Light of Dawn

Chapter 15 - A New Player

Rex was still glaring up at Oda who had yet to leave the underpass where the two of them had just had their dual moments ago. Though Oda wasn't exactly relishing in the victory as one would expect of someone that was in league with Stark. If anything he seemed more upset despite that gloating he'd just done it was clear that he wasn't happy about something now. He was pacing about them as if he were actually checking on them to make sure that his blows really were nonlethal. They were, with the exception of Rex's wound. If he didn't keep his hands over the cut on his throat there was no doubt that he'd die within a matter of minutes. Yet even so, with his hands there it was only prolonging death by slowing the bleeding and keeping his airway somewhat closed but unless he sought medical attention he wasn't going to make it.

Oda let out a grumble before he tapped the red jewel on his left bracelet which brought forth an orb of light that was used for communication. Also with its emergence a shade could be seen overtaking the immediate area as Oda tapped the ball of light. He sent out a call to anyone within the vicinity that there were multiple Shinobi down and one that was in critical condition. Rex and the rest of the Shinobi all gave Oda a surprised look which only seemed to annoy him.

"I may be fighting against you, but that doesn't mean I wish for the deaths of our kind." Oda said after he tapped the orb again to make it disappear. He then tapped his right bracelet before producing some gauze that he tossed to Rex. "Believe it or not I'm still doing my duty. I'm just doing it a different way."

"Siding with monsters goes against our duty in every way!" Exclaimed the woman that had been the last to be cut down by Oda. "How does siding with monsters continue our duty?"

"Because this is a fight that can't be one!" Oda snapped back in Japanese as he stalked over to the woman. "We've tried fighting them, for months we've been fighting these vampires. But they don't fight like we do, there's no code of honor that holds them to a set of rules. We've lost over two-thirds of our fighting force, and now our Empress is being forced to consider sending Novices out into the field because we simply cannot keep up with the rate at which these vampires multiply.

"For every one we cut down, they turn another three. Soon the number of deaths will warrant the humans' of our region to look into the rash of disappearances. We cannot keep up with their foot soldiers, you haven't even met their leader or his inner circle. None of us, none can match them in battle. I've tried and I failed!" Oda's fists were balled up so tightly that his knuckles audibly cracked when he said that last part. It was then that he realized he'd said too much as he straightened himself and glowered down at the woman. "That's why I'm working with them. Not to save my life, but to save the Shinobi and to better protect the lives of our wards. They're only here for one thing and once they have it they'll leave our region alone.

"I'm helping them to find it faster, that way they'll leave our land that much faster. Not only that, but I've minimized the casualties of this conflict ever since I've joined them. Do you have any idea how many raids I've stopped? Raids on our safe houses, on our Novice patrols, and even on our very home." At that the Shinobi all perked up and Oda again realized what it was that he'd just said but no longer seemed to care. "Yes, Stark Constantine not only knows where the Imperial Castle is, but also knows how to get past our wards that protect it. I'm telling you this so that you will stop standing in their way and stop costing us more Shinobi lives! Let them get what they came for and be done with it!"

"That- that's the coward's way out." Came a wheezy voice and Oda turned his head to find Rex getting to his feet, now with bandages wrapped tightly around his neck. Oda gave him a disapproving look as Rex spoke again while holding his left hand to his throat. "Sore wa anata o mite irunode, yami o mitekudasai"