Family, Ties that Bind

A few weeks had passed since Empress Saimei came to see the sunlight once again. Her general, Teronia Aggastas, partially responsible for her unsealing alongside a clueless and somewhat unexpected helper, suggested making base in Nadeshiko Village for its defensive advantages.

Saimei and her men, revitalized by the return of their holy empress, marched towards the location of the small stronghold. Once there, through her ocular powers, Saimei sensed several wicked chakra sources; so wicked were they, that even Saimei, as a pacifist, deemed negotiations downright impossible. At this, she saw herself forced to summon one of her battalions; after clapping her hands, she fixated her sight on a forest clearing. Several black markings started appearing on the ground, eventually glowing in a teal color and finally exploding in a large wave of smoke. There, it stood rows of heavily armored soldiers, each wielding their preferred weapon, raging from swords, spears, advanced crossbows and longbows, among other types of medieval weaponry. The most defining feature of these soldiers however, was that all of them appeared as skeletal figures beneath their armors and chain mails. For all intents and purposes, this battalion was nothing short of a ghost army, each and every soldier bearing a dreadful visage that would surely strike horror in all but the equally vilest oppositions. To think someone considered so holy, could possess such contrasting means of enforcing her will.

Saimei's revenant forces marched unwavering towards Nadeshiko Village, their seals spreading all over their ghastly bodies and releasing a teal aura all over the battalion, accentuating even further the already frightening vision of the marching, chanting undead paladins. These unliving soldiers, powered by Saimei's Cursed Seal of the Celestial Oath, quickly overrun the stronghold and made short work of the small task forced there stationed, freeing any prisoners at the request of their lady, which immediately joined Saimei themselves.

With the Nadeshiko conquered, the Empire's forces quickly took to work in placing elaborate seals on the ground, readying themselves to summon Saimei's very own demesne from the western continent, the Imperial Citadel, capital of the once glorious Sunset Empire. Similar seals that had been placed around the Citadel over the long years suddenly lit up, sundering the very earth itself as the whole province rose to the skies and made its way over the ocean as a gigantic floating island, towards the eastern lands; the seals also acted as a natural barrier, preventing anyone from entering or attacking the Citadel. This wondrous work of chakra demanded much from the summoners the following weeks, with Saimei herself helping in this task, and the servants' undead nature also being an advantage. At long last, the Imperial Citadel stood proudly atop Nadeshiko Village, hopefully to last until the ushering of Paradise and beyond. The soldiers and subjects all roared and cheered in patriotic fervor as the Citadel first came into sight of the conquered shinobi village, and as it anchored itself on the stronghold's seals. With the help of the locally converted shinobi, an elevator was built in a matter of days, connecting Nadeshiko to the lower levels of the Citadel. Saimei, now once again seated in the throne of Bizan Palace, could finally resume her quest for Elysium.