The Rise of the White Lotus

A loud thud immediately followed as the two bodies she assaulted crashed down to the ground. The only survivor whom she deliberately let alive had his sword wield, yet it was shaking as he witnessed his comrade fall in a fraction of a second.

"You! Wh-what..." Stuttering, the man took a step back as Tora's figure slowly strode towards him. When she came out from the dark and the torch that burning on the ground illuminated light on her side, the man noticed the distinct mark on her exposed scarred shoulder.

The Chisaka family mark! 

The moment the man realized where she came from, his heart shook in fear. The Chisaka family had handled the military for many generations now. Still, they have different marks depending on their ranks: its size and specific mark could discern it. Tora having the biggest inked mark, a beast, on her entire shoulder than the ones they had encountered meant she was the current head of the family.

The first known woman that had acquired the position of the general five years ago: Chisaka Tora! The ruthless, cold-blooded of a monster that slaughtered every enemy before her. The man was certain that he correctly identified her because only one woman from the Chisaka Family was as skilled as her. 

They were considered skilled warriors, but they couldn't even keep up with her when she slew his comrades in cold blood. It only showed the vast difference of their strength and skills. How could he face her head-on? He couldn't, he would die even before he knew it.

Therefore, the man's first instinct was to flee. His master needed to know so he could desert their base. However, just as he cautiously took a step back, a small dagger pierced near the side of his foot, which petrified him in his stance.

"If you reckon I missed, I didn't. Take me to her." Tora commanded. She had been holding back not to annihilate the three as she needed information. Despite that, her mind had began being clouded as it oozed with destruction.

"He — her?" Baffled, the man stuttered as the air gradually turned stifling the more she drew closer to him. But he didn't dare take a step back, afraid that she wouldn't miss the second time.

"A little girl was abducted earlier. Where did you take her?" Tora flung her sword forward, its sharp tip pointing in between the man's eyes. "Take me to her." She added.

Tora could just prance inside the base and kill everyone that would attempt to stop her. However, her priority was to save Churu. Hence, confronting a whole underground militia would stall time to reunite with her. After all, she needed to secure the little girl first before anything else.

The man's lower lip trembled as his eyes crossed, staring at the sharp tip of her sword. She only needed to push a little, and it would surely pierce through his head. He got the gist of what she meant.

These group, they were known to illegal deeds such as human trafficking, smuggling good, and so on so forth. Most of their victims were women and children who could offer a good price in the black market. Hence, whenever they robbed a group of travelers, they would keep the women and children while they slaughtered the men.

It just their misfortune that their victim this time was a companion of the general. This… this unfortunate encounter, the man knew, deep down, tonight would be their last night before they would all cease to exist.

****

"Oy! Who's that?" As they headed inside the camp, some members of the infamous group halted Tora and the man. Tora, who was bound with rope while the man dragged her in with her head hang low.

"We saw her roaming around outside the camp. Souma ordered me to bring her along with the new goods." After clearing his throat, the man named Chiharu tried his best to sound as natural as ever.

Earlier, Tora offered him a one-sided deal. Regardless of how unjust the term, the man had to follow her instructions. He has no other option. Hence, with her instruction to infiltrate the base without garnering attention so she could with Churu as soon as possible.

"Roaming outside?" The man who was questioning them narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Pacing around the two, he tilted his head to the side to see her face under her disheveled, dangling hair — covering most of her face.

"She was looking for her daughter." Chiharu's shoulders stiffened as he spouted another lie. He knew that if his comrades knew that the woman with her was Tora, it would sabotage her plans and buy time for his master. 

However, in a time like this, Chiharu was only thinking of himself because even he knew that even before he could inform them, Tora would kill him in an instant. Either way, he believed that if she got what she needed, it would leave her a little vulnerable while protecting a little child.

"Ah, the one that arrived earlier. Too bad, she's dead." Recalling his memory, the man nodded in acknowledgment before he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulder. "Well, at the very least, we had a replacement." He added in glee as they enraged their master for the sudden death of the child. Hence, to please their master, this woman was enough. After all, she doesn't look that bad.

Upon hearing his statement, Tora's shoulder's trembled, which the man noticed. On the other hand, Chiharu gulped a mouthful of saliva as his feet were deep-rooted on the ground.

"Fret not. You'll be able to see your daughter's body anyway. Go." The man waved his hand off as he let them pass through. For a moment, Chiharu didn't move as he didn't know what would happen. 

If not for Tora, who took a step forward, he wouldn't be able to snap from his trance. She wasn't saying anything, but the man instinctively thought she wanted to see the body herself. Hence, he just bowed his head to his superior before leading Tora to where they contain their 'goods'.