obsessive, the clang of hammer on metal relentless. And the weapons they forged were darker, more brutal, with edges meant to maim, not just kill.
"Maybe... they're preparing for war," Tanjiro suggested quietly.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "Not just war. There's something more... something unnatural. Something they're hiding."
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