Second Archon War: Imperatrix Umberosa 14 (Patreon)

Imperatrix Umberosa 14: The Wisteria Wedding

Beta’d and edited by Dr_Feelgood, October Daye, The Grand Cogitator, and Philosophysics

Looking at himself in the mirror, Nakamura adjusted his kimono, frowning at his reflection.

“No, not like that, like this.”

He found himself spun about, and Nakamura smiled as his wife adjusted the kimono. He couldn’t really tell what she had done, but it was best to let her fuss about such things.

“You look wonderful,” he told her. And he meant it. She had gone gray, her skin wrinkled and her back bent slightly, but she was beautiful as ever to his eyes. They’d been married now for 48 years, and he still remembered all the turbulent times they’d been through together. To him, she’d always be his blushing bride in those heady days, and the mother of their two children.

“Oh hush you old dog,” she scolded, but she smiled at him. She’d had her hair done up in an elaborate fashion with golden hairpins and real wisteria flowers in it and looked like a noblewoman from the Edo Period. Well, he did have his hair in a chonmage like a noble lord out of the same era, and they were indeed nobility. “You have to look perfect for Lord Mushu and Lady Keiga’s wedding.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I have you then,” Nakamura chuckled, and his wife swatted at him again, though she was smiling fondly.

Once she was done fussing, they paraded out of the bedroom and down the stairs to their waiting limousine. It was only a short drive to the Imperial Palace, and Nakamura and his wife spent it in pleasant silence together. For his part, he reminisced about their own children’s weddings, which had happened more than twenty years ago now. Indeed, the first of their grandchildren had been wed the year before, and Nakamura expected to be a great-grandfather before long.

Japan’s population was booming, with Raiden’s various reforms and the abundance of energy having drastically changed Japanese work culture, along with some remarks from Raiden about family being the “true eternity.” It looked like they wouldn’t be sliding into slow extinction along with the rest of the human race, or not so slow with the way the Endbringers had been wiping out entire cities.

That seemed to be over now, with the Concert of Winds resulting in the death of Khonsu. From some cryptic remarks Raiden had made, Nakamura suspected she’d had a hand in that, and more than just dispatching Tengan as a gesture of token support. While the rest of the world considered Venti a hero, Raiden seemed to think he was the de facto head of state of Central Europe.

Not that Nakamura thought that Venti couldn’t have had the German chancellorship if he’d sought it out. But no one had heard from the Anemo Archon since the New Year, aside from rumors that he was performing at bars across Central Europe. The Shuumatsuban was trying to keep tabs on Venti, but whenever they thought they had him under surveillance, he’d slip away. Raiden seemed to find this both unsurprising and amusing, so Nakamura wasn’t overly concerned on the subject.

There was a great crowd around the palace, with the media having set up shop, and well wishers and fans of the most famous power couple in Japan lining up to show their support. There would be a public appearance by the happy couple after the ceremony, but that wasn’t to be until that afternoon, and it was yet early morning.

They pulled around to a private entrance underground, where Nakamura was met by his staff and various junior officials who were running interference for the wedding. There were, of course, a thousand things that still needed to be done before the ceremony. Mercifully, Nakamura wasn’t in charge of planning all this. Because it was an absolute circus.

“There are pictures to be taken still, in the royal garden. You’re to get Princess Ami and her retinue and escort them there,” one of the aides informed Nakamura.

He sighed heavily. “And make sure Clara doesn’t have any bombs on her, I imagine.”

“Uh, yes. That would be preferred,” the aide agreed, looking rather worried at the idea. It was a fool's errand, of course. Clara ALWAYS had bombs on her.

While Nakamura had been half-expecting an utter disaster waiting for him in the youngest Princess’ Royal Chambers, instead he found three lovely young ladies done up in exquisite makeup, with their hair in elaborate displays much like Mrs. Nakamura’s, and of course, armed to the teeth. Their servants were still fussing over the princess and her friend, and interestingly enough, their new bodyguard.

“I don’t see why I have to dress up!” Sayu complained, frowning down at her brown and green kimono, which had imagery of forest leaves and gusts of wind on it. “I’m supposed to be your bodyguard, not your buddy!”

Indeed, Sayu looked more like a princess herself than a bodyguard, her short brown hair pulled back with an elaborate golden pin, also shaped like a leaf, and her Anemo vision glowing on her waist. Her giant sword was nowhere to be seen, but from what Nakamura understood, she could pull it out of her Vision whenever she wanted to.

“Because you have to look pretty for Uncle Mushu’s wedding!” Ami insisted, bouncing up and down as she skipped over to Nakamura and beamed up at him. “Hi, Uncle Nakamura! How do we look?”

“Mmm, let me see,” Nakamura said gravely, motioning for Ami to spin about. She wore a red and purple kimono with the royal sigil, the Electro symbol with a Thunder Sakura blossom at the center, and had her long dark hair set into a fanciful headdress resembling the horn of a Kirin, such as the one dressed in a little bowtie and dinner jacket that floated at her shoulder.

“Yes, Murasaki-san looks quite dapper, I must say,” Nakamura said gravely.

“Why, thank you, Lord Nakamura,” the little dragon said, preening at the praise as Ami let out an offended squawk.

“And I suppose you look quite beautiful as well,” Nakamura said with a grin, reaching down to pat Ami on the head.

“No touching! It took forever to get this right!” Ami giggled, clutching at her golden Kirin horn. She was armed with a pair of swords, which was only fitting for the Royal Princess. Though the scabbards were made of lacquered wood that was garishly painted with fanciful imagery, the handles were wrapped only with good leather, and, and the blades themselves had been forged by Raiden. When unsheathed, they glowed with purple light, and Nakamura had seen Ami carve concrete pillars like they were tatami mats with the blades.

“What about me!?” Clara asked eagerly, coming up and twirling for Nakamura herself. Her dark blonde hair had been done up in ringlets with golden hairpins, while her kimono was red with pale pink blossoms on it that looked suspiciously like stylized explosions.

“Adorable as ever,” Nakamura assured her, smiling and remembering when his granddaughters had been this age. He glanced at Sayu, who was old enough to be at that very difficult age all children went through in their early teen years. The bodyguard was acting disinterested and pretending to keep an eye out for danger, but he knew better than that. “And you look quite beautiful as well, Miss Sayu.”

“Thanks, I guess,” she muttered, but the trainee ninja was blushing and trying to hide a smile.

“Now, before we go,” Nakamura held out his hands. “I need you to turn over all Jumpty Dumptys to me.”

“What Jumpty Dumpties?” Clara asked innocently, giving Nakamura her very best baffled expression. She was eleven now though, and far too old to pull that off.

“The several you have secreted about your person, and the one that’s in your hair,” Nakamura said firmly. He wasn’t sure about the hair one, but it was a safe bet.

Pouting, Clara pulled her Jumpty Dumpties out of her hair, passing them over to Nakamura. He was actually rather surprised when she gave him four, and at how large one of them was. Then she passed over another bomb the size of a softball she’d had stuffed down her robes and Nakamura let out a heavy sigh. “Is that all of them?”

“Um, yes?” Clara said, smiling innocently again.

“Nope,” Sayu said with a roll of her eyes behind Clara’s back.

“BIG SIS SAYU! HOW CAN YOU BETRAY MEEEEEEE!” Clara wailed, swooning in a dramatic fashion so that Nakamura had to stick a hand out to catch her. Which was when he felt another lump and glared at Clara until she stood up and reached down her back to pull out yet another bomb.

“I have to keep some of them! What if bad guys attack?!” Clara asked, giving Nakamura such a look of woe that even his heart was moved.

“As long as they’re small,” Nakamura said sternly. “And that you will not set them off during the ceremony.”

Clara attempted another look of wounded innocence, but absolutely no one was buying it. She sighed in surrender. “I promise, Uncle.”

After that, it was Mrs. Nakamura’s turn to coo over the girls and pinch their cheeks, even Sayu’s to her mortification and not so secret as she might hope delight.

After that were several hours of photos. Nakamura with his wife, Nakamura with the Imperial Princesses, both Ami and Tsukuyomi. The elder, or, well, from the story, younger, Princess was dressed in a purple and black Kimono with a simple sakura blossom in her hair and her sword on her hip, having taken on her less Raiden-like form for the wedding.

Then there were pictures of the various other officials as well, most of whom were not invited to the wedding ceremony, but who showed up to gladhand nonetheless. Nakamura smiled and shook hands with them all, even Ishihara, who had been scarce these past few months since Hashigumi’s funeral.

“And so, yet another nail in the coffin of democracy. And we are expected to applaud,” Ishihara said, a smile plastered on his face as he greeted Nakamura.

“Since when did you care? You were one of the ones to advocate for turning the country over to Raiden,” Nakamura said with a snort. He did still miss the dream of democracy, but at the same time…the world was troubled. And if the cost of safety from Endbringers was an immortal God Empress, well, she came with free unlimited energy. That was a bargain any nation would be jealous of.

“It’s not too late, you know. You could still abandon these fools, advocate for a return to the real Japan,” Ishihara whispered.

“I serve the Raiden Shogun,” Nakamura responded, eyes narrowing in warning. “And so do you, if you are wise.”

Ishihara just smiled at him, but his eyes burned with hatred. Would the man never let go? Yes, the Shogun had apologized for Japanese War Crimes. Yes, it was a loss of face. But how could the fool not see just how much goodwill that had gained them in Southeast Asia in the weeks since then? They’d made much more favorable trade deals and opened up new markets for their goods. The real benefits would be a generation that no longer had the twin specters of lies and dishonor hanging over their heads, one that could step into the future as leaders in their sphere. Not because they were tyrants, but because they were in truth the noble and honorable nation Japan had always imagined herself to be.

Shortly after that, Nakamura found the groom, and thoughts of Ishihara and his weak protests vanished from his mind.

“How do I look?” Kenta said, for the young man standing before Nakamura today was no dragon, but a nervous groom on his wedding day. His robes were of the finest silk, with detailed scrollwork of purple dragons on a white background, the royal crest that marked him as Raiden’s foremost retainer emblazoned on his back, and the swords of his office holstered at his hip. Come to think of it, Nakamura had never seen Kenta use the swords for anything other than ceremony, though that was a thought for later.

“You look handsome and strong. Chiyo is a lucky young woman,” Nakamura reassured Kenta, putting a hand on the younger man’s arm. Even in human form, he was broad-shouldered and tall, especially for a Japanese. He was a halfu, but the Chinese weren’t known to be giants either. Nakamura vaguely wondered if Kenta had been so tall before he became a dragon, but brushed that idle thought off as well.

“What if she changes her mind? What if, what if her parents decide to withdraw their blessing?” Kenta said, gripping the hilt of his sword with one hand, the other clenching and unclenching reflexively.

Ah, the catastrophizing of youth. It was nonsense, absolute nonsense. Even ignoring the love between Kenta and Chiyo, Kenta had grown well under the auspices of his role, and any in-laws would be delighted with such a match. Long gone was the self-proclaimed “jumped-up thug” that Kenta had proclaimed himself as, and Nakamura found himself proud to see the growth of the young man that Kenta was now.

“She will not. They will not. Last I saw, she was as nervous as you and just as worried about rejection,” Nakamura chuckled. “All young people are like this on their wedding day. You should have seen me before mine! I was so worried Aoi would say no! Ours was a Christian ceremony though, those were very in fashion in the 50s.”

“Yeah, well, having a god perform my wedding ceremony would be scarier if I didn’t have to remind her this morning that she couldn’t come in a greasy apron and had to turn off the latest episode of Princess Tutu,” Kenta grumbled. “It’s Earth Aleph trash anyway.”

“It will be fine. Her Excellency would not forget your wedding day,” Nakamura said with a chuckle, patting Kenta on the shoulder. “She has been quite pleased that you have found a ‘mate’ and has remarked about how eager she is to meet your daughter.”

“I’m just hoping she doesn’t do anything crazy,” Kenta said, but he gave Nakamura a dopey grin regardless. “You think people will notice she’s pregnant?”

“She’s not even  four months yet, and the tailors do good work. I doubt it. Besides, would it be so bad if she was? What groom does not wish to have proof of his virility on his wedding day?” Nakamura teased, and Kenta managed a nervous chuckle.

“Thanks, by the way,” Kenta said, turning towards the mirror and frowning at his reflection. “For being here. You’re doing what my old man should have done.”

Nakamura nodded. “You are a fine young man. Though perhaps a bit young to be my son. I have a grandson older than you.”

That got an actual laugh from Kenta. “Well, thanks, Gramps. I’m not even 23 yet. Hard to believe… but Chiyo’s only 22 herself. Guess we’re just kids to you.”

“Oh, very much so,” Nakamura agreed, but he smiled to show he meant no offense. “But you’ve proven yourself a wise young man. Not the least because you courted such a fine young woman. You two will do right by Japan and her Excellency both.”

Then it was time to head to the ceremony. Nakamura and his wife were placed in the procession beside Ms. Wang, indeed where the Groom’s father would be. The bride and groom normally would have led the way, but this time, the Raiden Shogun herself would be leading the ceremonial procession through the palace grounds to the Thunder Sakura tree at the center of the gardens. She looked serene as always, though she did smile slightly when she glanced at the bride and groom, standing together under the shade of an umbrella held by a most unusual shrine maiden.

“Can we hurry this up?” the pink-haired shrine maiden demanded. “It’s hot. I was told there would be food here! Come on, humans! You’ve clearly already mated, what’s with the fuss?!”

“Hush, Yae,” Raiden said, that same smile on her lips. “You are honored to be sheltering the Electro Dragon and his chosen mate from the sun.”

“Yeah, but it’s cold! It’s been snowing! Look, there’s ice there! Why do they need shade?” the young shrine maiden whined, some of her hair escaping from her bun and sticking up slightly. Nakamura blinked. That wasn’t hair. That was an ear. And there were two fluffy pink tails sticking out of the back of the maiden’s robes.

“The yokai are honor bound to pay homage to the Electro Dragon, or do you not remember this?” Raiden asked, her eyebrows raising as she regarded the apparent kitsune. When had that happened? Nakamura had to get out a handkerchief and mop his brow. Would wonders never cease?

“Pff, what yokai? I’m the only yokai around here,” Yae muttered.

“I was the god of the yokai, once. I ascended to become the god of both mankind and yokai when I became the Electro Archon. It seems you have followed me here, in one form or another. Do well today, and I shall reward you with some dango,” Raiden promised.

“Dango shmango, I want french fries!” Yae huffed, but her tail was wagging slightly, betraying her interest.

The priests behind the bride and groom lifted their instruments, and the signal was given that the procession was ready.

“Do not try to use an illusion to fulfill your duties, Yae. I am wise to your tricks,” Raiden said, and a spark shot out of one of her fingers, zapping what had previously been an invisible fox demon, who yowled as her illusion vanished and the umbrella clattered to the ground.

“OW! Ugh, fine. But there better be dango!” Yae said, stalking over and picking up the umbrella,  lifting it over Kenta and Chiyo’s heads. “Ready, your draconic overlordness.”

Satisfied, Raiden turned and walked towards the boughs of the Thunder Sakura, as the priests behind them began to play, and the procession began. For a Shinto wedding, it was quite the long one, snaking through the trees for nearly 100 meters, full of important officials, powerful sentai, and more than a few foreign dignitaries.

The walk itself took about 15 minutes, though they could have covered the ground in less than five if they hadn’t wove back and forth along the garden paths, giving plenty of opportunities for the media to snap pictures, or the hovering drones to record footage to be broadcast to the adoring masses. Nakamura did his best to look dignified and regal as he walked, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the trio of giggling preteens behind him.

At last, they arrived at the pavilion and benches set up under the branches of the Thunder Sakura tree. Raiden took her place at the head of the assembly, while Kenta and Chiyo knelt before her, facing one another.

Once everyone was seated, Raiden looked across the assembled crowd, then spoke. “Let all who assemble now bear witness to Eternity. Today, we join two souls in Union, that they may walk the endless path of fate alongside one another.”

That wasn’t exactly part of the script of your traditional Shinto wedding, but then again, most weddings didn’t have the divinity their religion worshiped to perform the ceremony. Though Nakamura had heard rumors about a wedding officiated by Barbados the month before.

“I call now to the representatives of mortal man and the spirits of Japan, gathered here this day to witness this union,” Raiden decreed, nodding to Nakamura.

He blinked, as he certainly hadn’t been informed of this, but he stood and walked to the side of the pavilion to stand behind Kenta, along with Kokusho in a face-obscuring mask, and Jugan of the Sentai. Across from them stood Yae, who was managing to look rather dignified, along with Ami and Tsukuyomi. The kami assembled indeed.

“Before we begin, I must ask of the bride: Do you intend to enter into this union as the lesser partner? You are but a mortal, and you would wed a dragon,” Raiden said, turning to Keiga.

The young woman flushed, glancing at her intended, but then fixed her gaze on Raiden. “I do not think of this as a marriage between an inferior and a superior. I am Keiga the Tide Star of the Sentai, and I have stood alongside my husband in battle. I will continue to do so. I am not a dragon yet, but this day, I will become one.”

Mushu rumbled his agreement, nodding and smiling at his bride.

“Well spoken,” Raiden said with a cool nod. “And this day, you shall become a dragon in truth. Behold! The heart of Leviathan!”

There was a sudden flash, and all assembled cried out as a great pulsing black heart appeared before Raiden. It was huge, bigger than a man, and although it was but an organ, it beat and pulsed faintly.

“This I took as my trophy in battle against the Demon,” Raiden decreed, her hands lifted high as Keiga shrank back from the horrible object. “The beast was no true dragon, and yet, it held within it great power. I have forged this heart anew, and this day, I purify it!”

Lightning arced from the Thunder Sakura tree, passing through Raiden and into the heart, which began to beat faster, glowing with a brilliant violet light. Nakamura had to shield his eyes and turn his head away for long moments until the light finally faded. When he looked back, his jaw dropped open, as the heart was no longer pitch back.

Instead, it now beat with a steady rhythm, and was azure blue, as the sea was under clear skies, and pure water flowed from the heart, forming a pool below it in a basin that had been inset into the floor of the pavilion.

“Yoshimotto Chiyo, will you cast aside your humanity, and embrace Eternity?” Raiden called, walking around the heart to stand over the bride. “Will you become your husband's equal? Will you become a dragon?”

“I…” Chiyo looked at the heart, and Nakamura could see a hunger in her gaze. “It’s… beautiful. You mean it for… me?”

“If you desire it. Be warned: This is a heavy burden to bear,” Raiden said, her tone deadly serious.

“Chiyo, you don’t have to,” Kenta said quietly. “I didn’t ask you to marry me because of anything but what you are.”

“I know, but…” Chiyo put a hand to her womb and grimaced. “My… what of my child?”

“Your child already has the blood of dragons in her veins. She is a blade yet unforged. She will be unharmed,” Raiden stated.

“Then… then I accept,” Chiyo said, scooting forward towards the heart and the pool of sparkling water.

“Then drink. And become the Tide Star,” Raiden decreed.

Reaching forward, Chiyo cupped both her hands and scooped up a double handful of water. Placing it to her lips, she drank it.

Nakamura tensed, but at first, nothing happened. Chiyo blinked, then suddenly stuck her head into the pool of water, fully immersing itas the pool proved far deeper than it looked. The heart began to pulse wildly, rainbows and azure light emanating from it. Nakamura could see Chiyo sucking in great mouthfuls of water, until with a cry she tumbled into the pool.

“CHIYO!” Kenta cried, reaching out for her, but Raiden pulled him back. His bride-to-be vanished into the water and light, and Nakamura held his breath.

Then a radiant serpent burst forth from the pool, piercing through the heart, and letting out a warbling cry. The azure heart and the water were absorbed by the serpent, which grew in size until it was larger than the pavilion, wrapping itself around it twice over.

I AM…WATER! The newly born dragon roared, her jaws opening wide. She was long and slender, with light blue scales and a long rigid spine along her back. Her four feet were webbed between her talons, and her long whiskers looked like those of a catfish, while her elegant pink horns looked like growths of coral out of her head. I AM THE TIDE STAR!

“This is not a union of men, but of dragons!” Raiden decreed. “Mushu! Join your bride!”

Surging to his feet, Mushu’s robes fell from his body as he transformed, taking on his own draconic form. He was even larger than Keiga, thicker of body and more muscular, with more defined scales, powerful limbs, and antlers that crackled with electro. The two serpents entwined about one another, keening a song that was both terrifying and wonderful as their long bodies soared up into the sky, racing around the Thunder Sakura tree as they made for the heavens.

“Japan! Behold, the Twin Guardian Serpents of Eternity! For we are a nation of thunder and waves, and we shall be warded by the Divine Serpents, Mushu and Keiga!” Raiden decreed, and Nakamura found himself roaring his approval, as he prostrated himself before the divine beasts.

Raiden herself lifted off into the sky, soaring up high, her daughters taking to the air beside her, Tsukuyomi upon her own power, Ami riding Murasaki in the guise of a kirin. The royal family hovered above the Thunder Sakura tree, and the two dragons lowered themselves, bowing to the God of Eternity and her daughters.

LET ALL THE LAND REJOICE, FOR THE DRAGONS ARE ONE! Raiden’s voice boomed in Nakamura’s mind, and in the minds of every mortal in Tokyo.

“BANZAI!” Nakamura cheered along with all who beheld the sight, looking up from where he lay in obeisance. Nakamura noted that even Yae deigned to bow her head and give a shallow bow, though that was all.

Then, it was over. Keiga and Mushu descended, resuming their human forms. New robes had to be brought for them, and both of them were blushing and embarrassed at their nudity. Raiden descended as well, casting off the guise of the Deity she had taken up for those brief moments. It all felt like a dream to Nakamura, but then the happy couple took the three sips of sake from the three bowls, and the ceremony came to an end.

That was, of course, far from the end of things. This was just the “private” ceremony, with only a hundred or so guests in attendance. Now it was time for the public party, and everyone headed to the fleet of vehicles assembled to escort them all to the giant party to be hosted at the Grand Hyatt a few kilometers away.

Nakamura ended up in the limousine with Ami and her two friends, the three preteens giggling and chattering about how incredible the ceremony had been.

“You were so cool Ami!” Clara squealed as they slid into their seats. “Keiga turned into a dragon, and then you were all up in the air with Raiden! Do you think I could turn into a dragon!?”

“Don’t be dumb, there’s only one Endbringer that Raiden’s killed,” Sayu said with a snort. “Besides, do you know how much work it would be to be a dragon? They make Mushu run around all over the place, and now they’re gonna do the same to Keiga. Plus, she’s going to have a baby. She won’t have any time to sleep at all, and what kind of a life is that?”

“I think it was incredible. Perhaps I too will one day turn into a dragon,” Ami said, posing dramatically as she stood up on the seat.

“Sit down, dear,” Mrs. Nakamura urged, and Ami bounced down onto the seat with a grin.

“It’ll have to be in an episode of Lightning Princess Ami! Maybe there should be a dramatic battle too, with us having to help Keiga tame the spirit of the Levithan and reenacting the battle again!”

“Seriously? You’ve fought Leviathan, like, twice in your show. Do something new,” Sayu said with a roll of her eyes

“That’s because fighting Leviathan was AWESOME! But you could be there too this time, Sayu! Last time it was just me and Ami helping her mom!” Clara said excitedly.

“No, it was Jessica,” Sayu sighed.

“Duh, she IS Jessica, that’s just her secret identity!” Ami argued.

“Aren’t you glad ours are grown up?” Nakamura’s wife said quietly, leaning in close to him, her head resting on his shoulders.

“Immensely,” Nakamura said with a chuckle. “It was fun helping with the girls, but we could always pass them back to their parents at the end of the day.”

“Hmm, grandchildren are much more fun,” his wife agreed. “They-”

“BOMB!” Clara suddenly screamed, pulling out her Jumpty Dumpties.

“What-” Nakamura began, but then Sayu had already jumped up, her sword appearing in her hands.

“ANEMO SHIELD NO-JUTSU!”

Nakamura was slammed into his wife and then they were all pressed together in a tight ball of anemo energy, just as the world erupted into flames.

The shield collapsed as the car was torn apart around them, despite being a heavily armored VIP security vehicle. Sayu cried out in pain, and a moment later, she fell to the floor as the air filled with smoke and flames.

“Mistress!” Muraski cried, back in his kirin form as he tore them free of the burning wreck.

Nakamura stumbled to his feet, picking up the coughing and weeping Ami and Sayu as his wife grabbed Clara. They stumbled free of the burning wreckage, as gunfire and explosions lit off around them.

“DIE, YOU FUCKERS!”

Murasaki lunged as a screaming blond foreigner charged at them, swinging some sort of improvised weapon. The man snarled, but Murasaki screamed in pain even as lightning sparked from his horn. He and the man tussled for a moment, then Murasaki was down, falling to the ground as a little dragon again.

“Stay back!” Nakamura snarled, shoving Ami and Sayu into his wife’s arms as he struggled to get his sword free of its scabbard. He almost never used the thing, as he saw it as entirely ceremonial, though even he couldn’t resist using it to slice a few tatami mats.

“Back off from the bitches, they’re mine!” the foreigner snarled in English. Nakamura got a better look at him, and saw that most of his body was some sort of clear liquid. What he had taken for an improvised weapon was his right arm elongated and with the fist turned into a spiky ball of liquid. The arm swung down, and Nakamura raised his sword in a desperate counter.

He managed to slice the acidic arm in two as it descended. It spared the lives of his wife and the girls.

It did not save his.

Ami could only scream as Murasaki went down. She could feel the blow on her own skin, the acid stinging her as if it had brushed her and not crushed her familiar. She was too weak to even draw her blade, and she thought she would be the next to die. Then she watched in horror as Nakamura took the blow meant for her, his sword carving off the acid arm of their attacker, even as his own body dissolved in a horrific hiss and stink.

“FUCKER!” the foreigner screamed, staggering back as Nakamura’s legs toppled over, all that was left of him.

“Go, JUMPTY DUMPTY!” Clara shrieked and tossed all the bombs she had on herself at the attacker. They exploded on contact with his acidic body, blowing great chunks out of it, and the man snarled in pain.

“You dumb bitch. I’m going to carve you up for that,” the man growled, even as his body reconstituted. His arm began to grow again, and Mrs. Nakamura cried out, trying to shield Ami with her own body.

Then, her mother was there.

Between one blink and the next, a portal opened, and thunder roared. There was no battle cry. No dramatic speeches. No pontification.

There was only death.

Ami could barely follow even with her enhanced senses as her mother slew their attacker in a single blow, not even pausing as she charged out of the portal and through him, her sword cutting a perfect arc. The man didn’t even have time to scream, the acid of his body flashing to steam and vanishing.

But the Raiden shogun did not stop. All up and down the convey, bombs and attackers attempted to pick off the leadership of Japan. Draconic roars could be heard from further up the convoy, so Ami knew that Uncle Mushu and Aunt Keiga were alive. But she had eyes only for her mother.

A dozen attackers, some of them capes with powers, others only mortals with guns, came at the Raiden shogun from all sides. There was at least one Mover who was super sonic, moving too fast for Ami to see.

He might as well have been standing still in comparison to the Raiden Shogun. In an eyeblink, her blade struck down a dozen foes, their bodies flashing to ash.

Then her mother turned, stooping next to Ami. “Are you injured?”

Wincing, Ami nodded. “But I’m OK. What…what about Uncle Nakamura?”

Her mother stood, her expression dark. “He is slain. Not even I can resurrect the dead.”

There were screams behind them, and Ami whirled. All she saw were bodies falling as Tsukuyomi knelt before her. “Sister. Are you well?”

Unable to speak as her throat closed, Ami could only nod.

“Good.” Tsukuyomi stood and looked to their mother.

“Guard them,” Raiden ordered, turning back to the fight. She didn’t say another word.

There was a crash of thunder, and mere moments later, the killing stopped. For there were no more foes to slay.

Silence descended upon the ruins of the convoy, as a nation held its breath in collective horror.

Raiden returned to Ami’s side, picking up her daughter and placing Ami’s head on her shoulder. Minutes ago, Ami would have said she was too old for her mother to hold her like this. Now she clung to Raiden for all she was worth, weeping so hard she hiccuped uncontrollably.

“Find who did this,” she heard her mother say to Tsukuyomi.

“Yes,” Tsukuyomi agreed. “We will root them out.”

“I do not wish for prisoners. Bring me only their heads,” Raiden said, and her voice was as cold as winter. She squeezed Ami tightly. “They have hurt my family. Never again.”

Ami felt Tsukoyomi bow her head, then her sister rested a hand on her back. “Fear not. This will be avenged.”

Then Tsukuyomi was gone.

But her mother was there, and Ami continued to cling to her. To her astonishment, she realized Raiden was weeping.

Before this was done, the entire world would weep.

Author’s Note

PHILO: I fell in love with the father-son dynamic that Nakamura and Kenta had and feel greatly miffed that in the very same chapter, Full-Paragon took it away. Beware the tears of Kuudere because it means the ice has melted in her rage. Also, I suggested the title! It’s cool, right? Wisteria are supposed to represent eternity and longevity whilst also representing the transience of life, and I may have watched too much Demon Slayer, but guarantee the Raiden Shogun would also be a huge fan of the show.

OCTOBER: God damn it, I already snuck in the Mourner’s Kaddish into a different editor’s note — we’re not doing it again!

DrFeelgood:  The line from Doctor Who about ‘demons run when good men go to war’ seems like it fits here.