April the 5th, 1945.

      Here aboard the large battleship Yamato was Kenta, a small man even by his fellow countrymen's standards. His name literally meant Big, yet he was a mere four feet tall, a great irony for him. He was attending yet another readiness drill. The drills had been practiced to death and yet the crew still feared the worst. He was proud and ready to give his life for his country, but his unsettled mind kept saying this was absolute folly. Vice-Admiral Ito had briefed the majority of the crew on the particulars of operation Ten-Go, though the details of the operation were not well covered. The basic idea was this would be their final mission. Anyone who wanted to leave could, but none chose to do so. Eighty of the sick and Injured were forced ashore, but otherwise an entire fighting force of over five thousand men remained to man the ships of the fleet.

      April the 6th, Operation Ten-Go was to be initiated after resupplying in  Tokuyama port.

      Late tomorrow the Ten-Go fleet was to leave for Okinawa to attack the American forces now bearing down on the small island of Okinawa. Ammunition was granted to all ten ships of the fleet. They would be fully stocked over the course of the next day. Their orders were to fight their way through the oncoming American fleet and beach themselves off the shore of Okinawa,. Once there, they would serve as shore batteries in the defense of Okinawa's. If the fleet was destroyed, they were expected to swim to shore and continue the fight with the invading Americans till the last man.

      April the 7th, dusk.

      With drill operations coming to an end, and the last of the supplies now coming aboard, Kenta was looking forward to a good meal before going to bed. All the ships were now secretly being fueled against imperial orders.  After eating dinner in the mess with a few of his friends, Kenta hit the sack. Many of the sailors aboard ships in the fleet were doing the same as Kenta, as American counter attacks were expected by 10AM. Some knew this might be their last sleep, before their final sleep.

      April the 8th, shortly after midnight.

      The Yamato and the nine escort ships departed Tokuyama for Okinawa a little after midnight with all 2,700 souls aboard the Yamato at peace. Ten of Japans most powerful warships, fully armed, and ready for the ultimate sacrifice, now depart.

      Ito knew this plan was folly, but was forced to relent to his superiors. Since March 29th he had refused orders knowing this plan was suicide, but with the emperors words, he gave up his refusal and carried on as a good soldier would. The Yamato, Yahagi, and eight destroyers had taken on extra fuel against orders that night right before they had left, but this was merely a gesture to his Division. He knew that they would never be allowed to retreat back to Japan. How did it come to this though? "An order to beach Japan's greatest ship and blockade the entire American fleet, what folly!" thought the Vice-Admiral, who stared out into the cold black sea.

      April the 8th, naval time 1:07AM.

      Kenta and the rest of his shipmates were awoken roughly from their beds. The entire ship lurched and crunched, as Kenta was roughly thrown around in his bed. A moment later as Kenta unstrapped his basic sleep harness the General alarm was raised. Officers came screaming through the sleep quarter yelling at people to wake up. The General Alarm was loud and those how had managed to somehow stay asleep were dragged out of bed by their officers. Kenta jumped from his bed and was sent flying across the small room into the bulkhead. As if Newton's gravity had momentarily been shut off, Kenta had soared through the air in that instant.

      The other shipmates were also confused in this situation, but with a slight bruise to his shoulder Kenta still put on his uniform. An American attack this earlier was absurd, they had just barely left the harbor at Tokuyama. A surprise American attack was simply ridiculous this early. It was still the middle of the night! Amongst the confusion Kenta managed to get dressed  before racing to the top deck. Everyone else was also in a hurry and people were going extra slow to avoid injuring themselves. It seemed whatever had occurred, the entire ship was now somehow in free-fall or that's how it felt to Kenta. Each step felt like walking on air. There was one hundred and sixty two 5mm anti-aircraft guns aboard the Yamato, and Kenta was in charge of one, he needed to get topside fast.

      With all the confusion in the ship it seemed all the crew was beginning to have a unwavering hope, as if Gods were on their side making them lighter. Still this fact remained elusive as some smacked into bulkheads when they attempted to run to fast.

      A few minutes earlier before Kenta had awoken, Vice Admiral Ito was on the bridge of the Yamato. The faces present were grim. The atmosphere was quite stale and despite small course corrections the bridge was mostly quiet. In the last hour since they had left Tokuyama, the sea's had become very calm, and even the stars had gone black in the sky. It was very spooky, and even the crew had an eerie feeling. Vice Admiral Ito hoped this was not a bad omen. Within a few seconds all the controls even the compass went dark and a large ocean surge started to lift the bow.

      Amongst the confusion as every light went out Vice Admiral Ito started shouting commands, but before he could get a response he was blinded by the light.  A large sun had just appeared in the sky, a blinding light came forth from all around them. The entire ship lurched upwards even more than before causing the Vice Admiral to fall to the floor.

      April the 8th, naval time 1:20AM.

Kenta finally reached topside only to be blinded by a bright light. Everyone topside was dumbstruck. All around them was an unfamiliar sight. The sun had grown three times larger, there was no signs of land anywhere nearby. Large trees that even dwarfed the Yamato in size soared far into the heavens. They were narrow yet still hundreds of feet in diameter, they had branches but they did not look like any trees he had ever seen, they were even the color purple and grew out of the sea! Kenta knew it was the middle of the night, all of this made absolutely no sense one way or another.

      If not shocked into awe by all of this, crewmembers were now fixated on a shadow in the far distance beyond the fleet. A giant woman was hurriedly walking in the distance, he guessed she was nearly 50 feet tall, but only her top half was visible. Kenta could only join the shocked expressions of his crewmates, some whistled at her  as they watched her from a distance. Most of them just gawking at her sheer beauty and size. Some were so scared they went back and hid in the ship, they would be laughed at by the rest of their shipmates  later.

      She appeared to be in a hurry, and looked uncannily like a Japanese. With every horizon devoid of land, the only place it seemed left for the giant girl to go was up one of the many trees in the distance.  At first Kenta couldn't believe the giant girl would be able to climb such a large tree, then it dawned on him and his crewmates. She was much bigger than they initially thought, she most have been over 130 feet tall, given her size in comparison to the tree. As she left the water, a quite a few of the men gawked at her. She was very scantily dressed and appeared to be wearing almost nothing. The waves generated by her earlier hit the ship but it seemed to have become more buoyant and was riding the waves quite easily. The fleet was generally unharmed from what Kenta could see, maybe some would be sick from the heavy rocking of the ships, but nothing more than that.

      Vice Admiral Ito was shocked after his eyes had adjusted to the light. Everyone had remained silent for nearly a minute, perhaps he had gone crazy, he sure felt a lot lighter. The captain and crew was also undeniably seeing the same thing he was. He questioned whether the ship was in danger, he wasn't sure, but he could not chance it. The crazy sights around him were way to foreign, even the compass was going nuts as it couldn't decide where north was.

      After about ten minutes of Gawking and looking at the giant female in the distance, Vice Admiral Ito ordered  the fleet away from its current position. The compass finally steadied and a course north was laid in.

      April the 8th,naval time 1:30am

      As the ship was now moving away, Kenta and the others aboard couldn't help but notice the large fish swim beneath them. Some of the fish made whales look small. One of the sailors who had been a whaler couldn't help but be amazed and excited at them. "If we killed just one of them we could supply enough meat to feed the entire fleet for a week." Said the whaler crewmember, to the mass of gathered sailors. "Might be a stockpile of whale oil too, maybe even enough to keep our fleet going providing we can make gasoline." Said another sailor amongst them.

      The Yamato, a ship of 73,000 tons was seemingly cutting through the water twice as fast as normal. Vice Admiral Ito demanded a double check of arms aboard to confirm their weapon stores. The intention was to confirm what he felt in his own feet, the ship was moving faster. Perhaps the gravity had something to do with it. When the officer reported back with no news of loss arms that settled the matter. At the very least it seemed the water around here was consistently between 120 and 50 feet deep, which prevent running aground by accident. This strange place, wherever they were now, it was clearly different, even the gravity was halved. The ship was bouncing around so much at top speed, that the Vice Admiral had  to order the fleet to lower their speeds down to avoid serious incident.

      April the 8th, naval time 5:00AM, a few hours had now passed since the event that brought them here occurred.

      The sun has shown no signs of setting. The crews aboard the fleet ships are becoming unsettled. The Admiral has locked himself in the bridge despite lacking sleep. "They were plainly not on Earth, Earth didn't have giant woman and trees that grew taller than the skies, and it surely didn't allow anyone to disobey gravity." These were the thoughts that kept going over in Vice Admiral Ito's head as well as everyone else in the fleet. Everything was now half its normal weight to his or anyone else's observations, what this meant nobody knew. He would address the fleet eventually, but he honestly wasn't sure how to say this. Would it really need saying at this point, he wondered. The scenery was not changing despite how many miles they sailed.

To be continued.

      April the 8th, naval time 6:00AM, Crew's perspective.

      Vice Admiral Ito's speech to the crew of The Yamato went down fairly well. It would go on to be repeated on the other nine ships as well for those not listening to the wireless. In the speech it was mentioned that the original mission had been scrubbed. The enemy was unreachable and there was no foreseeable way back to Japan. This effectively meant, they were lost or MIA. Despite this news, there was now considerable excitement among the sailors. People felt relief that the suicide mission was over. This crazy world of impossible things was exciting, although scary. The men had dubbed this crazy world, Watatsumi, after the God of the Sea. According to ancient Japanese Dragon myths, the Watatsumi were huge dragons capable of becoming human. Where else could this be? Still others were saddened because they would never see their families and loved ones.

      April the 8th, naval time 10:00AM, Kenta's perspective.

      Kenta was rather tired from being forced to man a post at his 25mm anti aircraft gun. Four hours of nothing but boring scenery had driven him mad. Sure this was a new world, full of surprises, but so far all he could see where giant trees, and an evil giant sun burning his already tanned skin. Oh and the endless water. The ocean was murky blue, the heat and humidity were sticky, and the sun never stopped mocking you. The only good thing so far about this place was the water. Apparently the water had been deemed fresh enough to drink. This was quite shocking to everyone in the fleet as this appeared to be a sea. In an hour Kenta was scheduled to join a group of men. That seemed to be the only duty less boring than this. "Catch a big dumb fish, seems better than this boring post." Thought Kenta.

      With his shift now over, and the Asashimo not yet ready to sortie, Kenta made his way to the mess. There he found that other crew members of the Yamato had been posted on the Asashimo for the mission. Many of them were already eating. Some were there simply to meet the people they would be working with. All in all, the meal was pleasant. The mood was not that sorrowful and some even played around as they jumped really high and tried to hang onto bulkheads. One man had managed to jump over several feet. This new game had come out in the discovery of the decreased gravity, it seemed a fun pastime for some. Kenta thought it was overly childish. Yet when no one was looking he tried his best, he was still short mind you.

      April the 8th, naval time 6:00AM, Whaler's perspective.

      The Wani was a Giant fish that looked like a Huchen, yet was over eighty feet long, some longer. One could guess it was over 150 tons, and would have enough meat to feed the entire fleet assuming its flesh was edible. The name itself was given by the sailors. The Wani was a mythical sea monster, and this fish definitely lived up to that name. This Wani was a monster, truth be told. The ideas for capturing it were just as wild as the Wani was. Lacking nets, spears, or harpoons; the crew had set out to find a solution. Vice Admiral Ito gave them four hours to find a solution. For an hour they thought. Then a solution was presented.

      Seven or so fisherman who had been aboard as sailors put together an action plan. The plan called for making use of some of the war supplies to furnish the things they would need. After some heated discussions with some of the commanders, access had been granted. Within three hours, Arc welders had turned rifle bayonets into over 150 harpoons. Cabling and rope were both found or scavenged. Some of the hardware aboard had even been modified to pull in lines. It would be crude but effective. The Asashimo was outfitted with extra salt and electric coolers.

      The current situation would become dire in the next few days if the whaling plan failed to work out. With Gasoline now being extremely rare and limited, other crewmembers were put to work on switching over the steam engines to available fuels like Whale oil, or wood in a worst case scenario. Vice Admiral Ito had even ordered all engines in the fleet stopped, and switched everything over to batteries to conserve fuel. The exception being the Asashimo.

      April the 8th, naval time 11:00AM, Shouta's perspective.

      Shouta was another would be whaler. He had been selected purely for his arm strength. He'd been selected and trained within the last four hours. The group of trainees was made up of quite a few people. The group of two hundred men came from several of the other ships including the Yamato. Even now he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, the training was rushed after all. Well it was a bit too late for him to make excuses now.  Now aboard The Destroyer Asashimo, she had already started her engines in pursuit of the large Wani creatures.

      Considering the usual speed of the ship, the Destroyer Asashimo did fairly well with keeping pace with the large Wani creature swimming close to the surface. Shouta was already with a group of men bracing a single line. The first harpoons were shot at the monstrous Wani creature. To be precise one couldn't miss hitting a Wani, as they seemed to travel in large packs. The one they had hit just happened to be closest and the smallest of the bunch.

      April the 8th, naval time 11:10AM, Kenta's perspective.

      Everything aboard the Asashimo seemed to be going fairly well. The ride was particularly rough, but not the worst he'd had. Still it did not help Kenta's stomach as he tried to digest his lunch. He was manning another Anti Aircraft Gun. The 25mm Anti Aircraft Gun was not as big as his on the Yamato, but still he felt relatively safe behind it. They were racing away from the fleet, but it could not be helped, still it left Kenta feeling a bit insecure.

      The whaling seemed to be going successfully on the other hand. Each harpoon kept managing to hit it's mark and lines were slowly being dragged in by the men. The Wani thrashed on deck as men were pulled and yanked in response. Some took hatchets to the Wani while others broke the ammo conservation rules Ito had just recently established. The poor Wani creature suffered on the deck as it was filled with a few dozen rounds from type 99 light machine guns.

      April the 8th, naval time 12:20PM, Shouta's perspective.

      The first catch had been successful despite countless injuries among the crew and several concussions. Shouta's hands had been burned by the rope in his hands when the Wani had futilely tried to escape. All in all it was a good catch, but the Captain of the Asashimo was out to impress Vice Admiral Ito, and had ordered the men to catch another one.

      Thankfully the other deck hands had taken over the cutting and processing of the first Wani. It even seemed there was good news as the Wani had lots of fat to make into whale oil. This meant there was hope for the fleet to keep moving in the lend of Dragons, Watatsumi.

      April the 8th, naval time 12:50PM, Kenta's perspective.

      The second operation was now underway, Kenta was still clinging to his gun. This was partly because all free hands had now gone to processing the first Wani. "Man was that fish big." Kenta thought. And that was pretty much all there was to it, he didn't particularly want to get friendly with that fish corpse. It wasn't particularly clean or sightly either as the thing squirmed after death on the deck.

      Well the second set of harpoons started to hit home as a general alarm was sounded, this immediately halted all the men dragging in the second Wani. Everyone looked around and then some of them started to panic. There was three large creatures soaring through the air as fast as Zero's. They were impressively large, with wing spans over 100 feet and a body length of roughly 30 feet. The large flying creatures had a gold beak, were mostly black, and had white hind tail feathers and shoulders. The worst part. They were coming straight towards the ship.

      Without thinking or receiving orders, Kenta's terrified hands had already pulled the trigger. Kenta's 25mm Anti Aircraft Gun sprang into action. The first bang, bang, bang, was soon blanketed out. All twenty seven of the other Anti Aircraft Guns had also opened fire. It seemed that all those aboard the Asashimo had agreed what their priority should be.

      April the 8th, naval time 1:10PM, Ito's perspective.

      Vice Admiral Ito had finally managed to lay in his bed on the Yamato. He had been up for over thirty five hours straight now. The operation status aboard the Asashimo had been confirmed a success forty minutes ago. The success of the operation marked the first chance for survival the fleet had, since it had left from Tokuyama. Their chances were still slim but he felt he could now rest. Eye's closing rapidly Vice Admiral Ito shortly drifted into dreamland. For seven minutes, he had peace.

      Bang, Bang, Bang, the cabin door was shaken. Vice Admiral Ito sprung awake at the loud noise. "Vice Admiral Ito, you're needed at the radio!" Yelled Aruga, the Captain of the Yamato. Vice Admiral Ito responded and stood up grabbing his sword from bed. It was not yet time to rest.

      April the 8th, naval time 1:20PM, Shouta's perspective.

      It was absolutely terrifying, Shouta's ears were ringing. The Giant birds approached much faster than any dropped bomb. The Anti Aircraft guns were blazing all around him yet he still didn't move. It wasn't that he was heroic or brave, quite the contrary actually. His fear had gripped him hard, unlike the others he had not fled or taken shelter. Instead his grip on the tow line in his hand only tightened in response to the shrieks of the birds.

      April the 8th, naval time 1:23PM, Kenta's perspective.

      For what seemed like minutes now, Kenta had shot at those damned creatures. After the first one had been blasted out of the sky, the others took notice. The two remaining birds were flying nearly twice the speed of Zero's in circles around the Asashimo. At best he thought they had managed to clip the wings of one of the birds. The third bird in the water showed no signs of movement. Its bloody corpse did attract a large swarm of fish though. They didn't seem to be retaliating as of yet, but Kenta was still terrified of that large shrieking creature.

      Than it happened, both the birds flew abruptly right into the center of the Asashimo. One of them was hit with several rounds of fire from Anti Aircraft guns and slumped painfully to the deck. The other grabbed the Wani still splashing around on the deck. Within seconds the creature was gone with the Wani. It had snapped all of the harpoon lines attached to it.

      April the 8th, naval time 1:28PM, Shouta's perspective.

      Shouta was still standing in the middle of the deck grasping his line alone. That's when the giant birds flew straight down towards  him. Finally his feet had found the strength needed to dodge. The first giant flailing bird crashed into a heap  right beside him, much to his relief. Yet, his troubles were still not over, as the other monster flew towards the Wani. "Oh shit." He managed to say, just as his line was pulled along with the Wani into the air.

To be continued.

      The year was around 663 BC, long before the Okinawa's would need to be defended.

      The location was somewhere in Japan, and Hoori a hunter was just about to start his legendary story.

      The day had been very hot. His hunting skills where sharp and his family proud of him. Earlier he had made a bet with his brother. He told his fisherman brother that he could not hunt, but arrogantly claimed he could fish just as good as him. When he went fishing he had pulled the line, and the line had snapped and the hook was lost.  He told his fisherman brother Hoderi, he would retrieve his lost fishing hook, because he would not accept a replacement. Really Hoori just wanted an excuse to cool off, surely his brother would forgive him, but at least he might try and recover the hook. With that he dived deep under water and looked down at the fish and coral. The day was so bright that it was easy to see the sea life swimming around its bottom. As a hunter, Hoori was often fascinated by sea world. He would often tell stories about the Sun goddess children and their marriages with powerful sea creatures like the Ryujin. Childs tales you know.

      Still on this day the water became fearfully dark as he swam beneath the waves. He saw the hook and string and started for it, but soon became confused and lost all bearing being unable to see. Running out of air he swam for an unbearable long time to what he hoped was the surface.

      Breaking free to the surface and encased in light Hoori found himself flying into the air, light as a feather. When he landed back in the water he waited for his eyes to adjust but he was befuddled. All around him was endless water, and the sun was large like in the stories he told. The most terrifying shock however, was behind him.

Her breasts gleaming in the sun, a woman bigger than any lords castle, huge was an understatement. Hoori was at a loss for words. Nearby another man seemed completely at peace as he floated on his back near her enormous stomach. A Buddha?

      Toyatama was finished with her drink, and looked down to find her son Jimmu. He was tiny, as were all males, no bigger than her thumb, protecting him since birth was a large chore when he was so fragile. As a result in society males were sparse, and letting a son die could result in your removal from a tree village. Carefully looking down she spotted him and another male. "Jimmu who is that with you" she called.

      Jimmu bolted upright when his mother's overpowering loud voice shot down at him. By Japanese standards he was already in his late twenties, though he was predicted to live for another hundred years still. He was already full grown, and had slanted dragon like eyes, he would have stood about seven feet tall by human standards. Looking up he saw his mothers large imposing shadow, she was prone to worry, but his existence gave her status. Looking around he spotted thy other male some fifty feet away. "Hello," he called, to the unknown stranger.

      Hoori was first greeted by a loud unknown language spoken by the giant. This frightened him silent. It appeared the other man had understood her because he shouted a strange, unrecognizable language at him too. Yet he was still to startled and alarmed to respond. He just swam in place in the water. It was odd though, since the water was no longer salty, but fresh, yet this ran through his mind in the background as the large arm of the giant scooped up the other man and put him in her mouth. To his horror she started reaching for him.

      Relaxing yet again as his mother picked him up. Jimmu always preferred an outside view, but when his mother was climbing a tree, it was much safer to ride in her mouth where he could not fall or be attacked by a bird. Still he wondered who that other man was, no one besides his mother was here. Perhaps a bird dropped him he thought.

      Toyatama placed her son in her mouth for safe keeping. Still she pondered what another man was doing there and how he got there. Still it would be very dangerous to leave a man alone in the water without his own mother so she went to grab him. "I'll take you home with us for now," she said to the little man.

      With the hand drawing near, Hoori was yelling, "Ryujin!" as he swam as fast as he could away from the giant's hand. But it was pointless as he was lifted alongside the water he had been treading by the giant female. As he screamed he was dropped on here sticky moist tongue before being left alone screaming in the dark.

      Jimmu was bemused by this male, if not annoyed by his weird yelling. He must have been scared, he thought. The only logical thing he could think of was he had been taken by a bird from his mother. His words didn't make sense, and he sounded like he was in agony by the way he shouted. Talking to him, no understanding him; this was going to be hard.

      Climbing the tree for nearly twenty minutes, Toyatama followed the large branch to her own home in the tree. Large fish like carcasses hung nearby her small straw hut. Still she was happy to be inside her home. On this one tree, several families lived, about twenty four or so females, and her son as the only male. The previous male had moved on to another tree village leaving them behind. They primarily fished for a living and everything they needed, the sea and tree provided. The trees were very large, and kept them out of the water, they produced straw like root branches which they used to make clothing homes, and whatever else they needed. Sitting down on her bed of vines, Toyatama spit out her son and the estranged male she had found in the sea, placing them in a cage like box.

      After spending the last half hour trying to calm this other male, Jimmu was tired and just laid down inside his palace. It was a spacious warm protected home which his mom had built for him long before he could even remember. The giant interweaved vines acted as a barrier from any pests like birds which could threaten his life or even his mom's girth.

      Hoori was scared as he sat inside the large cage. After spending an eternity inside the hot warm damp cavern of the Ryujin mouth, he was actually a little glad he was still alive if only imprisoned. The other man had seemed to accept his fate, and was now relaxing in a bed of straw like some pathetic ronin. He spent the next few weeks trying to teach that other poor man Japanese. The first thing he related to his demonic like appearance was his name, Jimmu.

***

      A few months had now passed. Toyatama understood her son had learned to speak  the foreign male's tongue. It was quite hilarious as according to him she was some kind of monster called a Ryujin. What was even stranger was he claimed he had never seen a woman as large as her but only his own size. Still as weird as she thought this new male was, he was very important to the village, and was deemed to be under her protection until another village made a claim for him. He made claims like he was as light as a feather in this world. It seemed weird to her that he claimed to come from another world as well. A Lander even!

      Jimmu had fun learning the Japanese language and learning about Hoori. He was a very average plain man in his world, and woman were the same size. The stories were some of the best he had ever heard, he was fascinated by this world, and even told his mother the stories as she too started to learn Japanese as well.

      Before he knew it, Hoori had found himself surrounded not by gods, but by a normal family. Toyatama, while frighteningly huge, was his new friends Jimmu's mother. The kindness he had received slowly built up into a attraction towards Toyatama. He blended right into this culture and told stories and heard stories and eventually finding himself missing his home much less. Looking from outside while sitting on Toyatama's hand he saw a view from miles high in the sky over a whole different world. Endless sea's and trees on every horizon. He wanted to stay here. His hunting days were over.

***

      As the years went on and everyone was fluently talking with one another, the three of them had taken an excursion to the sea and were swimming around. Toyatama watched her son and Hoori fool around in the water. Watching males play around in the water was a rare sight, as the males were so few, that two males together was extremely rare. While having a son gave her a lot of power in a village, Toyatama was saddened as she could never mate with her son and have more children. The cost to do so would mean trading her son to another village for a new mate. She could hope another village had a son, but then she might chose to start her own village. Villages were formed around men, because they were so few and needed protecting. Looking at Hoori she wandered if mating would be possible again.

      Jimmu knew how his mother felt for Hoori, and had even treated him like family in order to convince him to stay with them. Even now his company was welcomed as the two played as he had never played before. While he had met other males it was extremely rare. Hoori stories of his village were fascinating, and he wished he could go to Japan. Though if he went he swore he would become Emperor there. Being the boss was an intoxicating thought, at being of the mercy of his mother all his life. If what Hoori said was true and he had the eye's of the Ryujin, then maybe he too could become someone of power there, and take up the sword.

***

      Within a few more months, as if a legend was forming, Jimmu was pulled to Hoori's world by a fishing hook line. Leaving Hoori and Toyatama behind. It would take him a few years, but Jimmu did become the Emperor of that land. He had lots of fun and met with many of the woman his own size. The cultivation of his experince till his death in 585 BC, he never regretted it. He was known as the Emperor born of the Ryujin!

***

      Hoori became Toyatama's Lover and would declare his Lover Otohime, ruler of the sea. They had many children, with a higher rate of men than normal. He too established Japanese presence in this world, if nothing more than a foot note.

And thus the two worlds became entangled with one another in legend and it remained so until one day.

***

      April the 8th, naval time 1:25AM.

      Sakuya had been bathing for quite some time. Standing a good distance from her tree village she enjoyed the quiet scenery of the sea. It was appropriate of her to thank the gods for such a good harvest from the sea. This tradition had been started by one of her ancestors generations ago. Saying those odd words in another ancient tongue sometimes gave her the spooks. It was an oral tradition to learn these old words, so she accepted it. After giving thanks she started back to her village when she heard and odd sound only to see a black bending light appear over the sea.

      She was frightened as she saw ten large gray sea monsters with giant tubes and spikes tear through the black veil. The sea had opened the giant black veil and released demons. She hoped they were not as bad as the tree burning men from the west. Turning away from the gray monsters she walked as fast as she could to escape up the tree to her village.

To be continued.

      April the 8th, naval time 10:00PM, the briefing room aboard The Yamato.

      Vice Admiral Ito had gathered all ten captains from the fleet for a briefing. He had spent the last few hours trying to get everything together, from the events that had unfolded upon the Asashimo Destroyer, and even a roundup of chemist engineers, and even the navigators to solve a few of the fleets problems. His eyes had been straining and even had gone blood red around the irises from lack of sleep. When he walked into the briefing room, all the captains in the room saluted and bowed before taking their seats. All of them sat quietly around table, faces neither grim nor without worry. It had now been almost twenty one hours since they arrived to this new world. The fleet had slowly started to call this world Ryu no Yo, The Dragon's World. Some still referred to it as Watasumi.

      "Captains, this situation is not any more dire then the original situation we began in." "We currently do not know much about this world or its inhabitants." Ito noticed a few of his captains shiver at the last bit. "Today, a mere nine hours ago one of our destroyers encountered another occupant of this world, three giant birds." He paused to let everything sink in. "These birds posed a large threat and expended ammo as well as took a few lives." "That said, we can fight dumb birds and still feed ourselves." The other captains started to cheer when he finished, but as soon as they did, Ito pulled his sword out, slashing the table as he stood. "Don't mistake we're at a disadvantage, our ammo is limited, the oil from the Wani's might not keep our power and ships moving, and we still don't know how to solve the problem of scurvy unless we find land or a way to climb sky trees!" No one dared speak directly back to Ito. "Assuming everything goes well, our next meeting shall be more pleasant, now if you will excuse me, you're dismissed!"

      For a briefing it didn't really inform any of the captains of anything they did not already know. The situation had not changed even after the bird attack or any organizational changes that had occurred as a result. There was no chance of getting back to Japan, and everyone already seemed to already recognize this. Two of the captains were given orders to attempt to find land, but they were given orders to scout only while the sun was up, with the sun going down, they would have to wait for daylight to resume operations. The whalers were still working about ten kilometers away from the main fleet. Engineers had already made some preparations to have some of the destroyers run on whale oil, and a part of the deck of the Yamato had already been somehow turned into a vegetable garden using vegetable seeds from the galleys. Some rice had even been set in homemade rice beds using life boats. It was truly an odd site that everyone smirked at.

      Ito tiredly left the briefing room, he had been up for nearly forty four hours. His briefing had been; well brief. He had tried to catch up on some sleep earlier, but then everything seemed to happen to stop him. With the large sun sitting outside his personal cabin aboard the Yamato, originally reserved for its captain, Ito watched it start to fall to the horizon as he fell asleep. This time it seemed like nothing would wake him. He had even ordered the captain of the Yamato to post guards to keep it that way.

      April the 8th, naval time 10:30PM, Kenta's perspective.

      Kenta was still aboard the Asashimo, he was getting tired as he watched the twelfth Wani that day be gutted. Since the bird attack earlier in the day, three more escort destroyers were deployed to watch and help spot birds. Kenta's hand still twitched as he watched the skies with his anti aircraft scope. The Wani's appeared to be an easy prey for them, for the most part, and with the extra ships, they were able to smoke more of the blubber and collect oils for the fleet.

      The sun which was huge in the sky took gasps away as it slowly started to descend under the next two hours. Kenta thought this world could be beautiful in some ways. In this world light as a feather, Kenta a mere human in the realm of Ryu no Yo, birthplace of Japan. Sure as a Shinto believer Kenta believed in deities such as the dragon, but to actually be in the land of the dragons, something about it was magical. He still wondered about that giant woman he first encountered, would there be more? He sure hope there would be, then again he thought back on that, a view is great, but so is your life.

      April the 8th, naval time 2:30PM, earlier today.

      Maki was sitting in her chair made of vine. In her hand she held some straw which she had balled up, and two large sticks she was using to interweave the straw into a nearly complete man palace. She was not fortunate, she was the twenty second female born in her village to her mother, Momo. She was still rather young, and looked to be in her twenties, although by Japanese standard she was already near twice that. Making a man palace, was an important factor in attracting a mate. After her mother's twenty fifth daughter was born, a son was finally born. After a few short years, the man was traded as dowry to another village in exchange for the right to mate with the other villages young male. Unfortunately again, Maki was not chosen as one of the girls favored by the young male, and did not get to go with him to a new village.

      As with the case in Ryujin society, the leader of a village was a bearer of a male child. To be able to have a child in the first place, one had to court and join a starting village, by earning the respect, and lust of a young man. Leaving ones village of birth to court a young man, and being the opportunity to start a new village was huge. Once one of the females in courtship and mating birthed a male child in a village, they became village head over there male, and would speak to another village, to exchange a male as dowry for the right for her daughters to start a village with a young man. In this way both villages would benefit.

      In the case of Maki, she was alone, another weaver of clothes and shoes and other household items. Like some of her other sisters, she was not selected, and did not get the right to start a new village and court a young man. Crying as she weaved a man palace, an intricately designed cage meant to safely house a male from a dangerous world. Such a skill was required for any training courtesan to attract a mate. A man held all the power in Ryujin society until one of his ladies in waiting whom he loved gave birth to his male child. After that, the female would take control and continue to hold all rights to his seed. A powerful position in society.

      Maki set down her weaving set, the man palace nearly complete. Crafting such things, when one was most likely stuck in a man less village for the rest of your life was only saddening. Never seeing another village a different tree, making a new home, every Ryujin's dream. Her room was far from a mess, as far as straw huts inside tree's were concerned. Her home had two windows to the sky, and she had hand weaved most of the thatching herself. When she had done so a few years earlier, she had hoped to impress her mate, instead she was teased, and a few great fisherman were chosen instead.

      Bringing herself to the window as her chest swung over the railing, with her two giant boulders taking a rest out and over it, she sighed. The wind was slightly cool up here in the tree's; and even from this great height, all the branches and foliage ruined any good view she could have. The birds had started nesting nearby, but she no longer paid them any heed. There was no longer any mates to attract. She wanted to show how well she could keep the birds away, but now she no longer cared or tried.

      The sun would be setting in about nine hours, and Maki still had to finish weaving a bunch of undergarments for her sisters to wear. None had come and visited her today, besides a few who asked her to make a few things. Maki was not good at fighting and fishing like the other girls, and was seen as an outcast for trying to be smarter and do less work. In Ryujin society, women were very masculine, as the boys were clingy and demanded protection and comfort. Many of the girls that were chosen by men often gave flowers to their male mate, and fought over who was a better protector for their mate. A weaver was considered weak and often called a man, Maki hated it.

      While mopping and acting very unwomanly, Maki noticed a bird flying to a nest outside her window. This itself was not a strange sight, but the Wani inside its mouth was. It looked as if it had been bleeding long before the bird had found it, and it was impaled by many small spears. Then she saw something dangling on a line from the fish.

      It was an unconscious man.

To be continued.

      April the 8th, naval time 3:00PM, Shouta's perspective.

      Everything was blurry as Shouta opened his eyes. He was slightly nauseas and felt like he would puke again. Recalling the last half hour or so that he could remember. He had been clinging desperately onto the rope attached to the Wani. If it had not been the half gravity present, he didn't think he would have made it, but where was he?

      Maki looked down at the young man she had just saved. Carefully she applied a  natural disinfectant which grew from a flower in the tree village, applying it to the young man inside her nearly finished man palace was slightly difficult. Noticing his awakening she greeted him after a moment. "Hello," she said.

      Shouta started to panic as his vision returned. He was inside a large cage of sorts, a large towering woman was standing outside of it. She was nearly as tall as Osaka castle in his homeland. She spoke to him, but the language was  nothing that Shouta recognized, but still he responded by yelling back in fear. "Get away from me you monster!"

      Maki was puzzled by the young man's words. He was speaking in the words which her people used to thank the gods. It was not a language which was used much for communication only ceremonies practiced from long ago. But still it puzzled her that she was being referred to as a monster, or perhaps she misunderstood him, and he was thanking her for saving him from the bird. Really it didn't make any sense, no matter how she put it. "Are you married, or are you still searching for mates." She asked again in her formal language. Transfixed on the answer.

      The giant woman was talking again and did not seem fazed by his yell. Not that he thought it would. She was very imposing, despite being nearly nude accept a few undergarments made of straw she scared him; curling into a ball, Shouta could only feel fear in his circumstances. This was different from a person holding a gun opposing you, this was a force of nature you couldn't stop; a monster of which one man alone could not face, let alone defeat.

      Maki watched as the scared young man curled up in a ball inside her man palace. He was dressed in some weird clothing she had never seen before. Completely odd she thought. Maki could not believe such a young man existed, he really did seem scared of her. Was it her appearance? He did not respond to her question, so this time she tried in the old tongue used for thanking the gods of the lands. "What's your name?" She said.

      Hearing a familiar phrase, Shouta lifted his head from the fetal position for a brief moment. "Shouta" he said.

      Maki was relieved to hear him say his name. "My name is Maki, why is it that you only speak in the holy words?"

      Gaining a little confidence as his monster now seemed more human, Shouta stood up and looked at her colossal stance, her eye nearly half his size. "Maki, that sounds like Japanese, but this is the only language I know." Shouta responded. "How is that possible, what mother would raise their son with only the holy words!?" Shouta was confused by the Giants response, "why would my mother know your language, she can only speak Japanese as well."

      Maki wasn't sure what Japanese was referring too, but it was apparent that him and his mother only ever spoke holy words, which made no sense at all. Still she would try to get answers out of him, but speaking holy words was mentally exhausting on her, since she rarely spoke it at all. "Have you left your mother's side yet, have you had a male heir yet?"

      Shouta was puzzled by this giant woman's question. It was quite private, but perhaps he could use it as leverage. "That I will answer. But only if you let me out of this cage."

      Maki was floored by this male rudeness, he was blatantly insulting her workmanship of her man palace. He even called it a cage! "It's dangerous outside, why would you wish to venture from your protection, where you not just nearly killed by a bird!"

      What she was saying had merit, but Shouta still did not like the idea of being locked in a cage. "I have never lived in a cage, and I will not stand to be in one now!"

      Maki was taken aback by what the man had said, never lived in a cage. How could such a uncaring unloving mother exist, it was no wonder that he had been attacked by a bird. "You will stay in there, it's for your protection!" Yelled Maki, much to the discomfort of Shouta's ears. "You have no right to contain me giant! Let me return to my people!"

      Maki responded again, "You are with your people, as for your village, how could they miss you when they do not even bother to try and protect you, are you infertile!?"

      "Infertile, I'm still a young man! A proud Strong Japanese Man!" Yelled Shouta.

      Maki was getting nowhere with this stubborn confusing male. Between her father and the suitor which had come to the village before, he was more womanly and feisty, very unlike a man. He was reckless, dangerous to himself even, and for the most part, acted like he was the one in power. "You haven't mated with anyone yet have you?" She said; more as a statement then a question.

      Shouta blushed at the large woman, "I've gotten around, but I've been fighting a war, so how can I take up with a woman."

      Everything about this man bugged Maki. He was strange, he was out of place, he was perhaps the strangest person she had ever met. Just what kind of village did he come from!? "Men don't fight wars, only females do, and the tree burner men of the west have not attacked for two generations! Stop lying and tell me what kind of tree village you came from!?"

      "I did not come from any tree village, I lived in Osaka on the land. My family has a proud tradition in sword making dating back to the Edo period! Why would I live in a tree like you!?" Yelled Shouta in defiance of his capturer.

      "You live on the land, like the Tree burners of the west? That's impossible, no one lives there besides them!" She paused. "Why do you keep lying to me! You must have come from a tree village, there would be no way for a young man as yourself to survive in the wild, no parent would allow a male to do so!" Now tell me...."

      Bang! While she had kept speaking Shouta had realized he was still armed with his sidearm a Nambu Type 94 Pistol. Taking aim at her nearby hand he fired a single round. Given the half gravity of this world, the round traveled  further more accurately due to the lowered gravity. Managing to pierce her skin fairly deep; much like a pin might prick you if stabbed. The result was a loud yelping sound from the Giant woman. "Listen I'm Shouta Petty Officer Second Class of the battleship Hamakaze, and I will not be caged, and you will not call me a liar when I've only told you the truth!"

      Maki continued rubbing her hand. It had felt like a bird had pecked her in the hand. Even blood ran from the wound this little man had somehow caused, much like a mosquito bite. A strange man, and somehow she started to feel like he was telling the truth. She would ask her mother and father. "Listen Shouta, I still don't believe you, yet, but I will take you to meet my mother and father."

      Shouta watched in hope as she opened the cage and placed her hand out respectfully in front of him with her palm facing up. "Let's go." She said.

      Shouta responded by hopping unto her large hand, albeit nervously. It could have easily crushed him in an instant.

To be continued.

      April the 8th, naval time 3:00PM, Jiro's and Momo's perspective.

      Jiro was getting to be a bit old now, second son of his mother, he had been prized by his village. He had already spent his youth flirting with woman on the behalf of his village. He had formed his village around the girls of his own whims, his personal harem. His mother had used him as dowry in exchange for her own daughters mate. Jiro did not miss his sisters much because many of the girls now in his village were his daughters.

      When he had finally begotten a son, from one of his many mates, she was declared the hierarchal wife. As a result Jiro lost all power, and his wife Momo took over all of his matters. While before Jiro could use his position to be with any girl he fancied in his village, eat any food, or sleep in any man palace; under his wife's control, he could no longer freely leave her chambers unless she allowed it. Still he did not mind it, it was simply another phase of his life. Besides, this often meant that his wife Momo might offer out his services to some of his former harem in exchange for food. This resulted in good things for him and his wife. As a result Momo held the power of life over all the girls in her village.

      Still Momo was not a bad wife, where she had once been a very proud and strong fisherman with a toned body, she was now heavier and used to a new lifestyle which made Jiro seem more important. Wanting to stand out, Momo would often buy nice clothes for Jiro for her pride. She wanted a beautiful male who swayed other woman with his emotions and care free attitude. Men didn't need or care or want to take care of themselves, and Jiro was no different, he did not ask where his food came from, but instead asked for more comfortable surroundings, and music. He felt sex was a duty, and nothing more, and from birth to his now ripe age of 74 with nearly 50 years left remaining to him, that wouldn't change. He never felt that society was wrong, the fact that he was always locked up never crossed his mind. He just did as society always had expected him to, he could not protect himself, and he wouldn't even want to try.

      Momo was just a girl from a neighboring village when she had first met Jiro. He was cute, and she wished so much she would be chosen to be part of his new harem in his village. Now standing at the pinnacle of power in his village, she had the gods luck. Descending down the village tree was a chore she no longer had to do, being wife in a village meant she had the power of her daughters and the power over the other harem girls, her sisters. Her daughters could not ever hope to receive a dowry without her, once she had become wife, all born from her husband were considered hers including the men. Her husband was the only one capable of producing children, so in exchange, the other harem girls were kept in check in the village by this system as well.

      So while she used to be a spry fisherman who was well renowned for her giant catches, she now sat in power because of her husband, and used this power. Still life was rather boring and her previous sisters became shallow as they tried for her husband. Her daughters only wished to move out of the village away from their mother and become mothers themselves. In the end she wasted a lot of time fancying up her cute husband with all sorts of things. It was the existence shared by many a wife, and was far better than being a mate reject.

      Today was no different than usual, a quiet day. Her husband amused himself by singing and trying on new things she had bought for him. He would often try to talk to talk to her about her emotions and what she felt for him. She greeted it with the usual response and generally brushed over the topic to avoid the subject. Talking about ones feelings was a guys thing. When man met up with each other she was always kind of thought how awkward it was for them to be so touchy feely with one another.

      As she was thinking and watching her husband inside his man palace a knock came upon her hatched door.

      April the 8th, naval time 3:30PM, Shouta's and Maki's perspective.

      Maki had carefully climbed the vines and branches which led up to the highest thatched cabin in her village. Inside dwelled her mother and father. In truth she was not her birth mother, but in Ryujin society, birth mothers was a strange concept, the wife was considered the mother of all children in her village, while the other woman were her sisters. What resulted was a system in which ones mother might not be known until a mother conceived a male child.

      Taking her time with her large breasts getting in the way, Maki cursed. This was yet another unwanted trait. Man scuffed at breasts and found them ugly. Amongst the females they were often seen to be in the way of performing ones duty to a village, Maki hated them. On the other hand she was not aware of the view she had been giving to Shouta. Having to keep readjusting her top with him in tow as she did so. Finally reaching the top she tapped on the barked door of her mother's room.

      Shouta had been peacefully, for the most part been riding along with this giant named Maki. But still he wondered what the opposing figure of a giant man and woman her parents would be. The father he was increasingly terrified of. Maki was already well toned for a woman despite her fine assets, and acted seemingly like a man in her speech. The kind of father which birthed her would be a giant among them, with the scariness to rival any more than a mere girl could dish out, giant or not.

      April the 8th, naval time 3:30PM, Mothers room.

      "Who is it?" called out Momo from behind the door.

      "It's your daughter, Maki."

      "I did not ask for any clothes to be brought today. Why are you here?" Maki thought for a moment on how to tell her she had saved a very odd man. As for Shouta he was yet again confused as that other strange language was thrown around without him being able to identify any of it other than Maki's name. It made him more nervous.

      "I came on another matter mother."

      "Don't tell me that one of my sisters has bribed you to get my permission for a night with my husband!? Momo seemed rather upset behind the door.

      "That's not it, I brought a man here." Said Maki in a shaky voice.

      Momo bolted out the door, "don't tell me one of my sisters has given birth to a man!?" Maki looked at her mother in her full birthday suit and blushed. Despite putting on some weight and looking to be in her forties, she still had an heir about her.

      "No I rescued a strange man from a bird..."

      "A bird..." Momo replied. Shouta looked up at the large woman from Maki's palm. It continued to irritate him that they still spoke in that other language he couldn't comprehend. The large naked body in front of him which should have seemed seductive or imposing, seemed to lose all rights in Shouta's head, as he seemingly lost his temper. "Listen here, speak your fucking Holy language, or I can't understand you!" Shouta shouted up at the two large woman.

      Momo looked down at the strangely dressed man on her daughters palm. He wore nothing like she had ever seen before and he seemed to be brandishing some small sort of twig in his hand which shined. "How rude of you, young man!" Momo spat off at the two of them. It was directed more at her daughter than Shouta, not that Shouta understood her anyways.

      "It's not his fault mother, his mother only taught him holy words." Countered Maki in Shouta's defense.

      "How is that possible!?" asked Momo as she still continued to speak normally, much to Shouta's agitation. "That's completely unheard of, ridiculous..." She rambled slightly by the looks of it to Shouta as she walked around in circles; still Shouta sighed in relief as he still did not see Maki's father.

      "He says he comes from no tree village." Momo continued to listen to her daughter intently at these obvious lies. "He says he lived on the land before I rescued him from a bird, and he really can't understand us!" Maki had changed her spoken language mid sentence. Shouta approved of Maki's actions for once.

      Momo looked concerned for her daughter. To be taken in by such lies, what kind of fool hearted daughter had she raised? She looked over to the young man causing her daughters stupidity and spoke. "Even if it's true you can't understand our language, there is no way I can believe that. My daughter may be fooled, but in truth you must be from a nearby tree village right. After all no man is strong enough survive on his own let alone on land!" Shouta felt insulted, for a woman of all people to insult his pride and honor, it just pissed him off.

      "I'm from Osaka Japan, and I live on the land! Not in some damn tree like you cowards afraid of the land!" Yelled Shouta to the large giant female.

      "Osaka..." She whispered. Momo was taken aback by this man, never had she heard or seen such a crude, violent, and rude man. The only land nearby was filled with the Tree burning men, a land that not even Ryujin would go out of fear, yet here was a man in rude and crude fashion who claimed to be from the land she had never heard of, she thought it impossible. "Let's discuss this inside, come along daughter." "You too young man, not that you currently have a choice." Maki followed her mother into her room. "I wonder what my husband will make of this man."

      Shouta gulped as she said that aloud.

To be continued.

      April the 8th, naval time 3:30PM, Jiro's perspective.

      Jiro was pacing inside his man palace awaiting the arrival of the other male. It had been so long since he'd been able to gossip and exchange pleasantries with another man. So excited was he, he wished to change his clothes, but feared he would not have enough time before his wife came back. One never knew the flow of time from the confines of a man palace. Still it was very exciting none the less. He sounded young and was from another village. His wife had not called him and old man, so he doubted it was his father paying him a visit. Being giddy as he was, Jiro could not even notice as the thatched door swung back open for his wife's return.

      Looking up through the branched bars of his palace, Jiro made out one of his daughters holding someone far above his sight. He wished he could get higher. But being a man, there was no other option than to await the approval of his wife. Still he lingered looking upward to the two titanic figures in front of him.

      Momo glanced down at her cute flamboyant husband. He looked very happy, more so then when she got him a pretty new suit. The suit was made from the most precious flowers which grew on the dangerously thin branches of the tree village. It irked her that this other man dazzled him so, with just a whisper of his existence. Still, boys will be boys, even if her husband was older than her. She was only fifty or so with at least two thirds or more of her life left to live. "Husband I've brought a strange visitor, and he has quite a strange story to tell."

      Shouta was nervous as Maki bent down setting him inside yet another infernal cage. He started to protest until a scantily clad man his size dropped him in a large bear hug.

      Maki looked down at her father, somewhat embarrassed and proud. Of course she had been allowed to see him and talk with him, but her father was often busy with his duties as a husband to see his daughter.

      "It's so good to be able to meet with another man!" Jiro shouted as he squeezed Shouta.

      "Let go of me!" Shouted Shouta.

      "Why of course my brother!" He let him fall to the floor. "Tell me young man, what is your name and where did you get such wonderful fabrics!?" Shouta was yet again under the attack of a man who looked to be in his late forties, as the man grabbed all around his clothes.

      "Stop that old man!" Shouta tried to push him away in a vain attempt.

      "As you wish, but you still have not told me your name." Jiro looked like he had not yet wanted to stop his fun.

      "It's Shouta, but the better question is when did you get captured by these giants?" Jiro had a puzzled look on his face for a second.

      "My wife and daughter are by no means giants, or perhaps your mother and daughters were bigger?"

      Shouta wasn't sure if he should be shocked, or if he should wonder what torture he had been through to come to his conclusion. "There is no possible way those two could be your wife and child, you're too small!"

      The man laughed at Shouta. "Wife, I think he's trying to call me infertile."

      Momo's face cast a shadow over her husband's palace. "If he was infertile there is no way Maki would be standing over there blushing!" She pointed at her large daughter with emphasis.

      "But how!? Woman and man are the same size!" Shouted Shouta in response to the large looming face.

      "Same size..." Mother and daughter said aloud at the same time. The both burst into laughing. "If man and woman were the same size, that would be really weird."

      "Can you imagine mother, what father would look like!?" Mom burst into a hearty laugh as well. Shouta was flabbergasted as the only other man nearby only joined in their laugh for nearly ten minutes. Shouta was not amused, gazing at them with a serious stern face.

      With bellies tired and sore, the conversation finally continued. Shouta tried to state his case, but they seemed to think his story was a fantasy or lie. Getting hungry the two women, left Momo's room leaving Shouta and the old man Jiro alone.

      Shouta was pouting and felt like he had been completely ignored. Jiro slapped him in the back. "Even if what you said is true, and you do come from a land where the females are tiny, the truth is, here they are huge. Your best off just starting a new village, you could take any of my daughters. Wife permitting."

      Shouta looked at the old man. "One of your daughter would restrict me or treat me like a pet, how could one live like that."

      "Why would anyone not want to live in sheer comfort." Responded Jiro just as perplexed. Shouta thought on it for a moment. The idea of never embracing a woman again, to be trapped in a cage at the amusement of others, to be treated as an object, he would rather commit seppuku. Ritual suicide.

      "Tell me old man Jiro." He was stopped from talking. Jiros hand had covered his mouth.

      "We are brothers, I'm not your old man!"

      "Sorry." Apologized Shouta. "I will not live as these women dictate, I'd rather die than be caged."

      "That's absolute foolishness! If you were my son I'd have my wife punish you!"

      "As opposed to you punishing me Jiro?"

      Jiro was shocked. "How could a man ever strike another man, we are all loving brothers!"

      "Shut the fuck up Jiro, You're a coward and have no authority over me, a man! You lost the right to call yourself one a long time ago. To feel content to be locked up and in a cage and dance for these giants, you should feel ashamed!"

      Jiro was too shocked to reply, this man, much younger than himself spoke like an angry woman, no compassion no love, he was cold. "Get away from me! You're some kind of a monster man!" Jiro backed behind a corner of what was apparently a wardrobe of some kind. The kimono's were quite intricately made despite being made by giant hands.

      "All I want is to leave this tree by myself and return to my fleet, Jiro will your wife let me go!" He continued to scamper away from Shouta and refused to acknowledge he was a man, instead shouting monster at Shouta. This continued until the two woman returned.

      April the 8th, naval time 5:00PM, Momo's and Maki's perspective.

      Mother and daughter returned from their dinner, Momo was caring a specially prepared meal for her husband while Maki carried a small bite of her leftovers for Shouta. Stepping into Momo's room they heard the small screams of Jiro as he kept fleeing into different parts of his man palace.

      "Jiro!" Momo called out as she raced to her husband's palace dropping his food.

      "Get this monster away from me!" Jiro shouted.

      "I've just been trying to calm him down, but he won't listen!" Shouted Shouta.

      Momo reached inside the cage and grabbed Shouta by the back of his shirt. "I can't believe how rude you've been to my husband!" She set Shouta down on her daughter Maki's unready hand.

      "You could have killed him mother!"

      "He upset my husband this much!" She held him cradling in her arms. Shouta dared not speak, although he wished too. His near fall had rattled him a bit. "Shouta is clearly upset too mother!" She held him towards her mother.

      Shouta found himself falling yet again as he was thrown out of Maki's hand. Momo had slapped Maki's hand as she had tried to approach her mother.

      Lucky for Shouta he landed onto a light fabric, much like hemp. Clinging unto the fabric he looked down. Dangling below his feet was a canyon between two large pale mounds. Maki panicked as she saw Shouta cling to her top right before slipping down between her breasts.

      Shouta became wedged as he fell between the two soft mounds of flesh. Maki sighed, relived she had bigger breasts than most other girls for once. Picking up Shouta she cupped her hand around him and left her mother's room. Her mother did not even watch her leave as she left, instead focusing all her attention upon her frightened husband.

      April the 8th, naval time 6:00PM, Shouta's perspective.

      By the time Maki had already climbed back down to her room, Shouta had been yelling inside her hand the entire time. "She nearly killed me!" Said Shouta as Maki opened her hand.

      "She was just protecting her husband, it's a natural woman instinct." "I wasn't gonna hurt him, if I wanted to though, he would have been a push over." Maki stared at him, clearly upset, yet unable to respond. He was right, her father was a coward, she couldn't deny it. But all men were.

      Sighing Maki set Shouta back in her Man Palace. Shouta noticed this cage was actually better than the one her father had. "So the men in your world have females your size?" "How do you well, do it?" She blushed.

      Shouta felt this question should have been his, not the other way around. "I suppose you don't have to worry about being crushed." He said as she giggled in response.

      "Well partner, my mom may be right, or maybe it's my instincts, but I believe you. A little." She held out her hand indicting a little with a three foot gap between her thumb and finger.

      "A little!" Shouta responded.

      "You aren't like any man I've ever seen or met, and even my mother and father think you're a monster."

      "You're the monsters!" Scuffed Shouta.

      "Maybe? But I think you will need me in order to return home."

      "I can get home on my own!" Maki laughed.

      "You can't even make it down the tree, and even if you did, a bird would probably take you up here again! And I can't have that if I'm to court you!"

      Shouta looked up at the large woman. "Sorry I'm not interested in large girls that can crush me!"

      "I don't think you have a choice if you want to leave." She smirked from behind the bars of her man palace. "I will get out of here!"  He yelled!

      "Yes you will. But it will be long after I have gotten a good night's sleep."

      "You can't just ignore me, you don't even look old enough to be eighteen yet!"

      Maki scowled. "I'm already thirty eight!"

      "Good night Shouta!" She walked over to her bed and striped before jumping into a nearby hammock hanging in her room.

      Admiring the view lustfully for a moment, Shouta failed to respond to her. "Thirty Eight, looking like that?"

      As Shouta watched Maki roll around in her sleep he began looking for a way out of his cage. He continued to do this for hours, but everywhere he went all the weaves were solid, there was no escape. As the sun dipped into the sky and Shouta's fatigue set in, he couldn't help but fall asleep in a large straw bed made with bird feathers. It was actually much more comfortable then what he had aboard the battleship Hamakaze.

      Still he was in a cage.

To be continued.

      April the 9th, naval time 08:00AM, The Yamato.

      Vice Admiral Ito had woken up only thirty minutes earlier. It was still dark out, as the sun had gun down eight hours earlier. It was very dark, and the fleets spotlights had been turned on to guard for any more assaults. Nothing important was discussed in his morning briefing, but Ito still had to watch out for his fleet.

      The changeover to whale oil was still undergoing testing, but the whale blubber insured that there would be no starvation in the near future. When first light hit, Ito intended to send out ships for exploration of this new world. For now with breakfast in hand, he had another priority in mind; eating. The smell of smoked Wani filled the air however, making his breakfast most unsettling. He really wished he could have some proper food.

Ito instead focused himself on the organization of other projects aboard the Yamato. Without daylight the explorative fleet could not sail.

      April the 9th, naval time 08:00AM, Kenta's perspective.

      Awaking in a bunk aboard the Asashimo, Kenta was getting up. Manning his guns into the night hours was tiring. Yesterdays encounter with the giant birds had given him nightmares. In his dreams the birds attacked him and so his sleep plagued him, yet here he was safe and sound in his bed. His fellow comrades pestering him to wake for duty. Due to his previous experience with the attack on the Asashimo, he was slated to join the exploration group of ships. But for now he was on standby.

      With his free time Kenta found himself wandering the corridors of the Asashimo. He still had not eaten, but he wasn't sure he wanted to, what with Wani being the main course on every menu. He tried the large whale, fish, thing yesterday. It was not bad, but it was not his favorite. He would love some rice and sushi.

      April the 9th, naval time 08:00AM, Sagara's perspective.

      Sagara was a boiler mechanic aboard the Yamato, an engineer of sorts. His current task, convert the boilers to use whale oil, or device a cheap process for turning whale oil into gasoline via refining it. A daunting task which he knew was impossible. To break down oil one needed to distil the various chemical makeup of the oil and then process them into other substances. A chemists job: and he was no chemist.

      He readily forwent the task he was given and made small modifications instead. The fleets ships used Kampon water tube boilers, which for the most part could accept oil as a fuel with little modification. The few planes they had would be stuck grounded when the gas supply ran out of course, so the eventual creation or rationing of the existing gasoline was a most. But that was of little consequence seeing how few they had.

      The first batch of whale oil was already being added to the boilers of the explorative fleet. It's gasoline had been siphoned for rationing. The explorative fleet of ships about to disembark where burning the stuff quite nicely to Sagara's satisfaction.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:50AM, Kenta's perspective.

      It was still dark out, but the sun showed signs that it would be rising shortly, much to the relief of those in the fleet. A twelve hour period of darkness did not feel odd, but it was peculiar. Since they had arrived, they had had gotten over twenty three hours of light before getting twelve hours of darkness. Some of the IJN sailors thought a day could actually be longer than that, they didn't actually know.. Going on this common fact, Vice Admiral Ito had ordered a force of two destroyers and the Asashimo to go on a eleven hour trip south to explore Watatsumi, or was it Ryu no Yo? Officially this world's name was up for debate, they had not met any safe locals to ask yet. The giant locals had not appeared since their first encounter during their arrival so it was safe to say they were currently alone.

      Manning his 25mm Anti Aircraft Gun, Kenta prepared himself as his small explorative fleet left the comforts of her sisters.

      Still he was bored sitting at his gun. With the recent attack by the birds during Wani whaling, the need a necessity for guard duty was important, but Kenta was still bored. There was no one to talk to either. The swaying and rocking of the boat just made him land sick. Every few miles he saw the same repeated vision of indiscernible tall trees, blazing large hot sun overhead, and water in every direction. His feet ached.

      April the 9th, naval time 12:00PM, Explorative fleet perspective.

      The three destroyers; Asashimo, Hamakaze, and IsoKaze,  left the safety of allied waters as they headed south to unknown waters. They had a very good clear radio, but to be stranded in a world like this seemingly alone was dangerous. The ships easily made forty knots on the water with little stress on their boilers running at about half power.

      April the 9th, naval time 12:00PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      Sakuya was one of Otohime's favorite daughters. She had excellent skills in fighting and was renowned for her fights. Despite looking to be in her thirties, she showed signs that her aptitude for fighting hadn't dulled. Today she had been sent to the council of the Lord of the Ryujin, Otohime. She had made the trek overnight, and had only just barely arrived.

      Otohime was ruler of the Ryujin, closest descendent of Toyatama, and controller of the Ryujin army consisting of over a thousand woman from many tree villages. She did not live in a tree, but instead resided in the dragon palace castle, a structure made of stone which rose from the water like a mountain. It stood there for hundreds of centuries, it's originally builders unknown.

      So as one can imagine, meeting the most important lord of the land, and reporting to her was something to be feared, and Sakuya was afraid. Climbing the steps of the palace, tall female guards stood on  both sides of the long stairs, a large stone Torii stood high above the stair walkway. The palace center is where Sakuya was heading.

      April the 9th, naval time 12:10PM, Otohime's perspective.

      The sun had just come out and Otohime was expecting her visitor soon. It was one of her many daughter's. Her husband sat in another grand palace next to her with servants inside attending to his whims much to his discomfort. He was rather different for a man she always thought. Her husband Yamato was adventurous and even undutiful to her as he risked his life doing stupid things. After her boy was born, she was named Otohime, and she moved together with her husband to the dragon palace castle.

      Sakuya stepped into the palace center floor and came to a very low bow as she kneeled. "You've summoned me Otohime."

      Othime looked down at the girl and then spoke. "Sakuya, there is no need to bow when you are alone with your mother." Sakuya knelt upward and smiled. "So what's this rumor I've heard about you meeting Demons in the north?"

      "Well it's not a rumor, I did see ten demons in the north."

      Otohime grimaced. "So you have also seen the re-emergence of the tree burning men."

      Sakyua was shocked at her mother's words. "The tree burning men! They have returned! But peace has lasted two generations! The demons I saw where not the tree burning men." Otohime bit her upper lip at her daughters words.

      "I ask you not repeat what I just told you. But the tree burning men have returned." She said sourly.

      "But then if these demons you saw weren't the tree burning men, what were they?" Otohime asked puzzled.

      "I'm not sure, at the time I was ritualistically bathing when I saw them appear." Otohime clung to her every word. "They came from a black vortex. Huge where these monsters which rose from the sea with large spikes and tubes protruding from them." There was a pause as Otohime whispered something into an attendant's ear.

      "Sakuya, you will go north with ten guards to where you saw these demons and ascertain there threat to the Ryujin. I know you're capable of leading them properly, you will set out immediately."

      "Yes Otohime!" Sakyua bowed much to her mother's embarrassment.

      "But be warned my daughter, some reports have spotted Tree burning man in the north as well. If you see any, do not hesitate to kill him before he can kill any of my daughters."

      Sakuya left in the company of the guards. Leaving Otohime sitting in her palace. "I worry for her dear. Our daughters strong, but even with help, she might not be able to stop a tree burning man." Her husband Yamato shook his head in agreement.

      "She will manage, our daughters always do." Yamato said to comfort his wife.

      April the 9th, naval time 12:15PM, Maki's perspective.

      Waking up to the loud yells of an ungrateful male, was not how Maki wished to wake in the morning. If this is how married life was, she almost expected she might be better to never have children. "You're so annoyingly loud! Let me sleep!"

      "The sun is rising, how can you sleep! I've been up for hours!" Cried the Petty Officer Second Class Shouta of the battleship Hamakaze. He still hated cages.

To be continued.

      April the 9th, naval time 12:25PM, Maki's perspective.

      Maki was still half asleep. Despite this she had limbered her way to her clothes basket and thrown on some clothes. With the heat she had planned not to wear a shirt, but the oddly modest male was there to whine at her some more. So she had dawned a shirt over the complaints of a small man over decent modesty, a concept she felt was hilarious.

      Ignoring him, she had left her room and descended the main branch of the tree until she came  upon some fisherman's quarters. The fisherman were always up bright and early, something Maki never wished to be a part of. Those girls would ready their spears and catch fish in the beginning of the day. Often their daughters would stay around and sell fish for their mothers. With the barter system being the main sense of economy amongst the Ryujin, Maki would have to trade for her breakfast.

      Shouta had been nearly ignored as he still sat hungry in the middle of his large cage. His talks on decency only seemed to rile a smile from his capturer. So he sat their waiting for the giant girl to come back. Taking his time he cleaned his pistol and sung a song his mother used to sing him.

      Maki enjoyed her breakfast completely forgetting about her guest. Spending time with her sisters was a good way to kill time. She often ate twice a day, it was common for the Ryujin to eat in morning and before bed. Sometimes one might skip breakfast though. Maki often did so due to her inactive life. Weaving was her job, but unlike fishing or fighting, or tree working, it required skill and little labor.

      When she finally returned an hour had already passed. She was still tired to an extreme, and was hot tired, and generally half awake.

      "Hey let me out of here already!" Yelled Shouta as the giant girl stumbled back in. His voice was muffled when a giant hemp like shirt landed atop his cage sealing him in darkness.

      It was so hot, Maki hated the morning, sweat trickled down her chest. Why had she chosen to wear a shirt? Her thoughts were still fuzzy and the food was making her even more tired. Peeling down to nothing she hoped back into her hammock bed.

      Shouta was still yelling when he heard another thing hit the top of his cage. This started to increase the heat of the cage quite considerably. The aroma and musk also started to hit him as the hemp sweat stained closed raised the humidity of his prison.

      Shouta stripped down to try and stay cool, and stopped even bothering to shout as he heard his capturer start to snore again. He doubted she could hear him through her clothing anyways. What really bothered him was she had left him now for nearly thirteen hours with no food or water since he had been caged. He had drank his canteen and food pack leaving his only source of water was bitter refuse. Collecting water from the larger beads of sweat which would drop down from the giant girl undergarment was his only source now. He wasn't even sure if it was safe to drink due to its sweaty smell.

      April the 9th, naval time 5:30PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      Sakuya and her sisters had been trudging through the sea as they made their way north to where she had first seen the demons appear. She was still only half way there. They had made idle conversation, but Sakuya was keenly interested in her sisters' tales. It had been a few years since she had been selected to go north with a bunch of her other sisters to live with her new mate. Yet there was no jealousy by her sisters, in fact some she had not seen since they were infants. They would never have been selected as infants. Even though she had been selected, she had yet to get the opportunity to mate with her mate. To this point it saddened her that she did not have child of her own yet, but as a warrior, it was expected. A male was more often likely to keep his richer girls closer to him. She was an extra he chose for his protection, not so much for her mating. Still she would eventually have her chance, she hoped.

      Traveling nearly over five and a half hours, or about five Ryujin miles the equivalent of five hundred human miles, Sakuya and her group had decided to take a break and visit a village to ask for gossip. In this case Sakuya was just being cautious with her mother's warning of the tree burning man that was spotted.

      With her sisters in tow Sakuya met the Wife of the village. She was much older than herself. She was a little heavy and appeared to be still in shape, but lacked recent muscle refinement. Her husband was not very close to be seen, but she could see his presence. Little men's clothing and other such faculties littered a side of the room, flowers adorned his current empty palace.

      "I'm currently heading north, and was wandering if you had heard any rumors about the north?" Asked Sakuya.

      The older woman grumbled as if it was not her place to ask.

      "Even if you did come north by Otohimes word, what right do you have to come straight to me, surely one of my daughters would have sufficed."

      "That might be true, but as the Wife of this village, surely you must here all the rumors?" Said Sakuya with both flattery and whit.

      "That is true." She blushed.

      "Just look at all the nice things you were able to afford your husband, surely you keep tabs with all your daughters for such things." Continued Sakuya's flattering attack.

      "My husband has an eye for such things, he's quite pretty." Gloated the wife.

      "Where may I ask is your husband right now?" Asked Sakuya with real interest.

      "He is out with one of his harem girls, he had a rough night last night."

      "Oh." Replied Sakuya, wandering what she meant.

      Before she could ask further a panicked knock tapped on the door.

      April the 9th, naval time 5:25PM, Maki's perspective.

      Maki awoke roughly lying on her stomach. It was very hot in her room, but she felt the wind on her exposed flesh. It was late morning. Going through the motions she hoped down from her bed with a creak from her cabin. She easily weighed 2000 tons on earth, but here a mere 1000 tons because of the gravity. Looking around she spotted her underwear draped over her man palace. She gasped a moment and pulled down her clothes unto the floor.

      "Are you alright?" she whispered down to the naked unconscious man. Opening her palace, she pulled out Shouta. Putting her second hand to her nose. He reeked like old dirty sweaty clothes. With no response from the small man, and feeling how hot he felt in her palm, she quickly spit into her hand rubbing the cool salvia all over his body nervously.

      Scared, and unsure what to do, Maki could only turn to her mother's experience. Shoving his things into her undergarments she cupped Shouta in her hands. Then carefully she made her way out of her room.

      April the 9th, naval time 5:30PM, Kenta's perspective.

      Kenta couldn't help but be bored with the Ryu no Yo's scenery. Every half hour or so they would see a tree in the distance, but otherwise it was just sea and tree pillars. Once he swore he saw a women with a spear off in the distance, but he largely ignored that. The fleet had traveled over two hundred and twenty miles without a single drop of land. For fresh waters sea's were concerned it was unheard of. Kenta doubted he would see land before the fleet turned back. Thankfully no hostiles had shown up either. A bird had been spotted once, but it made no hint at coming towards them.

      Still him, and other man included, kept on their guns. This world was dangerous, and unknown to them, and most of all to Kenta, exceedingly boring. The scenery never stopped getting duller for him. What he wouldn't do for something exciting to happen.

      The surveyors and navigational crewman found their jobs nearly as boring. Thankfully onboard compasses worked, and they were able to draw some fairly accurate maps, even if they were pretty rudimentary. This was their mission.. Some had even spent the last night mapping the stars, some couldn't believe the changes there. Yet some constellations seemed quite similar, it was like they were somewhere far away in the globe of the sky from home, yet somewhere nearby.

      April the 9th, naval time 5:35PM, Momo's perspective.

      This morning had been rough on Momo. She had to stay up a majority of the night to calm her husband's plight. With little sleep she now was being forced to attend to Othime's guard faction. They were lead by a very calm muscular woman named Sakuya. They had unknown business north and were being very nosy. She was glad her husband was staying with another woman today. Of course it had been arranged previously and even Jiro wanted to cancel. Mating with one of his harem girls in exchange for their meals was important, so Momo waved Jiro's rights.

      Getting ready to respond to Sakuya, Momo heard a panicked knock on her door.

      "Who is it now?" Asked Momo in a harsh tone.

      Sakuya stood there in silence, wandering what this was about.

      "It's me Maki, I think the man I saved yesterday is sick!"

      Momo tried to hide her anger. That man was not in her good graces, and she nearly wanted to kill him for how he treated her husband. Current company being the soldiers who might execute her for such thoughts or actions, had calmed her however. "Come in and show him to me."

      Maki stepped into the room, steeping around her mother's company. The room was crowded with eleven other girls. Many wielding crude spears and bark armor. Placing Shouta in front of her mother, Maki worried.

      Even if she didn't particularly like this odd male, if he died while under her care, by Ryujin law she would be executed. It didn't help matters further that she longed for a mate, even a pushy one like this.

      Momo carefully examined the young man poking and prodding him in front of her audience. Carefully she would gage his responses. "Maki have you even bothered to properly feed him and given him water?" Maki avoided eye contact with her mother like a small child would.

      "He suffered a heat stroke. Carefully let him rest in cool water until he can awake and eat and drink." Turning her head from her daughter she looked at Sakuya. "Don't you think Othime might be able to place this lost young man in his proper home again?"

      Sakuya looked at her, fathoming the thought a wife would give up a potential son, even if he was not really hers. Perhaps it was her presence, but it seemed like deep down that wasn't the case.

      Momo still wished to get rid of this human, but at best she could now only send him away.

      "I'm sorry but I'm unable to go back to Othime until after I fulfill my duty. So I cannot take the young man." Responded Sakyua.

      "Then one of my strong daughters.." Momo was interrupted.

      "I'll do it, let me do it please." Cried Maki.

      Momo looked over her weak daughter, a weaver, not a fighter, not even a fisher. In other words, she was not a high asset to the village.

      "Fine you can take him alone Maki." Maki jumped and clapped her hands.

      An audience with Othime and a chance at becoming a part of his harem was all she needed.

      Sakuya tried to interject. "It is unsafe for a single person to travel to Othime's, surely you must have stronger daughters you could send!?"

      Happy and slightly angered Momo responded to everyone in the room.

      "My husband will be coming back shortly so I need to tidy his palace, so everyone get out and go your ways!"

      With a slam of a door, the twelve girls exited Momo's room.

      All leaving their separate ways.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:30PM, Explorative fleet perspective.

      The explorative fleet had now traveled nearly four hundred miles. There had been no attacks, and the boilers had had zero problems with the whale oil. To those aboard the three ships in the fleet, it had been pretty boring. A cruise of sorts where everyone got a tan.

      But as they looked towards the sunset, a hulking menacing figure cast a looming shadow. Some seemed only able to speak a single word in response to it. Oni, the demon. The two horns on the figures head gave alarm to all as the smell of burning tar and oil wafted through the air. The black smoke billowing ahead of them.

To be continued.

      April the 9th, naval time 7:25PM, Maki's perspective.

      It had been an hour since Maki had left her village. The condition of the young man in her hand seemed to have improved. The man had regained consciousness earlier but had refused to speak with her. Some of his things had been lost when she had grabbed them earlier. His little suit had become hard stained and ripped from her juices. His gun, whatever that was, had gone missing. She had searched her bottoms for the small trinket, but assumed it lost. She really did feel sorry for his suit and even offered to try and make him a new one. Still he completely ignored her.

      Earlier he had drunken the water, and eaten the food she provided. So he was no longer in any medical danger for the trip. Still he had persisted to be carried out in the open as they traveled to Otohimes. It had been one of the last things he had said to her before giving her the silent treatment. He was very angry and yet Maki could not, or would not apologize to this arrogant little man. How long would they both remain angry was any ones guess.

      April the 9th, naval time 7:30PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      With her group of warriors, Sakuya had continued north to where she had first seen the demons. She was glad that she lived in this part of the Ryujin sea where the water was only waist deep. Traveling far distances swimming was not particularly fun. Some parts of the sea where so deep she couldn't reach the bottom as hard as she tried.

      She had continued to worry about the young man from the past village. As she trudged along she couldn't help but think back to his helpless cute figure. It pissed her off further that the young man had been allowed to be escorted by a clumsy looking large chested woman. Otohime was going to have a fit when she reached the Ryujin palace. Further that woman could nearly have killed him! Otohime would hear the story from the male in question, assuming he made it safely, but that was only if he made it there safely. This put her mind at ease slightly, but all the girls in her group shared her feelings.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:20PM, Nobu's perspective.

      Nobu was a middle aged man. Standing at about 6 feet tall, he had spent his life creating poems and lyrics to songs. Unlike his father he did not care so much for vanity, but he cared much for his voice and song. It had been almost five years since he had his first son, Nobuto. His wife that it was cute he used part of his own name to name him. His wife was much older and she had been a warrior. She was not one for very good conversation, but she did love to listen to him sing.

      For his sons fifth birthday in a week, he had planned to sing a ballade for him before he left to form a new village now that he was of age enough to leave the village. It was not uncommon for a son to stay until he was closer to twenty, but with full growth being acquired, such as the ability to reproduce at five, it was also not uncommon to seek dowry early. In the end it had been his wife's decision.

      It was all he could do for his son now, sending him off with a tune to stay strong in his absence. As he practiced the ballade he began to smell smoke. The smoke was much different than the usual smell of cooked Wani. As he stopped his own song, he listened, and eventually heard what sounded like panic. More smoke started to billow into the room as his wife entered the room. In this state Nobu worried for his son.

      Emi burst through the door heading for her husband. "Nobu we need to escape the village now!" She started opening his cage.

      "Why!? What of our son? What's happening!?" Nobu demanded to his wife.

      "Our son is safe with one of his sisters, but we have to get out of her now husband! The whole village may collapse, it's the tree burning men!" She said as she grabbed him from his palace.

      Nobu was too shocked for words. His wife set him in her mouth to keep him safe as she started climbing down the tree through the smoke. He started singing easing both his and his wife's anxiety.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:25PM, Nobuto's perspective.

      Everything had erupted into chaos. The entire tree was billowing with black smoke. Nobuto's sister was holding him dearly as she was forced to jump off the tree above the fire. Landing into the water Nobuto saw a clear view of what was happening. The base of his father's village was burning, four giants stood around its base. They easily stood over 200 feet tall. With blue eyes, blonde hair, and two devil like horns they stood in the water using their giant Kanabo mace to knock down his young sisters. His older sisters, and aunts tried to fight them using spear, but had only managed to kill one of them. It was a losing battle. His sister was only about twelve years old, and so was only about able to stay above the water in a swim.

      As she tried to move away to get her brother to safety one of the tree burning men surprised her sapping her in the head with his club. Released into the water Nobuto was quite far off from the village. But his sister was adding to an already bloodied water, as Nobuto swam from the giant men his sister was hoisted on the man's back.

      Dropping into the water from the tree with her husband under her tongue, Emi watched in horror as her sons protector was clobbered by one of the tree burning men. The giant man started to reach and grab up the small Ryujin girl over his shoulder. "You fucking animal!" Seeing this Emi raced towards the tree burning man with her spear. She would not let her son perish.

      Running the spear into the chest of the giant demon, Emi had not even noticed the demon behind her. Starteled Emi attempted to dodge as the giant swung down at her. The demon in front of her snapped her spear, but by that time her corpse was already falling into the bloodied waters. Her head had been fractured by the giant behind her. The last thing she could do was spit her husband down into the water to safety.

      Some of the fleeing woman had seen her fall, but dared not go to her aide. The tree burning man were parasites to the Ryujin, often placing their eggs inside them until they hatched. The tree burning men's offspring would then consume their host from the inside. For the girls who survived the attack, this would most likely be their fate. It was said that it was better to die fighting then to live to be a host.

      Splashing hard into the water, Nobu had to swim abruptly to avoid his falling wife's corpse. "Emi!" He yelled as he looked up at his wife's executioner. "Nooo," he yelled as the large hand of the demon grasped him along with the water as he desperately tried to swim away.

      The tree burning man looked down in his hand with a twisted smile before sending the contents of his hand into his mouth.

      Nobu panicked as he was placed in a  dark cavern similar to his wife's mouth. As the giant man swished the water in his mouth Nobu started singing a prayer which was originally made for his son. "Don't forget we love you, just because we are not there. If you miss me, just pray to the stars.."

      Gulp...

      "Father!" Nobuto yelled in fear, anger, and sadness. He could no longer move, everything he loved was gone, even his sisters. He was a powerless man in the Ryujin society, it pissed him off so much! He could nothing for this massacre. He just wanted to be with his father, and her him sing one more time at this point. He just didn't care anymore, life was too painful.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:30PM, Explorative fleet perspective.

      General alarm was sounded aboard the three destroyers. The ringing of the bells clanged in everyone ears. The four giants before them in the horizon sat above a red blood tainted sea. The smell of iron, burning tar, and smoke filled the nostrils of everybody aboard.

      Rear Admiral Komura was in command of the explorative fleet, and took up the wireless. "To Vice Admiral Ito of Yamato, we have possible hostiles confirmed."

      "This is Yamato, what's the strength of the enemy?"

      "We believe it's four demons armed with clubs standing over an estimated two hundred feet tall."

      The Rear Admiral stayed on the wireless as he started relaying orders to the fleet. The ships slowed as they got closer to the scene. All the crews were on edge, as the fight between the female and male giants started to come to an end in the distance.

      Kenta had been wanting some excitement, but four huge giants was not what he bargained for. They were going to be in the thick of it soon if the orders weren't given to retreat. The nature of the giants had not been determined. If they ran and were unable to injure the demons, then they could endanger the rest of the fleet. It was already apparent that they had been spotted.

      As Kenta held unto his 25mm Anti Aircraft Gun  he looked out into the bloody water. Giant corpses floated fifty meters off the side making Kenta want to throw up.

      The captain of the Asashimo swallowed as he looked out from the bridge of his ship. The sight was incredible, unbelievable and terrifying all in one. I'd rather face an American any day, than this. He thought. Taking up his radio he made an announcement. "To all hands, we shall have the honor of leading the attack!"

      Kenta did not like the news, but as he was on the flagship of the explorative fleet, it was expected. As he sighed he couldn't help but notice as a bunch of his fellow comrades started yelling off the side of the ship.

      "Man overboard!"

      Throwing a rope down as the ship started to sail by, Kenta and his comrades hoisted the scared silent naked young man aboard.

      He looked shocked, scared even. The man was wearing nearly nothing and wouldn't utter a word. He did seem in awe though. Some sailors bombarded him with questions, but it seemed he was too shocked to answer.

      Kenta just wandered who this mysterious stranger was. He looked Japanese but that made no sense as there had been no sailors lost in this sea.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:40PM, Nobuto's perspective.

      He was in awe and shock, pulled aboard this hard fish he was greeted by lots of brothers. Nobuto couldn't fathom where he was or who these brothers where. He was simply too shocked to speak other than a single word. "Run."

      April the 9th, naval time 9:40PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      Sakuya and her sisters had started to run when they saw the smoke rising from the tree village in the distance. Despite her instincts to flee Sakuya couldn't abandon a village if it was under attack. Running through the water her eyesight started to pick up the shadows of four figures. Any thoughts of Shouta leaving her head, instead focusing on her task.

      "Let's hurry sisters!" She yelled. "We might still ....."

      She fell face first into the water amongst her sisters as three successive loud bangs erupted from ahead of them. It was so loud it came close to shattering their eardrums, temporarily causing them all to fall down.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:45PM, Nobuto's perspective.

      Nobuto had been sitting on the hard ground when a man yelled at him to cover his ears. He did so reluctantly, unable to understand why.

      Similarly Kenta covered his ears knowing full well what was about to happen as a whistle blew. The Asashimo opened fire with a broadside from three of its five inch guns towards the oncoming demons As the Captain yelled, "Fire!"

To be continued.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:45PM, Vice Admiral Ito's  perspective.

      Ito was still on the radio with Rear Admiral Komaru. The situation was tense in the war room aboard the Yamato. He had thought about deploying more ships, but it would be a fool's errand. The fleet here could not sortie to aid them, they would be on their own. Of course he still had a job to do here. Continuing to give orders over the wireless he heard the loud bangs crackle through the radio, it had begun.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:46PM, Explorative Fleet's  perspective.

      The fleet was now sailing through a red sea filled with large female corpses. Most of the crew was below deck. All the ships bridges were filled with nervous looking Japanese sailors. The four giants were over a thousand feet away, but it was obvious that they would be upon them soon. The fleet had split into two sections, and was now sailing at a forty five degree angle alongside the giants. The first of the loud bangs from the five inch guns had startled them, but done no damage, as the first three shots went straight over their heads. "Damn worthless sights!" Yelled the captain.

      Those aboard the Asashimo had already made adjustments and fired a second deafening volley from their other three guns. Only one had hit, on this shot, but it was enough. "That's more like it! Relay adjustments to the fleet! Bring them down!" The captain glared out the window at the giants.

      As the second set of shots rang out, the other two ships were told over radio to commence operations. Without a moment's hesitation the two other ships let loose with their guns. Each firing all of their five inch guns in unison. The 51 Pound rounds were sent flying out of the their barrels at over 3,000 feet per second. With the rounds firing at a rate of over five rounds per minute, a torrent of shells flooded the air.

      Since the battle had begun Kenta had been holding the rail tight as he held unto the young man who had been in the water minutes earlier. His ship was plowing through the water  at over eighty knots causing it to break over the waves like a speedboat. Kenta felt he might get sick, but the man next to him covered in blood was probably the real cause. With the sky filled with rounds, Kenta could not help but watch the carnage unfold.

      The three destroyers; Asashimo, Hamakaze, and IsoKaze each had a total of six, five inch guns. Within the first minute of the battles commencement, the giants had closed the distance between them by half. But this hardly mattered as over 180 Common Type 1 high-explosive rounds had hit their marks. Made to pound through solid steal and explode, the rounds mostly passed straight through the giants bodies, but some of the rounds exploded when they impacted the giants bones and organs.

      The giants had never know a bullet, but to their primitive minds, they knew the sound of thunder. Panic struck them. Brandishing their large clubs that looked to be over fifty feet long, they tossed them towards the fleet. Taking evasive action the fleet suffered no damage to their poor aim. The IsoKaze came closest to being hit, as the club smashed the water a mere four meters away.

      Kenta tried to calm the unknown man as the battle continued. In the end he only ended up cursing the young man out and shoving him below deck. It had been only a minute since the first shots had wrung out. Kenta was in disbelief of the effect the ships were having on the giant clubbed demons. The Oni's seemed to slow down as their small wounds spewed blood. The giants wounds reminded him of a shrapnel wound, they had relatively small injuries, but were bleeding out very fast from all the shots. One had lost its eyes, and another was flailing down in the water wildly swinging it's club. Kenta couldn't help but think of the irony of the giants, they looked like westerners with their blue eyes and blonde hair, if it wasn't for the horns and size, he could swear his enemy had not changed. It had become apparent to Kenta that the fleet was gathering back together as a single group. This was most likely because the giants had becomes confused and clustered together.

      Kenta had been so preoccupied with the battle he failed to notice the  vibrations running through the ship. Perhaps it was the constant fire shaking the ship and not the engine, ships had never traveled so fast, as they now did in Watatsumi. Even now with a direct course away from the injured giants, the giants still continued to trudge after them, albeit slowly due to their confusion. For the second minute of the battle it seemed they might be overtaken by them, but after a short while the evidence was clear. The battle had only lasted three minutes, but in those three minutes, the four giants had endured the onslaught of over four hundred rounds. It seemed that the giant men were not dead. Most of them had lost all ambition to continue their trace as they hollered some incoherent cry. It was only a matter of time until they would bleed out, but the fleet kept a course that gave them some extra distance.

      Aboard the Asashimo, the crew started to cheer in accordance with their victory. To Kenta the whole affair seemed like the giants were mere lambs to the slaughter. He couldn't take pride in this kill, none of the ships had even taken damage. Still it was a lot less boring then just exploring. The idea of another attack was far from his mind. The all clear had been sounded, but not everyone had completely settled yet. "I suppose I should go help clean up that man we rescued."

      "You mean the one watching the battle that you shoved down the bulkhead?" Asked another sailor top side.

      "I did do that didn't I, oh well." Kenta remarked as he went below.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:46PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      Sakuya's over sensitive ears were screaming bloody murder as sounds as loud as thunder sounded continually. "What the hell is that noise!" Sakuya yelled to her troops. They all looked blankly as they too held their hands over their ears. "Worthless!" Pointing her finger towards the smoking tree village in the distance, the girls all understood, and made haste to the tree village in front of them.

      Sakuya pushed through the waist deep water  as fast as she could. Finally coming into a closer range she was able to catch a glimpse of the tree burning men. But even further away she saw them. "The dark demons..." "The Gray hulking beasts."

      Arising from the demons was a black smoke, the speed of them was baffling. They had no visible legs but merely glided atop the water. "They are so damn noisy!" Yelled one of the women in Sakuya's tow. "Is that some of the demons you saw Sakuya?" "Their making my ears bleed!" Said the girl as she held her hands over her ears.

      "Unmistakably, but why are they fighting the tree burning men?" Sakuya asked, both to herself and her sisters.

      "Perhaps they are rival demons?" Stated one of Sakuya's troops. The girls approached closer until they were within the black demons sights.

      "That doesn't make any sense, this is the first time we've ever seen them, if they were rivals then they would have been seen in the last war." Said Sakuya.

      "How would you know Sakuya, you weren't around back then!" Sakuya just shook her head.

      "No one is still alive from the era of the last war still. Of course I wouldn't know, but my mother never said anything about them!"

      Despite the serious situation these girls couldn't help but keep their minds occupied elsewhere.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:50PM, Explorative Fleet's  perspective.

      The Captain of the IsoKaze was aboard his bridge gazing out over the carnage before him. "Captain! Multiple targets sighted. Six, eight... Total is eleven giants from the south!"

      "Send a message to Rear Admiral Komaru!" "Sound the General Alarm and prepare for naval action!" The captain continued to shout his orders.

      "Admiral, message from the IsoKaze reports eleven more giants inbound from the south moving at high speeds!" Said the radio officer.

      Judging it took roughly 450 rounds to take down four of the previous giants, that left them with over two thousand rounds still, they could still win another fight if they had too, thought the Admiral. Then again they might have just got lucky, the giants before seem confused, these ones might be smarter. "Give me the Vice Admiral!" The young officer handed him the radio.

      Ito had a troubled look on his face after he received new Intel form the front. Given the circumstances he was sure that the explorative fleet could engage the giants, but it was far too risky. "Komaru, you're to disengage and make haste north!" "You are only to fire if you are followed!" He paused a moment again before speaking. "At full speed you should rendezvous with the main fleet in under three hours!"

      "Three Hours! At full speed we could only make it in five!" Stated Komaru.

      "The Main Fleet will be sailing south towards you, you are to avoid battle until we arrive."

      "Yes Vice Admiral!" Rear Admiral Komaru changed the frequency of the radio. "To all captains of the Explorative Fleet, prepare to change course to north."

      The message was heard loud and clear as all the ships came about changing directions.

      April the 9th, naval time 9:55PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      Despite their best efforts Sakuya and her ten sisters arrived to the village as the dark demons had already started heading north. Their figures becoming shadows in the distance.

      "Sakuya, shall we pursue them!?" Asked her sisters.

      Sakuya looked at her troops. "Sisters those demons did that!" She pointed at the bloodied corpse of a tree burning man. It had holes punctured through its body, as well as a few spots where it's fleshed had been set aflame from within. "Besides some of the villagers may still not be beyond help."

      "Your right Sakuya, but I don't see any signs of life here..." Sakuya's sister had a point, this was a graveyard. The girls littered about in the water from the old to the young did not look much better than the remains fo the four tree burning men.

      "Perhaps a man is still alive here floating amongst his daughters or sisters, be careful, and fan out and search!" "If you're lucky maybe he will propose to you." Despite the girls grim spirits, this small thought did keep them a bit optimistic as they searched the field of bodies.

      April the 9th, naval time 10:00PM, Nobuto's perspective.

      "Odd these brothers of mine are. They crawl in and live in a beast like no Wani I've ever seen. Their rude, crude, and never speak correctly. They constantly use the holy words, often profanely. They wear the best clothing I've ever seen! I wish to know more about these odd brothers, they are nothing like my father, and they seem more oddly interested in me. My mother said all men are like my father, and I wish not to doubt her, but it cannot be. They just can't seem to stop asking me questions, when they have not even politely asked for my name yet! Yet it is I who has questions. Why is it that courtesy must dictate that I must wait to be greeted before replying. To ask such questions without being greeted properly would be extremely rude. I am at a loss." These were Nobuto's thoughts, as the young Japanese man Kenta, tried to get him to talk.

      Kenta was now sitting below decks in a small room. The man in front of him still reeked of blood and piss, but at least the pounding in his ears had stopped. Even with his ear muffs, Kenta's ears had been exposed for a while when this idiot top side had pulled them off, much to his irritation. "Listen, I know you're frightened, but get over it!" Kenta looked down at the young taller man across the table. Yet another reminder of how short he was, more so to this man then his comrades which still towered over him. "We saved you, but have no record of you aboard the fleet?" "What were you doing there floating in the water?" The young man's silence irritated him so much. Then again it was a lot less boring then keeping watch over his gun again.

      Nobuto did not particularly care what this brother spoke of. He listened to him sure, but was more focused on the interesting layout of this beast he now dwelled inside. At first he had been terrified when he had been forced down below into the cramped beasts, "compartments as they were called?", but now he found it quite comfortable. Perhaps more so then his palace his sister had built. Unlike a Wani, the beast was solid and hard, more so then the surfaces of his old palace. Yet at the same time his seat was padded with some weird unknown material, he wished his elder sister had found this material for his garments. But this train of thought only reminded him of her untimely end, and depressed him. Still this beast proved able to protect him and his brothers from the tree burning men, but still he wondered what kind of an arrangement the brothers had with the beast.

      Kenta was getting fed up with this fidgeting tall man. "Pretty glad we clobbered those Giants, eh?" Kenta said as he pounded a fist into his palm.

      Nobuto finally was pulled back to reality when his short brother in front of him peeked his interest. "Yeah it was Awesome!" Responded Nobuto in his native Ryujin tongue.

      April the 9th, naval time 10:25PM, Maki's perspective.

      Maki had spent the last four hours jabbering away at the small man in her palm with little to no success in getting him to respond. His anger had not subsided, and he seemed so stubborn and arrogant. Then again her anger had mostly subsided as she now just felt frustrated.

      Still the trip so far to Otohime's had been completely uneventful. The only thing which was worth mentioning was the small mans mouth in her palm as he took in the sight of Otohime's dragon palace castle. In comparison, it's stone structure made Mt. Fuji look tiny, and Osaka castle look like an ants colony. Stairs that ascended out of the water for thousands of feet, with a giant Torii made of stone which enchanted it's looks further. "Truly the center of this world." Thought Shouta.

To be continued.

      April the 8th, naval time 10:25PM, Otohime's perspective.

      There was only one last appointment to end her day. Otohime had just talked to one of her many army scouts returning from the north. It was very troubling to her that the reports of the tree burning man attacking villages in the north were true. The estimated loss of life was horrendous. Not even the males had been spared.

      The tree burning men had not shown up for generations. She wasn't even sure she could lead her army against them and win. The last great war had been nearly lost before the attack had been halted on the other side, sparring them from obliteration. That war had ended the lives of thousands. Her army was not even half the size her ancestors could bring to bear in their defense. She had troubling times ahead.

      The description of the tree burning man also was common knowledge, considering they had not been seen by anyone living today. Ferocious killing creatures without an agenda. They looked similar to them slightly, but they often dyed their skin blue and carried around giant sticks. The horns on their head reached for the heavens, most unnecessarily since they already stood more than a third taller than the average Ryujin.

      Her train of thought was broken. "Your last appointment for the day is ready your Lordship." The guard bowed.

      Four guards and an imperial officer entered her chamber, accompanied by two figures. It was a common sight she hated seeing. Two of the guards were restraining a larger crying woman. The smaller girl half her size was stoically silent between her two large guards. She was the offender of their laws, and the mother was also therefore guilty.

      "The accused is guilty of the loss of Otohime's property. The mother of the accused is hereby found guilty of the improper care and supervision of the Lord's property. Both crimes are under the jurisdiction of The Lord for punishment." The Imperial Officer stated.

      "You will kneel before your Lord." She pushed the two girls into the arms of the guards as she spoke.

      The guards forced the two women to kneel as The Lord spoke. They were not very gentle.

      Otohime hated carrying out punishments like these. Still if men were allowed to die, then their kingdom would crumble. Above all else, her station existed to protect all the men of her Kingdom. She was the bureaucrat, land and male protectorate, and Judge on all matters of state. Which meant she was also the executioner to their laws, the very laws which protected the Ryujin way of life.

      "Please my Lord, it was an accident. She would never harm her brother!" The two guards shoved the mothers face into the rocky ground after she spoke.

      "Who gave you permission to speak to the Lord?" The guard yelled into the mother's ear.

      "It is okay, allow the young one to tell her story first. What's your name?" Otohime asked.

      "Hina." The young girl said.

      "What a beautiful name Hina. So what happened to your brother?"

      The small girl started to cry, she had been holding herself together, but the Lord's words had been too soft, too friendly. "Hina is a really good swimmer, and brother needed a bath. I planned to wash him inside his Palace, but he asked me to show him how good a swimmer I was outside. So I snuck him from mom's room and brought him outside. Everything had been going okay until brother asked to see me swim."

      Otohime could see where this was going, and could tell her mother had drilled her to be silent. Her pressure on this girl was revealing the truth.

      "I gave into brother's demand and started swimming away from him, that was when I saw the Tengu in the sky. I really tried to get back to him, but I didn't make it!" The little girl broke into a crying wail inside the Lord's chambers.

      "Silent!" One of the guards yelled at the young girl.

      "A believable story little Hina, but I'm afraid your at fault, a fact which saddens me to no end."

      "Please mercy!" Begged Hina's mother.

      "Silent!" Yelled the guard as she slapped Hina's mother.

      "Mother!"

      Such a sad story this was, her husband nearby looked none the better as well. But setting an example was also necessary for Otohime, so her husband would forgive her for what she most do.

      "I judge you both for your crimes. Hina! For your crime of improper care and protection of your brother, I sentence you to exile to the north. You will travel until you hit land, and never return."

      "That's beyond cruel my Lord! The lands to the north belong to the tree burning man, even if she survived the swim, she would be eaten for sure!"

      Ignoring the pleading mother, the Lord continued. "You, who have failed to oversee your son correctly. Have proven yourself to be a danger to all men. You shall be striped of your title, and your husband shall be confiscated, as you're an unfit mother."

      This time, Hina spoke out of term. "You can't do that, it will destroy our village!"

      "Silent girl!"

      Otohime hated doing this, but being harsh might be the only thing that kept that small girl alive. "You no longer have a place among the Ryujin! You have no home within these waters! Make a new home."

      Otohime knew it wasn't uncommon for the banished to form villages in the trees dangerously close to the land. They had no men for children, and generally they were a safety net in times of invasion's past. It was a known secret, told in children's story tales. She hoped that Hina had heard such stories, otherwise going to the land was nothing more than like a wani swimming into a Ryujin's net.

      Hina's mother no longer spoke up, but only sobbed all over the hard stone floor. She continued to do so while her small daughter was branded with a Tattoo on her face. The symbol itself stood for untrustworthy, and was placed on anyone who was banished, or committed an unforgiveable crime.

      Otohime was sick of this day, she had enough. "I'm retiring for the night. Guards, escort our guests out."

      April the 9th, naval time 11:02PM, Ito's  perspective.

      The Yamato would join up with the explorative fleet in another two hours. Further communication with the explorative fleet had been quiet, as no reports of being chased by the giants had been noticed. It seemed they were not being pursued. Ito was in no rush for a confrontation with eleven of those giants.

      Stepping off the bridge, Ito stepped onto the elevator. He nodded a moment to think. Stepping out unto the desk, he still felt it strange to not smell the pacific. Still he walked along the side of the Yamato until he reached the stern. This took him about twelve minutes. The water trailing behind the ship was ripping turrets of water, the like of which, Ito had only seen on speedboats. It was a bit inspiring, but had nothing to do with his current thoughts. Looking out into the strange land, he saw a correlation of change.

      Men were scrambling aboard the Yamato, only saluting him as he walked by. New gardens and rice patties were taking shape inside make shift tubs. They were going to survive, that was the conclusion he came to as he walked the distance of the eight hundred and sixty feet to the bow of the ship.

      Ito was comforted by the knowledge his fleet was doing everything they could to survive as well. The three men in front of him were bickering that the water had been getting increasingly shallow as they headed south. One argued they were approaching land, while the other argued they were heading for a mountain, the third just seemed to want to point out a mountain was land. Ito just chuckled as he made his way back to the bridge.

      The elevator came to a stop. Steeping out, Ito let a person who was in a rush unto the elevator. Walking to the bridge, he noticed everyone else was in a similar panic.

      "What's all this ruckus about?" Ito asked Aruga, Captain of the Yamato.

      "Vice Admiral Ito, it appears we have sighted another giant ahead."

      April the 9th, naval time 11:28PM, Hina's  perspective.

      Hina had been making her way north ever since she had been thrown out of the Palace. Her mother had been silent and gone her separate way. In truth, Hina was not her biological daughter. She was the Village's mother, or had been, now she was a nobody in a doomed village. Of course the village would no doubt try to attain the rights to trade for the rights for a male mating ritual. The cost for such a thing, was expensive. Chances are, her sisters would never have a dowry to have kids. They would blame her. Hina was really understanding the implications of what she had done.

      Her body was still yet to be full grown, and she would appear to a normal human to be in her mid teens, but in truth she had lived for over thirty two years already. Still she would have another eight years before she stopped growing, and then another one hundred and sixty years roughly before she would die of old age. So for all intensive purposes she was still a child.

      She stood at a height of a hundred feet, most of which was underneath the water, thankfully she could still stand, for now. She had already started learning the trade of fishing from her biological mother, so she would not starve fortunately. The Ryujin society had no concept of a money system. People as a whole owned rights to land and tree's, and things they produced. The occasional wife might hold the rights over a man, and also use that power to garner services as well. For the most part though, the Ryujin were a bartering society. So having a trade in something was hugely valuable for someone in the position Hina was in now.

      Still Hina had nowhere to sleep, she had been walking north since she had been booted from the palace. Even in the dark she continued. If she was lucky, some village might let her sleep for a night. Doing so would be costly however, and most would reject her based on the tattoo on her forehead.

      So while she had been on the lookout for wani, what she saw off in the distance shocked her.

      "What the hell are those!"

      April the 9th, naval time 10:40PM, Otohime's perspective.

      It was noon time already, half her day was already gone. The morning had been filled with meetings with her varying army officials. The decision to publicly announce war with the tree burning men was the subject. Many of her officers who reported, felt that advanced warning might prepare some villages, before an attack. On the other hand, the other argument floating around was that of worrying the people, and creating panic. No warning was potentially as dangerous as a mass panic by the Ryujin. So again Otohime sent out more scouts to the north. Then there was the matter of the other dark creatures her daughter spoke of. She had no idea what to make of that, all she could do was await her daughter's report.

      With the noon sun, came here noon appointments. The first few had been settling bartering disputes. It was rather troublesome lately, since most of her military power had been stretched thin guarding the borders. Before they had served at their own villages as advocates on her behalf. Now Otohime was overwhelmed by every villages problems.

      One village had traded fourteen wani to another village in exchange for an hour mating session. That was enough food to feed an entire village for a day. After the trade, when the village came to collect it's mating session, they felt they had been scammed. The village's wife's husband slept through the entire session, despite attempts at waking him. The village then refused to return the wani, since they had already eaten them.

      As a result of being overwhelmed, Otohime was ready to just start turning away everyone for the rest of the day. Then came a curious statement from one of her attendants about her next appointment.

      April the 9th, naval time 10:30PM, Maki's perspective.

      Sitting in the equivalent of a waiting room, inside the large palace, Maki couldn't help but feel nervous. Here she was at the dragon palace where the lord lived. Trying to explain Shouta's situation to the court officials had proved difficult. Shouta still seemed upset, and didn't even try to explain himself. He just waited inside her palms pacing. No doubt wandering how to explain himself to the large powerful woman he was about to meet.

      Still it wasn't like they would get an appointment soon anyways. There was a long line of fellow Ryujin's already waiting in the room. The stares Shouta had received, were nothing compared to the ones of jealously on the female faces in the room. Maki all of a sudden felt like a wani in a room full of Tengu, or perhaps that's the way Shouta should have felt. But Shouta hardly would notice, since he was caught up with his pacing.

      He was the only man in the room, and extra guards had been placed around Maki, adding to the stuffiness of the stone and mortar room. All of this only made her warrant more attention from the onlookers.

      April the 9th, naval time 10:20PM, Kenta's perspective.

      "What language was that!" Kenta asked his other startled sailors.

      The man across from Kenta looked confused.

      "Someone get a linguist. This guy could be important!"

      A few of Kenta's fellow comrades bolted out of the small compartment. Leaving Kenta nearly alone with the man. Kenta eyed the man. A fellow sailor armed with a type 99 light machine gun had his back.

      Kenta spoke the four English words he knew just in case. "Are You American Sailor?"

      Kenta awaited his response.

To be continued.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:35PM, Ito's  perspective.

      "Several more confirmations from other ships Admiral. It's a smaller giant then the others, based on ocean.. Based on the water's depth, we believe it to be around one hundred feet tall and female."

      "Female? How was that identified?" Ito asked curiously.

      The officer on the bridge blushed. "Reports claimed it had breasts sir."

      Ito shooed away the young officer. "Halt the engines." Ito thought a moment, at this speed, they would taxi twice as long. "Throw anchor, relay this to the fleet. Inform the Exploratory fleet the main fleet will be delayed."

      The other man aboard the bridge started yelling orders into tubes to relay the orders amid ship.

      "Prepare for combat." Ito commanded.

      Ito thought a moment, I really hope it does not come to a fight, we can't keep killing every giant we encounter. A dialogue will have to be attempted.

      Bells started ringing all over the fleets ships. Men were scurrying around some, below filling the guns with rounds and powder.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:46PM, Hina's perspective.

      As Hina continued forward to the large creatures, she could hear lots of noise. She was still far away, but as she got closer, she kept having more questions.

      The biggest creature was sleek, and glided across the water, it stood taller in the water than any Ryujin. It was so long she felt she could lie across it several times if it was flat. The other were also much larger then her as well, but not by much. They had odd pointy limbs all over their backs, and odd looking twines.

      Taking a closer look she thought she spotted small dots running around on the creatures back.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:46PM, Ito's perspective.

      The giants were supposedly able to cover over a thousand feet in less than three minutes according to the exploratory fleet. At the current speed the fleet was going, having even dropped anchor, Ito assumed that the giant, some two thousand feet away, would be upon them in less than two.

      "Less than two minutes till that thing is upon us men, do any of you have any suggestions which will prevent bloodshed?"

      The officers looked at each other. The first to act however was Captain Aruga. "Vice Admiral, I suggest we load two of the Yamato's eighteen inch guns with powder and fire blanks. Should provide one hell of a bang, maybe even scare it off."

      "I agree. Prepare to fire warning shots at the giant!"

      A loud whistle was blown right before the two shots were fired. This gave time for the crews of the fleet to cover their ears, which could easily be ruptured by the Yamato's guns.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:00PM, Kenta's perspective.

      It had taken some time to find a linguist. In the meantime Kenta had tried using sign language without much luck. The linguist had little luck as well when he tried German, French, English, and even some Russian. Finally he gave up and said, "I don't suppose you can just speak Japanese now, based on your reactions, I'd just say you were playing stupid."

      Kenta stared at the linguist, "Are you telling me he speaks Japanese? What he spoke earlier was not Japanese."

      "All I'm saying is he seems to look like he understands us, but is not talking."

      "You think he might be Chinese?" Kenta asked.

      "I doubt it, I'd say keep trying to ask him questions, like what's his name. If you can't figure it out, I guess I'll have to teach him." The linguist left the room.

      "This is stupid, tell me what your name is!"

      April the 9th, naval time 11:00PM, Nobuto's perspective.

      Nobuto wasn't sure how friendly these people were, he had set in this room with the short man for quite a while now. Even the bulkheads and topics had become boring. He didn't know what a German or French was, unless it referred to another man. Still he wanted to be cautious, he did not know these brothers. They demanded his name yet again without any proper introductions. Feeling like silence was getting him nowhere, Nobuto finally spoke, in the holy words.

      "You're so impolite brothers. You haven't even told me who you are!"

      The man was startled at his words. "So you do speak Japanese!" Kenta was finally happy to hear something he understood, he completely ignored what the young man said.

      "You're being very rude brother." Nobuto sighed. "My name is Nobuto, what is your brothers?"

      "Kenta. Now tell me how did you come about to be in those waters?"

      "My village was attacked."

      "So you're a native of this world!?"

      Nobuto was confused. "What's a native?" "Why do you continue to speak with holy words?"

      Kenta now looked confused. "Well native means you were born here, while I was not. What are holy words?"

      Sacrilegious, these brothers were using the holy words without even realizing its importance. "These words we speak are our peoples sacred words, not our primary ones."

      The man behind Kenta holding a machine gun spoke. "I think he means that Japanese is a second language for him that's sacred."

      "That makes no sense. Tell me of your village."

      "What a personal question. I refuse."

      "Listen, how can we help you, when we know nothing about you. Where is your village? You said it came under attack, by the giants? Please tell me!"

      Nobuto was confused. "But you were just there, my village was a top the tree, my sisters, my aunts. They were all dead in the water, and my father swallowed alive without a trace. As for what attacked us, it was the tree burning men your beasts slayed."

      "Our beasts?"

      "Our Destroyers Kenta, I don't think he knows what a ship is."

      "Ah." "We didn't see any of your female villagers in the water just more giants."

      "That's not possible, my own sister was very close to me when you picked me from the sea." Nobuto stated.

      Kenta thought on it for a moment, he was basically saying the giant dead females in the water were his family. "Women are the same size as us, are you trying to tell me your family members were giants!?"

      "Women as small as us? That's laughable brother, how on earth would they protect us if that was the case."

      Kenta was speechless. He stuttered a moment. "Get the captain down here."

      April the 9th, naval time 11:00PM, Otohime's perspective.

      Otohime's new guests were politely escorted into her chambers.

      "So, announce yourselves." She looked down at the young girl and male in her hand.

      "I am Maki of Momo. And this is Shouta." She bowed.

      "Can he not speak for himself Maki?" Otohime asked.

      "Of course."

      "So what's your name young man?" Otohime asked Shouta.

      "What did she say Maki? Who is she?" Shouta asked.

      "Shhh, Just tell her your name!" She said in an overly loud whisper."

      "Something the matter Maki, why doesn't he speak his name?"

      "I'm Shouta Petty Officer Second Class of the battleship Hamakaze, and I much prefer it if you speak Japanese!"

      Otohime was taken aback, Maki had gone pale. "What a very rude and impolite young men you are, even using the Holy words to such a degree."

      "I can't understand you bitch, speak Japanese!" Had Shouta still had his gun, it would have been brazenly displayed.

      Otohime stood up from her chair, "What manner of a male is this! So brazen and rude, is he of your village Maki!?"

      Maki was still pale, Shouta had put her in a tough spot with the strongest person in her world.

      "I'm so glad your speaking so I can understand now. I come from the land of Japan."

      "What's this nonsense Maki? A man from the land?"

      "I saved him from a Tengu, and after saving him, he informed me he was not of this world, it also seems he only speaks with holy words, quite rudely, I apologize for his behavior."

      "He must be a liar Maki! No man comes from the land, they can't even defend themselves!" She sat back down next to her husband's man palace, glancing at it.

      "I'm not a liar, and I'd rather face hundreds of Tengu then be locked up in a cage like that." He pointed at her husband's man palace.

      "How dare you insult the lords Husband's man palace!"

      Maki was quivering in fear on the ground as the tiny Japanese man refused to step down. "You've locked him up and taken away that man's freedom, he's in a cage, I'd rather die than be put in one."

      Otohime was starting to turn red at this young man's insults. "Darling, be easy on the boy, he is young, and most likely sacred after his experience."

      "Yamato." Otohime stared lovingly at her husband.

      "Yamato! Your husband has the same name as our greatest battleship?"

      Otohime looked back at the rude man. "What's a battleship?"

      April the 9th, naval time 11:48PM, Hina's  perspective.

      Hina had gotten within seventeen hundred feet of the large creature before it yelled at her. She could already make out several young men on the creatures back, but before speaking a word, a loud noise blanketed her ears.

      It had been so loud she got dizzy and started sinking into the water. The ringing in her ears wouldn't stop as she started drifting down into the water.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:48PM, Ito's  perspective.

      "I think we stunned it sir, it may drown at this rate."

      "It's no longer a danger to the fleet then." Ito countered.

      "Sir..."

      "I'm aware, I also wanted to make contact, but what do you want me to do, go out there and pull her up?" Ito smirked, "Sorry I'm not that good of a swimmer. Well attempt contact if she survives."

      Behind Ito and Captain Aruga, an officer was startled as the wireless station on the bridge came alive with a radio single. Listening to the message as his commanders chatted behind him he stood up and looked over at the Vice Admiral.

      "Vice Admiral Ito. Rear Admiral Komaru says he's acquired new Intel on the Giants, from a native source, he's on the wireless right now. He wants to speak with you."

      Vice Admiral Ito snatched the head gear from the sailor. "This is Vice Admiral Ito."

To be continued.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:00PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      Despite Sakuya's best intentions, the rescue mission was a failure. They had all searched through the corpses laying on the ground. Checked every woman's pulse. Went so far as to scout and shout around nearby the village. No survivors had been found. The village was in shambles, and if the tree village didn't burn down completely, there was no hope of it being used by her people anymore. It had come to a point where the smoke had become so bad they had been forced to leave the scene to prevent being burned from the falling branches.

      So, after an hour's time, any chance of hope was seemingly lost. Sakuya still had a mission, it was all she could do to concentrate on it to avoid thinking about the disturbing scene behind her. The tree burning men, they were not important at the moment.  This village was lost and was not her priority. Her priority was the black monsters heading to the north. The monsters which emitted deafening sounds. Monsters that killed tree burning men with ease, she was terrified of them. So sloshing through the water after them was her main and only course of action now. Though her companions could seemingly detect her tremble from the rear.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:00PM, somewhere far north of the main Japanese fleet.

      "What the hell are those things commander!" A young sailor called from the periscope. He was dressed in a black coat with six buttons in its center. Some sort of insignia was on his shirt above his breast. He was holding a white hat in his hand as he retreated from the periscope.

      "To hell if I know. Nothing has made sense since a day ago." Commander John Foote shook his head. He was similarly dressed, although his insignia on his coat were much more elaborate. His hat was also different, it was a peaked cap and had letters on it's front.

      "I think we should advise Commander Janney to dive sir. Those things, are getting awfully close." The sailor looked back into the periscope. He was getting a bit nervous, as were the few others busy on the bridge.

      "It was his own damn fault using up his batteries." Commander John replied to the sailor.

      "Commander what about the radio?" He pointed toward the communications center.

      "We're on radio silence with the Jap's still nearby. We've been getting their chatter for quite a while. And besides, I'm not about to go and surface to give Janney a message, not within a mile of those things." He pointed towards the radar screen. It had a multitude of dots all bearing down on their location.

      A day prior the USS Threadfin had been in the primary outlet for the Seto Inland Sea when they had followed the Japanese flotilla towards Okinawa. These new dots on their radar were far more numerous then the Japanese fleet. Potentially they also knew they were more dangerous.

***

      Commander Janney of the USS Hackleback stood outside on the deck of his surfaced vessel. The binoculars were held up close to his face. He was similarly dressed compared to John of the threadfin.

      "Dear God, what kind of monsters are those!" Janney's hands were shaking, behind him his vessel was smoking dark vents of diesel smoke. The creatures in the far off horizon were larger then sky scrapers, horned, armed with clubs. There were at least a dozen of them if not more.

      "Commander, we still can't dive. Batteries are still nearly dead."

      "How about a short dive?" Asked one of the frightened sailors.

      "No chance, we would go down, but we wouldn't be able to come back up, not without afixating ourselves." He looked towards the black smoke coming from their vessel.

      "Any chance we can outrun them?" Asked one of the helmsmen on deck.

      "Not a chance. Maybe buy us a little more time." He looked towards the horizon. "They're so fast. Pheww..."

      "I think we should fight commander, we might be able to scare them off if we can kill a few." He looked less convinced of his own words then his fellow shipmates.

      "We don't have much other choice." Said the commander. "What a waste of ink."

      "Commander?" The sailor asked puzzled by his words.

      "Ah, some of the boys down in the torpedo room decided to go and label some of the twenty four torpedoes with some of the Japs ship names."

      "Ah, a waste of ink surely commander." He looked down, then came up with a diluted smile. "Perhaps we can get the giants names?" Everybody on deck laughed.

      "Rather than that, I'd rather want to know how we ended up in Conan Doyle's Lost World fighting King Kongs, instead of Japs."

      April the 9th, naval time 11:05PM, The Ryujin Palace.

      "Battleship, is that some kind of spear young man?" The man inside a cage asked. Otohime's husband was a bit curious.

      "Yamato, don't sully yourself talking to this young man." Otohime scolded her husband.

      Maki was also fairly interested. This man seemingly had already convinced her he was from another world. But his ability to surprise had surely not lost its effect. Now using another word that had no meaning to her, had again, set her wheels spinning in got her head. Sure battle was a known holy word, but ship was a mysterious word. She would have to ask.

      "What is a ship?" She asked looking down at the small Shouta.

      Shouta had been given the floor to speak, finally. Otohime, and Maki both looked unto the small figure with continued interest.

      "You're telling me you live in the sea, but don't know what a ship is?" Shouta looked puzzled. Perhaps it was just an unused word in their holy words, but to Shouta, this was not in his mind. He could forget that the holy words were not their primary language at times, they spoke so fluently.

      The two girls continued to look puzzled. They were waiting for a better response.

      Shouta was very bewildered by these giants of the sea. "Well I guess you could call it an object which floats on water, carrying many people."

      Maki giggled. "What purpose would something like that serve when Ryujin's can just swim anywhere." Too her, the concept of a ship was silly. In fact a lot of words from Shouta's vocabulary would be like that if she took more time to talk to him. Assuming of course Shouta would bother to respond, which he hadn't lately.

      Shouta balled his fists and bent over before yelling up towards the towering sitting women. "I keep telling you I'm not a Ryujin, I'm a Japanese man!"

      "Enough of this, this boy is clearly deranged." Otohime stood up as if bored with this conversation. Her foot slamming next to the ground Shouta currently occupied. She was getting done with this silliness.

      "A battleship like Yamato could destroy you giants, don't think your victory today here is a final end. The Japanese Empire is greater then you Giant!"

      Otohime laughed. "Clearly deranged, perhaps your village fed you to the Tengu. You will be placed with a new family until your mother can be located." She wasn't even properly listening to him by this point, insults aside, a few yelping from a young man was stupid.

      "Wait! You..." Before he could insult the Ryujin lord further, Maki covered the small man in her palms. She was in a cold sweat.

      "I'm so sorry Lord Otohime." Maki attempted to Apologize as she bowed.

      "Pathetic, you can go home. Leave that young man with the guards as you go." Otohime pointed towards the exit.

      "Wait Otohime.." Maki pleaded in a quiet voice.

      Otohime interrupted her. "Don't even try to defend that little rude man, too insult even the mother of all Ryujin... You're lucky I don't exile you." She looked at the small man again. "You're a terrible influence on him, I shall make sure you never see him again!"

      Maki went from the stone chamber crying. Shouta showed no response to the one girl who had maybe tried to help him, as she left.

      "That was rather harsh Otohime. She's just a young girl." Her husband Yamato said.

      "Yamato, that boy was rude, but surely confused and frightened to come up with such lies. Whose fault do you think that was?"

      "Dear I believe that young girl did her best. After all she got him here. She was just trying to comfort him. Believing in his delusions was probably for the best."

      "That might be so Yamato, but surely she must not have tried very hard judging from that experience. I suppose it's my turn now." Otohime looked longingly at her husband. "We'll start by forbidding the holy words in his presence. Then well give him a proper bath, replace those silly clothes he's wearing, and surrounded him with my virgin daughters. If we're lucky, he will reform his rude ways, and be so grateful that he will ask to start a village with some of my daughters."

      "I hope it goes that way Otohime." Yamato shook his head.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:50PM, Ito's  perspective.

      The giant known as Hina was continuing to flail in the water a few hundred feet from one of the fleets destroyers. Her head in arms kept popping out of the water like a large serpent. Meanwhile Vice Admiral Ito was using the radio aboard the Yamato's bridge.

      "So you're telling me that giant female is a human!" Ito shouted into the earpiece. It wasn't that he was denying her appearance, which was very human, but rather the sheer immensity of her.

      "According to the native sir, girls here are all that large."

      "That's nonsense." Ito responded. But he still had questions. Too many in fact, for the moment he did his best to focus them.

      "This native how much have we learned from him?" "Why is he small if the other humans are giants?" "For that matter, what about the giant horned men you saw?" "The ones you reported as having blue dyed skin?"

      "That's quite a bit to answer all at once Vice Admiral Ito." He took a breath. "It seems men are small on this world, born that way. Also they seem to be very few in number." The rear admiral paused to take a breath. "It also seems were in a much larger body of water then we expected, much larger than the pacific, except, it's a lake. As for the giant men, they are not human, and apparently slaughter the humans of this world, but none have been seen for generations. I have no new Intel on them, sorry."

      "Rear Admiral, that's quite a mouthful. Can you be sure this man isn't lying?" Ito inquired.

      "I can't be sure of anything Vice Admiral, but if what he says is true, we are safe among these women. In his culture, premeditated man slaughter can result in the execution of an entire village, even accidental deaths of men can result in an execution or banishment."

      "Can you tell me it's worth the risk to trust them Rear Admiral?"

      The rear admiral paused for a moment. "I think we can believe the native sir, but it's a moot point anyways."

      "Why is that Rear Admiral? Do you find their help to be insufficient?" Ito asked.

      "It's not the Vice Admiral, while I'd love to let you take that glory in securing peace with the natives, I'm afraid I'll have to take the risk first."

      "On whose damn authority do you challenge me Komura!" As the Vice Admiral yelled into the headset, the others on the bridge couldn't help but to look at him. With a glare they were all sent back to what they were doing.

      "I'm not challenging you Vice Admiral, the Asashimo has suffered engine trouble and has stalled. The other two destroyers in our group are continuing onward. We've already sighted eleven giants on the horizon. We've no other choice."

      "Did you evacuate the crew?"

      "I tried to Vice Admiral, but all three hundred and twenty six hands on board refused." The rear admiral seemed proud of that statement.

      "I wish you good luck then Rear Admiral."

      "You as well Vice Admiral."

      Ito set down the headphones as he grinned. Looking out over the water he continued to watch the helpless giant flail in the water. "Perhaps we should not idle either."

      April the 9th, naval time 11:50PM, Sakuya's perspective.

      It was a bit hard to make out, but in the far distance, Sakuya sighted one of the gray beasts. It seemed to be moving very slow if not completely stopped. She was too far way to tell. "It could be a trap." she thought.

      "Even alone that thing is dangerous sisters." They nodded their heads. "We'll try to surround it before we get too close."

      Brandishing their spears, the girls started to fan out around a circle perimeter of the beast in the far distance. Sakuya was glad the girls had not seen her trembling.

      It was too late to call this move an ambush, but that would have never worked anyways. No, this was clearly an encirclement, or a pincer attack. The spears they wielded were over two hundred feet tall. The armor they wore, was made from tree bark and scales, each strand of bark was folded and then tied with vines binding them together into mats. Fish scales were embedded into the armor. The girls wore no helmets, nor trousers, besides some primitive foot gear which would remain unseen in a water battle. At most the armor skirt fell down to their waist, allowing the most amount of movement.

      Despite this level of protection, all eleven of the girls couldn't help but feel afraid. The beasts had literally taken the lives of multiple tree burning men. Even one of them was paralyzing them with fear. Still, the fact only one was around, couldn't help but make the girls think it had been wounded in its confrontation. But a wounded animal is often far more dangerous.

To be continued.

      April the 9th, naval time 11:35PM, The Ryujin Palace Halls.

      "So the scared young man rescued from a Tengu is to be put in my care?" Said the young girl.

      The female guard looked down at the closest eldest daughter. She stood a head shorter then herself and seemed only to be around age forty two or so she guessed.

      "Yes, and your two sisters. I trust you will be able to keep your promises to your mother? After all Othime has many other capable daughters."

      The three girls jumped right into the guards face, or would have had they been taller. "Of course we can. No using the Holy language in his prescience, and help comfort him and snap him back to his right senses, right?"

      The guard looked over the girl and her two younger sisters behind her. They were eager for this assignment, in fact she could swear they had bought off Otohime's other daughters. They were the Ryujin's palaces youngest fisherman. Heck they might someday be known as the best Ryujin fisherman. Sure they weren't the smartest of girls, but they had power for their young age.

      "She who controls the Wani wins the man." The guard thought to herself. An ancient Ryujin saying which still applied to this day and age. Not that the Ryujin had any concept of coinage or paper money. Barter and imperial rule still held strong here.

      "Don't you girls forget to give him a bath and prepare him some new clothes as well, he might also still be delusional and refuse to speak or cooperate with you."

      The three girls stepped forward, the eldest looked to be in her early twenties and the other two somewhere in their late teens. The two younger girls stood at 13 and 14 jo, while the eldest was 15 jo or 130, 140, and 150 feet tall. Overall they seemed average. "Don't worry we will do our best!" The three girls replied giggling.

      "We don't need you best, we need results. That boy is still unmarried so you cannot force your will on him either." She blushed. "That all said, if one of you succeeds in mating the right way, Otohime gives her blessing to her daughters."

      The three young girls smiled at the older Guards blush. They two understood the great opportunity they were given. Unlike this older female guard who had been without any mate understood the reality of their world. Few got to mate, let alone be a potential future wife. Of course wives were far and few between as well.

      "Bring him fourth." The older female guard spoke.

      Through a stone doorway came several taller female guards carefully carrying a small palanquin. From inside came a slew of never heard holy words.

      "It appears he's still a bit irate. You girls better settle him down before later today when Othime visits him again."

      "Don't worry, Otohime has nothing to fear with my sister and I on the case."

      Truth be told, these bumbling, conniving girls were worrisome to her. But if they did screw up, maybe Otohime would allow the task to go to someone else, perhaps a well seasoned palace guard. She blushed at the thought, she wished she could have been chosen. She had worked long and hard in the palace for over thirty years with almost no gain other than some respect from a few other guardsman.

      "Yes yes, that's all well and good, please take him to the bath chambers, you're wasting my fellow guards time."

      Aoi, the eldest sister opened the moving palace and stuck her hand in expecting him to jump on.

      "He's not getting on my hand."

      "You must be doing something wrong" said the second youngest sister.

      Ren pushed away her sister Aoi and stuck her hand in the moving palace. "Come on little man, hop unto Ren's hand."

      "Like he would want to be on your stinky hand, you didn't even bother washing after we fished this morning."

      "Mana your one to talk, I've seen you try and ride the wani. Besides there was no time, given this limited opportunity presented itself in such a short time."

      "Nah, you just never bother to wash, Aoi and I both bathed after fishing, unlike you."

      Aoi hated it when her younger sisters bickered. She really wished she had found better fishing partners when she was younger. "Sisters this isn't working." Aoi said to the two girls.

      "Well what's your plan then," said the two younger sisters.

      Pushing aside her two younger sisters she put her hand into the moving palace. A moment later she was holding a small squirming young man.

      "Let go of me." Shouta loudly protested to the three large girls.

      "Mana, Ren. Help me remove his clothes."

      "He doesn't sound very happy Aoi." Mana spoke.

      "Aoi why  don't you let him take off his own clothes?" The second oldest girl said.

      "Hey little guy if you will calm down I will let you take off your own clothes okay?"

      Despite Aoi's nice kind words, she was mate by a spew of unknown holy words which didn't sound the least bit friendly.

      "Sister I tried to be nice with him, but I think we might have to force him to remove his clothes. Give me a hand."

      April the 9th, naval time 12:00AM, Ito's  perspective.

      "Vice Admiral Ito, the boats are prepared."

      "How many sailors volunteered to go?"

      "To many to count Vice Admiral. I've assigned a dozen kaiten pilots to man the boats. They are fearless enough not to lose their cool."

      "That will do Captain, who have you placed in command have the boats?"

      "I think I shall have that honor."

      "I cannot allow that captain, your place is on the bridge of the Yamato."

      "But Vice Admiral!"

      "Just as I cannot leave this ship, neither can you. Now launch the boats before that giant drowns."

      April the 9th, naval time 11:10PM, somewhere far north of the main Japanese fleet.

      "Commander Janney, we got a total of twenty six giants and counting coming into range of the Hackleback's 127mm guns and 40mm and 20mm guns, the 4 aft torpedo bay are also ready and waiting."

      "Very good, prepare to fire when they close into optimal firing range."

      "Aye commander."

      Commander Janney knew they couldn't win. "I'm going topside, any non busy marines will accompany me."

      "Commander your place is on the bridge."

      "Listen her bub, were between a rock and a hard place. Your commanding officer is giving you a god damn order, not taking requests."

      "Yes commander."

      Commander Janney made it topside as the first bursts of fire came from the submarines main cannon. In his hands was a browning heavy machine gun. The other twenty or so marines behind him also carried them and ammunition.

      "Listen up boys, were the United States Marines, and no giant devils are going to keep us down!"

      Everyone covered their ears with muffs as the 40mm Bofors guns started blazing out 120 rounds a minute. The submarine was easily making 40 miles per hour, but the enclosing giants were going almost three times as fast.

      The deck was shaking and the browning heavy machine guns started to add their firepower a mere five minutes after Commander Janney gave his speech. Below them the four aft torpedo's bay were fired and reloaded 6 times before the Hackleback's torpedo's were depleted.

      In the water lay around 26 giant bodies floating in the water and several more wounded or unable to continue. But the distance between the Hackleback and the rest of the Giants was less than a thousand feet.

      Commander John Foote of the USS Threadfin continued to watch the horror through the periscope. "God, their most at least be a hundred of them!"

      "Commander can you please give the order to fire?"

      Commander Foote was covered in sweat and seemed under pressure. "No marines, the Hackleback doesn't stand a chance, and I'm not getting us dragged down with her."

      "Surely we could at least support her?"

      "No they already communicated for us not to help. I think we have no other choice then to seek help from the Japs." He looked directly at the sailor. "Besides even with our support the battle could not be won."

      "Commander that's crazy. We are the United States Marines."

      "And just where is the United States? That's right were stuck here alone with enemies on all sides in a different world!"

      "Sir we cannot lose our integrity. Or who we are!"

      "We have little choice if we are to survive, and if I'm to join the Japs, then I want us to be armed and on somewhat even grounds."

      "Commander Foote!" A sailor yelled as he was looking into the periscope.

      John ran over to the periscope and pushed aside the young sailor. A giant demon giant varnishing a large club smashed it down against the Hacklebacks 127mm cannon. The marines, including commander Janney opened up a round of heavy fire with a dozen browning heavy machine guns on the giants arm.

      The giants arm was shredded by the bullet fire. The giant behind him kept pushing him forward regardless. As the two giants moved closer then onboard 20mm gun wrecked havoc on the first giant, as the first giant went down its left hand shot out towards the marines.

      Commander Janney bravely pushed another sailor out of the way of the giants outreaching hand.

      Janney flailed in the giants hand as he looked down at his fellow marines right before he was pulled underwater by the giant.

      His fellow marines carried on but were soon hard pressed to hold out on the deck, with  the 127mm gun disabled they didn't stand a chance against the oncoming storm.

      In their panic, a few marines went below and sealed the hatch.

      "Those morons!" Yelled Commander Foote.

      Everyone looked around the commander as he stood at the periscope.

      The Hackleback started to dive as the few remaining topside marines started discarding their heavy weapons and instead started swimming for their lives.

      "Did the Hacklback have enough time to recharge it's batteries?" Foote asked already knowing the asnwer.

      "Commander Foote, given the time the Hackleback had to recharge their power, they could surface, but only if they do so soon, otherwise the crew will be unable to surface and will suffocate in a few hours."

      "Fools!"

      The giants continued to slash their clubs in the water, others found better things to do.

      "I can't watch this!" John walked away from the periscope. "Periscope down!"

      "Aye Commander." the sailor said as they lowered the Periscope.

      Commander Foote retired into his personal quarters. It was a small room but the commanders quarters was much larger than standard enlisted sailors. Sitting down on his bed he recounted what he just saw quietly to himself.

      "Dear God, they were eating those Marines. Were nothing but food to them here!"

      April the 9th, naval time 11:50PM, The Ryujin Palace Baths.

      Stripping him of his clothes they hardly treated him with any respect, yet they were gentle. They were again using some incomprehensible language again, much to Shouta's ire. Shouta protested the entire time but was continually ignored. Unknownst to Shouta, the three girls had been given orders to abide by his wishes, but ignore anything he said in the holy tongue. Knowing this would not have done Shouta any good anyways as he only knew Japanese. So his demands would not be met.

      "He's kind of cute, and looks younger then dad." Ren studied the small man closely.

      "Ren don't compare him to dad. We don't want to offend Shouta."

      "I just can't believe how intricate these clothes are sisters. It's a shame we have to toss them out, their probably worth a fortune."

      "Mana, how many wani do you think we'd have to trade in order to get a set of clothes like these."

      "I don't know, I'm a fisherman, I don't bother to get clothes for myself. I'd guess at least a month's worth. They look pretty fancy."

      Aoi  stopped and thought for a moment, then took the clothes from her sister Mana. "I think I will hold onto these." She placed the small garment inside her fishing sack.

      Because fishing was a labor intensive line of work, most fisherman went without clothes and instead wore a simple hung sack to carry all of their instruments. This provided easier movement and allowed them to remain cooler.

      Ren was coupling the small man in her hand. "Come on lets hurry to the steam baths."

      Unable to resist them, Shouta sat crossed legged naked cupped in the hands of one of the girls. They were making their way towards a small steamy cave. The girls had to carefully crouch inside the tiny opening. Shouta wondered how all three girls would fit inside, he on the other hand could only marvel at the size of the steam bath.

      The three girls were relatively young looking, Shouta thought they ought to be around their late teens. They were not dressed, but Shouta's vision had been obscured by the hands cupped around him. So any glances he got of the girls had been brief. Shouta had actually been expecting a hot spring when he was told he would be forced to take a bath.

      Shouta felt the hands beneath him shake abruptly.

      "Hey careful down here you monsters." Shouta shouted up to the girls. He now stood on her hand in the center of her palm. The cupped hand had pulled away slightly which allowed Shouta to see the more of the cave, and his capturers.

      "Hey Shouta which one of us is cuter?" Ren asked as she displayed her muscled abs.

      "Hey that's not a fair question Ren." Aoi pouted. Most likely because she wanted to ask that very question herself.

      "He's just going to continue ignoring us anyways." Mana picked up the small man placed him on Aoi's tit.

      "What are you doing Mana!" Aoi demanded.

      "I just want him to see your huge rack from a close view. Also he can see my beautiful slender form from those large mounds. Everyone knows man love powerful muscular flat woman like me sister."

      "Mana that's going to far, apologize to your sister, it's not her fault she grew with large breasts."

      "Ren stay out of this, this is me and Mana's fight. I'd slug here right now, but man hate violence and competition so I'll be a bigger woman and step down."

      The three girls kept bickering, but Shouta wasn't following any of it, he was more concerned with his current state. He was slipping on a bead of sweat. It was quite hot and he was naked, he was actually thankful he didn't have his clothes. Though he really wish he had something more to hold onto.

      "Aoi your so full of yourself, I'm younger than you and still almost pull in as much wani as you. Even Ren is starting to out fish you. Maybe you missed your calling of basket maker."

      "Take that back Ma..na..."

      Shouta was still trying to find solid ground when the breasts of the girl he was on, leaned forward to yell. What he found to grab unto was a nipple, but that was only a trap. His hands simply slipped right off it.

      Mana and Ren watched as the small man slid down their sister's stomach and flew right into the air off Aoi's inner thigh.

      "Catch him!" all three girls called out.

      Shouta was panicking as he slid down the giants wet belly. Below that was the ground, which he wanted to avoid. Doing his best he slid towards the giants leg. Then he was air born as he flew of her inner thigh. Time seemed to slow down as he raced over the cave floor. Each little crack and crevice of the floor blurring before him right before he smacked into a pool of sweat at the girls feet. The puddle was roughly five feet deep, and his fall from the giants leg was not that high. The gravity was reduced on this world, so the fall was deadly, but he still hit the sweat puddle pretty hard.

      "I think he's okay. But he doesn't seem to be awake."

      "Are you sure Aoi, maybe he's just pretending to sleep out of fear." Ren nudged the man in Aoi's hand.

      "I'm sorry Aoi. I shouldn't have put him on your big breasts...."

      "Come on lets go bring him somewhere more comfortable sisters." Aoi said as she cupped her hand around the fragile man in her hand.

To be continued.