Chapter 7: This Is What Democracy Looks Like! Toya's Direct Action
Toya Oshima despises gradualism. Children are in danger, after all.
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NEXT: Chapter 8
When Hina explained to Toya the real plan Natsuru had come up with, he couldn't believe his ears.
The god Pan threatens the safety of all human settlements, so we must form a robust defense.
That was what Natsuru had told him; dinosaurs were the threat, and these savage creatures would return to menace Gaikyo for the first time in over 90 years.
She said nothing about Haiirosen. She said nothing about child sacrifice by one of the Republic's most distinguished families. She said nothing about a sneaky plan to nibble around the edges.
In other words, the love of his life lied to his face, and a lie of omission was no better than a falsehood directly spoken. The explanations Hina gave about Natsuru not wanting a disastrous war did not satisfy him.
Toya was at the dojo. Everyone had gone home, allowing him to talk to Ichiro and Hina in private.
"Mark my words, Haiirosen will be held accountable for this evil," Toya said.
But Hina wasn't the only one with Toya. Ichiro was there as well, fired up at Toya's words,
"We need to humiliate Machida in front of everyone, make it clear that anyone who refuses to fight evil is no friend of our Republic," Ichiro said.
"Calm down, Ichiro. The office of the Chief Witch is an important one; it would not do us well to disparage it," Toya answered.
"Then what do you have in mind? How will you change her behavior?" Ichiro asked.
"Easy: we will use the elder witches. They will not take my love's dishonoring of her oath lightly," Toya said.
Hina chuckled. "You are devious, Oshima-sensei."
"It's the only way to save VENOM from itself," Toya said.
"And the best part? Those ladies talk. We only need to tell this stuff to a few of them, and we're good to go," Hina said.
Toya had a solid plan indeed. The elder witches formed the backbone of Venerian society. Red-striped witches used their control over physical forces to ease the burdens of manual labor in the farms and foundries. Green-striped witches used their control over electrical forces to power mills, machinery, and vehicles. Blue-striped witches used their control over thermal forces to tame the ever-present heat and humidity and preserve the vast stockpiles of meat that hunters have piled up over the years. They raised their daughters in the ways of magic, and those daughters would go on to become VENOM's lower witches. Then they would marry and become elder witches themselves.
The collective voice of Gaikyo's witches would be impossible for Natsuru to ignore.
"Where should we start?" Toya asked.
"My aunt," Hina answered. Hina's own mother wasn't a witch, but her mother's older sister was.
"Then tell her what you told me. The dark months are coming; we don't have much time," Toya said.
"Right away," Hina said. She ran off.
Toya waited until Hina was gone to speak again.
"Ichiro, the witches are all well and good, but I'll need you to do something too," Toya said.
"Whatever you need, Sensei," Ichiro said.
"I'll need you to take Hina prisoner."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because the Chief Witch cares for her well-being. Their relationship isn't the best, but my beloved will not leave her to twist in the wind."
"I'm not going to hurt Hina."
"You don't have to. She'll jump straight into your arms, won't she?"
"I mean, she would, but restraining her by force is a bit much."
"If I am to force Natsuru's hand, I'll need a bargaining chip. Hina is the best choice. Besides, just explain that it's part of the plan, a bluff to make Natsuru see sense."
Ichiro nodded in agreement as relief came over him.
"That sounds a lot better. I'll be sure to let her know," Ichiro said.
"Good. Now get a move on; time's a-wasting." Toya answered.
Ichiro left as well, his task crystal clear. As for Toya, he went to the inside of the dojo to meditate on the radical moves he just set into motion.
#
The smell of cooked pork covered the street as everyone went about their day. Toya had spent the better part of the day putting the young men at his dojo through their paces. He let the young men know what was going on, so the threat of Haiirosen had made all of the men push themselves to their limits. Like Toya, they couldn't believe that Natsuru would hide this from them.
But now, Toya just wanted some food.
He got to the head of the line and slammed a 1-kami note onto the lunch counter. The proprietor handed over a thin bamboo stick with pieces of pork on it. Toya walked away from the open air stall and took a bite when a man in a conical hat showed up. His hair was brown and stringy, and he wore a black kimono with the Azure Bastion square-wave pattern on it. Toya knew this young man, since he trained at the dojo all the time. It was Ryuji Oyama.
"Something seems to be troubling you," Toya said after swallowing his pork.
"Seeing as everyone got so worked up back at the dojo, I kept quiet, but now I have to be honest with you," Ryuji said.
Toya had a bad feeling about where this was going. "What's the problem?"
"I think maybe the Chief Witch's plan is the wiser course of action," Ryuji said.
Toya tensed up. "Why?"
"It'll accomplish the same goal, and it'll get less people killed," Ryuji answered.
"Innocents are in danger, and the dark months draw near. If we are to smash this threat to our Republic, we have to act now," Toya answered.
"Chief Witch says they're more powerful than we are -- at least, that's what I heard from Hina. If that's right, the sneaky way is better."
"We have the elder witches; they do not. And once I'm done, the 'sneaky' option will be moot," Toya answered.
"I don't know; it seems like you're playing with fire. I can't support it -- too many things can go wrong," Ryuji said.
"I'm willing to take the chance if it means that children will be protected. This Republic was formed to protect children from evil; we must uphold our obligations as Venerians."
Ryuji nodded. "I can work with that. We've got a good thing going here."
"Glad you finally see things my way. Can I count on your support when I make my move?"
"To be honest, I don't think I will. But I won't stop you either."
"How can I be sure you won't interfere?"
"My word is my bond. If I stop your action, I'd be a liar. I have one word of warning, though."
"And what would that be?"
"Leave Hina out of this."
On that note, Ryuji walked away, leaving a stunned Toya in his wake.
He'll be a complicating factor for sure. No matter -- I'll have to press on regardless, Toya thought. As he munched on his pork, he noted the chatter around him; the women of the town smiled and nodded at him with approval. After finishing his food, he took a walk around town and got many of the same reactions from women young and old.
He had no doubt anymore. The stage had been set, and a new chapter in Venerian history was about to be written.
#
Toya waited a day to see if any complications would arise. He believed that at least some of the women warned Natsuru and the other upper witches ahead of time, but Toya didn't think it would matter, so he gave the witches of Gaikyo the time they needed to prepare everything.
He was training with the younger men when Ryuji showed up in the dojo.
"Where have you been?" Toya asked as he relaxed his stance.
"Away. I'm here to tell you that Hina is secure, and that the people of Jiyumura have already taken action," Ryuji said.
"That's great to hear, but why are you telling me this?"
"I did some thinking, and I think maybe your way is better."
"I'm heartened to hear that. Now sound the alarm -- today, we march on the Onodera Estate," Toya said.
"With pleasure," Ryuji answered. He left the dojo, screaming at passersby to form up.
"So we're going now?" one of the guys asked.
"We are. I will go unarmed, but all of you grab sticks. We have to show up in force," Toya answered.
The men of the dojo all picked up long wooden staffs, then lined up behind Toya.
"Atten-TION!" Toya shouted. The guys stood up straight, their staffs pointed straight up.
"Forward!" Toya shouted. Following their sensei's lead, the men left the dojo grounds and got onto the city streets, which were now crowded with witches in kimonos and their lower witch daughters. But the witches' husbands were out in force too, as were nonmagical girls and women.
And the sons gathered around Toya as he marched.
The spirit of the crowd boosted Toya's mood as he and the young men of Gaikyo made their way to the Onodera Estate. The crowd chanted as they clogged the streets in righteous rage. The Sacred Flame Banner, a red flag with a yellow flame symbol in the middle, could be seen throughout the crowd, with many of them made of thin paper. More robust were the many black banners with blue square waves on the edges, all sewn from cloth and all bearing slogans written in blue characters.
SAVE THE CHILDREN AND SEIZE VICTORY
DEATH TO CHILD-KILLERS
DESTROY HAIIROSEN
Those banners matched Toya's feelings exactly.
As the thundering mob got within sight of the Estate, the witches -- both elder and lower -- burst to the front straight away. Sympathetic lower witches opened the gates, and the witches flowed in like floodwaters.
The witches occupied every open space on the estate grounds, then they were let into the main building itself. Toya wondered if everyone had forgotten that he was supposed to lead the negotiations.
But once he and the young men reached the gates, the witches made space for him. Mrs. Okamoto was standing guard here, with Midori close by.
"We were wondering when you'd arrive," Mrs. Okamoto said.
"You ladies got to it faster than I thought. Hope you didn't make too much of a mess in there," Toya answered.
"I haven't been inside, but let me escort you," Mrs. Okamoto said.
"No problem," Toya answered. He turned to the young men. "Stay out here with the others," he shouted over the clamor. The young men heeded their sensei's words.
Mrs. Okamoto led Toya through the thicket of people that now filled up the estate grounds.
Following Mrs. Okamoto's lead, Toya passed through the threshold of the great mansion and entered the family's lobby with its central table and double staircase. Only this time, elder witches crowded the whole place and Natsuru, Satomi, and Angira were bound to chairs and gagged, with several elder witches standing over them, wands at the ready.
They're not injured...good.
An elder witch with a blue stripe on her kimono, one Mrs. Arai, locked eyes with Toya as the room went quiet. The only sounds now were the muffled chants from outside.
"Some of the ladies are forming a mud puddle out back. Wanna throw 'em in?" Mrs. Arai asked.
"Mixed with pig leavings!" another witch added, evident joy in her voice.
"I even have a placard for them to wear afterward," Mrs. Arai said. She took a large wooden board from the floor; the characters painted on it read WHORE OF MOLOCH.
"Give it here," Toya said.
"Of course," Mrs. Arai said. With a spring in her step, she handed the placard over to Toya.
Who then broke it on his knee.
He tossed the pieces aside, "Natsuru Machida is still my woman and still the Chief Witch. You will not disrespect her like this!" Toya said, his voice booming.
Mrs. Arai slumped her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I just thought that you'd wanna teach her a lesson."
"I am here to negotiate with her, not humiliate her. Everyone, go outside; if I need your assistance, I will call you," Toya said.
Mrs. Arai nodded. "Right."
The rest of the witches got the message too. All of them left their spots and exited the lobby, crowding the front doors as they left; it took a few minutes for all of them to leave.
Toya didn't notice it amid the chaos, but Mrs. Arai had undone Natsuru's bonds.
Satomi and Angira, however, remained tied up. Oshima pulled up the sole empty seat and sat across from his fiancée.
"Toya...why? Why all this?" Natsuru asked.
"Evil cannot be allowed to flourish on our watch. This Republic was formed to end such things," Toya answered.
Satomi and Angira tried to speak through their gags, but nothing came out except muffled whining.
"Maybe we should cut those two loose," Natsuru said.
"You will not. This is between you and me. Their job is to listen," Toya said.
Natsuru nodded; thousands of protesters outside was a very convincing argument indeed.
"Very well. But before we start, let me explain my real plan. Because it wasn't 'let Haiirosen walk away,' or whatever Ichiro Isesaki claimed it was," Natsuru said.
Natsuru explained every step of her plan: gaining Akane's trust by proposing a second Savage Hunt, using the joint effort to find out the extent of the child murders and learn Haiirosen's weaknesses, then take out the dangerous Tempest Archers when they don't expect it. Only then would Natsuru order a siege and sack of the city.
"Or at least that was the plan, before you whipped everyone into a frenzy. Now Akane will never trust us," Natsuru said.
"Sorry to say, but that's a bad plan. It will take too long, and the dark months will make large scale action difficult. The longer it takes, the more likely they'll catch on," Toya answered.
"I could've made it work. If you had concerns, you should've brought them up privately," Natsuru said.
"When innocents are in danger, there's no time for long discussions. We have to do something while we still have time. Look at all the witches outside -- all of them are willing to fight," Toya said.
"I was thinking that maybe you could've done this without undermining my position as Chief Witch," Natsuru said.
"An entire city is doing evil down the river, and you’re worried about your position?" Toya asked.
"I'm not playing status games! Bringing this mob into the Estate turns my rank into a meaningless joke. What good is my rank if anyone with a big crowd and a bad attitude can just barge in here and make demands? And worst of all, everyone is accusing me of inaction when it's not the least bit true!" Natsuru answered.
TOYA: And what was your plan for if your idea failed?
NATSURU: I would have informed the public to prepare defenses against a possible raptor attack. We would be ready... and the public would not panic. Also, Haiirosen wouldn't have caught on to the defense's real purpose.
TOYA: So your plan...was to lie to the people. Why?
NATSURU: I told you. If Haiirosen knew what we were up to, they'd attack straight away. I want to protect our people, our children, from needless harm!
TOYA: And when the harm comes anyway, the people learn that the Chief Witch deceived them. That assumes of course, that you repel the enemy. Just like that, you will have discredited your office.
NATSURU: Well we can't win if everyone just panics and rushes down there!
TOYA: So that is how you see the people of Gaikyo -- as simpletons who can't judge threats. And to think I was going to marry you.
NATSURU: Toya, please, it's not like that...
TOYA: Then what is it like? You said you'd fill me in after your talk with Ryotaro. You left out the part about child sacrifice.
NATSURU: I told you, I had my reasons.
TOYA: And those reasons don't matter. Now here's how it's going to be. You will declare that Gaikyo is now on a war footing, with mandatory participation by all in defense efforts. You will tell the truth about the threat we face, and commit to its total destruction. All forces will be under the command of the Chief Witch and the upper witches; you may issue whichever orders you deem necessary, including meting out punishment for this very demonstration.
NATSURU: And if I refuse?
TOYA: If you refuse, Hinagiku remains our prisoner.
NATSURU: I can't believe you'd go so low.
TOYA: Low? I'm offering to make your position more powerful than it's ever been! The influence you'd wield as Chief Witch would be immense!
NATSURU: The 'power' you offer is little more than a charade. I'd be nothing more than the puppet of an angry crowd. Faced with that position, the title of 'Chief Witch' would be hollow.
TOYA: We will remain here all day if we have to. As for Hinagiku, any discomfort she is feeling is on you.
NATSURU: I have a better solution.
TOYA: And what's that?
NATSURU: I will place myself under your command. I will assist my fellow witches in defending our Republic.
TOYA: I don't know how I feel about this. I have no plans to dissolve VENOM.
NATSURU: You dissolved it the moment you occupied this estate. There's no point in propping up a corpse, so now, the defense of the Republic is in your hands. The Venerian Order of Magic is hereby ended.
TOYA: If that is your decision, I will respect it. But from here on out, I will spare no effort to ensure our victory. Thank you for understanding my concerns.
And at long last, the standoff was over. Toya embraced Natsuru and pecked her on the lips, and Natsuru lingered there in his arms. Even the prospect of war would not diminish their love for one another.
But in the meantime, they had to untie Satomi and Angira.
#
With all demands met, the crowd dispersed. All of Gaikyo moved to a war footing, with everyone throwing themselves into the creation of weapons, fortifications, uniforms, and banners. Everyone, young and old, pitched in to prepare the city for battle against the forces of the dark god. It wasn't just that both Gaikyo and Haiirosen's children needed to be protected -- it was that the Venerian Republic's honor had to be upheld.
Toya was walking toward the boathouse with Natsuru, Satomi, and Midori; Toya had Hina held in Jiyumura, with the full cooperation of her family and herself. Now, Toya wanted to take Natsuru to see her. Satomi and Midori came along to power the boat.
But when they got there they found a familiar rowboat -- and a very pissed off Ryotaro.
The chief of Jiyumura stomped over to Tazna.
"You dumb piece of shit. You have no idea how much you've messed things up," Ryotaro said.
Natsuru pointed her staff forward. "Watch your mouth."
"Oh be quiet," Ryotaro said to Natsuru. He refocused on Toya, "Because of you, my villagers forced me to come up with a new plan on the spot. And the one me and the Chief Witch agreed to was finally bearing fruit, too!"
"I'm no longer the Chief Witch. That position has been abolished," Natsuru said.
"So I suppose you're in charge now, Oshima?" Ryotaro asked.
"I am; you can call me Chancellor. As for your plan, it is unrealistic and morally bankrupt. Direct war with Haiirosen is the only way out of the current crisis," Toya answered.
"I don't think you understand what you just messed up. Read this and tell me if you think Akane's going to take this up now that you've got all of Gaikyo shouting for war," Ryotaro said. He took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and shoved it into Toya's hands.
Now Natsuru stepped up. "Why don't we sort this out on the way? We're just going to see Hina."
Ryotaro scowled. "You see, that's why your fiancé here is such a dumbass. Hina felt guilty about spilling the beans, so she volunteered to sneak into Haiirosen with Ryuji. That's the new plan. We've gotta save the advantage we've got, one way or another." He focused on Toya. "Now read what I gave you."
Toya opened the paper.
My dearest brother,
I gave your letter some thought and discussed it with my council. Though they were skeptical of Gaikyo's sudden interest in our city, I convinced them that the danger from Pan demanded a united response from all of settled Venus. Thus my council and I are open to an alliance with Gaikyo and Jiyumura, as it's clear that a second Savage Hunt must be conducted.
That said, we must plan our strategy carefully, because this hunt must be far more thorough than the last. The entire council agreed that the objective must be the total elimination of all dinosaurs on this continent. While it sounds daunting, I have far more force at my disposal than our ancestor Takuo had, so I am ready to meet this challenge head-on. I look forward to you and Miss Kaneshiro's visit.
Your sister,
Akane Isesaki
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NEXT: Chapter 8