"Now you watch!" Sagiri snarled.

At that moment, time stood still, and everyone held their breath. a moment, and the hundred arrows broke free from the others and flew in the direction of the tatani fighters who had yet to run far enough. They had stopped when Sagiri had stopped the arrows. The arrows tore through the air with so much force and speed that they did not have a moment to block. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Let’s see if you love arrow showers," Sagiri snarled.

In the next moment, a flesh-and-metal meeting, and the sound of bodies falling like ants followed. Agonizing wails and those of fear tore through Tatani. It was clear no one had ever witnessed that, and even those of the shadow corp stared in shock. Perhaps they were wondering why their mandra could ever want to offend such a person. With the shower, a third of the fighters of Tatani now lay still.

"What do you say, Seya, since this place is underground anyway. Won’t it make for a good graveyard?" Sagiri said. His voice was still ice. He had never tolerated anyone hurting those close to him. Squad 25 was his business, and if anyone dared lay a finger on them, then they would be his enemy. Even after he was banished, they still came to his aid. No one was allowed to harm them. Not even Tagayia. Not even their fathers like Chief Zaka, not even the mandra. They had accepted him without question, even after knowing he was from the south. The Kun of Tatani had gone too far this time.

Fear was visible in the area. The smell of it was almost unbearable.

As Sagiri spoke, he released another batch of hundreds of arrows. This one he released with even more force with the wave of his left hand. His anger was burning even more now. Why was everyone hellbent on taking what he cared about from him? First his clan, then his mother’s sand shade, then myama, then his adoptive parents. Now his squad!

The second wave was his raw anger at everyone for trying to take what he cared for.

"Anyone who harms my squad dies!" he snarled as the metal clashed with flesh again. More bodies fell, and the smell of blood filled the place to a point where it was almost nauseating. The sound of metal and something bitter was almost enough to bring tears to anyone’s eyes. Since Tatani did not have much fresh air. The fighters in the shadows were the ones to fall this time.

Seya had been frozen during the last wave, and a lone tear could be seen falling down her face this second time. Her face was a perfect picture of poking a hornet’s nest and finding out the hard way. If only she hadn’t opened that latch. It was clear she had too much pride and cared a little more about her pride than the well-being of her people. I mean, Sagiri had told him the cons and pros of Tatani continuing to grow under the nose of both Tagayia and Tatani. He even offered the south on a silver platter.

Her hands trembled, and her Ninoka and Tinka were no better. They had nothing to say this time. They were realising who they were up against until that moment.

"It is your turn now," Sagiri said in a cold voice.

The remainder, a thousand or so arrows, turned with his hand and pointed at Seya and the remainder of the fighters beside her. Two-thirds of her fighters were gone.

"Perhaps it would be easy to lead your people out of here when they don’t have a leader. If they refuse, then this can become your graveyard. I’d rather give them a painless death than wait for Tagayia and Safaya to tear them bone from limb and leave no body to bury." Sagiri said.

A moment passed between Seya and Sagiri. Everyone could feel it. Sagiri was only giving her one choice. to submit or die. The kun of Tatani is a prideful woman, and now what remained was her choice. Would she defy him and die together with all Tatani, or would she choose to submit to him? If she chose not to submit, then she was just tagayia and Safaya.

Seya, in the face of death, paused. Her lip quivered as her eyes looked around the place, almost two thousand fighters lying there. dead. Another tear fell from her eye.

"Damn it. She is already beaten. Is he going to humiliate her?" Tavora said under his breath.

"Shut up. This is not a humiliation. We all have a choice to make." Yoka snapped, and Tavora swallowed.

kiuga was silent, watching the situation intently. No one in squad 25 held any other feelings. They all seemed to trust whatever sagiri could do.

in a moment when the tension was at almost suffocating levels. Suddenly, Seya let out a wail deep from her chest that was almost too torturous to hear. She tore the front of her dress, and her fighters immediately looked away. Even those on the sagiri squad and the Yoka squad lowered their gazes slightly. Sagiri did not even blink as Seya’s half-naked body came into sight.

"I, Seya, Kun of Tatani submit. I ask that you spare the life of the remainder of Tatani. The death of my fighters here today is my fault for being short-sighted. If anyone must die today, let it be. The people of Tatani deserve to live. I have always known Tagayia, and Safaya could come for us, one day, but chose to turn a blind eye because there was nowhere else to turn. If it is still well with you, Tatani will follow you. If you swear to protect them, how you have protected your men, then I will stop being kun..."

"Cover your kun before I kill you!" Sagiri cut her off, his voice icy. Ninoka and Tinka tore their coats at the same time and laid them on their queen, covering her nakedness and protecting her decency. Only after she was completely covered did sagiri speak again.

"Did it have to come to this for you to see reason, kun of Tatani? I do not wish to be the leader of Tatani..."

"You are the only one strong enough to make Safaya and Tagayia think twice before coming for. If you don’t accept this, then what is the reason? The moment we get out of this hole, they are all dead!" Seya trembled with something more than rage.

"Sagiri, she is making a point. She is giving in. You can’t reject her." Kiuga stepped beside Sagiri.

"I don’t plan on becoming chief," Sagiri said in a bored tone.

"If you kill a leader, you have to take her seat," Yoka said.

"I haven’t killed her," Sagiri said. He could understand what they were saying.

"She has submitted to you. More or less, you are now chief of Tatani." Kaka said, and Sagiri sighed. That much he knew, but he was not planning to be responsible for thousands of people.

This was becoming complicated. It could be easier to just kill them all and burn all Tatani. The remainder of the arrows were still pointed at Seya. Sagiri sighed. He needed to make use of them first before he had this talk. The weight of them was beginning to get heavier.

"Everyone, step back first. " If you don’t want to die!" Sagiri said to Seya and her fighters.

First things first.