Composed by deko
Translated by Yuki Neco
One early morning, Fierce battle was in progress at the border of Yakoku and Kukoku, where the turrets are on fire.
“There’s no hope! Let’s get outa here!” the captain shouted a command.
Yakoku soldiers are withdrawing as they carried their injured friends. It was clear that Kukoku is superior in the battle. Just like a carnivorous animal in persistent pursue for its prey, the enemies contined shooting arrows as a number of Yakoku soldiers collapsed.
“Yahahaha, way to go! Now we’re paying you for the past! My army, destroy the enemy,” laughed King Kuna. Totally in delight, he talked to the man beside him with a slight courtesy, “Geso Li, you did a really great job. I appreciate it.”
“Then you are giving me that...”
The king showed him the enchanted ball with a delightful grin, and said, “I’m gonna give you anything you want but this one, the princess of Yakoku, or the land! Please me more!”
Geso was depressed. He didn’t like to work for the sting, but he knew he couldn’t get away from him. Reluctantly, he turned to a point up the sky as he chanted, “Flame! Go through the air!” The Flame Card shot a beam of blaze that flew away.
Syaoran was bathing in a drum filled with water in the courtyard of the sanctuary as the Hope Card on the Float Card cooled his burn down by pouring water on him. His clothes and tip of his hair were scorched.
“Syaoran, you saved my life. I owe you one,” the Hope whimpered.
“That’s OK. But I sure got back at Geso,” Syaoran replied.
At this time, King Kuna and Geso were twitching from an electric shock at the army base in Kukoku. “That little brat from Li clan! He used a lightning magic on me!” shouted Geso.
Sakura brought him dry clothes from inside the sanctuary as commanders are following her. “Here you are! Change right away or you’ll catch a cold. The cold this year can cause a bad cough,” she said when she hand him the clothes.
“You just sounded like his wife. Not bad,” the Hope smirked as Sakura and Syaoran turned as red as a beet.
“Anyway, dress yourself now,” Sakura pouted with embarrassment.
Reinforced with volunteers and machinery, the excavation on Tomoeda Hill was in faster progress. Journalists came to the tent of the headquarters to interview Professor Kinomoto.
“Then was the government that used to rule around here influenced by someone from China?” a journalist asked.
“Yes, we’re still finding artifacts that imply the hypothesis since yesterday,” Fujitaka answered.
“So you mean the culture originated in China was handed down to the far-off area from Yamato like this place?”
“No, I’m not that affirmative... but I think it’s true someone from China lived in this place,” Fujitaka replied.
Meanshile, Yukito talked to Touya, “So the archeological approach to this area can be made next year?”
“Yeah,” Touya replied, “But this is queer. I know there were skirmish, and we found lots of arrowheads and spearheads at the cemetary, and the track of ancient stream right next to this ruin, besides...”
“Here we found almost no human bones, except the cemetery,” Yukito responsed with a puzzled look, “I doubt if there was a skirmish around here, or what?”
“Or someone did a cleaning. Hey, Touya, you have a guest.” Carring coffee, Youko interrupted brusquely with an irritated look unlike usual.
“What are you mad about, Youko,” Touya said confusedly.
“I’m not mad at all!”
Stepping out of the tent, he saw a woman he hadn’t seen for ages.
Sakura and Syaoran were meeting with commanders in the sanctuary, when the captain and the male and female adjutants were down on their knees. The female adjutant was actually one of Iyo’s maids.
The captain said, “Lady Iyo, Kukoku army is outnumbered, so it’s sensible to avid open battle. I suggest a street battle near the village.”
The maid interrupted, “Lady Iyo, that strategy is impossible. Please make a decision.”
Sakura quietly replied, “You might think I’m a hypocrite, but I don’t want anyone to hurt anyone—in our province or enemy province.”
The people in the place were stunned at her words. They didn’t have pacifism like she did.
“That’s what you say, they’ve been a serious threat with seizing even though they are not starving,” the maid tried to convince her. Sakura felt very sad because she had never been able to make herself understood in that point. “Think! As hard as you can do, think about the family that loses someone precious in the battle. How painful it could be,” Sakura cried. The three turned silence. At this moment, a messanger came through the doorway, shouting, “The enemy had arrived at the river on the eastern side! Now their progress is being suspended because of the depth of the river.”
The adjutants walked out of the room in a hurry before Sakura could say anything. All she could do was see them behind with a sad face without a word. She shivered with some kind of fear. The captain supported her delicate shoulders with a pure loyalty.
“You are a noble woman, with that regid philosophy, Lady Iyo from another world,” the captain whispered.
Sakura and Syaoran gasped in surprise. “I knew it. That you two came from another world,” the captain said.
“Are you going out to the battle even though you know my wish?” Sakura asked with teary eyes.
“Protecting Queen Reko, shrine maiden princess, and Yakoku—that’s what I gotta do. I have not fulfilled my duty as a soldier yet,” he replied. She could see, on his face, his career as a self-sacrificing brave who had injured time and again before. It was the very first time she know how gentle his face looked.
“Dai... I mean, Dai from another world, you stay with our shrine maiden princess. Protect her no matter what happens,” the captain said to Syaoran before he left the sanctuary.
It was foggy all in the forest by the river. On the opposite bank of the river, Yakoku soldiers were staying alert on Kukoku army, forming their combat formation—the front comprised heavily armored solders, but the back was the mixed troops of men and women of various ages. Some hold bamboo spears and hoes, while the others were bear-handed without protective clothing.
“The battle this year is awkward,” the maid complained.
“Maybe because Queen Reko passed away the other day. They don’t feel like fighting in mourning. Besides that, this fog is eerie...” a farmer replied.
“That’s not what I mean,” she asserted a denial, “That’s her fault! That wimpy princess made all the folks wimp like her.” The captain sniffled to hear the maid expressing her irritation even though she had some respect toward Iyo in her heart. “I don’t think she’s a wimp. Her gentle smile—that’s the face of someone who came through many hardships,” he said to himself.
Shadows were seen in the fog, which came in the river closer to the folks, until they got on their feet at the shallows. It was archers from Kukoku.
“Aaaaah!!” shriek of the maid pierced the air when she got hit by an arrow, then she collapsed. A hail of arrows attacked the unarmored folks back of the formation. Armored soldier proceeded forward to start a sword fight.
“Here they come. They’re coming across the river by boat,” the farmer shouted with a shock from the surprise attack.
“Flee! We gotta get out of here!” the captain shouted.
“What the heck are you saying?! They’re now this close to the sanctuary! What if we couldn’t block them here.” the maid shouted in desperation.
“What are you doing?” the captain shouted back, “You’ve got what you have to do. Don’t stay here to lose your life!” As soon as he yanked the arrow from her shoulder, he loaded the maid on his back when he stared a sword fight against the enemy that tried to slash him.
In the sanctuary, Sakura, her maids, and old women are sewing, where children were playing innocently.
“That’s what’s repeated many years, Lady Iyo,” an old woman talks in a sad voice, “When the harvesting season’s over they attack the neighbor province to get additional income. The other people are left in the province in a...”
Syaoran, who was nimbly doing a needle work, heaved a sigh seeing Sakura’s eyes turned teary. At this time, the door opened and a messanger ran through the doorway—with his shoes on—not allowed in the place. “Lady Iyo, emergency! Our army suffered a crushing defeat on getting a surprise attack by Kukoku at the river. Now they’re fleeing!” he panted.
“I got it,” Sakura replied and stood up, “Listen everyone, we are going to treat the injured. Let’s go out to the courtyard.”
Sakura took Syaoran by the hand before she called the Fly Card to take off.
Yakoku army was slightly withdrawing in the battle that was fiercely taking place along the moat. Sakura and Syaoran could see the state from up the sky. It’s obvious that Yakoku is inferior since they are less armored. Sakura covered her eyes in refusal from the severe reality, with tears running on her cheeks. “How stupid can they get?! Stop it! Step killing people!” she cried impulsively. Syaoran on the Float Card tried to hold Sakura back when she tried to dive into the battle field.
“What do you think you’re doing? What could you do in there?” Syaoran tried to convince her.
“Let me go! I hate you! I hate them! I hate anybody likes to fight!”
“Sakura, control your emotion,” he kept holding her shoulders and looking in her eyes.
“Look at the soldier. He is the farmor who taught me how to weed the field!” Sakura recalled the kind smile of the famer back when she first tried weeding a rice field. But now he was laid in a pool of blood. Syaoran gasped at the tragedy.
“There must be something I can do! For example, I can go to the spot and beg his life,” Sakura cried nonsense, “Let me go, Syaoran. I said let me go, you’re deaf?” Heaing the girl’s cry, Syaoran couldn’t hold back his tears, but he slapped her face. She turned speechless, not knowing what just happened to her. At this time, losing the power of the Float Card, Syaoran starts falling with his head down toward the ground thousands feet down.
“Sakuraaaa!!” his shout went up, besides, a dreadful battle was going on restlessly on the ground far far below Sakura’s feet. She could do nothing to stop it.
“Syaoran... what are you...”
In front of Sakura hopelessly standing in the air, Geso Li appeared with his magic Cards, grinning unpleasantly. “It was better than a movie. You give me the sealing wand. I knew you couldn’t handle it,” he extended his arm to snatch the sealing wand from Sakura who were not back to her conciousness. That was critical! Luckily a small body flew and kicked Geso’s cheek. “Take your hand off her, you wierdo crook dirty old man perv!” It was the Hope Card who cursed the unpleasant wizard.
“What? I’m not a weirdo, I’m a wizard,” Geso barked up angrily, “Humph, Clow Reed used to call you fat.”
Getting mad, the Hope Card kicked him in the face again, that made him dizzy with stars swirling around his head.
“Hey, Sakura, wake up! Wakie wakie earlobe!” the Hope pulled Sakura’s earlobe with all her might.
“Awwwww! Stop it, Hope, I’m awake!” Getting back to herself, Sakura flew down at an amazing speed until she caught Syaoran in the nick of time very close to the ground. On the other hand, to escape as did Geso Li try, the Hope bit him on the shin to keep him from teleporting. When Sakura and Syaoran were back, he was to suffer a terrible punishment. His four Cards were seeing him taking the punishment, when the Flame said, “Poor man.” “He made the two girls cry. He deserves it,” the other Cards said cynically.
The soldiers who had run back to the sanctuary were getting their wound treated by girls. Among them, the captain was looking around for Sakura. “Umm, where is Lady Iyo?” he asked. Then a peasant woman replied, “She took off to the moat.”
At the midnight, Kukoku soldiers completely surrounded the village across the moat, and steadily faced the village with torches. In other words, the Yakoku was surrounded by a number of torches. Sakura could see it from up the turret. Actually, the soldier who was there on service was injured so she got him downstairs. Inside the turret were signs of dreadful battle such as broken arrows and clotted blood.
“Dream is a dream, girl. There’s no world without war,” Geso Li who got fully purnished and bound in restriction said plainly. Loyal enough, his four Cards were still beside him not abandoning him.
Syaoran came back upstairs as he said, “It seems they are attacking the province next morning. The enemy’s headquarters is confident of their victory.”
“What happened to the injured people?” Sakura asked in worry.
“They’re all alive, but gathered in one place. I hear no one is dead so far. Prisoners are a trophy to them or something, I suppose.”
Nodding, Sakura took out Sakura Cards, and chanted a spell of the key to the seal standing at the center of the glowing magic circle, “The key that holds the power of the stars, reveal your true form to me. I, Sakura, commands thee under covenant. Release!” All the same as the incantation spell was, she could only chant it in a faint voice of agony.
“My precious Cards, I have something to ask you... but I want you to grant me your power.”
Sakura not only being too modest but nervous unlike usual, Sakura Cards were confused so the Light Card, the first subordinate, came to appear. “Sakura, what are you going to do?” the Light asked with worry.
“I want to free the prisoners,” Sakura replied.
“That’s impossible!” Syaoran shouted immediately.
“He is right,” Geso agreed with him, “If something happened to you what could your Card do? You know what’d happen, don’t you.”
“But there are someones badly injured, they needs to be cared, and
it’s a fact. Besides, it’s really freezing before the daybreak these days,
so without care they could be...”
Syaoran heaved a sigh knowing his precious girlfriend didn’t know
how to give way about this kind of thing.
“All right, I’m going with you,” he said.
“No, I’m fine. Besides, I can used that Card only once a day,” Sakura replied.
Syaoran and the Hope Card took on a puzzled look. What Card was she trying to use to sneak into the enemy base and free all the prisoners? When Sakura released the Mirror Card, Geso whistled with delight, but the Hope Card pulled his earlobe until he screeched.
“Here comes the captain to pick me up, so be me please,” Sakura asked the Mirror.
“OK, Sakura. Please be careful.”
Seeing the Mirror walking back to the sanctuary with the captain, Sakura smiled at her boyfriend and her plush doll left in anxiety. “Well, Geso, borrow me your coat,” Sakura took Geso’s coat before turning back to the two in worry, “Hey, Syaoran and Hope, there’s no worrying about me.” She gave a hug and kiss on the cheek when he still looked puzzled.
“I’m gonna do something nasty, but promise you won’t get mad,” Sakura put on Geso’s coat and hold her staff forward. A magic circle glowed under her feet again before a Sakura Card flew in response from among the deck. The Hope and Syaoran were astounded to see what Card she was about to call upon.
“Hey, Sakura, hold it!” the two shouted—but it’s too late.
“Woohoo, a dinosaur!” exclaimed Geso.
It was that she released the Big Card, which magnified... whom?
The chapter “Bronze Age” was titled after the golden age, silver age, and bronze age in Greek myth. The golden age was the period when Gods and Goddesses lived with humans, the silver age is when spirits lived with human after Gods and Goddesses left them, and the bronze age is when human lived on their own without Gods or spirits. The age is the time for humans to live as they like and change the world into the way they like.