As the screech echoed through the woods, birds erupted from the trees and the forest went silent. Their ears picked up sounds of movements in the trees, as the sounds got louder, so did voice of screeching Sarugami.
Masaki Taisho and Kiyoshi quickly regrouped with the rest of the wardens.
"There has to be at least tens of them." Kiyoshi mentioned, "what should we do Taisho?"
"I did not want a confrontation this early but we have no choice now." Masaki replied.
"We could head back,"Kiyoshi said with raised brows.
Masaki nodded. "True, but our progress would be lost. The Sarugami are intelligent enough to understand that, they will follow and they will launch an attack when they realized they've been compromised."
"Isn't that even more reason to go back, and prepare to defend?" Kiyoshi contested.
Masaki rubbed his chin in deep thought. "We will face this initial horde, if it gets overwhelming or if an advanced tier shows up, then we retreat."
"Alright Taisho."
Soon the Sarugami came into their line of sight, but more rustling was heard.
Masaki frowned deeply. "It appears they're trying to ambush us from various directions, get ready for the ambush."
At his command the wardens were ready to attack, but as his eyes fell on the few Aoshima samurai with him, they were a bit on edge, visibly shaking and uncoordinated. Masaki sighed, he turned to them and spoke out loud. "Return to your leader, tell him to get ready for another horde of Sarugami, get the villagers safely in their houses, inform your Lord and prepare for an attack."
The Aoshima samurai nodded, relief evident on their faces as they were asked to leave. But as they got ready to leave Masaki turned to them once again. "Also, get my junior captain Hoshigami Wasuren here with me."
They nodded and left in a hurry leaving the wolf wardens to face the Sarugami alone.
The rustling in the trees got louder and in a few seconds Sarugami appeared, some armed with rusty swords, some clubs and others bricks. They were on top the trees some on the ground, and some hanging by the vines. The forest was soon filled with a high pitched blood curdling laughter. It sounded like a hundred scavenger birds had found their new meal. It was inhumane.
"I count thirty above us." Kiyoshi mentioned quickly.
"Hmm, there's twenty more at ground level." Masaki stated.
"Hehehehe fresh meat brethren" a loud visceral laughter reached the ears of the wardens. "You walked into our ambush yes yes. Hehehehe."
Masaki gripped his Warhammer tighter, "that is the most annoying voice I've ever heard."
The statement caused a light chuckle from the wardens. "Alright. They are most intermediate tier, and some basic tier. This is light work for us brothers. OKAMI NO BANSHI WOLF HIDE FORMATION!"
At Masaki Taisho's call, the wardens changed positions. They took each other's backs with drawn katanas, with Masaki Taisho and Kiyoshi Kuma at the head and the fifty wolf Wardens standing around in spikey formation, ready for the confrontation.
The Sarugami came all at once, some hopped down from the trees, others running towards them, but the second they were within reach of a warden's katana they were cut down. With great precision the wolf wardens slashed and struck the enemy, and no matter how hard the Sarugami tried, they could not break through the wall of swords formed by the wolf wardens.
The Sarugami noticed how their numbers dwindled with a direct attack and decided to change strategy.
"They've slowed down, what are they planning to do?" One of the wardens asked.
"They are climbing up the trees, they're going to drop down on us all at once!" Another exclaimed. In a short moment, the remaining Sarugami had successfully positioned themselves in the trees ready to descend in their prey.
But a midst they chaos, Masaki was sharp. "OKAMI NO BANSHI TOGETHER!" he exclaimed, and without complaints the wolf Wardens came together in a large circle with their backs to each other. The Sarugami released a loud screech and all dropped from the trees at the same time, some oven threw their weapons. As they were about to land, Masaki Taisho's voice echoed, "DISPERSE." immediately the wardens separated and scurried beside the trees. But the exact moment that the feet of the enemy touched the ground, Masaki Taisho yelled at his samurai, "CHARGE!" The wolf wardens emerged from their positions and encircled the Sarugami. With great coordination by the wardens, the Sarugami were overwhelmed and defeated.
The wolf wardens looked around them, the forest floor littered with dead bodies of these monkey beasts and their armor bathed in crimson like there had been a shower of blood. But the Wolf wardens did not rest, they did not sheath their katana, because they knew that the fight had just begun for beyond the blood stained trees of this battlefield that they have found themselves, was another horde of Sarugami.
----
The fifteen Aoshima samurai that Masaki Taisho asked to leave had returned to the opening of the forest where Tadayori was posted with the remaining fifteen Aoshima samurai.
"What are you doing back here, you are supposed to be with the Okami no Banshi?" Tadayori asjed.
"There's a horde Taisho." One of the samurai answered a bit out of breath.
"Another horde, well what are you doing here should you not be lending them a hand?" Tadayori asked visibly frustrated.
"Yes Taisho," the samurai answered while trying to regain his breath, "but The warden's Captain, Masaki, gave us permission to leave. He said that we should join you to prepare for a horde invasion, and get the village on lock down. He also asked that we get him someone named Hoshigami Wasuren, he said that he's their vise captain."
Tadayori stood there in deep thought. A few moments had passed before he spoke, "Twenty of you will remain here and guard this opening, I'll go with ten men and inform Senzo-sama and as for Hoshigami Wasuren, I will send someone to get him from his quarters."